High school notebook: Bruins hire new athletic director
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
5. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
6. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. WOYM: Fewer stinkbugs? You may have wasps to thank
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The College World Series begins Saturday.
Blacksburg High School's new athletic director knows all about being there.
Eric Morgan was the starting pitcher for Miami in the opening game of the 1994 CWS against Arizona State. Now the 40-year-old Florida native takes over as Blacksburg's AD after the full-time position was restored in Montgomery County.
Chris Stewart handled the AD duties during the 2012-13 school year ; he will return full time to his job as an assistant principal at Blacksburg.
Morgan comes to Blacksburg on the eve of the opening of a new high school building and in a year when the school will announce its inaugural athletic hall of fame class.
Blacksburg won a record eighth Wells Fargo Cup in 2012 under former athletic director Jack Hencke, who lost his position when Montgomery County did away with full-time ADs last spring.
The Bruins are one of the top contenders for this year's Cup, emblematic of the top overall athletic program in each of the VHSL's three classifications.
"I'm pretty excited," Morgan said. "It's a great opportunity to work with a lot of successful coaches in sports that have performed well.
"I love all sports. I play beach volleyball."
Morgan was the head baseball coach at Greenbrier East High in Fairlea, W.Va. for the past four seasons. However, his teaching position at the school was cut .
Morgan was commuting from the Giles County community of Newport, where his wife's parents live. His drive to Blacksburg will be much shorter than the 80-minute, one-way haul.
He spent six years as the head baseball coach at Oviedo High School near Orlando, Fla.
"We were burning up in Florida," Morgan said. "Plus we got hit by hurricane after hurricane after hurricane after hurricane."
Morgan starred for the Miami Hurricanes after spending two years at Indian River (Fla.) Community College.
He was selected by Seattle in the 21st round of the June 1994 Amateur Draft after being taken in the 44th round in 1991 by California after he graduated from high school.
Morgan played parts of four seasons in the Mariners farm system, winning 10 games and reaching the high Class A level.
One of Morgan's first tasks might involve hiring a new volleyball coach.
Lezlie Logan said Tuesday she has resigned after one season to accept a teaching position in Roanoke County.
Guynn to be Christiansburg AD
Shane Guynn, who has been the head coach of six Christiansburg teams - boys and girls in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field - has accepted an offer to become the Blue Demons' athletic director.
Guynn coached Christiansburg to the 2010 Group AA boys indoor track state championship.
Fleming's Anderson picks new destination
First-team All-Timesland girls basketball selection Ryjae Anderson of William Fleming has signed a full scholarship with Division II Chowan (N.C.) after originally signing with Division I St. Peter's (N.J.).
Anderson, a 5-foot-9 guard/forward, said Tuesday she was allowed out of her letter-of-intent after St. Peter's head coach Stephanie DeWolfe departed following a 2-28 season in 2012-13.
"I wanted something closer to home," Anderson said. "I should have thought it over more."
Chowan was 5-21 last year under ninth-year head coach Patrick Mashuda.
Another recent Fleming graduate, KeKe Haynes, has committed to play at Eastern Mennonite.
Anderson and Haynes have been selected to play for the West squad in next month's VHSCA East-West all-star games.
Blue Demons add four to FB coaching staff
Eddie Sloss has joined Christiansburg's football staff as its new defensive coordinator, Blue Demons head coach Tim Cromer said Tuesday.
Sloss, who was a football assistant last year at Auburn, replaces longtime aide Jeff Miller in the position. Sloss also completed his first season this spring as the head softball coach at Blacksburg.
Sloss coached under Cromer for two years in Florida and spent many seasons on the football staff at Blacksburg.
Dennis Haley, Allen Childress and Stephen Wills also joined Christiansburg's staff full time.
Haley, a Salem native and former Virginia linebacker who played parts of three NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, will coach defensive backs and special teams. Haley is employed full time by Volvo Trucks in Dublin.
Childress, who played at Eastern Montgomery and at Emory & Henry College, will coach running backs. He also will teach full time at Christiansburg.
Wills, who played for Christiansburg's 2009 and 2010 teams that reached Group AA Division IV semifinals, will coach the team's quarterbacks. Wills is enrolled at Radford University.
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
5. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
6. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. WOYM: Fewer stinkbugs? You may have wasps to thank
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
THE ROANOKE TIMES
