State competitors relax in Radford as the rain falls

I have two of my top reporters -- Tommy Keeler and Jeremy Stafford -- stationed in Radford for the Group AA and Group A state tournament. The rains wreaked havoc on competition on Friday, pushing most of the tennis indoors at Virginia Tech and wiping out sports like soccer, softball and baseball.

Our only two teams to qualify for the Final Four -- Handley girls tennis and Stonewall Jackson boys soccer -- had to think of ways to pass the time during the long wait to play.

According to Keeler's game story on Handley's win over Jamestown, the Judges were contemplating their food choices -- buffalo wings or pizza -- and were even planning a dance party. Stafford, the beat writer for the Generals' boys soccer team, said head coach Nate Hissong had planned a night of bowling to alleviate the stress of his team's extra day wait to play.

The pizza and dancing didn't thwart the Judges' bid to three-peat as state champs, as they took care of Spotswood this morning, 5-0. Luckily sore forearms won't have a great impact on the Generals' state semifinal this afternoon.