Aug. 7, 2012 — Can you feel it coming?
It may still be sweltering hot, but this week marks the beginning of that oh so wonderful time of the year for sports fans… the kick off of high school sports.
The amount of games for fall sports is so immense, it would be foolish to call yourself a fan if you said you could not find one to attend.
Football, soccer, golf, cross-country and another sport that officially kicks off its regular season this week, volleyball.
With Little League and many other summer baseball/softball programs coming to an end, the timing for the arrival of the fall sporting season is nearly perfect, giving us not a moment to breathe during the fast transition.
In the 2012-2013 year we are set for another exciting onslaught of Rowan County sports.
Thursday marks the first official outing for any Viking team as the senior laden Lady Vikings volleyball squad plays its first game at home against Russell.
The Lady Vikes put together a fine record last year, only to come up short in the regional opener against Ashland. This year promises to be a fulfilling one for the girls in green, with incoming and upcoming talent filling out the roster.
On the football side, the Vikings just wrapped up team camp and are now looking to its first official scrimmage against the likes of state elite Boyle County Wednesday night.
A team who made an appearance in last year’s 4A State quarterfinals, the Rebels will certainly give Rowan’s boys a run for their money before beginning its trek through District 8 opponents.
It should be an interesting year for a team looking to fill a number of holes on the offensive end, particularly at the quarterback position.
Now let’s talk about our soccer teams.
The boys continued regional dominance throughout the regular season on its way to another 21st District championship before losing to Russell for the third-straight year in the first round of the regional tournament.
A final record of 14-4 left the Vikings with a high number of seniors for the 2012 season, and it should no doubt be another successful run for the program.
Perhaps the most interesting success story from last year was the Rowan County Lady Vikings soccer team.
Under the direction of first year head coach Randy Wallace, the Lady Vikes made some unexpected noise in the 11th Region, claiming a 21st District Title before falling to eventual region runner-up Ashland Blazer.
Expect big things from this team. They are young, talented and will no doubt be a blast to watch in action on the field this fall.
We also have golf and cross country to consider.
Both golf teams have already been competing in weekend tournaments, and have seen success already come their way.
Boys coach Larry Slone and girls coach Bill Brock expect good things for their golf squads.
While the cross country team’s season does not officially begin for another month, Head Coach Roy Wright says he is pleased with the progress they have made during the last three weeks of conditioning.
As you can see, there is no shortage of action in the sports world for Rowan County fans.
While football may garner the most attention of the listed sports, there is plenty excitement to be seen even if you do no find the grind of the gridiron appealing.
This is perhaps the most exciting time of the year for fans of high school sports, and this sports editor is certainly ready to once again be hitting the fields at Rowan high school during the evenings.
So without further ado, I give you Rowan County sports 2012.
See you on the field.
Grant Stevens can be reached at gstevens@themoreheadnews.com or by telephone at 784-4116.
