Leaders are not born, they are made.

Three new high school football coaches in the Seminole and one in the Dogwood ran their first practices Monday morning, beating the afternoon heat.

Heritage played the role of gracious host in Thursday’s opening day of the National Amateur Baseball Federation 17-under World Series, committing nine errors in a 12-3 afternoon loss to the Long Island (N.Y.) Astros before leaving 12 runners on base in a 7-2 setback to the Troy (Ohio) Bombers in the nightcap.

Seven local squads are taking part in the National Amateur Baseball Federation 17-under World Series, which gets under way today with games being played at nine sites in and around Lynchburg. 

Wooden bats are the standard equipment used at City Stadium, home of the Lynchburg Hillcats. But most high school-aged baseball hitters are unaccustomed to wielding anything but aluminum when they step up to the plate.

Gretna’s Ceseley Haynes was named Group A player of the year and the Hawks’ Ketina Brooks was the state coach of the year, according to a vote of the state’s coaches.

HAMPTON — Amherst graduate Derrick McCoy played both ways in Friday night’s Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star football game, starting for the West squad at outside linebacker and wide receiver.

NEWPORT NEWS — Liberty High senior second baseman Kendall Bartholomew got acclimated to athletic life at Christopher Newport University, where she may try out for the softball team next spring, in Thursday’s Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star game at Captain’s Field.

NEWPORT NEWS — It wasn’t exactly an American Classic, with seven errors between the two teams, but Jefferson Forest catcher Josh Huffman ranks Thursday’s Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star baseball game at Christopher Newport University as one of the highlights of his career.

NEWPORT NEWS — Whereas Tuesday night’s Virginia High School Coaches Association senior All-Star boys and girls basketball games were high-scoring affairs, Wednesday night’s girls soccer contest had to go to a shootout to determine a winner after a scoreless regulation.

NEWPORT NEWS – Jefferson Forest boys soccer players Tim Bullock and Scott Zaring got an up-close-and-personal look at Virginia High School Coaches Association player of the year, Brian Ownby of Group AAA state champion Deep Run, who will play next year at Virginia, in Wednesday night’s VHSCA All-Star game.

HAMPTON — Four friendly girls basketball rivals teamed up for Tuesday night’s opening game of the 37th annual Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star Week. 

HAMPTON — The eight senior all-star games are certainly the main events of the Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star Week in Hampton Roads. But the VHSCA has assembled a group of coaches with at least as much star power as the players for its annual series of clinics, which opened Monday.

Appomattox hired both its new football coach and new athletic director from the same source — Amherst’s football coaching staff.

It was difficult enough for Chip Berry to give up coaching junior varsity basketball, the sport he played at Lynchburg College, when he replaced Rose Flaugher as E.C. Glass’ athletic director three years ago.

Four E.C. Glass varsity head coaches have stepped down and their successors named for the 2008-09 school year while four others recently received Western Valley District coach of the year honors this spring.

RADFORD — With teammates closing in on her from all parts of the Radford University field, and even more hopping the low wall of their dugout to join the mob, Teresa Dalton’s traditionally stoic composure on the mound finally broke.

RADFORD — An hour after striking out 13 batters and pitching a two-hit shutout against Glenvar in Saturday’s Group A softball state final, Gretna senior Teresa Dalton sat in the bullpen, soaking up some sun while holding her arm in an ice-packed sling.

RADFORD — Rather than graduating in the football stadium with the rest of their class at 9 this morning, the six seniors on Gretna’s softball team will celebrate their commencement at home plate at Radford University, prior to the first pitch of their Group A state championship game against Glenvar at 10 a.m.

Gretna senior Teresa Dalton pitched Diamond Fever to a Pony National World Series championship the summer before her sophomore year and Sudden Impact into the NSA World Series before her junior year.

GRETNA — Standing on third, representing the winning run in Tuesday’s Group A state quarterfinal against Middlesex, Gretna’s Ceseley Haynes had the green light from coach Ketina Brooks.

If it’s good to know your enemy, Gretna’s softball team could be in trouble for today’s Group A state quarterfinal against Middlesex (17-3) starting at 5 p.m.

HARRISONBURG — High winds and high drama marked the final day of the Group AA state track and field championships at Harrisonburg High.
Brookville’s boys team received a second individual title from Ethan Nixon and repeated its runner-up indoor team finish to Western Albemarle.

HARRISONBURG — Brookville senior Ethan Nixon couldn’t have asked for a better first day at Friday’s Group AA state track and field championships at Harrisonburg High.

Region III boys and girls track and field champions Brookville and Heritage, respectively, consider themselves legitimate contenders for Group AA state titles today and Saturday at Harrisonburg High.

VINTON — Facing Blue Ridge District regular-season champion Northside, a team it beat 6-0 in the 2006 Region III semifinals and 3-0 in a preseason scrimmage, Jefferson Forest’s boys soccer team was the prohibitive favorite in Thursday’s Region III rematch.

AMHERST — Jefferson Forest was in a giving mood again on Thursday in the Cavaliers’ Region III baseball semifinal against Waynesboro at Amherst High School.

Jefferson Forest senior Josh Ranowsky came up just short in Wednesday’s Region III boys’ singles tennis tournament against Rockbridge County’s Dominik Lehmann. 

FOREST — Seminole District player of the year Tim Bullock showcased some fancy footwork with his flashy orange soccer shoes, Tuesday night at home in Jefferson Forest’s 5-2 Region III quarterfinal win over Harrisonburg.

FOREST — Jefferson Forest junior Cameron DeWitt showed in Tuesday’s Region III girls soccer quarterfinal against Robert E. Lee that she can finish an assist and dish one out.