varsity.roanoke.com

Ever notice those mini-billboards at the bottom of your nearby newspaper box? You know, the ones that say, "Find the Right Job. Grab the Classifieds."

They're called rack cards.

I've got one on the wall next to my desk. It shouts to the world in maroon and orange letters: "Read all about it! Virginia Tech wins National Championship."

That card came from a box at a newspaper where I used to work. All any passers-by saw though was what was written on the other side next to a picture of Shyrone Stith: "Follow the Hokies to the Sugar Bowl."

The 2000 Sugar Bowl. The one against Florida State for the BCS football championship. The one where the Hokies couldn't stop Peter Warrick.

The final was FSU 46, Tech 29 and the flip side of that rack card never saw the light of day.

I mounted it on the wall as a tribute to unfulfilled dreams, the same way Tech coach Frank Beamer keeps that empty pedestal outside his office with a plaque that reads, "This area is reserved for the national championship trophy."

The wait is finally over.

Tech has landed the big one.

That's right. The Hokies are national champs ... in bass fishing.

Two Tech students -- Scott Wiley and Brett Thompson -- stared down a dangerous crowd of 35 other duos to win the College Bass teams in America national title on the Arkansas River. According to the ESPNOutdoors Web site, Wiley and Thompson weighed in an 8-pound, 8-ounce haul of bass on the final day to edge Louisiana-Lafayette and Oklahoma for the crown.

So Tech is No. 1 in the BCS -- Bass-Catching Sports.

The way the weather has looked the past two days, that might not be a bad skill to have tonight.

Wear your waders.

GILES 28, Floyd County 14. Giles has lost just one regular-season game at home in the last four seasons.

WILLIAM BYRD 21, Northside 10. Byrd has a playoff berth. The Terriers are looking for a district title and a first-round home game.

R.E. LEE-STAUNTON 27, Rockbridge County 14. Rockbridge is in a must-win situation in this battle for first place in the Southern Valley District.

RICHLANDS 20, Carroll County 13. Richlands is looking vulnerable and Carroll County still has hopes of sharing first place in the Southwest District.

BLACKSBURG 28, Pulaski County 24. Blacksburg can either bounce back from last week's debacle or pack it in.

SALEM 24, Hidden Valley 7. Hidden Valley needs to win at least two of its final three games to have a chance to make the Region IV Division 4 field.

BLESSED SACRAMENT-HUGUENOT 25, Roanoke Catholic 24. The Celtics are another team that must win tonight in order to have any playoff hopes.

CHRISTIANSBURG 42, Cave Spring 20. Christiansburg is in a huge hole that might be too much to dig out of now.

LORD BOTETOURT 20, Alleghany 19. More wet weather, more trouble for Alleghany's pass-happy offense against a team that likes to slug it out.

GEORGE WASHINGTON 41, Franklin County 14. Franklin County will need to be letter perfect to have a chance in Danville.

HALIFAX COUNTY 21, William Fleming 20. Fleming's string of five straight playoff trips appears to be coming to an end.

PATRICK COUNTY 31, Magna Vista 6. Patrick County can still get back into the playoff picture in Region IV Division 3.

MARTINSVILLE 22, Tunstall 21. The three teams Martinsville has defeated this year have combined for zero victories.

LIBERTY 14, Rustburg 6. The Minutemen hope to be healthy in time for the Region III Division 3 playoffs in two weeks.

AMHERST COUNTY 49, Staunton River 7. Next week, all eyes in Group AA will be on the Lancers' game against unbeaten Heritage.

CHILHOWIE 14, Rural Retreat 13. The Warriors have the desperation factor working in its favor over the Indians in the annual Politically Incorrect Bowl.

GEORGE WYTHE 34, Northwood 6. It could be all or nothing next week when the Maroons face Chilhowie.

GALAX 22, Bland County 20. Bland has four more wins right now than Galax does, so this would be a big upset.

GRAYSON COUNTY 36, Fort Chiswell 12. A win tonight and a loss by Bland County to Galax might be enough to give the Blue Devils a playoff berth.

POCAHONTAS 18, Narrows 12. Were this game on the banks of the New River, the pick would be the Green Wave.

PARRY McCLUER 27, Covington 25. Parry McCluer's last two games were 26-23 losses to Eastern Montgomery and Bath County.

JAMES RIVER 48, Craig County 6. James River's home game next week against Bath County will likely be for a playoff berth in Region C Division 1.

AUBURN 18, Glenvar 14. Radford welcomed Auburn to the Division 2 ranks with a 46-7 pounding last week.

RADFORD 33, Eastern Montgomery 13. Even with limited numbers on the roster, Radford is still better than many Division 1 teams.

BASSETT 22, Jefferson Forest 17. The Bengals have played just two games in the last four weeks. They might be rusty.

MARION 27, Virginia High 20. These former district rivals meet for the first time since VHSL reclassification as nondistrict opponents.

HAMPTON ROADS ACADEMY 28, North Cross 14. The Raiders would like to take a three-game winning streak into next week's finale against Roanoke Catholic.

