Upon Further Review

I’m here for the warm weather ...

Looking for the most dangerous baseball player in the Southern Valley District? Of course you are. Because, when your life is all about high school sports, you try to find those little things. So sue me.

And there are plenty in the Southern Valley, but when you’re looking at who gets on base, touches them all and eventually makes his way home, sorry, but you gotta go with Waynesboro’s Terrell Thompson.

It’s simple, actually, and here’s why: All Thompson did in Waynesboro’s 4-1 win over Spotswood in the snow and cold Tuesday was start off the game by reaching first on an error (uh-oh for Spotswood because letting this lead-off man on base never ends well), moved to second on a walk (Really? OK, here’s a rule, if Thompson gets on base you do whatever it takes to make sure the guy after him doesn’t. Ground ball just out of reach? Shoot, you stretch a little farther. Pop foul that’s heading to the stands? Heck, you run into the bleachers, pop a squat next to somebody, grab a handful of their popcorn and make sure you catch that ball.) then scored on a Jimmy Eavers’ single.

That made the game 1-0 before you even had a chance to start getting cold, Waynesboro tacks on three more in the inning (you know, because you couldn’t get Thompson out to start the game) and that’s how it ends.

Someone told Waynesboro’s Joseph Lucas that the Little Giants would only win when he was on the mound. Oh well, looks like the team has only proven those naysayers wrong twice this year. Go figure.

Of course, if it’s danger that you love (and who doesn’t? Dare we say it’s your middle name? Yes, we went there.) you can’t go wrong with Fort Defiance’s Daniel Righty Wright. You do know, there’s a reason he’s going to Radford to play Division I baseball, and it’s not just because he nice kid. Sure, he is great on he mound and even better behind the plate, but it’s what he’s doing to make everybody around him better.

Case and point? Just ask Blake Sipe who pitched the Indians to a win Monday over R.E. Lee, striking out 10 Leemen in the process.

“It’s really nice to have a catcher like Righty [Wright],“ Sipe said. “He blocks my curveball. I must have had four or five strikeouts that were in the dirt and he had to throw down to first.“

So, who’s the most dangerous baseball player in the Southern Valley District? Let us know (and by us, I mean “Me.“)

And another thing: Hey look, somebody did score on Waynesboro boys soccer. Sure, it was only one goal and, bully for them, it was Spotswood who isn’t in the Southern Valley. But, hey, it’s a start.

Again, let me ask, why is this Waynesboro boys soccer team (and all Southern Valley soccer teams for that matter) still playing old Valley District schools? Wake. Up. The Little Giants are on the cusp of being one of the most consistent boys soccer programs this side of Afton. But they need a little something extra like, oh, I don’t know, putting another Region III team in that isn’t on the Turkey Trail. Hey, I’m just saying. This is a problem that has haunted this program for years— either flat-out dominating the district or winning it, then falling in the regionals. Why?

Because. They. Play. These. Massanutten. Schools.

Hey, don’t get me wrong, playing Western Albemarle is a great start, but let’s get at least two more Region III schools not in and around Harrisonburg on this schedule. See another style of offense. Check out another style of defense. You know, a sneak peek if you will.

Trust me, it will pay dividends.

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Wilson Memorial’s Josh Miller scores goals. That’s what he does. He does it well. So what?

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So do Riverheads’ Jenna Arneson and Autumn Berry.

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So does Buffalo Gap’ Sara Lamneck ... wait ... what? You betcha, Lamneck (aka Snakey, Snakey Poo and those other nicknames you’ll hear her dad yelling at basketball games and, we’re guessing, soccer matches as well) does it on the pitch as well.

I mean, how fair is this? It’s bad enough that a girl who can get into a let’s-change-the-light-bulbs-in-this-hallway-without-using-a-step-stool contest with fellow Gapster Booooooooooooone Jones dominates on the court. Now she’s scoring goals in soccer?

Man, high school sports are so unfair.