Categories:

• College Sports
• High School Sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
• NASCAR

Recent Entries

Tracking Down Local Legends

Those Country Boys Could Play

Cito Gaston? No way!

Southwest Virginia shines at VHSL Spring Jubilee

Will the Falcons fly again?

Rain postpones Honaker-James River

Grimm, Nidiffer, Cannon eye Omaha

Current Locals in the Pros

Ex-Locals in the Pros

NHRA: Funny Car Finals

Monthly Archives

• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007

RSS Feeds

• 

02

In less than four hours, former Graham High School star Ahmad Bradshaw will take to the field in Glendale, Ariz. as a member of the New York Giants.
Bradshaw will look to help the Giants knock off unbeaten New England and win Super Bowl XLII.
You can bet people will be glued to their television sets in Bluefield and the rest of Tazewell County. Bradshaw’s accomplishment is part of an impressive trend as it marks the third straight year a local player will compete in the Super Bowl.
Last year, Thomas Jones played on the sport’s biggest stage as a member of the Chicago Bears. The former Powell Valley High School star had a great performance – 15 carries, 112 yards; 4 catches, 18 yards – but it wasn’t enough as Jones and the Bears suffered a 29-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Then two years ago, Heath Miller (Honaker) helped the Pittsburgh Steelers earn a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field in Detroit in the 40th edition of the Big Event.
A rookie, Miller started at tight end for the Steelers and even though he didn’t catch a pass, he did make a key block on Willie Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Like Miller, Bradshaw is just a rookie and playing on the sport’s biggest stage. It will be interesting to see how he does.

Posted by Tim Hayes

Tiggs records game-highs with 26 points and 12 rebounds in win

BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Johnson City – Kevin Tiggs is becoming scary.
Ever since Tiggs played his first game in an East Tennessee State uniform this season, his dynamic talents have shined and his still-untapped potential has rang out.
Yet Tiggs, a 6-foot-4 junior forward who transferred from Mott Community College, has also regularly battled with his confidence.
One game Tiggs would destroy opposing defenses and set career-highs. The next, he’d quietly take three shots and disappear in the Buccaneers’ offensive rotation.
Well, watch out world.
Because Tiggs’ confidence issues are now in the rearview mirror. And a confident Tiggs is dangerous. And downright scary.
“It was fun. It’s always fun to win. I was swinging that ball around. And every day, every day we’re getting stronger,” said Tiggs, who scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in ETSU’s 85-79 win over Mercer on Friday evening in an Atlantic Sun conference matchup at Memorial Center before an announced crowd of 5,193.
Tiggs’ dominant outing keyed the Bucs’ fourth-straight win and pushed ETSU to a 7-2 record in its last nine games.
“I think we’re getting better,” said Bucs coach Murry Bartow.
“Sometimes when you lose a couple guys and those numbers get smaller, the team becomes tighter. And I think that’s kind of what’s kind of starting to happen. And when you’re winning, chemistry’s better, coach is in a better mood, the players are in a better mood – things are better.”
ETSU shot 43.2 percent (32 of 74) from the field, forced 15 turnovers and recorded 38 points-in-the-paint.
Kenyona Swader added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Bucs (12-9, 6-2), while Courtney Pigram contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
James Florence scored a team-high 20 points for the Bears (9-12, 4-4).
Tiggs scored the Bucs’ first nine points, and ETSU took an early 9-7 lead when Tiggs slashed his way towards the basket and converted a reverse layup.
“When we recruited Kevin, that’s what we thought we were getting,” Bartow said. “He’s a hard, hard matchup, because he’s a 4 man being defended by a bigger guy. It’s just hard to stay in front of him.”
As strong as Tiggs’ game was, it was once again ETSU junior point guard Jocolby Davis (four points, three assists, five rebounds) who got the Bucs rolling.
Davis made a series of jaw-dropping passes, fake passes and slicing moves midway through the first quarter, and he keyed a 16-2 ETSU run that was topped off by consecutive 3s from the left wing by Travis Strong.
ETSU connected on 41.2 percent (7 of 17) of its 3-point attempts in the first half, and took a 44-40 lead into the break.
The Bears pulled within 76-74 with 3:10 left in the second half via a 3-point play by Florence.
But a 3-pointer from the far-right baseline by Andrew Reed made it 81-75 Bucs with 1:33 remaining in the contest.
“I believe it’s starting to come together,” Pigram said. “We’re creating matchup problems. And hopefully everyone can come out next game and keep putting it all together.”
| (276) 645-2569

Posted by Brian T. Smith

With former Graham High School star and current New York Giants rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw gearing up for Sunday’s Super Bowl, here is a look at another local player that competed in the Big Game.

Former Richlands High School and West Virginia University star Mike Compton won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.
Compton’s finest moment came during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans in 2002. Compton started at left guard in New England’s 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams.
Ironically, New England entered that game as a huge underdog and few gave them a chance to win. It’s funny how times have changed.
Compton was also on the field, when Adam Vinatieri’s field goal split the uprights as time expired to give New England the win.
“I was the right guard on the play. The right guard on the kicking team had hurt his back like two field goals earlier,” Compton said in a 2002 interview with the Bristol Herald Courier. “I just got in my stance and told myself, `Make sure this guy doesn’t get around you and stay low and don’t let this thing get blocked.’ When the ball was snapped I stepped down behind the center and the guy tried to come over me and I just ended up cutting his legs and then there was a big pile.
“When I first got to where I could see .... it already hit the net and started dropping down. I happened to see somebody in the stands, right about field goal post level in a New England jersey start jumping up and down. I wear a tinted visor that protects me because I have light sensitive eyes. It was all sweaty and fogged up and I happened to peak under it and see the ball fall on the ground. I just took my helmet off and ran halfway down the field and just squatted down. It was an unbelievable feeling.”
Compton would get his other championship ring two years later when New England posted a 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. However, Compton had suffered an injury earlier in the season and did not play in the Super Bowl.
You can bet Compton will be tuning in on Sunday to watch his former teammates take on the Giants. And if the Patriots team is a dynasty, Compton was on the team that started it all.

Posted by Tim Hayes