Top 10 Sports Stories of 2024: James Wood volleyball wins third straight title

Despite many teams’ best efforts, no other program has been able to unseat the James Wood High School volleyball team over the last three years.

With just three combined losses in 2022 and 2023, James Wood was already the team to beat heading into the fall. And even after losing three matches in the regular season — the most losses the Colonels have had since 2021 — the Colonels left no doubt that they are a dynasty with how they finished the year.

James Wood winning its third consecutive Class 4 state championship is The Winchester Star’s No. 1 sports story for 2024.

The Colonels finished the year 23-3, defeating Courtland in five sets in the championship match. After the two previous state title matches ended in sweeps, the Colonels had to fight their way to the three-peat and won the fifth set 15-10.

The win over Courtland marked the first time an area high school sports team won three consecutive state championships since the Millbrook girls’ basketball team, which won three straight from 2010-2012. James Wood has gone 76-6 over the last three seasons.

With six new players on this year’s 12-player roster, the Colonels wanted to prove to themselves that they could bring another title back to James Wood. Mission accomplished.

“We were here to show everybody that we earned this, and this was our time to win again and show everybody that we can do it,” middle hitter Tenley Mattison said after winning the title. “And it just felt amazing that we could do it as a family again.”

The Colonels were a perfect 8-0 against Frederick County/Winchester teams, defeating Handley (3-1) and Millbrook (3-0) in the playoffs. Their only losses were to Class 5 champion Riverside, West Virginia’s Class AAAA state champion Hedgesville and Kettle Run.

Arizona State beach commit and junior outside hitter Kennedy Spaid was at the forefront of another title run, winning Virginia High School League Class 4 State, Region 4D and Northwestern District Player of the Year honors. Spaid led the area in kills with 417 and was fifth in digs (278) and fourth in aces (65).

Junior outside hitter Brenna Corbin joined Spaid on the Class 4 First Team. Head coach Adrienne Patrick also won Class 4 state Coach of the Year. Mattison and sophomore setter Kylee Plumb were Region 4D Second Team selections.

With senior defensive specialist Addie Pitcock being the only player the Colonels are losing to graduation, Spaid is hoping to cap off her high school career with a fourth state championship ring next fall. And if the past three seasons are any indication, James Wood could find itself on top of next year’s list again.

“Hopefully, we can make it for four years in a row for my senior year,” Spaid said after sweeping Atlee in the state semifinals.

2. Sherando reaches state football semifinals

From 2005-2023, the Sherando High School football team had more regional titles (four) than five-win seasons (three), the Warriors’ lowest win total for any season over that time.

The 2023 season was one of those rare five-win seasons. Sherando responded by making 2024 truly special.

The Warriors improved to 12-2 after last year’s 5-6 season, the program’s biggest jump in wins since they also improved by seven wins in 2013. This year’s Sherando squad won more games than any Warrior squad since that 2013 team won 13 games.

Sherando went 9-1 in the regular season, losing only to Class 3 state finalist Kettle Run. The Warriors won the Barr-Lindon Crimson Apple — awarded to the team that fares best in Winchester-Frederick County games — by defeating James Wood (35-0), Millbrook (42-0) and Handley (28-14). The last win clinched the No. 2 seed for the Region 4D playoffs.

After a 48-7 win over No. 7 James Wood in the Region 4D quarterfinals, Sherando earned two straight gritty wins to earn the area’s first region football title since the Warriors won the Region 4C championship in 2017.

In the semifinals, the Warriors beat No. 3 Jefferson Forest 20-14. Backup quarterback Jacob Henry replaced injured starter Micah Carlson and threw a 41-yard TD pass to James Walters to make it 20-14 with 11:04 left. The Warriors’ defense made it hold up, with Tucker LaFever knocking down a pass in the end zone on the final play of the game from the Sherando 14-yard line. The Warriors had five takeaways.

In the final, Sherando rallied from a 20-0 deficit in the second quarter to defeat No. 4 Salem 29-26. Micah Carlson completed 7 of 15 passes for 130 yards, two TDs and one interception and had 23 carries for 111 yards and one TD, and Donovan Blackwell had a 10-yard TD run with 39 seconds left in the third quarter for the winning score that led to a 29-26 lead. Walters got a finger on Salem’s potential game-tying field goal attempt from 33 yards out that hit the right upright as time expired.

The Warriors lost 34-0 in the Class 4 semifinals to Phoebus, which went on to win its fourth consecutive state title (two in Class 3, two in Class 4).

