Category: Basketball

High school basketball primarily in SW VA

Radford head coach Retires

Radford High School for the first time in 31 years is in need of a boy’s head basketball coach! Rick Cormany has announced he’s retiring from coaching. He had an overall record of 773 wins and 249 losses. He was head coach for 40 years. Five years at what was then Rocky Gap High School from 1983- 87. He then was head coach at Grayson Co. for five years, from 1989 to 1993. In 1994 he became the Bobcats’ head coach. He helped lead them to six state championships in 13 years, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2019. His record at Radford was 609- 177 and also led the Bobcats to five state runner-up finishes. Radford won 22 district regular-season titles in the last 23 years. Radford also won 16 of the last 17 district tournament championships. He led Radford to 12 Region C titles and Radford went 30-0 in their 2019 season.  Coach Cormany was inducted into the Radford Hall of Fame in 2021. His 773 wins place him second in all-time wins in VHSL history, behind only Paul Hatcher who coached R E Lee High School in Staunton.

Coach Cormany said, ” It’s time to let someone else roam the sideline and  Radford is in a good place.

Assistant coaches Tommy Hilton and Bill Nichols also will not return this winter

Bobcats to lose two players

The Radford Bobcats basketball team has lost two players because of transferring. The top two scoring players of last year’s squad were Elijah Kelly and Gavin Cormany. Kelly has transferred to Miller School outside of Charlottesville, Va. Cormany has transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson Va. Both players will repeat their junior years and will reclassify to the 2025 class.

Cougars to name new Boys coach

Pulaski Co. will name former Cougar player Daniel Brown as their new boys’ basketball coach.  Brown played for then-Cougar head coach Allen Wiley and at Bluefield College. He has been coaching boys’ and girls’ teams in the Hampton Roads area. He averaged a double-double in his junior and senior years at Bluefield, in points and assists.

Sports School Year comes to an end- 2022-23

The state championship is in the books and the 2022-23 sports school year comes to an end. This writer has had some great memories for the year. There are so many people to thank. I like to start with Matthew Hatfield of Virginia Preps.com. He lets me keep my website up and running. He lets me cover basically whomever I want to cover in football, basketball, and baseball.

I need to say thank you to Mike Williams for letting me cover some local sports for his paper, The Patriot. Matthew and Mike both for letting me do the things sometimes for both at the same time.

So many schools to thank for letting me watch and cover their games. Their hospitality and friendship over the years. Those schools include; Radford, Auburn, Narrows, Graham, Pulaski Co., George Wythe, Fort Chiswell, Grayson Co., Giles, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Carroll Co., Floyd Co., Salem, Glenvar, Rural Retreat, Patrick Henry, Hidden Valley, and so many more.

Thank You to all the head coaches, athletic directors, principals, and all the coaching staff of the schools. It’s been another fun ride and hopefully, this upcoming season will be an exciting year of sports, as well.  So people have asked me you don’t cover many girls’ basketball or softball games or post scores. I’m only one person. This is a love of sports for me. I can only cover so much. If people would send me scores I will post them.

Some changes have occurred at some schools for their upcoming year. Coaching changes at Fort Chiswell, Auburn, Pulaski Co just to name a few. As of this writing, Pulaski Co. still needs to name a new head boys’ basketball coach.

A couple of things that stand out for this past season. One, Graham football what a season they had. I got to cover just three of their games. It was a special group. Their head coach Tony Palmer and his dollar hidden in the dressing room from the year-ago to get back to Salem and win the title and get his dollar back! To see Patrick Co. baseball win their first state championship and their head coach almost in tears with happiness. Then there was Carroll Co. basketball head coach with tears in his eyes talking to his team after a hard-fought three-overtime loss to Radford.  Lebanon sophomore pitcher, Nathan “Tater’ Phillips throwing a no-hitter to win a state baseball championship, there were plenty of emotions this school year.

George Wythe and  Auburn basketball playing what six times in one season? Wythe head coach and former Pulaski Co. player Tony Dunford took a young squad to the state championship game. Radford head coach Rick Cormany for saying what lots of people were thinking after losing to John Marshall’s team.  Coach Tyler Cannoy of Pulaski Co. for all he endured this past basketball season. Injuries at the start of the season were the kiss of death. That and a young team with first-year varsity players off of the junior varsity team.  The Cougar coaches and their work didn’t go unnoticed. Good Luck to Tyler Cannoy in his future endeavors.

