By CHAD COOPER, [email protected]
The Eagles are landing.
Even though Southern Gap High School will not officially open its doors for a few more months, its student-athletes are already building the foundation for what they hope will become a proud tradition.
The Southern Gap football team has spent the early offseason competing in 7-on-7 events and putting in the work during offseason conditioning. The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have attended summer camps, while the volleyball program recently hosted a clinic for prospective players. Girls’ tennis coach Eddie Smith and competition cheer coach Megan Wolford have used social media to reach interested students, and tryouts for both the football and basketball seasons have already been held.
In many ways, Southern Gap athletics is no longer a concept. It is becoming a reality.
Nothing has driven that point home more than seeing the new artificial turf being installed at the football stadium. The black end zones, accented by Vegas gold lettering and borders, are beginning to transform the facility into something Buchanan County residents have only imagined for years.
As a former football player, I can only imagine what is going through the minds of athletes spending their summer afternoons working in the heat and humidity. Every sprint, every lift and every conditioning session brings them one step closer to making history when the Eagles take the field for the first time. I am getting pumped to see head coach Greg Tester lead the Eagles onto that field for the first time while I watch from the Lloyd Combs press box. Lloyd was a mentor to me when I first started writing for the newspaper, and I will never forget those road trips we took together and the time we spent just talking about sports and life.
Like many sports fans across the country, I am counting down the days until that opening kickoff.
As excited as I am about the future, I would be lying if I said there is not some nostalgia mixed in with that excitement.
For years, Friday nights meant packed stands at Nelson Memorial Field, The Cliff, where I played and at Twin Valley, which is just a stone’s throw away from my home. Those venues provided countless memories for athletes, coaches, families, fans and especially me. I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a family of diehard sports fans and, through my job, to cover thrilling victories, heartbreaking defeats, championship runs and unforgettable individual performances.
Before becoming a reporter, you could not have paid me to watch a track meet or attend a cross-country meet. Honestly, I had no clue because those are sports that I did not compete in, but after watching state-caliber athletes such as Caleb Elswick, Jessi Looney, Landon Johnson and Keyston Hartford from Grundy, Kim Lester from Twin Valley, Landon Adkins and Ariel and Arianna Endicott from Hurley and Ella Rasnake from Council, to name a few, changed my whole outlook on those sports. I also want to give Loni Webb and Christina Bane a huge shoutout for the time and effort they have put into bringing track to the forefront in Buchanan County.
I have also witnessed the growth of sports that often do not receive the same spotlight as football and basketball in our county. Volleyball, tennis and golf have steadily improved. Our cheerleading programs have become more competitive, and baseball and softball are beginning to benefit from a revitalized Little League program.
With all of Buchanan County’s students now under one roof, those programs have an opportunity to reach even greater heights.
There is no denying that what is being built atop the mountain is impressive. When completed, Southern Gap High School will provide student-athletes with facilities that rival many of the best in Virginia. The football stadium, field house, athletic facilities and academic spaces represent a significant investment in the future of Buchanan County’s children.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the sacrifices that come with such a transition.
My heart goes out to the students and families who will face long daily commutes from the far reaches of the county. It was also difficult to watch Grundy, Hurley, Twin Valley, and Council close the chapters on schools that had served as the heart of their communities for generations. Those buildings were more than schools. They were gathering places where lifelong memories were made and community pride was forged.
Change is never easy, especially when it involves institutions that have been woven into the fabric of our communities for decades.
Yet there is also an opportunity in change.
For the first time, students from all parts of Buchanan County will learn, compete, and grow together daily. Friendships will develop among young people who might never have met otherwise, unless they attend the Buchanan County Career, Technology, and Higher Learning Center. New traditions will be created, rivalries will form, and heroes will be celebrated. Will we see the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher this season? Who will be the first to score 1,000 points, or hit the first home run? Many exciting firsts await us to celebrate together.
The other day, I found myself reflecting on how Buchanan County has developed over the past 150 years. Historically, communities focused on strengthening their own towns and neighborhoods, hoping growth would eventually spread beyond their borders. With the development of Southern Gap, county leaders have taken a different approach. They have established a central point for growth and investment, with the hope that success will radiate outward into every community across Buchanan County.
That remains to be seen, of course.
But as the turf is rolled out, the finishing touches are placed on the field house, and the first Eagles teams prepare for competition, one thing is certain:
A new era of Buchanan County athletics is about to begin.
And whether you’re excited, nostalgic or a little bit of both, it’s hard not to feel that something special is taking shape on the mountain.
