CCHS making noise

Culpeper County High School’s ever improving volleyball program returns to action tonight at home against James Monroe and the Blue Devilettes, who set a school record with seven victories last season, will look to remain unbeaten in the Battlefield District.

Culpeper is 2-2 so far, but won it’s district opener with a three-set sweep of Caroline. The Devilettes were able to drop down to the Group AA Battlefield District after playing in the super competitive Group AAA Cedar Run District a year ago. CCHS coach Chris White, knowing his team swept Battlefield foe Eastern View last year, thinks the Devilettes can win a lot of matches in the new district.

“It’s kind of like the players are holding off on the excitement,” White said. “But I’m hoping the district matches the skill level we’ve seen so far so we can expect a lot of wins. I’m hoping for at least 6-10 wins in the district.”

James Monroe enters tonight’s game at CCHS coming off a 3-0 setback to Spotsylvania. Culpeper, on the other hand, cruised against Caroline with Megan Chamberlin recording 11 kills and 12 aces in the match.

IMPRESSIVE BACKGROUND: William Monroe High School football coach Mark Sanford will try to help his Greene Dragon team rebound from a 57-7 loss to Madison County last week before the Eastern View Cyclones travel to Stanardsville on Friday.

The pummeling by the Mountaineers illustrated just how massive Sanford’s rebuilding job at WMHS really is. Last season the Dragons finished 0-10 and were rocked by hazing and sex scandals. This year there are only six seniors on the roster and they are off to an 0-2 start.

But Sanford certainly has the football pedigree to turn it around in Greene County. Before he became the central Virginia coach of the year at Covenant School in Charlottesville, Sanford was a standout fullback at U.Va., earning academic All-ACC honors in 1981, and played a short stint with the Dallas Cowboys. He also played with the Washington Federals of the USFL.

But his football roots go back even further. He grew up in Conneaut, Ohio, in the same northeast corner of the state that’s become famous for producing football coaches. Florida’s Urban Meyer, Ohio State’s Jim Tressell, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Kansas’s Mark Mangino, Missouri’s Gary Pinkel, Nebraska’s Bo Pelini and LSU’s Les Miles all grew up in the area.

FALL BALL: The Central Virginia Sting opened up its 10th season of fall baseball with players from Culpeper, Eastern View, Courtland, Chancellor, Liberty and Madison County all on the roster. The Sting recorded a 11-3 victory over New Market and a 13-2 win against Rockbridge in its opening weekend.

Liberty’s Ryan Walker led the Sting offensively in the two games, driving in five runs with an inside the park home run and a triple. Madison’s David Falk went 5-for-6 over the weekend with a double and an RBI and Eastern View’s Lee Rossi had a double, a triple and three RBI.

Madison’s Brandon Rutherford picked up a victory in the opener, pitching five innings with five strike outs and three earned runs on five hits. Falk and Liberty’s Stephen Klier split time on the mound in second game and combined to throw a one-hitter without allowing an earned run.

Eastern View coach Danny Nobbs also has his Cyclones playing fall baseball for the first time. Games don’t count in VHSL standings, but Eastern View is taking part with several Battlefield District teams from the Fredericksburg area.