Sherando earned several honors after the season. James Walters earned Class 4 First Team All-State honors at linebacker, Jarrett See was named Class 4 All-State Second Team at center, Carlson was named the Region 4D Offensive Player of the Year and T.J. Rohrbaugh earned Region 4D Coach of the Year honors.

3. Clarke County shines again in cross country

Both Clarke County teams came into the season with an eye on winning state championships after taking second in Class 2 in 2023. The Eagles came about as close as a program could to completing a sweep, with the boys winning their first state title since 2009 and the girls finishing one point out of first place.

At the Bull Run District meet, the Clarke County boys had four of the top seven runners and scored 36 points to beat runner-up Stonewall Jackson by 31 for their second straight district title. Led by individual champion Molly Husted, the Eagles girls had five of the top 10 finishers and scored 28 points to win by 30 points over runner-up Luray (58) for their fifth straight district title.

At the Region 2B meet, the Clarke County boys had six of the top 16 runners and scored 35 points to beat runner-up Stonewall Jackson by 29 for their third straight region title. Led by individual champion and senior Teya Starley, the Eagle girls won their fourth straight Region 2B title by taking five of the top eight spots.

At the Class 2 meet at Virginia Tech’s course in Blacksburg, the Clarke County boys scored 49 points to Floyd County’s 82, with four runners placing in the top 15 — senior James Casey (third), senior Jackson Ellis (sixth) and senior Aidan Kreeb (10th) each earned All-State honors, and sophomore Landon Horton (15th) earned a state medal. For the girls, senior Teya Starley (fifth) and senior Molly Husted (sixth) each earned All-State honors, while sophomore Ashley Moran (11th) earned a state medal as Clarke County scored 45 points to Floyd County’s 44.

4. James Wood girls’ soccer plays in state final

James Wood faced a lot of adversity in the spring, but that didn’t stop the Colonels from reaching uncharted territory. In advancing to the Class 4 championship game, James Wood became the first girls’ soccer team from Winchester or Frederick County to play in a state championship game.

The Colonels went 12-1-3 in the regular season to earn Region 4D’s North No. 1 seed. James Wood achieved that record despite Class 4 All-State midfielder McKenna Newcome and Region 4D Honorable Mention senior forward Jasmine Hackman each being limited or missing time with health issues, with Newcome’s kidney disease diagnosis occurring shortly before the preseason started. In addition, starting outside back Nayah Edwards suffered a season-ending injury in the final regular-season game against Handley.

The Colonels’ grit picked up even more once the postseason started.

In the Region 4D quarterfinals, Newcome’s younger sister DeLaney Newcome scored off an assist by All-State junior forward Jolie Jenkins in the 17th minute of a 1-0 win over Charlottesville.

In the Region 4D semifinals, Hackman returned from a three-game absence and scored six minutes into overtime off an Avery Wright free-kick cross from the right side to give James Wood a 2-1 win over Orange County and qualify the Colonels for the state tournament.

In the Region 4D final, a similar finish played out. Newcome returned from a three-game absence and scored with two minutes left off a Wright free-kick cross from the right side to give James Wood a 1-0 win over Blacksburg for the program’s first region title.

In the Class 4 quarterfinals, James Wood earned its first-ever state tournament win by beating Woodgrove 1-1 (4-3 in penalty kicks).

The Colonels then moved to Western Albemarle High School in Crozet for the Class 4 Spring Jubilee, and the Colonels won again in a penalty-kick shootout in the semifinals. James Wood beat Hanover 1-1 (4-2 penalty kicks) to tie the program-record for wins in a season.

In James Wood’s first-ever state championship game, the Colonels’ special run ended with a 3-0 loss to John Champe to give them a 17-2-3 record.

James Wood coach Donavan Russell was named the Region 4D and Class 4 Northwestern District Coach of the Year in a season in which James Wood outscored its opponents 72-16. Led by All-State senior defender Maddie Heustis, the Colonels only gave up nine goals in their middle 21 games this season.

5. More deep postseason runs for Clarke County soccer

Since high school sports returned after the COVID-19 pandemic, both Clarke County soccer programs have been a fixture in state tournament play, with the Eagles girls winning state titles in 2021 and 2023 and the boys earning a state title in 2022.

Both teams made successful runs in 2024, but came up short of the ultimate goal in agonizing fashion.

The Clarke County girls featured 16 returning players — including 13 seniors — from the 24-0 team in 2023. Led by six All-State players in midfielders Madison Toone and Campbell Neiman, forwards Summer Toone and Kelsey Elrod and defenders Lily Suling and Sidney Shinabery, the Eagles won their fourth Bull Run District regular-season title and third Region 2B title.

