High School

INDEPENDENCE – Grayson County used its superior defense and size advantage Friday night to cruise to a 48-9 victory over Alleghany, N.C. in the season opener for the Blue Devils at Bill Strong Field.

And while the defense was holding the Trojans to only nine points, the offense took over to provide the points for the non-district win.

In 2011, Galax High School fielded the best football team in the school’s long history. In 2012, the school will have facilities that will match that success.

As part of a five-year capital improvement plan, Galax is nearing completion of a $400,000 renovation of the football stadium and track, a project that school superintendent Bill Sturgill expects to be completed before the first home varsity football game Aug. 24.

 RADFORD –– Xavier Rodriguez earned three top-four finishes while two Grayson County teammates also managed all-state efforts at the Group A state track and field championships last weekend at Radford University.

Rodriguez, a senior, placed second in the 100 meters with a time of 10.97 seconds, just .31 behind state champion Jestin Brown of Altavista.

Rodriguez also placed third in the 400 with a time of 50.48 and was fourth in the 200 (22.24).

PULASKI –– As if the baseball gods had seen enough shoddy play for one evening – 10 runs and six errors in a 50-minute first inning – nearly three inches of rain pounded Calfee Park Tuesday, in effect telling Clintwood and Galax to go home and come back when they could do the game justice.

Galax got the message.

Picking up in the top of the third inning Thursday with Clintwood leading 7-6, Galax played flawlessly the rest of the way and pulled out an 11-7 win in the Group A Division 1 state quarterfinals.