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BOYS BASKETBALL

Parry McCluer’s Mike Cartolaro ready to face former championship squad in state title game

BUENA VISTA, Va. – The last time Parry McCluer boys basketball was in a state title game, Talen Roberts wasn’t even born yet. Head coach Mike Cartolaro helped lead Saturday’s opponent Altavista to four state championships before returning to his alma mater in 2016. “You go a day at a time, a game at a time, you set your goals and try to accomplish those,” Cartolaro said. “It is kind of strange, it’s a game between us and them and I have to keep it that way,” Cartolaro said. Tip is at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Parry McCluer.

Cave Spring head boys’ basketball coach awarded Coach of the Year in Virginia

ROANOKE, Va. – Cave Spring High School’s head boy’s basketball coach, Jacob Gruse, was recently named the 2019-2020 Boy’s Coach of the Year by the VHSL. It was really humbling, I feel blessed, there are so many great coaches everywhere, especially in Virginia,” Gruse said. “They are well deserving of this award.”Gruse was named the Class 3 Boy’s Basketball Coach of the Year in April. Doesn’t happen without Derrick Roth, my associate head coach, Tim Myers my assistant coach, and Ethan Humphries who was our JV coach last year. And I had unbelievable players too, really good players make a really good coach.”Cave Spring is scheduled to begin practice for the 2020-2021 season on December 7.

Auburn boys clinch Class 1 state title, second in school history

RINER, Va. – Last Thursday, the Auburn boys basketball team was patiently awaiting their 8 p.m. tip against Matthews in the Class 1 state basketball championship. “Once we saw the NCAA cancelled all their tournaments, we were like, oh no this isn’t good,” junior Reed Underwood said. “Then when we saw the VHSL cancelled all theirs, we realized, ours was probably next.”As they watched the Class 2 championship unfold, so did their fate. Auburn would be declared the Class 1 co-champions, and not play a game. “Then we were just like, we’re state champs, co-champs.”And as they rolled into the parking lot of the school that night, the Riner community was waiting.