High School

HILLSVILLE –– Starting a new season with two losses in two nights isn’t the best thing that ever happened to a basketball team. Starting a season with close setbacks to a pair of teams that will contend for region championships, a thing like that can bring optimism to a club that’s fielding four new starters.

Carroll County held a five-point lead early in the fourth quarter before a flurry of outside jumpers fueled a 10-0 Floyd County run, and the Buffaloes held on for a 62-57 win in a nondistrict game Tuesday night.

 INDEPENDENCE –– Grayson County used a 10-point edge in the third period to break out to a 19-point lead and the Blue Devils opened their 2012-13 season with a 67-45 nondistrict win Friday over Alleghany, N.C.

Leading 31-22 at the half, Grayson County opened the second half on a tear and pulled out to a 54-35 lead by the start of the fourth quarter.

Mikey Rodgers scored 20 points to lead all scorers while Adam Wyatt and Ty Cannaday each chipped in 11 points for the Blue Devils. Fabian Santos led Alleghany (0-2) with 15 points.

MAX MEADOWS –– Fort Chiswell drove 79 yards in less than two minutes, converting a third-and-26 along the way, and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 27 seconds left to squeak past Grayson County 32-28 Friday in a Western Section Division 2 second round game at C.F. McKinney Field.

Grayson County, the No. 8 seed, sees its season end at 9-3, while top-seeded Fort Chiswell (11-1) advances to next week’s state quarterfinals against John Battle (11-1).

It’s a shame Cliffs Notes doesn’t have any study guides dedicated to two-a-days. Such a manual would have come in quite handy in Galax this week as the No. 8 Maroon Tide prepared for its Western Section Division 1 second round playoff game tomorrow at 1 p.m. at top-seeded Honaker.

Having to find and prepare replacements for four injured starters, who encompass as many as a dozen total positions including special teams, Maroon Tide coach Mark Dixon said this week has been a lot like training camp.