Coach Kelly Lowe of Narrows football for his kindness and his staff welcomed me with open arms at their home games.

Coach Brian Harman of Floyd for his kindness and for letting me cover, The Chance Harman Classic.  Got to keep the official scorebook for Combine School out of North Carolina to see now Louisville signee Trentyn Flowers at the Chance Harman Classic. Grant Smythers for letting me be the official scorekeeper for The Adam Ward Classic. Coach Michael Crist and his Radford football staff for letting me come by a lot to watch practice.  Radford baseball coach  Drew Cox I appreciate the swag, Doug Reed of Auburn thank you. Scott Grantham, Guenther Schlottman, Harriet Farris, and Scottie Scott I appreciate your work.

To all the officials, umpires, and referees for their hard work and their friendships over the past years. They have a hard job and a lot of people have no idea how tough it is to be one of those people.

Jeff Molinary, Scott Vest, Greg Wade,  Kelly Lowe, Matt Dixon, Patrick Buckner, Paul Dominy, and Mike Roop a BIG THANK YOU!

Best Wishes to Howard Mayo and Spider Thompson. Good Luck to Zane Quesenberry and Rupert Hill new coaches at Fort Chiswell. Matthew Saunders miss ya. Stephen James go get’em! Mitch Anders, Billy Rice, and Terry Bass if you all are buying tacos, I’M Eating. LOL

Thank you to all the sports writers that have helped me this past year you know who you are …

To the people that check out my website- THANK YOU and spread the word- I appreciate you all !!!!!

I’m sure I’m missing lots of people and I don’t mean to. I consider these people my friends!  A great year of sports and a new year is just around the corner. Football practice is just around the corner for two -a- days!!

 

Fort Chiswell has new head coach

The Fort Chiswell Pioneers has a new girls’ head basketball coach.  Rupert Hill will be named the new head coach. He was an assistant under former Pioneer head coach Howard Mayo. Coach Mayo stepped down after the season due to health concerns. Coach Hill once was the Pioneers girl’s junior varsity head coach.

 

On another basketball note the Pulaski Co. Cougars are now scheduling interviews for their men’s basketball opening. A new coach will probably be in place in the next few weeks.

Baseball Scores – Tues. May 23 & Wed. May 24

Wed. May 24

Floyd Co. 13 Martinsville 2- Class 2 Region C

Glenvar 4 James River 1- Class 2 Region C

Chilhowie 5 Thomas Walker 0- Class 1 Region D

Magna Vista 8 Carroll Co. 7- Class 3 Region D

 Tues. May 23

Nelson Co. 9 Radford 1- Class 2 Region C

Dan River 9 Gretna 2- Class 2 Region C

Some Info from around SW Va.

Former Geo. Wythe and Pulaski Co. football player E J Horton has committed to play at Colorado Univ. for Deion Sanders.

Holston High School has named Chad Bailey as their new head basketball coach. He has been head coach at Northwood and then at Marion HS from 2009-2019.

Scotty Boyd has been named the new boys’ basketball coach at Lebanon HS. He was at SW Va. Community College- Info via Tim Hayes

Donnie Frazier has been named the new boys’ basketball coach at J I Burton High School. He was a former coach of girls’ teams at Castlewood and Ridgeview High School.

Cougars taking Applications

Pulaski Co. High School is in the process of taking applications for their head basketball coach opening. RodneySportsNow.com has learned that there have been some interesting applicants who have applied so far.

Auburn has new Coach/ Gate City has new coach

The Auburn Eagles have named Scott Mikowicz as their new head football coach. Scott was an assistant at Auburn High School last season under then-former head coach David Seabaugh.

Gate City has named Chris Fugate as their new head basketball coach. Chris has been an assistant for Gate City for the last 26 years.

Cougars looking for new basketball head coach

The Pulaski Co. Cougars are in search of a new head boys basketball coach. The Pulaski Co. administration informed Tyler Cannoy that they are going to go in a different direction. The Cougars finished this past season with a 6-17 record.  It was a long, trying, and disappointing season for the boys’ basketball team and the whole Cougar staff.

Personal Note: Best wishes and Good Luck to Coach Tyler Cannoy.