Monday, January 15, 2007

One Dead, One Critical After Shooting

A 27-year-old Keeling man was arrested late yesterday afternoon and charged with the early morning murder of Dakton Dakeigh Ferrell on Turbeville Road, according to Sheriff’s Department officials.
John Wilkins, of Old Richmond Road in Pittsylvania County, was arrested shortly after 4 p.m. and charged with first degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of murder in connection with the Sunday morning shooting, according to Investigator Angie Tribble.
According to Halifax County Sheriff D.J. Oakes, who had received only preliminary information about the incident at press time, the shooting occurred at approximately 1 a.m. on Turbeville Road in the county.
“There were two victims who were identified when law enforcement arrived,” Oakes said. “One was still at the scene when officers arrived and the other victim had been transported to Halifax Regional Hospital by private vehicle.”
Both victims were described by police as being males in their mid-20s, according to Oakes.
The victim who was taken to the South Boston hospital later died from his injuries, according to the sheriff. He was identified by police as Dakton Dakeigh Ferrell.
The second victim was airlifted to a North Carolina critical care unit to be treated for his injuries, police said.
According to police both victims had been shot in the abdomen with what police describe as a “large-caliber handgun”.
Police said they were unclear of the motive at press time, but believe a disagreement had occurred earlier in the day between the alleged shooter and one of the victims.
“My understanding is the victim in critical condition had been in a physical altercation with the shooter earlier in the day and it escalated from there,” Oakes said.

Center Withdraws Application

Prior to the Halifax County Board of Supervisors joint meeting with the town councils of Halifax and South Boston, the Board received a letter asking that the Grace-Venable Community Center’s permit application be withdrawn.
The governing bodies will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Conference Room B at Riverstone Technology Park on U.S. 58.
The letter, signed by Grace-Venable Community Center representative Fred Betts, requests that the conditional use permit application be withdrawn in order to avoid controversy over locating a community center in an agriculturally zoned district.
Betts writes, “In the interest of maintaining community harmony we are asking that the Grace-Venable Community Center, Inc. application for a conditional use permit to construct a community center be withdrawn.
“Further, we ask that our interest in rezoning agricultural district A-1 to allow community centers to be constructed be withdrawn,” the letter states.
At their December meeting the county’s Planning Commission recommended to allow community centers in A-1 districts with a conditional use permit granted by the Board.
The Board set a public hearing on the proposed community center ordinance for their March meeting, to address the community center ordinance in general, not to address the Grace-Venable application specifically.
On Tuesday’s agenda, the three governing bodies will receive an update from members of the water/sewer working group on progress made towards forming a joint authority for the three localities water and sewer systems.
All three localities have approved the authority’s term sheet, which states broadly how the authority will function and be governed.
The governing bodies will also receive a presentation from Halifax Historical Society President Barbara Bass on the Crossing of the Dan Project.
Bass has already come before supervisors and requested $50,000 in financial support for the exhibit.
A resolution recognizing the 50th Anniversary of South Boston Speedway and a request to rename the Vaughan Street Bridge in South Boston the Hugh Moore Bridge will also be addressed.
Following the joint meeting, supervisors will reconvene to address vacancies on several county boards.
Vacancies on the Improvement Council, Board of Equalization, Planning Commission, Transportation Safety Commission, and Recreation Committee will be addressed.
The Board of Supervisors will next meet for their February meeting on Feb. 5. The next joint meeting of the three governing bodies is scheduled for March 19.

Additional Charges Filed Against Scottsburg Pair

Five additional firearm and drug charges have been lodged against a 52-year-old Scottsburg woman and 51-year-old Scottsburg man, according to Major R.S.B. Pulliam of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.
Mary Lee Davis and Major Wilson Davis, both of Bagwell Drive, were charged with conspiracy to distribute Oxycontin, possession with intent to distribute Oxycontin, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of Oxycontin while in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Pulliam said.
Mary and Wilson Davis were arrested in October after drug investigators and deputies executed two search warrants at their residence and shop located on Bagwell Drive and Burton Road respectively, investigators said.
As a result of the searches, Mary and Wilson Davis were each charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of bullets by a convicted felon, Pulliam said.
The additional charges stem from the continuing investigation, drug investigators said.
Wilson Davis is being held without bond in the Halifax Regional Jail and Mary Davis is being held in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Lynchburg without bail.
They are scheduled for trial in April, Pulliam said.

