New Investors On Board At Berry Hill

An infusion of cash and the announcement of new investors is the boost Berry Hill owner and Founders College CEO Tamara K. Fuller is banking on to restore lifeblood to the “financially challenged” organization.
Recent financial challenges at Berry Hill and Founders College prompted Fuller “to clear the air” during a Thursday interview responding to those concerns with an announcement of her own.
“In a demonstration of confidence to our organization, our investors have infused additional funds in order to stabilize the organization and continue to build,” she said.
Fuller said the purchase of Berry Hill in May 2007 began “under-capitalized.”
“We had planned to access additional capital very shortly through financial markets that dried up shortly after the purchase due to the sub-prime mortgage collapse. So the organization has been very challenged financially,” she continued.
Fuller described the infusion of funds as “a first-round” with additional funds to be made available later this month or the first of next month.
The financial situation at Berry Hill has not only been very challenging for Fuller, the CEO, but also to her personally.
“I personally have invested an enormous amount in Berry Hill and in this operation. I am very, very confident we will have all of these challenges resolved very soon,” she added.
“Just to cap this off, I want to say that despite these challenges, the Berry Hill staff has continued to shine.”
Specifically, she pointed to “great turn-around” in culinary and customer service.
Trish Miller, who has served as general manager at Berry Hill since August, is in charge of the organization which also boasts new executive chef Albert Parks, a graduate of Johnson and Wales.
Parks apprenticed at the French Laundry in California, one of the top restaurants in the United States, according to Fuller.
She also expressed her appreciation to the community of vendors and customers who have remained faithful and been patient with Berry Hill through its financial challenges.
Fuller, along with initial investor Dr. Charles Edwards of Maryland, are now being joined by new investors.
“We are making progress, and we will make significant progress this month,” she said. However, Fuller also acknowledged that “not everything can be handled in one fell swoop in one day.”
She referred to many people who have been very supportive of Berry Hill and Founders College over the past few months.
“Each and every one of them is as important to us in terms of us getting them paid and making sure we are on a good track with them,” Fuller said promising “to deal with all those issues.”
The CEO reveled in her optimism about the future of Founders College as well as Berry Hill.
“Colleges are difficult to start. That’s why nobody does it,” she said.
“We did it. We are halfway through our second semester, and the academic progress is astounding. This first year has given us an opportunity to really understand how to make this college work, and that’s what we’re going for,” she said of the students.
Despite the financial struggles challenging the new college, Fuller pointed to the campus and to the art component she describes as “a gem” that offers first-rate instruction.
The Academy of Art attracts people from all over the country to its one of a kind Atelier-based art program, classi art training, that offers a bachelors of fine arts degree.
Presently, Founders College is striving to become nationally and regionally accredited. “We’re exactly where we should be in terms of accreditation. Everything is on track,” Fuller responded.
The college has participated in the initial accreditation workshop with both the national and regional bodies from which the college is seeking its accreditation -- American Academy of Liberal Education and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
“From the moment we conceived of this (college), we said we were going to pursue national and regional accreditation, and everybody who knows anything about the accreditation process realizes you have to open your school with real students sitting in real seats in order to even begin conversations with the accreditation bodies,” she said.
In the past year, Fuller maintains the school has been opened, a strategy has been implemented and now, “right on schedule,” they have attended both workshops and have now applied for accreditation.
As the college nears the completion of its first year, Fuller said she is focusing attention on the upcoming wedding season about to get under way at Berry Hill.
“We are going into the busiest wedding season that the Berry Hill Estate has ever seen in all the time that it has been open. We are booked solid, almost, for weddings in May through November,” she added.
Despite a series of financial/legal challenges, new investors, an infusion of funds, along with the addition of general manager Trish Miller and a new chef have instilled in Fuller an “absolute confidence” in the organization’s future.
“It’s important for the community to know just how much we appreciate their support and how much we look forward to proceeding with our building on our strategic plan. Even through these times, this community has been great,” she said.

