PREP NOTEBOOK: Local AAU Team Places Ninth In Nation

BY TIM HAYES
Bristol Herald Courier

The Nautilus Express made a national splash earlier this month.

The Abingdon-based AAU team placed ninth in the Division I girls’ basketball Junior National Tournament in Orlando.

The team’s starting lineup was comprised of Danielle Montgomery (Tennessee High), Jill Perdue (Abingdon), Whitney Moody (Sullivan Central), Blaine Frolich (Dobyns-Bennett) and George Wythe’s Ashley Buckhannon.

Also on the team were Lacey Price (George Wythe), Krystal Patton (Chilhowie), Heather Hash (Chilhowie), Mackenzie Campbell (Sullivan South), Juli Osborne (Dobyns-Bennett) and Fort Chiswell’s Nancy Thacker.

The Express earned victories over highly-regarded teams from Kentucky and Pennsylvania en route to its ninth-place showing.

“This was an amazing accomplishment for these young ladies,” Nautilus Express coach Justin Wimmer said. “For a team out of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee to get No. 9 in the nation is unbelievable. The competition that they had to get through and the resilience that they showed was mind-boggling. It was such a joy and my pleasure to coach each and every one of these girls.”

For players like Moody, it made an impact on their individual games.

“It helped me tremendously,” Moody said.

The guard and rising senior at Central also enjoyed the experience.

“We faced a lot of tough players,” Moody said. “As a senior and leader on the team, I didn’t really have expectations that we would get ninth in the nation. But we all played together and we did it.”

New Cumberland Coach, Part I
Wayne Rasnick has been named as the new head boys’ basketball coach at Castlewood High School, taking over duties for the recently resigned Aaron Williams.

Rasnick is no stranger to the Cumberland District. He served as an assistant for the Castlewood girls this past season and prior to that directed the girls hoops program at St. Paul.

He led St. Paul to the Cumberland District title and a 21-win season in 2005-06.

New Cumberland Coach, Part II
Seth Padgett is the new head coach of the girls’ basketball team at St. Paul High School. Padgett takes over the duties from Johnnie Davis, who directed the Deacons’ program for one season.

Padgett was a multi-sport standout at St. Paul and later played football for Mid-South Conference member Union (Ky.) College.

Sign of the Times
Ethan Mills and Tennis Simon of George Wythe officially signed with the men’s basketball program at Bluefield College on Wednesday.

Both players keyed George Wythe’s run to the Group A, Division 2 state title.

Simon averaged 17.7 points and 5.4 rebounds en route to earning Bristol Herald Courier Southwest Virginia player of the year honors.

Mills, a lightning-quick point guard, averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals for the Maroons.

Summer Of Softball
A local softball team known as the LadyBugs recently placed third in the 19th annual Commonwealth Games in Salem.

The team went unbeaten in pool play, before losing in the semifinals.

The roster included Coeburn’s Catherine Nixon, Alex Wyatt, Samantha Perry and Hannah Light.

Among the other roster members were Tamara Campbell (Twin Springs), April Hamilton (J.I. Burton) and Heather McInturff and Megan Griffith of Science Hill. The remainder of the team was comprised of
Big Stone Gap’s Erica Gilliam, Cassie Chadwell, Rachel Thompson and Jessica Winstead.

The travel team has seven more tournaments on its schedule through October.

Locals in Summer Ball
Lebanon’s Cody Compton and recent John Battle graduate Joseph Timp are among the pitchers on the Virginia Storm, a travel baseball team for area players coached by Don Butcher of Richlands.

Casey Payne (Abingdon) and Justin Wilson (J.J. Kelly) are also also prep standouts and recent graduates to suit up. College players on the team include Virginia High graduates Zak Messer and Preston
Smith and ex-Abingdon Falcons Anthony Looney and Derek Salyer.

The team qualified for a national tournament this weekend in Memphis.
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