Obituaries

Margaret Davis Henderson

Graveside services for Margaret Davis Henderson, 83, of Old Richmond Road, Keeling, will be held today, January 15, at 2 p.m. at the Ingram United Church of Christ Cemetery. The Rev. Carl Burger will conduct the service.
Mrs. Henderson died Saturday, January 13, at the Danville Regional Medical Center.
She was born in Keeling on May 21, 1923, a daughter of Jim Davis and Leslie Milam Davis and was married to the late Aubrey Alderson Henderson.
Mrs. Henderson is survived by two sons, Ryland Aubrey Henderson of Danville and John Thomas Henderson of Keeling, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She is also survived by two sisters, Mamie D. Christianburg of Durham, N.C., and Martha D. Satterfield of South Boston.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Marie H. Davis, four brothers, Tommy, Henry, Jesse and Nathan Davis, and three sisters, Maggie Compton, Myrtle Lewis and Mildred Lewis.

Margaret Mae Cagle Williams

Mrs. Margaret Mae Cagle Williams, 85, of Nolen Avenue in Asheboro, N.C., died Friday, January 12, at her home.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today, January 15, with services at the Central United Methodist Church, where she was a member. The Revs. Mark Key and Barry Queen will officiate. Burial will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery.
Born October 17, 1921 in Ether, N.C., Mrs. Williams was the daughter of the late Gaston and Caroline Needham Cagle and was the youngest of 10 children.
Mrs. Williams was a homemaker and assisted her husband, Marvin J. Williams, at Williams Grocery And Service. She was a volunteer at Randolph Hospital and was a member and past Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star, Randolph Chapter.
She was preceded in death by her husband and grandson R. Adam Bell.
Mrs. Williams is survived by her daughters, Robin W. Baskervill and husband Bill of South Boston; Cynthia W. Bell and husband Gene of Bahama, N.C.; grandchildren Diana Bell-Kite and husband Jeff of New Bern, N.C., Jay Williams and Katie Williams, both of Greensboro, Nelson Baskervill of Wilmington and David Baskerville of Harrisonburg, Va., numerous nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, N.C., 27317; Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, 2900 Rocky Pointe Drive, Tampa, Fl, 33607; Duke Pediatric Brain Tumor Clinic, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, N .C., 27710 or the Hospice of Randolph, P.O. Box 9, Asheboro, N.C., 27204.
Online condolences may be made at www.ridgefuneralhome.com.

Lois Trickey Salley

Lois Trickey Salley, 86, of 2132 Cowford Road, Halifax died January 11, 2007, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Salley was born in Halifax County September 12, 1920, the daughter of the late Walter T. Trickey and Lera Etta Morris Trickey and was married to Charles Edward Salley Jr., who survives. She was a member of Dan River Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband; one son, Charles Edward Salley III and wife, J oAnn, of Halifax; two sisters, Nancy Pixley of Fort Walden Beach, Fla. and Gladys Salley of Halifax; two brothers, W.T. Trickey Jr. of Alton and Howard Trickey of Bahama, N.C.; three grandchildren, Steve, Charlie and Wanda Salley; and five great-grandchildren. One sister, Hilda Clayton, preceded Mrs. Salley in death.
Funeral services were held January 13, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Doug Gibson officiating.
Burial followed in Dan River Baptist Church Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, 24592, or a charity of choice.

Elsie Lewis Moore

Elsie Lewis Moore, 87, of 1102 Berry Hill Road, South Boston died January 11, 2007. Mrs. Moore was born May 27, 1919, in Halifax County the daughter of the late Charles Edward Lewis and Mary George Lewis and was married to the late Louis Edward Moore. She was a charter member of Berry Hill Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include one son, Lonnie Carroll Moore and wife, Sophia, of Nathalie; two daughters, Betty M. Compton and husband, Bob, and Judy M. Edwards and husband, Charles, all of South Boston; five grandchildren, Lonnie and Ronnie Moore, Reed and Chad Edwards and Leslie Bohanon; six great-grandchildren; and one brother, Eugene Lewis of Clover. One son, Louis Edward Moore Jr. also preceded Mrs. Moore in death.
Graveside services were held January 14, at 2 p.m. at Berry Hill Presbyterian Church Cemetery with the Rev. Terry Blevins officiating.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Berry Hill Presbyterian Church.