Storm Causes Crashes

A tree that had fallen across U.S. 501 during the second storm that swept across Halifax County Tuesday night was struck by two vehicles within minutes of each other, according to state police.
Trooper M.C. Forbes reported a 1986 Pontiac 6000 driven by Stephanie L. Stephens, 22, of South Boston, and a 2002 Freightliner tractor trailer driven by Andrew J. Kapalin, 37, of Glade Hill, Va., were traveling southbound when each struck a tree that had fallen across the roadway.
Forbes said the Pontiac struck the tree at approximately 10:30 p.m., and the tractor trailer struck the same tree at approximately 10:35.
The two crashes occurred on U.S. 501, three-tenths of a mile north of Rt. 925.
Both Stephens and Kapalin were transported by EMS personnel to Halifax Regional Hospital where, according to a hospital spokesperson, each was treated and released.
Forbes estimated damages at $1,500 to the Pontiac and $80,000 to the tractor trailer. No charges were filed against either driver.
Wednesday around 9 a.m., a 1998 Chevrolet GMT-400 driven by David W. Abbott, 43, of Clinton, Tenn., ran off the right side of the road, struck a culvert, overturned and came to rest in the median, according to the report filed by Trooper Comer said Abbott was injured and transported by EMS personnel to Danville Regional Medical Center. A hospital spokesperson said Abbott was treated for his injuries and released.
Comer estimated damage to the truck at $10,000, No charges were filed against Abbott.
Early Thursday morning, a 2000 Dodge Intrepid driven by Gloria A. Hill, 58, of South Boston, crashed on Rt. 678, according to Trooper Forbes.
The car ran off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail, crossed the center of the road, ran off the left side of the road, re-crossed the center of the road and came to rest on the shoulder, Forbes said.
The accident occurred at 3:10 a.m. Thursday on Rt. 678, three-tenths of a mile west of Rt. 682.
Forbes said Hill was slightly injured, but not transported to the hospital. He charged her with reckless driving-failure to maintain control.

AP Classes To Return To HCHS

Advanced Placement (AP) classes will return to Halifax County High School beginning next school year, according to Joe Griles, assistant superintendent for instruction.
Virginia Advanced Study Strategies (VASS), part of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) based at the SVHEC in South Boston, finalized the contract with Halifax County Public Schools late Wednesday, Griles said.
The program is funded over a six-year period by a $13.2 million national grant which must be matched by local and state businesses.
Governor Tim Kaine accepted the check on Aug. 29 from NMSI to fund VASS.
The purpose of the intiative is to establish and support Advanced Placement programs in local high schools throughout Virginia.
The Halifax Educational Foundation, Dominion Power and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative have made large donations. Additionally, the Virginia Tobacco Commission has provided $2.5 million in matching funds for school divisions that apply and meet expectations within the commission’s service region of Southside and Southwest Virginia.
“We could not begin with more than 14 schools,” said Paul Nichols, president and CEO of VASS. “We plan for the program to eventually grow to over 100 schools in the future.”
Halifax County High School was one of 27 schools that applied for inclusion in the program and became one of 14 schools accepted to participate in the initial launch of the program.
“We have a five-year grant agreement program beginning with the first cohort of 14 schools in 2008-2009,” Nichols explained. “The next year we’ll add a second cohort of 20-30 schools, and a new cohort each year for the three years following,” Nichols added.
Joining HCHS in the first cohort are Marion High School (HS), Smyth County; Martinsville HS; Franklin County HS; Jefferson Forest HS, Liberty HS and Staunton River HS, Bedford County; Prince Edward HS; Nottoway HS, Amelia HS, Deep Run HS and Varina HS, Henrico County; and Richmond Community HS and Thomas Jefferson HS, City of Richmond.
“These 14 schools will receive incentives for both students and teachers,” Nichols said. “The student incentives include paying for test registration fees and a financial reward for a qualifying score of 3 or higher on AP tests. Incentives for teachers include bonus money for meeting benchmark goals during the school year and financial rewards for each student who earns a qualifying score on an exam,” he explained.
HCHS abandoned offering AP classes several years ago, due in part to the popularity of dual-enrollment classes. The high school offers over 100 college level (CL) classes, with credit awarded through Danville and Southside Virginia Community colleges. Students who pass a CL course are awarded college credit through the participating community college. More than 1,200 students participated in CL classes this year at the high school, according to Shawn Haws, dual enrollment coordinator for the county.
In the AP program, a student must take an AP examination, at a cost of $84. Scoring of the exam is on a scale of 1-5, and most colleges require a score of 3 or higher to award college credit to the student. At some schools, the minimum score to receive credit is 4. With HCHS as a participating school, VASS will pay the registration fee for local students taking AP exams next year.
“We (VASS) will train potential AP teachers at no cost to the school system, and all AP classes will be taught at the high school,” Nichols said.
Participating schools will be grouped together by geographic proximity to form “projects” of one to five high schools, according to VASS literature. Each project will have a local lead teacher who is an experienced and successful AP teacher. This lead teacher will be responsible for providing guidance and support for the AP and Pre-AP teachers in that project.
Deborah Griles, associate principal of HCHS, said the AP program at the school is a “work in progress.” She said high school officials meet today with central office staff to begin preliminary work on implementing the program at the high school.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will hold a press conference at the state capitol Wednesday, for the formal announcement of the schools selected in the first cohort of the AP program, according to Nichols. “A special flag will be presented to each partner school,” he said.
“The statewide center for the program is located in Halifax County at the SVHEC in South Boston,” Nichols added.

