By Stephen Henderson

The fall sports season tryouts for Patrick County High School athletes began Monday. It was a glorious day for those athletes with outside practice—not too hot and not humid at all. The Lady Cougar volleyball team tryouts were in the air conditioned comfort of the two Cougar gyms.

All coaches appeared to be quite pleased with the opening day’s turnout.

• Golf

The Cougar golf team started off the season at 8 a.m. at Gordon Trent Golf Course with a bit of a chill in the air—indeed a break from previous days of individual play over the past several weeks. Head Coach Philip Steagall said that he has 10 players returning this season, including two seniors and six juniors.

“We are looking for some good things from our juniors and seniors,” he said. “This is a good group of young men who will post some good scores for us this season,” he added.

The Cougars lost only one player from last year’s squad.

The Cougar linksters will waste no time this week; their opening match is Wednesday (today) against Tunstall High School. They will be playing at Tuscarora Golf Course in Pittsylvania County. Monday, the team played to qualify for the top-six golfers who will be going to the first match against Tunstall.

The PCHS golf team will split its practice locations between Gordon Trent Golf Course and Olde Mill Golf Course in Laurel Fork.

Bob Helms is assisting Steagall and will be the JV golf coach.

• Football

Over 44 players were out on the football field Monday afternoon going over some quick seven-on-seven drills, blocking assignments and general conditioning skills necessary for the first few days of practice. Players wore helmets, t-shirts and gym shorts. They will add pads later this week.

One of the primary goals of the opening days is to complete paperwork, make locker assignments and assure a proper fit for all the gear necessary for football.

According to Coach David Morrison, some of that work was done last week when the players had a couple of “off” days before the first official day of practice Monday.

One thing Morrison did was give proper instruction for Virginia High School League helmet rules. “We have to go over proper size, proper fit and make sure straps are correctly tightened down for proper head protection from a potential concussion,” he said.

Morrison also demonstrated proper tackling technique and blocking style to ensure the proper face mask position, according to VHSL requirements. “This instruction is necessary because players have to sign a release form this year indicating they have had the proper instruction,” Morrison added.

Players will basically have two practice sessions each day before school starts August 10. They will have a dinner break before the second session ends at roughly 7:30 p.m. Buses are available for players to return to their local elementary school (as well as for pickup at around 2:30 each afternoon).

The Cougars will scrimmage twice before the season opener at home August 25 against Carroll County. Saturday, August 12, they will scrimmage Eastern Montgomery and Grayson County. The site has not been decided upon yet. Saturday, August 19, the Cougars will travel to Riverheads High School to scrimmage Amelia County and Grayson County. The middle school team will have a jamboree at Pulaski High School August 19.

• Volleyball

Head Coach Heidi Moore had a pleased look on her face when 41 girls showed up for Lady Cougar volleyball tryouts for varsity, JV and middle school teams. Tryouts for team spots will last three days; teams will be named at the end of practice Wednesday evening.

“We will have between 12-14 girls on each team,” Moore said. “We have nine returning players on varsity,” Moore said, “leaving three to five players to move up to varsity.”

Once players did some basic warm-ups, they headed for the track to run the dreaded mile, then they returned to break up into upper and lower grades for skills sets.

“I want to see you do your best for these three days,” Moore drilled into the players the first half hour of tryouts. “Put your best foot forward and try every position we move you to—we want to see what you can do the best,” she added once players hit the court.

The Lady Cougars will have two scrimmages—August 10, at Mount Airy, N.C., and August 15 at home against Auburn. The first season match will be at Carroll County August 22. The first home match is August 24 against Floyd County.

The Lady Cougars had team camp for most of June where varsity players played on Mondays and Thursdays, traveling to different high schools in the area.

Coach Moore is assisted by Hannah Helbert. Ashley Strickland will coach the JV Lady Cougars and Hannah Roberson will coach the middle school team.

Lynne Deckel is the new Patrick County cross country coach. The Cougar runners will not start practice until the first day of school, August 10.