Martha Chandler Majors

Martha Chandler Majors, 56, of Alexandria died January 9, 2007, in Inoval Hospital in Fairfax.
Born September 25, 1950, she was the daughter of the late Robert H. and Mable P. Chandler and was a Jehovah’s Witness.
Survivors of Ms. Majors include two sons, Branford G. Majors of Md. and Dover D. Majors of S.C.; two sisters, Cynthia Chandler Woody and husband, Samuel, and Nortonia Renee’ Chandler Sydnor, both of S.C.; two brothers, Louis D. Chandler Sr. of SC, and Robert H. Chandler Jr. of Alexandria; and three grandchildren, Ikia, Trayon and Sh’Montay Majors.
A memorial service was held January 13, at 2 p.m. at the Crawford House in Halifax with Brother Vaughan McCraw officiating. Burial followed in the Chandler Family Cemetery in Crystal Hill.

Dale Martin Keatts

Funeral services for Mrs. Dale Martin Keatts of Cluster Springs Road will be held today, January 15, at 2 p.m. at Black Walnut Baptist Church. The Revs. H.V. Conner, Raymond Wooten and Pastor Brian Simmons will officiate.
Interment will be in Black Walnut Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Keatts, 59, died Saturday, January 13, at her home.
A Halifax County native, she was born July 11, 1947, a daughter of Lee Martin and Mary Arden Whitlow Martin.
Mrs. Keatts was a librarian and former medical records clerk with South Boston General Hospital.
She was a member of Black Walnut Baptist Church, and was active as a librarian, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher. She also was a member of the WMU Willing Hearts.
In addition to her husband, Jerry A. Keatts, she is survived by four daughters: Julie K. Blackwell and friend George Akyar of Oxford, N.C.; Annette K. Duffer and husband Raymond of Nathalie; Kathryn K. Clay and husband Roger of Alton; Samatha A. Keatts of South Boston; one brother, Roger Martin and wife Susan of Sacramento, Ca.; two granddaughters and three grandsons.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Lee Martin and Mary Arden Whitlow Martin.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Ave., South Boston, Va. 24592 or the Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, VA 24592.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@earthlink.net.

Johnnie Dismuke Sr.

Funeral services for Johnnie Dismuke Sr. of Clover will be held Wednesday, January 17, at 1 p.m. at the Zion Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Jefferson Goode officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Mr. Dismuke Sr., 76, died Saturday, January 13, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
A Halifax County native, Mr. Dismuke was born September 12, 1930, a son of the late Josh Dismuke and Jessie Brooks Dismuke. He was first married to the late Mrs. Carrie Crews Dismuke and later married the late Mrs. Edmonia Palmer Dismuke.
He was a member of Zion Grove Baptist Church and was employed for many years with Daystrom Furniture.
Mr. Dismuke is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Darlena D. Brown of Clover; two sons, Wesley C. Dismuke of Alexandria and Johnnie Dismuke Jr. of South Boston; two sisters, Mrs. Josephine Jeffress of Scottsburg and Mrs. Margaret McCargo of Clover; two brothers, Joseph Dismuke of Passaic, N.J., and Louis Dismuke of Clover; two daughters-in, Mrs. Bernice Dismuke and Mrs. Hallie Dismuke; four grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Mr. Dismuke was preceded in death by one daughter, Ms. Patricia Ann Dismuke, and two brothers, Nathaniel Dismuke and Stonewall Dismuke.
The family is receiving friends at the residence, 3150 Virginia Lane, Clover.

John Owen Bradshaw

Mr. John Owen Bradshaw, of Smart Road in Oxford, died Sunday, January 14.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced at a later date.

