High schools: Patrick Henry's Brailsford wins state pole vault championship

Caroline Brailsford hoped her decision to miss Patrick Henry High School's graduation ceremony to attend the Group AAA track and field championships would pay off.

It did.

The North Carolina-bound senior won pole vault title Friday afternoon in Newport News.

Brailsford cleared a personal best 12-3 to beat defending champion and top seed Felicia Majors of South County.

"It was definitely a battle," said Brailsford, who was second to Majors at the indoor state meet this winter.

Once the bar reached 11-6, only four athletes remained in the competition.

Brailsford and Majors alternated passing on heights as the bar went higher.

"The two of us were playing head games with each other," Brailsford said. "I didn't know that pole vault could be so tactical."

After Brailsford cleared 12 feet, Majors passed on the height after one miss.

Brailsford then cleared 12-3. Majors failed on all three attempts.

"It felt good to earn it," said Brailsford, who matched Majors' 12-foot height at the indoor state championships but finished second because she had more misses.

Brailsford made three attempts at 12-7, which would have been a new Group AAA state championship meet record, but couldn't clear the bar.

"They were good attempts," Patrick Henry coach Chad Cox said.

She also got to formally graduate, getting her diploma - while dressed in a cap and gown - next to the pole vault pit.

After participating in William Fleming's graduation ceremony, Khalil Bonds made the trip to Newport News in time to participate in his qualifying heat for the 400.

He won his heat in 49.16 to qualify for today's final.

- Mark Taylor

BOYS SOCCER

Radford 2, Galax 1 (3 OT)

WYTHEVILLE - The politically correct, and thus more palatable term favored by the VHSL, is "sudden victory" overtime.

It all depends upon one's perspective. Radford could certainly go along with the categorization; Galax would strongly disagree.

The Bobcats' Carson Hooper scored on a header off of a Juan Perez corner kick with 10 seconds remaining in the second stage of overtime, bringing an abrupt end to a physical defensive battle and lifting Radford to the Region C boys soccer championship at George Wythe's Pendleton Field.

Hooper's header capped a match that pitted the only two teams in the last 16 years to hoist the region champion's trophy.

The Bobcats (19-0) claimed their 13th title in that time span, avenging a loss to the Maroon Tide (20-1) in last year's final, and will face the Region D runner-up Tuesday in the Group A quarterfinals. Galax will travel to meet the Region D champion.

"It's that consistency we've talked about," Galax coach Troy Barkley said. "I feel like this is one of the better games we've played, I feel like we'll get to see them again next week, and I hope we get to see them again. But if there is a time to take a loss, this is it, because nothing will motivate you like this will."

The win was a relief to the Bobcats.

"They wore us out pretty good in last year's regional finals, and this is one of the things we wanted to do this year," Radford coach Greg Wade said. "One thing I think helped us is we played a lot of guys throughout the year, and we didn't sub as much as we have been but we did go 17, 18 deep."

Fresher legs seemed to pay off down the stretch as the Bobcats spent most of the final 20 minutes of regulation on their offensive end of the field.

Still, scoring chances were rare for either team as the two combined for just 12 shots in nearly 100 minutes of soccer. The only two shots on goal for the Bobcats were the two that found the net.

"Radford's defense rotates so well, they know their assignments, and our defense played well," said Barkley. "The game was won in the middle of the field, who gained the most possession and who won the most balls."

Radford had trailed 1-0 since the 13th minute, when Edgar Guzman's centering pass skipped through two Radford defenders and to Andres Medina at the back post for the Tide's only goal.

The Bobcats were five short minutes away from defeat in regulation before finally breaking through the Maroon Tide defense. A Hooper throw-in near the left corner rattled off of two heads and at least as many feet, remaining aloft until Caleb Findley headed the ball just inside the right post for a 1-1 match in the 75th minute.

- Craig Worrell, The Galax Gazette

GIRLS SOCCER

REGION III

Jefferson Forest 2, Northside 0

LYNCHBURG - Jessica Mitchell and Riley Lee scored 20 minutes apart to give the Cavaliers all the scoring they would need as they shut out the Vikings to claim their third consecutive Region III title.

Allie Gossen made three saves in net for JF (18-2-1), while Kelsey Altizer made 12 saves for Northside (12-6-2).

Jefferson Forest will host Blacksburg in one state quarterfinal at 7 p.m. on Tuesday while Northside will travel to Salem.

BASEBALL

REGION IV

Tunstall 6, Bassett 5 (9)

DANVILLE - The Trojans claimed the Region IV title and will play a home game in the Group AA quarterfinals.

- The Roanoke Times

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