From the sidelines
Marty Gordon
The world of sports was full of several success stories this past year both on the field, diamond and court but also off all of those. The annual Marty awards are just an opportunity to bring attention to the big and little stories in that sector of life.
The top Marty has to go to the Radford High School Bobcat football and Virginia Tech women’s basketball teams, thanks for giving us something to remember in their respective championships.
The Lady Hokies were the ACC tournament champs, and the Bobcats are this year’s Class 2 state football trophy winners.
The one-two combo of Tech’s Liz Kitley and Georgia Amore has gained them an individual Marty to add to their hardware on the shelf at the shared apartment. Without them, there would have not been an ACC championship.
Okay, another Marty has to be given to Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry. You have weathered the storm and seem to have found a soft spot in Blacksburg, rebuilding a program that has some very critical fans.
Just keep being you, and coach, keep stepping into the Portal to gain some depth for a team trying to climb out of the basement. Fans are not the easiest ones to deal with especially after some very lean years.
At no time should you ask Scotty to beam you up. Blacksburg is your home. Okay maybe, fans will give you five years. Let’s go bowling.
Individually, Radford’s Max Kanipe is given a Marty for producing a season to remember. His future engineering degree will be a great chapter in life, but thanks Max for a memorable year on the football field. You deserve the school record in receiving.
I also have to give the entire Christiansburg Sports of Fame committee a Marty award after finally putting together the first HOF class this past year. It was the longtime idea of several people, but it took the likes of CHS alum Jeremy Williams to finally get it off the ground. A Marty to him and the other founding members of this first class.
Christiansburg High School’s inaugural sports hall of fame class was introduced this past fall with 24 former athletes, coaches and supporters. The group spans six decades ranging from the 1950s to the early 2000s.
Chuck Muncy is a returning Marty award winner. The former recreation supervisor has done a great job at rebuilding a Christiansburg High School golf program, which is on the cusp of greatness.
Also, a Marty needs to go to Robin Boyd who stepped down as the softball coach at CHS. But it was his effort in the youth softball programs throughout the area that will be missed. Thanks coach, for all your volunteer time. Many young ladies are doing great things on the diamond because of you.
I have to stretch the Marty to include Floyd County football coach Winfred Beale, who retired at the end of the football season after 43 years on the sidelines. Thanks for everything you have given us, coach.
A week ago, Christiansburg High School athletic director Tim Cromer was named to replace Beale. Cromer deserves a Marty for everything he has given the school he graduated from. Christiansburg sports has moved into the next chapter of his illustrious novel thanks to him.
A special Marty is given to the Virginia Tech basketball programs for continuing their relationship with the Shoes for Cancer program. The Hokies have given several children a sense of hope and even put a smile on their face after painting simple white tennis shoes that will be worn at a game this season.
Also, thanks with a Marty to the continued partnership with Kroger’s and the Virginia Tech football team for “Touchdown for Turkeys,” where Kroger Mid-Atlantic donated turkeys for every touchdown scored during VT’s football season. Many families in our area were served by this effort.
A Marty also goes to the retiring basketball coach Rick Cormany, who led Radford High School to the top of the mountain in the Commonwealth. Thanks for all the memories, and I still own a “one” for Cormany, as he was my coach in recreation basketball while growing up in Wytheville. I was the only player to score a basket for the other team on an in-bounds. Woops coach.
That’s it, the Marty awards are out for 2023. Mike drop hard for the past year, looking forward to a new year in sports.