E.C. GLASS 21, Patrick Henry 20. Kickoff time has been moved back to 2 p.m. in this battle for the Western Valley cellar.

CARRBORO (N.C.) 28, Carlisle 20. Neither school had a football team at this time last year. One will get its first win Saturday.

Last week: 24-3 .889

Overall: 171-47 .784

2007 standings

Western Valley

District Overall

George Washington 2 0 6 1

Halifax County 2 0 5 2

William Fleming 1 1 4 3

Franklin County 1 1 3 4

E.C. Glass 0 2 1 6

Patrick Henry 0 2 1 6

Today

Franklin County at George Washington

William Fleming at Halifax County

Saturday

E.C. Glass at Patrick Henry, 2 p.m.

BLUE RIDGE

William Byrd 1 0 7 1

Northside 1 0 2 6

Alleghany 0 1 6 2

Lord Botetourt 0 1 2 6

Today

Alleghany at Lord Botetourt

Northside at William Byrd

massanutten

Harrisonburg 2 0 7 1

Spotswood 1 1 5 3

Broadway 0 1 4 4

Turner Ashby 0 1 4 4

Today

Harrisonburg at Turner Ashby

Broadway at Spotswood

PIEDMONT

Bassett 2 0 7 0

Martinsville 1 0 3 4

Tunstall 1 1 3 5

Patrick County 0 1 2 5

Magna Vista 0 2 0 8

Today

Bassett at Jefferson Forest

Patrick County at Magna Vista, 7 p.m.

Tunstall at Martinsville, 7 p.m.

RIVER RIDGE

Salem 2 0 7 0

Pulaski County 2 0 6 1

Blacksburg 1 1 5 2

Hidden Valley 1 1 4 3

Christiansburg 0 2 4 3

Cave Spring 0 2 2 5

Today

Blacksburg at Pulaski County

Christiansburg at Cave Spring

Hidden Valley at Salem

SEMINOLE

Heritage 4 0 8 0

Amherst County 4 0 8 0

Brookville 4 1 6 3

Jefferson Forest 2 3 3 5

Liberty 1 3 4 4

Rustburg 0 4 0 8

Staunton River 0 4 0 8

Today

Amherst County at Staunton River

Brookville at Heritage

Bassett at Jefferson Forest

Rustburg at Liberty

SOUTHERN VALLEY

R.E. Lee-Staunton 3 0 6 3

Rockbridge County 2 0 4 4

Stuarts Draft 1 1 5 3

Fort Defiance 1 2 1 7

Waynesboro 0 4 1 8

Today

Fort Defiance at Stuarts Draft

Rockbridge County at R.E. Lee-Staunton

SOUTHWEST

Graham 4 0 5 3

Abingdon 3 1 6 2

Richlands 3 1 6 2

Carroll County 3 1 4 4

Marion 1 3 4 4

Grundy 0 3 2 5

Tazewell 0 5 0 8

Today

Graham at Abingdon

Richlands at Carroll County

Tazewell at Grundy

HOGOHEEGEE

Chilhowie 3 0 7 1

George Wythe 3 0 7 1

Rural Retreat 2 1 6 2

PH-Glade Spring 2 2 4 5

Holston 1 4 5 4

Northwood 0 4 1 6

Today

Rural Retreat at Chilhowie

Northwood at George Wythe

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE

Grayson County 3 0 6 2

Bland County 2 0 6 1

Fort Chiswell 1 1 1 6

Galax 1 1 1 6

Narrows 0 2 1 6

Pocahontas 0 3 3 5

Today

Galax at Bland County, 7 p.m.

Fort Chiswell at Grayson County, 7 p.m.

Narrows at Pocahontas, 7 p.m.

PIONEER

Bath County 2 0 4 4

James River 1 0 5 2

Covington 1 1 1 7

Parry McCluer 0 1 1 6

Craig County 0 2 0 8

Today

Parry McCluer at Covington

James River at Craig County

THREE RIVERS

Floyd County 2 0 6 1

Giles 2 0 6 1

Auburn 1 1 5 2

Radford 1 1 2 5

Eastern Montgomery 0 2 4 3

Glenvar 0 2 2 5

Today

Glenvar at Auburn

Eastern Montgomery at Radford

Floyd County at Giles

VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT

Liberty Christian 2 0 8 0

Virginia Episcopal 1 0 7 0

Hargrave 0 1 3 4

Covenant 0 2 3 5

z-Roanoke Catholic 0 0 4 3

z-North Cross 0 0 3 5

z-Fishburne 0 0 1 6

z-Carlisle 0 0 0 6

z-ineligible for conference title

Today

Trinity at Covenant, 3 p.m.

Randolph-Macon Academy at Fishburne, 3 p.m.

Hampton Roads Academy at North Cross, 3:30 p.m.

Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot at Roanoke Catholic, 7 p.m.

Virginia Episcopal at Hargrave, 7 p.m.

Flint Hill at Liberty Christian

Saturday

Carrboro (N.C.) at Carlisle, 2 p.m.