This year’s squad was rarely at full strength but was 19-4 heading into the state championship at Spartan Field in Salem, outscoring Class 2 foes 136-3 in its 19 wins (the Eagles’ four losses were to James Wood and Sherando). After beating Nandua 9-0 in the Class 2 quarterfinals and Radford 2-0 in the Class 2 semifinals, the Eagles had a 20-12 shot advantage and forced Glenvar goalkeeper Madelaine Frackelton to make 14 saves in the state final. Neither team scored through 100 minutes of regulation and overtime, but Glenvar won 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout.

The Clarke County boys lost five All-State players and eight players who combined for 115 goals and 68 assists from the 2023 state finalists. But for the fourth straight year, the Eagles captured Bull Run District and Region 2B championships, and for the fourth consecutive year they reached at least the Class 2 state semifinal round. Against Radford in the semis, regulation ended in a 1-1 tie after the Highlanders scored with less than three minutes remaining. After 20 minutes of overtime, Radford won a penalty kick shootout 3-2.

Clarke County outscored opponents 95-15 this season and featured three All-State players in senior defender Joe Ziercher and junior midfielder Brody Murphy (both First Team) and sophomore forward Burns Beckett (Second Team).

6. Clarke County volleyball makes history

Head coach Skyler Layton and the Clarke County volleyball team were on a mission this fall.

While they came up a few wins short of reaching the top pedestal, the Eagles still made history, winning their first-ever Region 2B title and making the Class 2 state tournament semifinals — their deepest postseason run in program history. They finished the season 24-4, and of those 24 wins, 21 were sweeps. The other three were 3-1 victories.

Those kinds of dominant performances were a common sight for Clarke, which was riding a 16-match win streak before falling to Fort Defiance 3-2 in the state semifinal match. In the midst of that win streak came a sweep over the Indians in the Region 2B championship game, which gave Clarke its first region title. Then came a sweep over Poquoson to reach the state semis.

Clarke had six players make an All-Bun Run District team, three of which (Allie Lynch, Isabel Aliveto, Bryn Franzen) made the Region 2B First Team and two of which (Lynch and Aliveto) made the Class 2 First Team.

7. SU women’s sports has year of firsts

Shenandoah University’s women’s sports teams left their mark in the history books this year.

SU’s women’s lacrosse team won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game, defeating SUNY Canton 17-9 in the first round before losing to Ithaca in the next round.

Finishing the season 15-5 (7-2 Old Dominion Athletic Conference), the Hornets were a perfect 11-0 at home. Ainsley Buckner, Julianna Fohner, Emily Lerch, and Madison Perry all made the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s Chesapeake Region Second Team.

The women’s basketball team also earned its first at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament after previously earning automatic berths. After falling in overtime to Washington and Lee 89-80 in the ODAC Tournament Championship, SU earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament and lost to Messiah 58-57 in a tight affair. The Hornets finished the year 21-8 (14-4 ODAC).

Maddie Kimble and Terese Greene both earned All-ODAC First Team honors, and Shawnise Campbell made the All-ODAC Third Team.

The field hockey team finished off the fall with its best season in program history. The Hornets finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 conference record and then won the ODAC Tournament with a 4-1 win over Lynchburg.

The Hornets immediately followed the conference championship with an emphatic 11-0 shutout against Westfield State at Aikens Stadium in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. The Hornets lost to Messiah 2-1 in the Round of 16, finishing with a 19-3 (8-0 ODAC) record.

Field hockey coach Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft won ODAC Coach of the Year. Graduate midfielder Farren Winter and graduate defender Elise Velasquez earned All-America honors from The National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Winter made the First Team and Velasquez made the Third Team.

8. SU football ties wins record, returns to postseason

Coming off a 5-5 season in 2023, the Shenandoah University football team was adamant about playing up to its standard again this year.

The Hornets not only lived up to their expectations of themselves, but they also returned to the postseason for the first time since 2004, appearing in the Cape Charles Bowl and finishing with an 8-3 record (5-2 ODAC). The eight wins tied for the most in program history with the 2022 and 2003 teams.

SU finished second in the ODAC standings for its best conference finish in program history before losing to Moravian 35-14 in the bowl game. The Hornets’ only two losses in the regular season were one-point losses to Randolph Macon and Bridgewater.

Following SU’s historic season, four Hornets were named to the D3football.com All-Region Three teams.