Obituaries

Mary Texanna Andrews
Mary Texanna Andrews of 12007 Mountain Road, Vernon Hill died March 5, 2008, at Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Miss Andrews was born October 9, 1932, the daughter of Miller Ragsdale Andrews and Thelma Whitlow Andrews. She was a member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church.
Survivors include one sister, Ruth A. Rutherford and husband, James, of Vernon Hill.
A graveside service for Miss Andrews will be held tomorrow, March 8, at 2 p.m. at Mount Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Bill Wilkins officiating.
The family is receiving friends at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Oak Level Volunteer Fire Department, c/o Jerry Moore, 2080 Swain Road, Halifax, 24558.

Arthur Matthew Beverly
Arthur Matthew Beverly, 84, of Raphine died February 25, 2008, in Avante in Waynesboro.
Mr. Beverly was born March 28, 1923, in Nelson County a son of the late Roosevelt and Bertha Irine Minter Beverly. He was a member of Valley Baptist Church and volunteered assisting disabled veterans. Mr. Beverly was a veteran of the Army Air Force having served during World War II as a Military Police and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Ribbon, and the American Theater Ribbon. He was first employed by DuPont, and later started a lawn care business.
Survivors of Mr. Beverly include three sons and a daughter-in-law, Arthur M. ‘J.R.’ Beverly Jr. of Altamont Springs, Fla., David R. Beverly and his friend, Jane Freeman, of Auburndale, Fla., and Steven W. and Mattie Beverly of Kissimmee, Fla.; two daughters, Shirley Jean Willets and her husband, Dale, of Williamsburg, and Carolyn B. Steele and her husband, Robert, of Stuarts Draft; a daughter-in-law, Sandy H. Beverly of Batesburg, S.C.; two brothers, Albert Beverly of Swoope and Charles Beverly of Shipman; four sisters, Myrtle Hudson of Durham, N.C., Estelle Dean of Keswick, Nellie Taylor of Ga. and Laura Chaney of South Boston; seven grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; the mother of his children, Geneva W. Eaves of Miss.; and a special friend, Joyce Minnick.
One son, Paul H. Beverly, also preceded Mr. Beverly in death.
A graveside service was held February 29 in Oak Lawn Mausoleum and Memory Gardens by Pastors Frank Hall and John Hudson.