Harris, Players Lauded At HCHS Football Awards Banquet

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Former Halifax County High School head football coach John Lacy Harris was honored by Halifax County school system and Halifax County High School officials Thursday night at the annual Halifax County High School football awards banquet.
Comets players Justin Long and Lavell Tucker received Most Valuable Player Awards on offense and defense respectively.
Long, a receiver, had 35 catches for a total of 642 yards and scored six touchdowns during the Comets’ 10-game regular-season schedule.
Tucker, a defensive back, had 62 tackles during the Comets’ regular-season schedule, had seven interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. He was also credited with causing five fumbles and recovering three fumbles.
Brad Rogers was presented the Outstanding Academic Award for having the highest academic grade-point average on the team and John Brown received the Outstanding Leadership Award.
Harris, who led the Comets football team to eight-win seasons and a berth in the Group AAA Division 5 Northwest Region playoffs in each of the two seasons he coached the team before resigning shortly after the end of last season, received numerous acolades Thursday night.
Halifax County School Superintendent Paul Stapleston and Halifax County School Board Chairman D.H. McDowell Jr. prsented Harris with a plaque from the school system recognizing him for his efforts in working with the players and turning around the Comets football program.
Stapleton called Harris “a unique individual” and an outstanding gentleman.
“I consider him a man of top-notch character, a great football coach, a classy individual and a true gentleman,” Stapleton told the audience of parents, players, booster club members and news media.
“When you use the word coach with John Lacy, I think it is a compliment. He’s a true gentleman in everything he does.”
Stapleton said Harris had lived up to what he said he would do when he was hired as the Comets football coach just over two years ago.
“He told me he would come and stay as long as he could and do everything he could for the boys and share his knowledge and experience with them,” Stapleton explained.
“He said he would do the same thing with the coaches on the staff and share his years of knowledge and experience. I hope that’s been invaluable to the coaches because I’ve seen a man that not only turned a sport and a team around as far as the young men that played for him, but also helped some young coaches grow and got the community involved to the point of almost a frenzy.
“He’ll never take any credit himself,” added the school superintendent.
“It’s always the boys, the staff - it’s always one of the groups that’s working so hard and doing so good.”
McDowell added his congratualtions to Harris and the Comets football team for their accomplishments this season.
“We begged him to stay,” McDowell said of Harris.
“We were at the bottom of the barrel and he came over here and brought life to us. We appreciate the work he’s done.”
Harris thanked everyone for their hard work and contributions to the Comets football program and related a story about one of his early visits here after taking the head varsity football coaching job.
“When I took the job, I came up and went to a track meet,” Harris explained.
“We were running that school from Danville (GW). Coach (Ralph) Robinson had his guys running the 100 (100-meter dash). They shot the gun and all eight guys had on navy blue uniforms. I said ‘doggone, Halifax doesn’t have anybody in the 100.’ Then, the first four guys across the finish line were all Comets. I said, okay, we can do alright here. Then I watched the relay teams, then I saw the baseball team play. They’re athletes and they’re good kids. They’re all over the place.”
Harris said he had already met Stapleton, the Central Office staff, HCHS Principal Albert Randolph and HCHS Athletic Director Allen Lawter and had gained a very positive impression of the school, the school system and the expectations of what direction school and school system officials wanted for the Comets football program.
“I hadn’t met the School Board members but I knew they were building elementary schools and redoing the middle school,” Harris said.
“They’ve got millions and millions of dollars going into schools, we’ve got athletes that can smoke GW, we’ve got a principal that is a former coach, we’ve got a young athletic director, we’ve got coaches on the staff with a tremendous amount of experience and we were able to bring in some young coaches that have great energy.
“That was the most pressure I had ever felt,” Harris noted, “because we had everything you could possibly want.”
Harris said one thing that he didn’t see at the outset was the tremendous sacrifice Halifax County’s parents have to make to get the students back and forth to practice.
“We practiced a lot and here they came back and forth and back and forth,” Harris pointed out.
“We totaled up the mileage at the end of the first year and it was tremendous.
“We have a tremendous coaching staff and they work hard and they’re working hard now,” Harris continued.
“We have great parents. The administration is tremendous. The community was great going to the games. With all that said, we had excellent talent and, more importantly, we had great young men and they still are. I’m extremely proud of them.”
Members of the Comets football coaching staff presented Senior Superlative Awards to the team’s top seniors.
In addition to Long being named as the MVP on offense, Patrick Terry won the Outstanding Receiver Award, Morgan Brown won the Outstanding Running Back Award, Flave Rogers won the Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award, Tony Barbour won the Outstanding Kick Returner Award and Chris Rorrer won the Outstanding Kicker Award.
On defense, Antuan Thorpe won the Outstanding Defensive Back Award, Corey Jackson won the Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award, Travis Word received the Outstanding Linebacker Award and Trey Garrett earned the Outstanding Special Teams-Kick Coverage Award.
Stapleton thanked the football players for their hard work and dedication.
“I want to thank the team for the great job you’ve done, the great season you’ve had,” Stapleton said.
“You’ve all worked hard. You deserve everything good that happened to you.”

