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THE GAZETTE-VIRGINIAN YourGV.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 B1

THE REAL ‘WORLD’

FOUR LOCAL TEAMS HEADING TO WORLD SERIES PLAY STARTING SATURDAY

JOE CHANDLER/GAZETTE-VIRGINIAN

Members of the Virginia champion Halifax American Belles all-star team include (front row, from left) Tamiara Logan, Erica Allgood, Olivia Noblin and Katie Gregory; second row (from left) Abbey Bales, Sara Moser, Taylor Jones, Chinayiah Owen and Malasia Boyd; back row (from left) Manager Todd Moser, Coach Dalyn Hall, Faith Lester, Madison Hailey, Skye Harlow and Coach C.J. Bales.

DOUG FORD/GAZETTE-VIRGINIAN

Members of the Virginia champion Halifax County Dixie Boys all-star team are (front row, from the left) TaTa Logan, Will Scheier, Dawson Watts, Brad Snead, Scott Nester and Hunter Watts; second row (from the left) Josh Barker, Jake McLamb, Parker Franklin, Clay Lloyd, Brayden Moore and Evan Irby; back row (from the left) Coaches Lee Barker and Kenney Lloyd, Manager Josh Perkins and Coach Randy Moore.

JOE CHANDLER/GAZETTE-VIRGINIAN

Members of the Virginia champion Halifax American Ponytails all-star team include (front row, from left) Amanda Duffer, Kayla Townes, Kaitlyn Richardson and Kassidy Thompson; second row (from left) Skyla Strohm, Autumn Younger, Shekeria Chandler and Raegan Ridgeway; third row (from left) Abby Martin, Gracie Wagstaff, Jessica Balducci and Kayla Walker; back row (from left) Coach Renee Ridgeway, Manager Scott Martin and Coach Raymond Duffer.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Members of the Virginia champion Halifax County Dixie Junior Boys all star team include (front row from the left) Dexter Dixon, Tyler Mabe, Shaun Per-kins, J.D. Powell and Jeffrey Cates; second row (from the left) Josh Dawson, Seth Dawson, Dillon Davis, Zander Strohm and Troy Ferrell; back row (from the left) Manager Wally Powell and Coaches Mark Dawson and Anthony Davis.

PONYTAILS ANXIOUS TO BEGIN PLAY IN S.C.

BY DOUG FORDSTAFF WRITER

The state champion Hali-fax American Ponytails all-stars are especially

anxious for the Dixie Softball Ponytails World Series to begin.

Halifax American plays Mon-day against Florida in its World Series opener in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, after having played only four district and state tournament games in

please see PONYTAILS, page B4

JOE CHANDLER/GAZETTE-VIRGINIAN

Halifax County High School football players run a steps exercise drill in the stands at Tuck Dillard Memorial Stadium during yesterday’s official opening of pre-season football practice.

BY JOE CHANDLERSPORTS EDITOR

“I think they’re ready to go.”That was new Halifax County High

School Head Varsity Football Coach Kenneth Day’s assessment of his players heading into Thursday’s official start of pre-season football practice.

Approximately 70 students clad in hel-mets, T-shirts and shorts were on the field

Thursday when the first official practice of the season unfolded at 8:30 a.m. Once the local all-star baseball teams finish their post-season play, a few more players are expected to join the ranks, making this one of the larger turnouts for football in recent seasons.

With a change in Virginia High School League regulations a couple of years ago relaxing restrictions on off-season practice and conditioning, a lot of work has already has been done this summer getting the players prepared for the new season.

Day said he is pleased with the play-ers’ effort.

“The kids are really working hard, and

‘Ready to go’HCHS football teams now swing into official pre-season practice

please see FOOTBALL, page B10

BY JOE CHANDLERSPORTS EDITOR

Manager Todd Moser said Tuesday night his Hali-fax American Belles

all-star team is ready to play.Halifax American will face

Georgia Saturday at 11 a.m. in the first round of the Dixie Softball Belles World Series in

Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and Moser says his team is one of the better teams to come through the local Dixie Softball ranks in awhile.

“This is probably one of the best, most talented teams Dixie has had come through since the great team that came through

AMERICAN BELLES POISED FOR STRONG WS RUN

please see BELLES, page B4

JUNIOR BOYS LOOK TO BE COMPETITIVE

HC DIXIE BOYS CARRYING MOMENTUM INTO WS

BY JOE CHANDLERSPORTS EDITOR

Wally Powell expects his Halifax County Dixie Junior Boys all-star

to be competitive in the Dixie Junior Boys World Series when play begins Saturday in Bossier

City, Louisiana.“Our expectation is to be com-

petitive, and hopefully we will win some ballgames,” Powell said of his Virginia champion team.

Defensively, Powell expects

please see JUNIOR, page B5

BY JOE CHANDLERSPORTS EDITOR

When the Halifax County Dixie Boys all-star baseball team won

three games in one day to pro-pel its way to the Virginia state title, it built a swell of momen-tum.

Manager Josh Perkins is looking for that momentum to continue when his team begins

play Saturday in the Dixie Boys World Series in Bossier City, Louisiana.

“They really came together that Sunday in Grayson Coun-ty,” Perkins said.

“I think everybody is looking forward to the World Series. I think everybody feels like we have a good chance down there.”

Perkins says he feels his team

please see DIXIE BOYS, page B5

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