Upon Further Review

The Little Giants needed that win last night against Stuarts Draft. Needed it like Sarah Palin needs a clue. Like John McCain needs adult diapers. Needed it like Joe Biden needs to figure out when the television was invented. Needed it like Barack Obama needs experience. (See, we’re equal opportunity insulters.)

The Waynesboro volleyball program needed that win to thrust itself back into the “relevant” column and out of the “what-the-heck-happened to us?“ category.

The Giants needed it bad. They needed it good. They just flat out needed to beat the Cougars. By hook or by crook. (Have we made our point that the Little Giants absolutely needed that win over Draft on Tuesday? Good.)

It’s not a season saver. Nor it is a program saver. (Really, the volleyball program at Waynesboro don’t need no saving.)

But it was needed. And here’s why: Confidence.

After spending most of last season playing the part of the Southern Valley’s catfish (you know, a bottom feeder) as a team with enough issues to fill up a magazine rack, the Giants needed the 2008 season to have a little something extra. Mainly improved play from look-at-me star in the making Rachel Binda (who finally is playing the way she should have been playing all along—with toughness) and a supporting cast of characters who weren’t afraid of playing as a team.

Last season, they didn’t get either one of those. What they got was Binda showing the occasional flashes of greatness and a group of girls who weren’t all that concerned about wins and losses, only what kind of stats they got.

Last year, after getting swept by Draft in their first meeting, the Little Giants would have just sat back and watched it happen again.

This year all the Little Giants did after getting swept by Draft the first time is claw back into this darn Southern Valley race by beating the Cougars in four games.

“We’ve seen all the teams, but Waynesboro is a different team that what we saw before,“ said Draft coach Kami Meeteer after the loss.

She’s right. It’s a different team from earlier this season and vastly different team from last season. And the credit has to go to second-year coach Lori Aleshire.

Because last year, Aleshire didn’t look lost, but she did look frustrated. Frustrated that the girls weren’t playing as a team and weren’t buying into her system.

This year, especially after last Tuesday’s win over Draft, Aleshire should be smiling a lot more because, sure, they’re not the powerhouse they once were, but after taking a year off, the Little Giants seem to be back.

And they made the announcement by beat Draft in four games.

And another thing: You already know how good the Wilson Memorial volleyball team is. We’ll spare you all the details. Another reason this team is so good has to go on the shoulders of coach Kim Claytor, a no-nonsense lady who tells it like it is.

That’s why Tuesday’s five-game win over Page County wasn’t the type of win that elicits a smile from the coach.

“Sometimes when you get up a big lead, you lose your intensity,“ she said after watching her team let a 19-11 Game 3 leads slip away. “We just failed to execute when we need to.“

With a lineup chock full of seniors, the Hornets need to execute, oh, I don’t know, like now.  Lock. The. Thread.

On to football: Anytime anybody wants to hold R.E. Lee to under 45 points it’s ... oh, never mind.

Buffalo Gap, welcome to the top of the Power Rankings.

I can’t be the only one who is salivating at the mere thought of the Southern Valley cross country meet, can I?

Here’s why: Because if Fort Defiance senior Whitney Fulk and Waynesboro freshman Meredith Figgatt keep on trading punches like they have all season, those two batting it out for a district title will make a mixed martial arts event look like night at the Glee Club.

OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little (about the MMA part, not the salivating-in-anticipation-of part), but then again, this is the only sport that can print T-shirts that read “Our sport is your sport’s punishment” and get away with it because, well, it’s true.

Hey look, Waynesboro volleyball is now 3-2 in the district.

And look over there. Grace Christian volleyball is undefeated at 17-0.

Uh, oh, here comes a mad R.E. Lee team to Waynesboro this Friday for football. So what’s it going to be Little Giants?

Just asking.