"It’s great to be back,” said Manuel.

Mike Cartolaro is putting up his whistle for good but will remain athletic director.

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.

But after 25 years on the job, Altavista Athletic Director Dean Hubbard is retiring. “My dad was a teacher and coach for 39 years and it’s just something I always wanted to do was be a teacher and coach,” Hubbard explained. She then guided the girls basketball program to the same feat in 2004. The boys basketball program also rose to the occasion, winning a title in 2004 then storming through for 3-peat from 2013-2015, under coach Mike Cartolaro. Our son Richard played for Coach Cartolaro in the basketball program and had a chance to be on the back-to-back state championship teams,” Hubbard said.