David S. Bruce
David Surtees Bruce, 60, of Staunton Hill died Sunday, February 24, 2008, in the University of Virginia Medical Center.
Born on February 24, 1948, in the District of Columbia, he was the son of the late Honorable David K. E. Bruce and Evangeline Bell Bruce.
He is survived by his wife Janet Parker Bruce of Staunton Hill; his daughter, Caroline Este Bruce of Staunton Hill; a brother, Nicholas Cabell Bruce and a number of nieces.
A private funeral service for the family was conducted on Saturday March 1, at Staunton Hill.
The time and place for a public memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Mannie Louise Allen Coleman
Mannie Louise Allen Coleman of South Boston died March 4, 2008, at The Woodview Nursing Home at the age of 93.
Mrs. Coleman was born in Halifax County on January 4, 1915, and was the daughter of the late Richard Allen and Lillian Chaffer Allen. She was married to the late Algie Coleman Jr., and was a member of the St. James Baptist Church.
Mrs. Coleman is survived by three daughters: Nannie Coleman of South Boston, Minnie C. Foy of Tuckahoe, N.Y. and Marion Coleman of Yonkers, N.Y.; three sons: Robert Coleman and Stephen Coleman, both of Yonkers, and Clinton ‘Phil’ Coleman of Alexandria; 10 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one son, Charles E. Coleman; two sisters: Elizabeth Crews and Nannie Allen; and two brothers: James Allen and Richard Allen Jr.
Funeral services for Mrs. Coleman will be held March 10, at 1 p.m. at St. James Baptist Church with the Rev. Byrd Blackwell officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at 200 Hamilton Blvd, Cavalier Apt. 20E, South Boston.

Cynthia Dixon Guthrie
Cynthia Dixon Guthrie, of 1725 Burtis Avenue, South Boston died March 6, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital at the age of 42.
Mrs. Guthrie was born in Halifax County on June 22, 1965, the daughter of Reverend William Dixon and Thelma Brooks Dixon. She was married to David A. Guthrie and was a member of First Baptist Church, Ferry Street, South Boston.
Mrs. Guthrie is survived by her husband; one daughter, Dominique Nicole Guthrie of South Boston; her parents of South Boston; one brother, William Dixon Jr. and wife, Sharon, of Richmond; her maternal grandparents, John and Gracie Brooks of South Boston; her paternal grandfather, George Coleman of Java; her mother-in-law, Gladys Harris and husband, Sonny, of Scottsburg; her father-in-law, Peter Guthrie of South Boston; and other relatives and friends.
One sister, Deborah Dixon; and grandmother, Dora Coleman, also preceded Mrs. Guthrie in death.
A funeral service for Mrs. Guthrie will be held March 9, at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, Ferry Street, with the Rev. Wallace Pierce officiating. Burial will follow in the Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.

James William Hazelwood
James William Hazelwood, 65, of 1140 Mount Laurel Road, Clover died March 5, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Hazelwood was born March 14, 1942, in Halifax County the son of the late William T. Hazelwood and the late Ellis Martin Hazelwood. He was a retired dairy farmer.
Survivors include three sisters, Margaret Seamster of Skipwith, Carrie Wilmouth and Mary Newcomb, both of Clover; and three brothers, Sam Hazelwood of South Boston, Ronald and Roger Hazelwood, both of Clover.
A funeral service for Mr. Hazelwood w ill be held March 9 at 3 p.m. at Church of God of Prophecy with the Revs. Stephen Byrd and Courtney Coffer officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home tomorrow evening, March 8, from 7 to 9, and other times at the home of Mary And Allen Newcomb, 2144 Mill Road, Clover.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@embarqmail.com

