varsity.roanoke.com

Brenda King is finding plenty of helping hands.

Saturday at Pulaski County High School, many of them will be shooting basketballs.

King, the former Pulaski girls basketball coach who was hired this spring at Hidden Valley, is battling cancer. Her former school is hosting an eight-team preseason jamboree Saturday in Dublin, beginning at 9 a.m.

Teams from Pulaski County, Hidden Valley, Cave Spring, Radford, Blacksburg, Bassett, Auburn and Narrows will each play three halves in the event, which runs until 3 p.m.

Admission is $5 and all proceeds will go to the King family to assist with her medical expenses.

First-year Pulaski coach Jason Grubb said many volunteers have stepped forward to help.

"Brenda's church in Radford is running the hospitality room, the baseball boosters are doing the concessions and donating the proceeds, and the officials are donating their time," Grubb said. "That's always a big expense.

"We'll also be selling 'Fight like a King' T-shirts."

Floyd County also held a benefit game for King against Hidden Valley on Wednesday.

North Cross players named to VIS team

Sarah Jessee and Marli Dabareiner, who led North Cross to the VIS Division III title match, have been named to the 12-player first team on the Division III all-state volleyball team.

Jolene Miller of Division III champion Grace Christian was named player of the year. Grace's Sue Leonard was named coach of the year.

Bland County punter rockets 85-yard kick

Bland County saw its football season end last Friday with a 17-14 loss to Bath County in the Region C Division 1 playoffs, but it wasn't Nick Leighton's fault.

Leighton boomed what has to be one of the longest punts in VHSL history when a third-quarter kick went 85 yards.

Bland's line of scrimmage was its 7-yard line, meaning Leighton took the snap in his own end zone. He sailed the kick 55 yards in the air, and the ball rolled all the way to Bath County's 8.

Leighton wound up averaging 58.5 yards per kick on three punts.

"Because we were kicking out of our end zone, he had to use a two-step approach as opposed to a three-step," Bland County coach Harris Hart said. "That's what made it even more impressive."

Franklin County girls to play Australian team

Franklin County's nondistrict girls basketball schedule this season includes an opponent from well outside the Western Valley.

Outside the country, for that matter.

On Dec. 12, the Eagles will welcome Victoria NITCP, a touring team from Australia.

The Aussies also will bring a JV boys team to face the Franklin County boys JV squad. The touring players will stay in Franklin County players' homes during their time in Rocky Mount.

"They said they wanted to see what life is like for the typical American teenager," Franklin County coach Anne Crutchfield said.

The game against the Australians is part of a nondistrict schedule that includes matchups with Group AAA Northwest Region teams such as Stonewall Jackson, Potomac, North Stafford and Freedom.

Franklin County made the regional tournament last season but lost to Riverbend 67-42 after having not played any other Group AAA opponents outside the WVD.

Brothers square off in Botetourt benefit

Lord Botetourt will play Hampton Christian Academy in a boys basketball benefit game Nov. 28 at Botetourt.

The game will raise money for Botetourt player Jordan Kingery's mother, who has undergone surgery for breast cancer.

It also will match Botetourt coach Jon Cook against his brother, Hampton Christian coach Jason Cook. They will face each for the first time as head coaches.

Jason Cook was an assistant coach at Cave Spring when J.J. Redick led the Knights to the VHSL Group AAA championship in 2002.

Players for both teams will wear pink wristbands, while the coaches will wear suits and sneakers, signifying the fight against breast cancer.