By Marty Gordon
On the heels of a sellout announcement for Virginia Tech football’s game against West Virginia, tickets for the Hokies’ upcoming slate continue to be in extremely high demand.
The Tech athletics department announced Thursday, Aug. 18, that tickets in the upper East stands and upper South End Zone are sold out for Virginia Tech’s games against Boston College, Miami, (Fla.) and Virginia.
Consequently, Fan 4-Pack ticket packages for these contests are no longer available, along with 3- and 4-game mini plans. This leaves single game tickets in the lower east and west stands as the only remaining option for these matchups.
The athletics department had previously announced that tickets in the upper south end zone are sold out for Tech’s game against Wofford.
Strack to Tech
Clara Strack, a 6-foot-3 forward/center who will be a senior, is expected to be the first Hamburg N.Y., graduate to play Division I basketball at Virginia Tech since Blake McClimans, Class of 2009, who played for the University of Michigan men’s team. Strack is believed to be the first Hamburg girls basketball player to go Division I in at least 30 years.
She was named to the All-Western New York large schools first-team last season and the Class A all-state first team after finishing second in Section VI in points (26.5) and first in rebounds (16.9). She led the Bulldogs to their third consecutive A-1 sectional title.
She had offers from Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Virginia, Indiana, and Wake Forest, among others.
Anderson to join VirginiaPreps.com writing team
Earlier this year, Robert Anderson announced his retirement as a full-time sports writer after 44 years, the past 21 at The Roanoke Times following his start at the Bristol Herald Courier. Now, VirginiaPreps.com is pleased to announce that Anderson will be joining its team to contribute periodic stories, specializing in coverage in the Roanoke area.
“We’re extremely thrilled to add a Hall of Fame worthy writer and reporter to our staff in Robert Anderson, whose dedication and work for so many years with the Roanoke Times goes unmatched on the prep sports scene in my opinion,” said VirginiaPreps Publisher Matthew Hatfield.
“Simply put, he has a reservoir of knowledge and resources. I’m sure the readers and subscribers will enjoy immensely the content he provides to the site,” Hatfield said.
Part of the Rivals Network powered by Yahoo! Sports, VirginiaPreps.com provides comprehensive coverage across the entire commonwealth on high school sports.
Polynesia’s Fuga on football watch list
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame has announced that the 2022 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award includes Virginia Tech redshirt defensive lineman Josh Fuga. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry who epitomizes great ability and integrity.
The overall watch list is composed of 85 players from 43 different FBS schools.
Last season, Fuga played in all 13 games, starting three at DT. He totaled 21 tackles with five solo stops, one tackle for loss, and 0.5 sacks. Fuga’s first career start came in a win over Middle Tennessee State. He recorded a career-high six tackles vs. Notre Dame.
“The Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award has become one of the most competitive and prestigious awards in college football,” said Jesse Sapolu, Polynesian Football Hall of Fame chairman, co-founder and inductee. “This award has become a source of great pride for Polynesians everywhere.”
Five finalists for the 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award will be unveiled on Dec. 1, and the winner will be announced on December 15.
Appy League announces all-league team
The Appalachian League has announced the 2022 All-Appalachian League Team as voted on by the league’s managers. The All-Appalachian League Team is highlighted by Bluefield’s Jackson Feltner, who was named Player of the Year, and Burlington’s Mason Ruh, who earned Pitcher of the Year honors.
The All-Appalachian League Team is composed of five infielders, four outfielders, three pitchers, one catcher, one designated hitter, and a two-way player. In total, eight of the ten Appy League teams are represented with Kingsport’s four selections leading the way. Bluefield, Burlington, Elizabethton, and Pulaski all had two selections. Bristol, Danville, and Johnson City had one each. Thirteen of the 15 selections are from Division I schools, and Northern Illinois is the only school with multiple selections.
DH: Ryland Zaborowski, Pulaski, Miami (OH)
Zaborowski hit .372 with nine home runs and 37 RBI in 36 games. He had 45 hits, 12 doubles, 21 extra-base hits, a .500 OBP, a .694 SLG and a 1.194 OPS. Zaborowski finished third in the Appy League in extra-base hits, tied for third in home runs and tied for fourth in RBI. He had 14 multi-hit games, eight three-RBI games and four four-RBI games.
On July 22 against Elizabethton, Zaborowski went 4-for-5 with two home runs, four RBI, four runs and a walk. Zaborowski was the Player of the Week of July 4-10 and the starting DH for the East All-Stars.
Two-Way: TJ Fondtain, Pulaski, San Diego State
Fondtain hit .366 with four home runs, 26 RBI and a 1.100 OPS in 37 games. He had 41 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, a .466 OBP and a .634 SLG.
On July 16 against Bristol, he went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, five RBI’s and two runs. On the mound, Fondtain was 2-3 with a 2.51 ERA in six appearances (five starts). In 28.2 innings, he allowed 34 hits and 11 runs (eight earned). He also struck out 34 and walked just four. Fondtain struck out 11 in eight innings in Burlington on June 30, both season-highs. He was the Player of the Week of July 18-24 and an East All-Star.
Hokie Way
The Hokie Way, an independent nonprofit organization that will create active engagements for Virginia Tech student-athletes with charitable goals, has launched.
The Hokie Way will raise funds to support charitable organizations across the commonwealth through the active engagement of Virginia Tech student athletes who wish to use their names, image, and likenesses (NIL) to advance the work of charitable organizations. With the help of aligned collectives focused on NIL opportunities, The Hokie Way will assist in building cause-marketing partnerships.
“The Hokie Nation turns out strong to show its support. When we have a hurricane on a Thursday night [football game], we still show up,” said Jim Petrine, president of The Hokie Way board of directors. “Our fans are fantastic in that way and support us greatly. We are the school with the lunch pail, which symbolizes how everyone gets involved. That’s the right way to do NIL, and that’s The Hokie Way.”