Bonnie Lou Clay McKinney
Bonnie Lou Clay McKinney, 61, of 3175 Oak Level Road, Halifax died March 6, 2008, at Berry Hill Health and Rehab.
Mrs. McKinney was born in Halifax County April 8, 1946, the daughter of the late William Herman Clay and Ada Lovelace Clay, and was married to Willie Lee McKinney. She was a member of Catawba Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband of the home; one daughter, Patsy Luke of Williamsburg; four sons, twins Len Clay and Glen Clay and wife, Janet, all of South Boston, George McKinney and wife, Cathy, of Cluster Springs, and Addie McKinney and wife, Deborah, of South Boston; four sisters, Corine Myers, Patty Clay and Lillian Crews, all of South Boston, and Estelle Hodges of Nathalie; four brothers, Stuart Clay of Altavista, Bobby Clay of Nathalie, Ernest Clay of Halifax, and Floyd Clay of Clover; and 10 grandchildren.
One son, Melvin Edward McKinney; and one sister, Sterling Ingram, also preceded Mrs. McKinney in death.
A graveside service will be held tomorrow, March 8, at 11 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery in Scottsburg with the Revs. Don Bryant and Richard Saunders officiating.
The family will receive friends this evening, March 7, from 7:00 to 8:30, at Powell Funeral Home.

Curtis O’Brian Moore
Curtis O’Brian Moore, 73, of 4020 Union Church Road, South Boston died March 6, 2008, at his home.
Mr. Moore was born August 28, 1934, in Halifax County the son of the late Ernest Wilford Moore and the late Myrtle Ferrell Moore. He was a retired carpenter and a member of Union United Methodist Church.
Survivors include one son, Kelly E. Moore of Halifax; one daughter, Sharon M. Alvarado of Chester; one sister, Barbara Day of South Boston; four grandchildren, Robert L. Moore, Christopher, Jeremy and Silvinita Alvarado; and one great-grandchild.
A funeral service for Mr. Moore will be held tomorrow, March 8, at 2 p.m. at Union United Methodist Church with the Rev. Ann Davidson officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home this evening, March 7, from 7 to 8.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, 23058.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@embarqmail.com

Gordon Leon Thaxton
Gordon Leon Thaxton, 83, of Winter Garden, Fla. died at his home February 21, 2008.
Mr. Thaxton was born July 21, 1925, in South Boston the son of the late John and Bessie Smart Thaxton, and was married to Pauline Conner Thaxton.
In addition to his wife, survivors include one son, Gordon Leon Thaxton Jr. of Apopka, Fla.; a daughter, Bonnie Thaxton McQuiggan of Winter Garden; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held February 26, at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. where he was a member. The Rev. Steve Ware officiated. Burial followed at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Orlando.

James Still ‘Skinny’ Vaughan
James Still ‘Skinny’ Vaughan, 71, of 3115 Jones Ferry Road, South Boston died March 4, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Vaughan was born in Halifax County July 20, 1936, the son of the late Walter Smith Vaughan and Katie Wilmouth Still Vaughan and was married to June Clardy Vaughan. He was a member of Mountain Road Baptist Church where he was a former deacon.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two daughters, Janet Vaughan Carlton and husband, Travis, of Powhatan, and Catherine Vaughan Crews and husband, Keith, of Halifax; two sons, James Still Vaughan Jr. and Charles Edward ‘Eddie’ Vaughan and wife, Susan, all of South Boston; five grandchildren, Vince and Ashley Conner of Richmond, Katie and Keith Crews of Halifax, and Peyton Vaughan of South Boston.
Two brothers, Walter Smith Vaughan Jr. and William Joseph Vaughan, also preceded Mr. Vaughan in death.
The funeral service will be held today, March 7, at 2 p.m. at Mountain Road Baptist Church with the Rev. Andy Patterson officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Mountain Road Baptist Church, 3130 Mountain Road, Halifax, 24558, American Diabetes Association, 530 E. Main Street, Suite 200, Richmond, 23219, or Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston.

Glen Obie Womack
Glen Obie Womack, 56, of Halifax died March 3, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Womack was born in Halifax County July 3, 1951, the son of Onzie Obie Womack and the late Mary Edmonds Womack. He was a member of New Vernon Baptist Church.
Survivors include his father of Vernon Hill; two sisters, Emma Sutphin of Newport News and Grindle Martin of Halifax; four brothers, Onzie Womack Jr. of Vernon Hill, Robert, James and John Womack, all of Halifax; one brother-in-law, Charles Martin; three sisters-in-law, Mary Womack, Barbara Womack and Deborah Womack; a devoted friend, Nancy Kirby of Halifax; and other relatives and friends.
A funeral service for Mr. Womack will be held tomorrow, March 8, at 1 p.m. at New Vernon Baptist Church with Elder William Howerton officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at 1215 Waltman Trail, Vernon Hill.

