BDD title games set in football, volleyball

By LLOYD COMBS

BIRCHLEAF, Va. — Hurley tried its best to change it, but for the 17th year in a row it’s still Haysi and Honaker playing for the Black Diamond District championship.

The Tigers host the Tigers tonight at Sandlick Elementary School in the final week of the regular season for most area clubs.

Elsewhere Hurley (6-3) travels to Twin Valley (0-9). The Rebels are still alive in the Region D, Division 1 playoff hunt. Grundy (5-4) is still alive in Region IV, Division 3. The Golden Wave visit Richlands (8-1) tonight.

The Haysi Tigers and Honaker Tigers have won every BDD crown since 1993, and tonight’s winner earns the district title and the automatic Region D playoff berth that goes with it.

Both teams have overcome slow starts to put themselves in position. Honaker (4-5) has overcome a series of injuries, while Haysi (4-5) has bounced back from an 0-4 start to win four of its last five.

“We’re better, but so is Honaker,” Haysi coach James Colley said. “They’ve gotten healthy. We’ll have to play our best to beat them.”

Volleyball

PILGRIM’S KNOB, Va. — The Tigers have been in every Black Diamond District volleyball final since the league started sponsoring a championship.

Honaker kept that streak intact with a 3-1 win over host Twin Valley in BDD semifinal play Thursday.

The Tigers will face Council in Saturday’s finals. The regular season champs eliminated the Haysi Tigers, 3-1, in Thursday’s semifinal nightcap.

Honaker (7-14) won the first set Thursday, 25-15. Twin Valley got six points and three kills from Katie Jo Lester to take game two, 25-22, and forge a 1-1 tie.

The Tigers took charge in the final two games, winning 25-19 and 25-18, and earning a return trip to the regionals in what looked like a rare lost season for the perennially strong program. Rachel Artrip started the rally with five kills in the third set.

“In the regular season we didn’t always play as a team,” Artrip said. “But we got to where we know what to do now, and we’re playing well together.”

Artip finished with17 kills. She got plenty of help, especially around the net. Emily Musick added 14 kills, and virtually everyone who played the front line for the Tigers had at least a couple.

“Emily is improving all the time, and Lindsey Dye has been pretty consistent all year,” Artrip said. “Their play on the front line makes it a lot easier for me.”

Honaker got contributions across the board, from a 9-0 start to the match, to late rallies in the final two sets. Nicole Roman had 22 assists and LeAnne Meade finished with 22 service points. Dye added 10 points and Samantha Taylor had eight.

“We’ve been working toward this all season,” Honaker coach Greg Mullins said. “We had tremendous play at the net, and our passing set all that up.”

Lester finished with 12 points and 10 kills. Rachel Horn added 11 points and five kills for Twin Valley (12-8).

“We just got outplayed,” said Panthers coach Melisa Goodman, whose club split two matches with Honaker during the regular season. “We didn’t have an answer for them at the net tonight.”

Laken Hurley had 13 kills and Kesley Geary added nine as Council won the late nightcap. Brittany Roark led Haysi (7-13) with 11 assists and eight service points. Holly Bowman had 12 points and eight kills.