Longtime Colonial athletic directors will retire

Longtime Colonial ADs will retire

The face of athletic administration in the Colonial District continues to change with the end-of-June retirement of two Central Region icons.

Jim Sangston, 69, is concluding 47 years at Douglas Freeman, 38 as the athletic/activities director.

Bruce Bowen, 58, is passing the reins at Hermitage after 40 years of association with the school. Bowen, a Hermitage grad, has been the athletic/activities director for 22 of his 37 years on the faculty.

Mills Godwin's Bill Browning and Deep Run's Darrell Jenkins retired last year.

"I have had a great run, but it's time to do some other things that I'd like to do before I get too old to do them," Sangston said. "I don't have anything definite right now, but I'll have more freedom to do things during the school year."

Sangston plans to keep a hand in athletics and will continue his work with the Virginia High School Coaches Association.

"Emotionally, it's tough to leave. I'll miss the day to day contact with the teachers, coaches and players and with other activities directors," he said. "It will just be a different context for contact."

Sangston and Bowen are members of the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame.

"Four decades of being a Panther have been a wonderful experience," Bowen said, "but it is time to move on and let someone else make decisions and spend the nights out. It is a demanding, yet rewarding job."

Bowen will continue his leadership role with the Virginia athletic/activities directors association, and he still has to fulfill the Henrico school system's 20 days a year requirement. Sangston has aged out of that requirement.

All-star basketball

The sixth 804 High School all-star basketball game is set for 7 p.m. April 4 at Matoaca High School.

Tickets are $10 in advance and available at DTLR Richmond locations beginning March 27. Admission is $12 at the door.

The game matches teams of seniors from north of the James River against counterparts from south of the James. North coaches are Troy Manns of Hanover and George Lancaster of Highland Springs. Bo Jones of Huguenot and Kasaan Brown of Meadowbrook will guide the South.

For event questions, contact Antyone Wilson at or visit the Web site: 804allstargame.com.

ROSTERS

North: Josh Brinkley, Douglas Freeman; Herman Kinard, Hermitage; Natwan Young, Highland Springs; Maurice Johnson, John Marshall; Jake Eastman, Douglas Freeman; Jeri Mask, Highland Springs; Darien Brothers, Benedictine; Manny Winston, Hermitage; Antone Exum, Deep Run; Cameron Colquitt, Atlee; Xavier Parham, Highland Springs; Randall Ward, John Marshall.

South: Cadarian Raines, Petersburg; Jonathan Crawley, Huguenot; Grant Deichman, James River; Chris Evans, Petersburg; J'Quan Martin, L.C. Bird; Doug Brewer, Meadowbrook; Rico Ferguson, L.C. Bird; David Brown, Huguenot; Milton Gholson, Hopewell; Luis Albalat, Manchester; Drejon Scott, Petersburg; Brandon Coleman, Matoaca.

Generals move forward

Three more members of the Dinwiddie's Central Region, Division 5 football championship team have made commitments to play beyond high school. They raise the total to 10.

Wide receiver Jerrell White and defensive back Pierre Hawkes are taking the junior college route. White, an All-Metro and all-state honoree, will attend Hinds Community College in Mississippi with the intention of transferring in two years to Marshall University where he originally committed.

Hawkes was all-Central District and all-region. He is headed to New Mexico Military Institute.

Linebacker Richie Williams is going to VMI as a preferred walk-on. He is likely to play strong safety in college.

Where they are going

St. Christopher's three-sport star Jackson Freeman will play football at Cornell University. Freeman also wrestles and plays baseball.

Thomas Dale outfielder Michael Green has signed to play Atlantic 10 baseball at (UNC) Charlotte. Green was first-team all-district as a sophomore and junior. He was second-team all-region last year.

Punter/kicker Thomas Mason of Prince George will continue his football career at Newport News Apprentice. Mason holds the PG record for longest field goal (49 yards) and was the all-district punter last fall. He also plays soccer.

Short takes

Kristen Sims , a senior from Clover Hill, joined the Richmond area list of career 1,000-point scorers this season. Sims finished her career with 1,039 points. She played her freshman year at Manchester on the Lancers' team that reached the state semifinals. She was Clover Hill's leading scorer the past three seasons.

Wendy Wadsworth has stepped down after four years as Hanover's girls volleyball coach. The Hawks have been one of the region's top programs during her tenure. Propelled by star Kristin Carpenter , the Hawks won the Capital District title all four years, won the Central Region championship and were state runners-up in 2006 and were region runners-up and state quarterfinalists last fall. Wadsworth will continue as chairwoman of the school's world languages department.

J.R. Tucker High baseball has a great past. Coach John Fletcher hopes to mix the past with the present. The Tigers will hold a cookout-alumni game at the school April 25 at 11 a.m. All J.R. Tucker baseball alumni are invited. The Tigers won five Group AAA titles in the 1970s. The current Tigers also will take part. For more information, contact Fletcher at 527-4600 or at .

With former players scattered over the region on other teams, the Thomas Jefferson boys basketball squad didn't win a game this year. The Vikings' bright spot was senior Jonathan Smith , who led the team in scoring (17.5 ppg), rebounding (12 rpg), assists, steals and blocks. To help with gaining more exposure, Smith, who has a 3.5 GPA at Open High, will attend an upcoming exposure camp in Greensboro, N.C.
- Arthur Utley and Fred Jeter