Blacksburg wins Wells Fargo Cup

Blacksburg has won the VHSL’s Wells Fargo Cup in Group AA — emblematic of the top overall athletic program in each of the state’s three classifications — for the second year in a row and the ninth time overall.

In the final standings released Wednesday, Blacksburg amassed 350 points to outscore runner-up Western Albemarle, which finished with 337 1⁄2. Grafton finished third with 312 1⁄2, followed by E.C. Glass and Hidden Valley (305) in a tie for fourth.

Salem placed seventh. Two other River Ridge District schools — Christiansburg (13th) and Cave Spring (15th) — placed in the top 15.

River Ridge schools combined to win 11 state team championships in 2012-13.

Points are awarded for top-eight finishes in VHSL state competition on a 50-45-40-35-30-25-20-15 basis.

Blacksburg amassed 200 points for winning Group AA championships in boys and girls cross country, boys indoor track and boys soccer.

Blacksburg won the inaugural Group AA Wells Fargo Cup in 1990 and tied for the title the next year. The Montgomery County school also won in 1993, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010.

The Bruins also picked up points for state runner-up finishes in boys outdoor track and girls indoor track, and for reaching the semifinals in girls soccer and the quarterfinals in boys tennis.

George Mason won the Cup in Group A for the second year in a row with 362 1⁄2 points. Radford was a close second with 345, followed by Gate City (270), Wilson Memorial (237 1⁄2) and James River (227 1⁄2).

Oakton won the Cup in Group AAA with 405 points, far ahead of runner-up Great Bridge with 282 1⁄2.

PH’s Banks to play at junior college

All-Timesland basketball player Marcus Banks of Patrick Henry has signed a letter-of-intent to play at Potomac State, a junior college in Keyser, W.Va.

Banks, a 5-foot-5 guard, helped the Patriots to 80 victories and three Western Valley District championships in four years. He averaged 20.2 points as a senior and became the school’s career scoring leader.

Potomac State finished 15-10 last season.

Banks had a scholarship offer from Division I Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Radford’s Wade named Group A coach of year

Radford’s Greg Wade, who led the Bobcats to 20 straight wins before a loss to Stonewall Jackson in the Group A boys soccer semifinals, has been named the VHSCA Group A coach of the year.

Seven Timesland players were named first-team all-state including midfielder Zach Paget of Patrick Henry in Group AAA.

Patrick Harris of Lord Botetourt, Jack Maxey of Salem and Garland Smith of Blacksburg were selected on the Group AA first team.

Matt Keaton of Giles, Caleb Findley of Radford and Adam Wyatt of Grayson County were named first-team All-Group A.

Second-team picks were Emmanuel Scere of Patrick Henry (Group AAA); Patrick Burns of Alleghany, Kolbe Adams of Lord Botetourt, James Craig of Bassett, Tyler Blankenship of Hidden Valley and Koby Johnson of Magna Vista (Group AA); and Ryan Layman of George Wythe, Chase Haynes of James River, Zach Turk of Radford and Junior Espinoza of Galax (Group A).

Players of the year were Andrew Jones of Forest Park (Group AAA), Michael Kenny of E.C. Glass (Group AA) and Juan Luna of Stonewall Jackson (Group A).

Girani, Pace awarded national lacrosse honor

Salem senior midfielder Catherine Pace and Patrick Henry junior goalie Alaina Girani have been named to the U.S. Lacrosse girls high school All-American list.

Pace and Girani were among 324 players honored nationally. They are the only two representatives from the Southwest Virginia chapter, which was eligible to have three players selected based on the number of schools that offer girls lacrosse in the region.

North Cross freshman aces VIS Div. II team

Freshman Joseph Cartledge of North Cross has been named the VIS Division II boys tennis player of the year.

Cartledge played No. 1 singles for the Raiders, who lost to Covenant in the state final.

Michael Fleming, another North Cross freshman, also made the first team. Eighth-grader Aiden Davy of North Cross was named to the second team.

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