Lady Comets Win Scrimmage

By Doug Ford
GV Staff Writer
Just about everything went the Comets varsity softball team’s way in its scrimmage against Park View Wednesday at the Comets softball field, with Halifax taking an 11-1 win.
After a slow start, the Comets finished with 12 hits, including six doubles, a triple and five singles in five team at-bats.
Stephanie Clark had a triple and single and Whitney Womack two singles, while Lashunda Davis, Christine DeGeorgis, Betty Rose, Lauren Daniel, Heather Hudson and Amber Bowman each hit a double.
Ally Thompson and Melissa Morris contributed a base hit apiece for Halifax, which sent four pitchers to the mound, Paige Rickman, Stephanie Clark and Whitney Womack each hurling two innings and Lyndsay Lawter one.
The four Comets hurlers combined for 10 strikeouts, while giving up two hits and a walk.
Park View finished with two hits in seven team at-bats, a triple and double by Megan Shepherd.
Shelby Brown started the game on the mound and hurled the first four innings, before being relieved by Lauren Thomas, Thomas finishing with one strikeout and issuing two walks.
Comets coach Melanie Saunders was pleased with how the team played in its first live game situation of the season.
“Four pitchers got some good work on the mound, and the bats looked good for the first time against live pitching.
“Once we got our timing down we were making solid contact and moving some runners.
“It was a good scrimmage for us. Everyone got to play and we batted through the lineup.
“We didn’t care about the score, because we wanted to move people to different places and see what they could do.”
The Comets used a pair of Park View errors and one hit to score three times in the second, and added three more runs in the third.
Halifax scored one run after two outs in the fourth and added its final four runs in the fifth, again after two outs.
Park View broke through for its run in its last at-bat, Thomas reaching base on a two-out error and Shepherd slugging a double to drive her home.
Park View coach John Manning said his team’s performance reflected its lack of practice time, but saw some bright spots.
“The weather was rough last week and we’ve had very little practice, so we’re trying to touch on all areas,” he explained.
“I think the pitching today was better than it looked, because we should have been out of a few innings,” he added, pointing in particular to the Comets’ fifth at-bat, where they scored all four runs after two outs.
“We got a couple of good hits and made a couple of good catches, but we need work on defense in particular and be more aggressive at the plate.”
Halifax played solid defense in support of its pitchers, committing two errors, while holding base running errors to a minimum, according to Saunders.
“One of them is on me. I sent a runner home and the center fielder came up quick, but I had already sent her,” she explained.
“That was totally on me and I told her that.
“I was holding the kids up a few times, particularly in the later innings, and hopefully that sportsmanship will pay off for us later on.”
“Overall, it was a good scrimmage, we saw some things we needed to see,” continued Saunders.
“We’re right where we need to be, and of course we’re looking to improve each practice and every game.”