Comets Get ‘A’ For Effort

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
The one thing Halifax County High School basketball coach Ron Parson wanted to see out of his team in Friday night’s game against GW was a true good-faith effort.
His players responded in a big way.
The Comets didn’t win, falling to arch-rival GW 66-50 in the Western Valley District tilt, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort.
Even with one of its two key post players, Ridge McKeither, sitting out the game as the result of a one-game suspension for being ejected in last week’s GW-E.C. Glass contest, the Eagles had more than enough size and manpower to overcome the Comets.
GW senior center J.C. Chaney was a big force on the boards and scored 17 points, most of which came from down low on the post. And, the Eagles had enough offensive firepower from the outside to shoot down the Comets’ zone defense, canning six three-point baskets with three each from point guard Travis Tarpley who scored 13 points and guard Nick Barbour who pitched in 14 points.
Still, the Comets made the Eagles earn the win as they held the Eagles’ explosive offense to 66 points.
“I was proud of our effort,” Parson said.
“We were just out-manned. The guys gave the effort. They’ (GW) are a lot bigger than us. We got hurt on the boards. If we would just play like that the rest of the year, we’ll be fine. That’s the biggest challenge we’ve got.”
Parson also noted that his team was out-manned in terms of playing experience.
“I’m not making excuses,” Parson said, “ but we’ve got just two guys that played varsity basketball last year out of the 14 players we have. You’re playing guys (GW) that are seniors that lost one game last year.
The Comets coach said he was especially proud of the team’s defensive effort.
“It’s something when you’re fortunate enough to hold those guys to 66 points when they had just come off of a 94-point game and a 91-point game,” Parson pointed out.
“You’ve got to feel good about your defensive effort.”
The Comets had a good offensive effort as well with three players, Pierre Brandon, Leon Glenn and Durrell Chandler hitting double figures. Brandon and Glenn scored 11points each and Chandler chipped in 10 points.
Halifax County made the Eagles earn the win and probably could have made the game closer had it not been for 15 turnovers.
“Our trouble is with our offense,” Parson pointed out.
“ We do some good things, then we do some bad things. Our offense gets us in more trouble than our defense does.”
The Comets played the Eagles to a 17-17 tie at the end of the first quarter only to fall behind in the second quarter.
Victimizing itself with turnovers and poor shot selection, the Comets went scoreless for the first three minutes and 46 seconds of the second quarter, long enough to allow GW to make a 12-0 run and take a 29-17 lead.
Chandler hit a three-pointer to end the Comets drought and the Comets held their own the rest of the half, trailing 35-26 at halftime.
Halifax County made a run at GW at the start of the second half, launching a 7-2 run capped by a three-pointer from Pierre Brandon with 5:53 left in the quarter, to cut the GW lead to three points at 37-34.
That, unfortunately, was as close as the Comets would get the rest of the night.
The turnover bug hit the Comets again and, failing to score in each of their next five trips down the Comets fell victim to a 12-0 GW run that left them buried under a 15-point deficit at 49-35 with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
Halifax County trailed by as many as 19 points at one juncture, got as close as 13 points after a basket by Allen Stephens and a free throw from Brown with 3:33 left that made the score 57-44, and ended the game losing by a 16-point margin.
GW coach Bobby Martin said his team’s 12-0 run in the third quarter to distance itself from the Comets was big.
“We knew we had to make a spurt, especially playing down here,” Martin said.
“You know the Halifax crowd gets into it. They hit a couple of threes and then you’ve got to fight like a dog. We wanted to make some distance between them and us.”
Martin added the win was a good one for his team.
“Anytime you go on the road in our district and win, you’d better be excited,” Martin pointed out.”
GW
NAME FG FT F TP
Barbour 4 3-6 0 14
Elder 0 0-0 0 0
Tarpley, T. 5 0-0 0 13
Price 0 0-1 1 0
Claiborne 0 0-0 3 0
Howerton. 1 0-0 0 2
Chaney 6 5-6 0 17
Guy 0 0-0 4 0
McGeough 4 2-8 0 10
Keene 0 0-0 0 0
Wilson 0 0-0 2 0
Coles 2 0-0 3 4
Townes 3 0-1 0 6
Totals 25 10-22 14 66
HALIFAX COUNTY
NAME FG FT F TP
Glenn 5 1-2 1 11
Ferrell 0 0-0 0 0
Pippen 0 0-0 1 0
Chandler 4 0-2 1 10
Brown 2 2-4 4 7
Brandon 4 0-0 2 11
Bumpass 0 0-0 1 0
Waltman 1 1-1 1 3
Stephens 3 0-0 4 6
Stovall 1 0-1 3 2
Totals 20 4-10 18 50
Three Point Field Goals:Brandon (HC) 3, Chandler (HC) 2, Brown (HC) 1, Barbour (GW) 3, T. Tarpley (GW) 3

