The video games had been enjoyable, however these are the moments I am going to bear in mind from the highschool sports activities season

Sports journalism is an train in storytelling. 

It’s additionally an train in belief.

Precise and vigorous storytelling mix to make your work readable.

Trust makes your work doable.

Since 1970, I’ve been blessed with myriad alternatives to offer recreation protection and options about highschool sports activities in Central Virginia, first for the Richmond News Leader, then the Times-Dispatch, and extra just lately The Richmonder.

My aim every time I put fingers to keyboard is twofold: first, create an correct and fast-flowing narrative that makes readers really feel as if they will see what I see, hear what I hear, and really feel the emotion of the second and second, however no much less necessary, inform the story behind the story. 

Quite usually, I’ve requested coaches and athletes to talk into my recorder in moments of excessive emotion with little or no time to gather their ideas, and it’s as much as me to find out what’s acceptable for public consumption and what’s finest left unsaid. I’m grateful that they’ve trusted me to get it proper.

And whether or not I’m writing about championship occasions or masking evolving groups competing earlier than sparse crowds composed of family and friends, I do my finest to honor the members’ efforts as they exult in victory or course of the frustration of defeat.

What follows is a sampling of moments (amongst many) from the 2025-2026 college yr that left an impression.

Playing to the end

Highland Springs misplaced to Maury 25-7 within the VHSL Class 5 championship soccer recreation on a frigid December evening at Bridgeforth Stadium on the campus of James Madison University.

The Springers, gifted as they had been, fell behind 19-0 after 1 / 4 and will by no means recuperate.

Coach Loren Johnson’s guys battled to the tip, however accidents to key gamers, expensive errors, and the Commodores’ well-proven may conspired to sprint their probabilities.

After the handshake line and trophy presentation, Johnson confronted a financial institution of cameras and recorders from the statewide media and responded to every query with grace and equanimity. 

“Injuries took a toll more than anything,” he stated. “Lot of guys banged up, but that’s not an excuse. We did some things we wanted to do. It just wasn’t enough.”

As the Maury contingent celebrated close by, Johnson added, “Because of their (his players’) age, it takes a little bit more to see (the big picture). When they get older, they’ll remember the resilience and the toughness that it took to get to this point and they’ll be happy about what they did. They may not be happy about the result, but they’ll be happy about what they did as young men.” 

Senior quarterback Antoine “Buddy” Richardson suffered a shoulder damage within the first half. His profession, it appeared, had come to an all-too-abrupt finish. Instead, he summoned the braveness and resolve to return within the third quarter.

“During halftime, I was looking at my team,” he stated. “Everybody had their heads down. I just felt like with me being the leader, if I come out and give it all I’ve got, my guys will feed off my energy and keep playing until the clock hits zero.”

Support from close to and much

Steward’s women basketball group fell 68-57 to Virginia Academy within the VISAA Division II state championship recreation. Though the Patriots, loaded as common, had been in search of a six-peat, the Spartans refused to again down.

“The best thing about our group is that they believe they can win any time they step on the floor, no matter who they’re playing,” Coach Kara Bacile stated. “It’s such a powerful thing for them to believe in themselves and believe in each other. 

“That belief gives you confidence when you get on the floor with teams that might be better than you on paper.”

Offering assist, boisterous at occasions, from the stands straight throughout from the Spartans’ bench had been a dozen or so members of Bacile’s household as effectively her prolonged household from Monacan High School, the place she performed for 4 seasons and graduated in 2011.

“That’s one of the most beautiful things about the game,” she stated. “We all should remember at the end of the day that the game and all you’ve worked so hard for mean nothing without the people who are most important in your life.

“None of us get to where we want to be or achieve the milestones we want without people who invest in you and really care about you and support you. Those relationships mean so much.”

Fair play

One mid-April afternoon, I ventured over to Thomas Jefferson High School to observe the Vikings tackle Huguenot in baseball. 

From the outset, the visiting Falcons had issue gaining traction, and after two innings the house group held a convincing 13-0 lead. 

After Vikings pitcher Graeme Cox retired the aspect within the prime of the third, Harold Henry, TJ’s revered veteran coach, directed his guys to forego their flip at bat and keep within the subject. Same deal within the fifth, and the sport ended in brief order due to the 10-run lead after 5 innings mercy rule.

The ultimate rating, in fact, was 13-0. It may have been a lot worse. No want, Henry stated afterwards. Rather than permit his guys to gentle up the scoreboard and pad their stats, he taught them an incredible lesson about honest play and sportsmanship.

“We’re a city school just like them,” stated Henry, who’s coached the Vikings for 25 years. “We’re trying to respect them. We don’t want to embarrass anybody. We’ve been on the other side too many times. These guys know I don’t try to do anything like that.”

More recollections

There had been different moments, as effectively.

There was Thomas Dale soccer coach Kevin Tucker serving to Chris Whitehead, LC Bird’s edge rusher par excellence and LSU commit, off the turf on a blistering sizzling afternoon in Chester after Whitehead was down for a number of minutes whereas athletic trainers handled him.

There was Powhatan’s Ben Whitver, who set the VHSL profession document for receiving yards (3,501 on 208 receptions) within the Indians’ finale with Cosby, reflecting humbly on his noteworthy accomplishment. 

“My main goal is to get yards for my team and get my team into the end zone,” the Penn State signee stated. “This (the record) is truly a blessing. All glory goes to God.”

There was the disconsolate crew within the Armstrong soccer locker room after the Wildcats’ dream of a Region 2A title (and extra) fell 9 yards quick of their late November 19-14 defeat by the hands of Poquoson. 

Sure, they’d misplaced a soccer recreation, and their beforehand undefeated season had come to a crashing halt.  Sure, their spirits had taken a success. Sure, tears flowed aplenty.

Through the ache, although, there was resolve.

“The dream never stops,” stated Coach Jeremy Pruitt.  “We just fell short this year. We’ll get it going again. That’s the sweet thing. You just pour so much into the kids. You have to keep doing it over and over until you finish.”

Then there was Matoaca’s Kaylee Hodges, a junior righthander nonpareil, University of Tennessee commit, and two-time Virginia Gatorade Softball Player of the Year who pitched the Warriors to the VHSL Class 5 state championship this previous season. 

Each outing, she performs with eye-of-the-tiger focus, razor-sharp precision, and a team-first mindset, however my enduring reminiscence of her wasn’t simply her stellar performances within the circle, particularly within the state semis and finals two weeks in the past at John Champe High School when the hopes and desires of the Matoaca neighborhood previous and current rested on her shoulders.

Matoaca walks off a winner in state softball title recreation

In an epic pitching duel pitting two Division I commits, Matoaca was a 2-1 winner.

It got here after a mid-season dwelling recreation with Colonial Heights, which Hodges and Co. gained simply, when a bunch of giddy younger women from Matoaca Elementary clad of their Warriors’ jerseys waited patiently afterwards to spend time with their resident rock star.

“It’s so awesome to see them here,” Hodges stated. “They’re here to watch all of us play and have fun as a team.

“I love being a role model for them. So do the other girls.”