Comets Toppled In Scrimmage

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Halifax County High School varsity baseball coach Kelvin Davis is looking for some answers.
He hopes he will find them Saturday when his Comets baseball team hits the road to face Brookville High School in what will be the Comets’ second and final pre-season scrimmage game.
The Comets fell to Heritage High School 7-1 here Wednesday in the team’s first pre-season scrimmage game and Davis is hoping his team will be able to shore some things up in Saturday’s 1 p.m. contest.
“We’re trying to focus on the things we need to focus on to make us have a successful year,” Davis said.
“Brookville, like Heritage, plays in that tough Seminole District. It’s going to be a good game.”
Perhaps the most disconcerting thing about Wednesday night’s scrimmage was the Comets’ lack of offensive punch. The Comets had only three hits that included a double by Jeremy Foster and a single each from Justin Bagby and Kyle Long.
The Comets’ lone run of the game came early in the contest when Michael Ferrell reached base and later scored on a sacrifice fly from shortstop Eric Brandon.
“I thought Heritage had some good pitchers, but I thought our bats should have been a lot more aggressive,” Davis pointed out.
“I thought we took a lot of pitches we shouldn’t have taken and kind of got ourselves into a hole. We’ve got to come out of the gate being more aggressive at the plate.”
Davis said all of the pitchers on the squad got at least one inning of work with Kyle Long, the team’s most experienced pitcher, throwing the first two innings and the rest of the hurlers throwing one inning each.
“Coach Day (assistant coach Kenneth Day) wanted Kyle to go two innings and the rest of the guys to go one inning,” Davis explained.
“We knew the rotation coming in. It’s all about getting the guys some work on the mound. We knew Heritage was going to be a good-quality team to do this with.”
Davis pointed out that one thing he saw with the pitchers is a need to throw more strikes.
“I didn’t expect a lot from them (the pitchers) but I saw the things we need to work at,” Davis said.
“We threw a lot of balls tonight. I knew it was going to be rough because we hadn’t had an opportunity to face live batters. The thing about pitchers is they need time. You can sit and watch them in the bullpen or watch them throw in the gym. But, it’s not the same. Pitchers need time to face opposing batters.”
Defensively, there were a few miscues here and there but Davis said that in looking at the big picture, he was fairly pleased.
“Defensively, I thought we did pretty well,” Davis said.
“It’s the little things of baseball that we need to continue to work on. As far as the outfield situation is concerned, there are some questions we’ve got to answer. I think our infield is pretty squared away. We’re just trying to answer some questions that we need to answer early.”
The Comets coach pointed out that it has been only a week since the final roster cuts were made and that at this early juncture he was not going to judge the team as far as where it is now as compared to where last year’s team was at this point last season.

Comets Fall To Bluestone 3-2 In Soccer Scrimmage

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Halifax County High School varsity boys soccer coach Frank Shealy didn’t see the kind of start to the season he had hoped to see when his Comets team faced Bluestone here Wednesday night in its pre-season scrimmage.
Bluestone, the defending Southside District champion, broke a 2-2 second-half deadlock to down the Comets 3-2.
Bluestone’s Karim Ghanem broke a 2-2 deadlock with a goal at the 12:11 mark of the second half that proved to be the game-winning score. Edmund Murray got the assist on the play.
Bluestone bounced back from an early deficit to take a 2-1 lead at halftime and got the second-half goal from Ghanem as the game-winning score.
Halifax County got the first score of the game with Dru Henderson doing the honors, punching the ball into the net off of a corner kick by Cameron Starke at the 4:30 mark of the first half.
Bluestone tied the game at 1-1 on a goal from Justin Elliott at the 24:28 mark of the first half and took a 2-1 lead just over five minutes later on a goal by Alex Bush on an indirect penalty kick.
Halifax County’s Jordan Keck scored at the seven-minute mark of the second half to tie the score only to see Ghanem hit the game-winner just over five minutes later.
“Bluestone played a lot better possession ball than we did and played team ball a lot better than we did,” said Comets coach Frank Shealy.
“We didn’t work together as team. In practice we had been working a lot on possession, moving off of the ball, getting the ball to ourselves. We didn’t hear a lot of talking and working the ball up the field. That’s what we’re going to work on.”
Wednesday night’s contest marked the first contest for new Comets goalkeeper, Gabe Aguilar. Shealy said he was pleased with Aguilar’s effort in his first soccer contest.
“I thought Gabe did a great job in the goal,” remarked Shealy.
“There were two goals scored on him. On the first one, they (Bluestone) came back with a corner kick that was real hard for him to stop. I felt one of our defenders should have gotten a foot on the ball. The free kick right outside the box (the second Bluestone goal) was basically a little longer penalty kick. The guy made a good shot on it.”