GW 17 18 19 12-66
Halifax County 17 9 11 13-50

Next Up For Comets: Glass, Patrick Henry

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Having fallen to GW 66-50 here Friday night and falling 0-2 in Western Valley District play, the Halifax County High School varsity boys basketball faces a pivotal week in terms of making a bid at finishing in the top half of the district standings.
The Comets, having already fallen to the top two teams in the district, GW and Franklin County, are gearing up to face the two remaining district teams, E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry, in games that will be big for all three teams.
Halifax County faces E.C. Glass at home Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in a game that will mark the third of its four district home games. Friday night, the Comets travel to Roanoke to face Patrick Henry in a game that will mark the halfway point of the Comets’ district schedule.
With losses in the first two district games, Comets head coach Ron Parson knows Tuesday night’s game here against the Hilltoppers is a critical game.
“If we’re going to do anything at all in the district, we’re going to have to win Tuesday night,” Parson said.
“We’re really going to have to step it up. If we’re to have any kind of chance at all to fight for second place and staying in the upper part of standings, we’re going to have to play well Tuesday night.”
Parson acknowledged that Friday’s game against Patrick Henry is also a big one in terms of the Comets’ fortunes.
“E.C. Glass has already beaten Patrick Henry once,” the Comets coach noted.
“Patrick Henry is a pretty good ball team and we have to play them up there in Roanoke. There is no question this is a big week.”
After this week, the Comets will have only one more district home game, that being a February 2 date against Patrick Henry. The Comets will play the rest of their district games Franklin County (Jan. 26), GW (Feb. 6), and E. C. Glass (Feb. 8) on the road.
The reality for the Comets is that it will likely take a .500 mark in the district standings (4-4) in order to have a decent shot at finishing third in the district and staying out of a tournament play-in game.
A fourth-place finish in the district standings increases the difficulty factor in terms of the Western Valley District Tournament as that team will have to face playing three tournament games if it advances as far as the tournament championship game.
The fourth and fifth-place teams will have to play a play-in game on Monday night, February 12, with the winner advancing to the tournament semifinals which start the next night.
The winner of the play-in game will go on the road to face the regular-season champion in one of the two tournament semifinal games with the second-place finisher in the regular season hosting the third-place regular season finisher in the other semifinal contest.
This season the regular-season champion will earn the district’s top seed for the Northwest Region Tournament with either the tournament champion (if it is a different team than the regular-season champion) or the district tournament runner-up advancing as the district’s second seed for the Northwest Region Tournament.