GW picks up win over Bland
Honaker’s Kate Jessee and George Wythe’s Zoey Childers fight for the ball during the Region 1 state semifinals.
Rural Retreat's Brody Childers scores a run during the 2024 Region 1D tournament.
Baseball
Cayden Bement went 3-for-3 with five RBIs as the George Wythe Maroons mashed Mountain Empire District rival Bland 16-8 for their first win of the 2026 season.
Cade Bralley went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and also pitched five strong innings of relief for GW. Brayden Frazier’s three RBIs, Luke Doyle’s two-hit, two-RBI showing and Beach Molinary’s two hits also keyed the win.
Spartans topple Indians
Keldan Hamilton spun a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks as the Eastside Spartans recorded a 6-1 non-district win over Rural Retreat.
Leadoff hitter Phil Clay went 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI to lead Eastside at the plate. Jed McCoy added two hits and Isaac Dingus drove in two runs.
Trever Shelton had Rural Retreat’s only hit (a sixth-inning double), while Brody Childers scored the run for the Indians.
FC takes down Giles
Owen Jackson collected three hits in four at bats including a leadoff solo home run in the top of the first, as the Pioneers defeated the Spartans 7-1 in a Mountain Empire District match-up on Tuesday in Giles. Jackson also doubled in the second inning, singled in the fourth inning, and scored three runs. Mac Phillips slammed a solo homer in the sixth inning for the Fort and walked two times. Spencer Moser and Cooper Davis also notched two hits apiece in the win.
Cam Ward was awarded the win on the mound for FC as he only surrendered three hits and one run over four innings, striking out six and walking three. Eli Eversole and Moser came on in relief to shut the door on the Spartans in the latter innings as the Pioneers improved their overall record to 5 wins and 0 losses.
Giles was led by Miles Eppling who ended the evening with one hit and one rbi. Josiah Schlueter also had two hits for Giles.
Softball
Indians upend Marion
The Rural Retreat Indians erupted for nine runs in the sixth inning in notching an 11-5 non-district win over Marion.
Kynlee Lilly went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Indians (3-2), while Grace Houseman also drove in two runs. Lilly, Rylee Terry and Lexi Buckingham each scored two runs in the victory.
Sadie Amos had three hits for Marion, while Akaylia Phipps drove in two runs.
Maroons blank Bland
Emma Faulkner pitched a five-inning perfect game and also hit a home run as the George Wythe Maroons blasted Bland County for a 24-0 Mountain Empire District victory.
Faulkner struck out seven in what was a memorable day to say the least.
Madison Hatcher and Morgan Layne also homered for GW. Hatcher finished with five RBIs, while Jadelyn Faulkner drove in four runs.
Soccer
GW girls shut out Bland
June Morrison’s two goals highlighted George Wythe’s 4-0 Mountain Empire District victory over Bland.
Zoey Childers and Madi Lane also scored goals, while Julie Patton and Savannah Hodges recorded assists.
Maroon boys blank Narrows
Isaac Smith scored three goals as George Wythe annihilated Narrows 8-0 in a non-district clash.
Quorion Logan added two goals and three assists. Lucas Mabry also scored twice, while Sean Clarke tallied a goal and an assist.
Maroons best Honaker
Lucas Mabry scored two goals as George Wythe edged Honaker, 2-1.
MLB
George Wythe grad Grant Anders is now in his first season with the Washington Nationals after serving four seasons as a coach with the Orioles. Anders is a Major League development coach/bullpen catcher.
Elsewhere in baseball, it’s up in the air where Bland star Jake Watters will spend the season. The hard-throwing right-hand pitcher was limited to six starts last season for Double-A Montgomery before suffering a serious injury that still has him sidelined