Fifth-year cornerback Sean Perry made the Second Team defense. Senior quarterback Steven Hugney and junior running back Jalen Redfearn both made the Third Team offense. Along with making the First Team offense at the regional level, offensive lineman David Munoz was named to the All-America Division III Second Team by the American Football Coaches Association.

In total, SU had 11 players receive All-ODAC honors, and coach Scott Yoder received the ODAC Coach of the Year award, becoming the first coach in program history to earn that distinction.

9. Individuals shine for state championships

Several individuals had exceptional years by individual state gold.

As a junior, James Wood’s Joe Warnagiris won the first individual swimming titles in Frederick County history. Warnagiris recorded the fastest times of his life in winning his two events, neither of which he was seeded first in coming into the Class 4 state meet in Richmond. Warnagiris posted a time of 1 minute, 50.55 seconds in the finals of the 200-yard IM and a 56.43 in the finals of the 100 breaststroke. Coming into the meet, Warnagiris’ previous best 200 IM time was 1:52.53, and his top 100 breast time was 57.17.

Handley junior Emeryce Worrell won a total of four track & and field state championships. At the Class 4 indoor meet at Liberty University, Worrell won the 55 meters by nine-hundredths of a second with a time of 7.02 seconds and took the 300 by 0.46 in 39.39. She teamed with senior Madison Hobson and freshmen Elisabeth Pitcock and EJ Mullins to win the 4x200 relay in 1:43.85, 1.97 seconds ahead of the runner-up. At the outdoor state meet, Worrell won the 100 state title in 11.86 seconds, 0.27 faster than her season-best time of 12.13 and 0.1 ahead of the runner-up.

Handley junior Jaishaun Offutt captured both the indoor and outdoor state shot put titles. He broke a school record with his toss of 56 feet, 1 on his final throw to break a tie with Tuscarora’s Tate Foerester (54-6) prior to the winner. Offutt set another school record to win the outdoor state title, recording a mark of 57-2.5 to win by half an inch.

Also at the outdoor state meet, Sherando junior Noah Harris improved on 2023’s third-place finish to win the high jump title by two inches with a personal-record mark of 6-7.

In the winter, Sherando junior Anthony Lucchiani captured his third state wrestling title. He went 46-4 overall. He pinned three of his four opponents and beat the other by technical fall in the semifinals in Virginia Beach to win the Class 4 138-pound state title. Lucchiani’s four losses all came to non-Virginia opponents at the Beast of the East in Delaware (Lucchiani placed fifth) and the Trojans Wars in Pennsylvania (Lucchiani took fourth).

10. Rare perfection

Teams are always trying to chase perfection, and the Clarke County High School football and Handley girls’ basketball teams reached it in their regular seasons this year.

Clarke had the first 10-0 finish in regular-season football action among area teams since the Eagles did so in 2014. It also marked the 10th time the Eagles have gone undefeated in the regular season. Although Clarke fell in the first round of the playoffs to Madison County, the team’s 10-0 finish to the regular season gave the Eagles their 23rd Bull Run District title.

Leading the Eagles was senior defensive lineman Saia Tuivailala and senior linebacker Carson Chinn, who both made the Class 2 state First Team defense.

On the hardwood, the Judges went 21-0 in the regular season, including a perfect mark in the Class 4 Northwestern District title at 8-0.

While Handley fell to Charlottesville in the Region 4D semifinals, the perfect regular season came just two years after the Judges finished 1-22. The 22-1 finish was the team’s best record since 1980, and their 74-25 win over Orange County in the Region 4D quarterfinals marked their first regional playoff win since 2013.

Sisters Reagan and Corin Edsell both made the Region 4D First Team.

Honorable Mention

Five coaches resigned after each spent more than 10 years as the head coaches at their schools. Mike McKiernan’s career included earning a state title in girls’ track with Handley, Jon VanSice won the area’s only state wrestling title with Clarke County, Brian Burke (Millbrook baseball in 2014) and James Minney (Sherando volleyball in 2005) each took their programs to a state final, and Josh Haymore took Millbrook football to the playoffs seven times in his last nine VHSL seasons. ... The Clarke County boys’ track & field team finished third in Class 2 for its best finish since 2010. .... The Clarke County golf team won the program’s first regional title. ... Winchester native Alex Limoges helped the Hershey Bears win the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup. He had 24 goals, a career-high, and 27 assists in 62 games to rank second on the Bears in points with 51 and third in goals in the regular season. In the playoffs, he had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 20 playoff games. ... Sherando graduate and Shenandoah University shortstop Frankie Ritter finished second all-time in NCAA Division III history with 353 hits.