Adam Nester and Steve Combs during the 2023 – 2024 season.

Adam Nester has two shadows to contend with in his first year of being the Head Coach of the Junior Varsity Baseball ⚾️ team. The first shadow is that of his Father, Rick Nester, who has been a Head Coach on The Hill forever and a day.

If you tie 👔 in his playing time at CCHS, Dad has been a part of All – Things Cavaliers almost as long as the School has been in existence.

One would not thing it would be possible for Adam Nester to face a greater challenge than Dad but he does as Nester is following a Coach that has captured FIVE straight Three Rivers District 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆.

Steve Combs stepped up to become the Assistant Head Coach to Casey Burcham when Kevin DeHaven turned in his lineup card for the title of Athletic Director at the end of the last School year.

Combs simply Won, Won and Won all the while preparing the younger players for their time on the Varsity level. Now that the torch 🔦 has been passed to Nester, the expectation of success is a part of life.

  Nester has a sense of humor about the hand he has been dealt. After opening the season with five consecutive shutouts, the Cavaliers eaked out a high scoring affair versus Pulaski County in game six.

” There was talk of them having to let me go,” joked Nester. ” Even though we won the game there was talk of firing me.”

The squad now sits at a perfect 10-0 and has allowed just 12 runs 🏃‍♂️ during the winning streak.

Two games await the Nester Nine will both being played at Bill Worrell Field on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday is part of a doubleheader with the Varsity team playing the night 🌙 cap.

Springtime is in full swing, even to the point that it has already started to feel like Summer on a few of the days. It’s the perfect time to check in on a few former Cavaliers that are wrapping up their College season.

Beginning with the two young ladies that weren’t able to compete this Spring due to injuries. Both Lauren Alley (UVA-WISE) and Emma Leath (Surry Community College) were set to play softball for their respective Schools but instead focused on the Student part of being a College Student Athlete.

  Natalie Harris started her time down at Emory and Henry as a Volleyball 🏐 player but this season made the transition over to the game of LaCrosse. Harris hit the ground running, finishing as the runner up in the Spring sports for the Wasps Rookie of the Year. The ability to switch sports, from one that you have played since a child to a brand new one is a big enough Mountain to climb. Doing the same while in College is the perfect example of how focused the middle Harris daughter is.

Volleyball Coach Cindy Edwards was one of many coaches who mentored Harris during her time on The Hill and the veteran Coach is not surprised by the ability to switch sports.

” Natalie is so different from Adrianne, and Callie, in that she is laid back and very quiet but a really good althele,” said Edwards. ” She loves to read and a very bright student. She is majoring in physical therapy . She has a bright future ahead of her in every aspect of life.”

Bonus for the Harris family 👪 has been the learning curve provided with a daughter / sister playing a sport that is new to the ultra competitive group.

Harris led the Wasps in ground balls in the last match, leaving the family to understand exactly what that entails.

The team is scheduled to play its final regular season game this Wednesday at home versus Lincoln Memorial ( Cumberland Gap).

  Macie Adkins is in the final week of her College eligibility this week as the Sophomore has elected to finish up her schooling at Southwest Virginia Community College. Her degree of choice is offered at the School, giving her the opportunity to finish up where she started her secondary education.

Adkins and her Flying Squirrels teammates are the definition of trying hard to build a program. The team is in the early stages and competes in a tough conference but nothing prevents Adkins from being the best version of herself, both on the Diamond 💎 and in the Classroom.

The team wraps up its regular season with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend over in Cedar Bluff.

Carroll County High School Softball Coach Rick Nester ✏ penciled in Adkins on his lineup card every game for her four years on The Hill and could not be prouder of her continued success in all phases of her life.

” You coach to win a ball game but even more than that, you hope to Coach players that will become successful,” Nester said. ” Macie is someone who makes everyone around her a better version of themselves. The two years down there are a great example of her potential as she was a fixture on the Dean’s List and both years she was voted the Team MVP.”

Adkins played right field for Nester and has moved over to center field when she isn’t going to the pitching circle. On the list of accomplishments, Adkins has been the number one Pitcher for the Flying Eagles.

Jabin Talley graduated Carroll County High School as part of a Senior Class that had four members leave The Hill as the individual record holder in their Sport. Talley collected more Tennis 🎾 wins, between Singles and Doubles, than anyone in the history of Carroll County High School.

After a lengthy period of taking visits to Colleges that were interested in having Talley play tennis 🎾 for them, the family 👪 landed on Southwest Virginia Community College as a stepping stone to a four year School.

The search is still on for the next stop ✋in regards to College but today offers Talley to compete in a match near The Hill. SWCC is scheduled to face Ferrum College at 4:00 pm today is what is their final scheduled match of the season.

The final two seasons at Carroll County High School were played under the guidance of Greg Talley, his Father and Varsity Boys Tennis coach. The majority of the record victories came as the Top Seed in singles and as doubles partners with now current Senior, Ethan Richardson.

The next stop ✋ is still very much up in the air with Bluefield State and Radford University on the list.

“We are so very proud of Jabim and everything he has accomplished to this point,” said Dad / Coach Talley. ” The way this season has played out has been less than ideal but it has still meant a great deal to Jabin and both sides of the family.” Player – Coach is just one of the tags that younger Talley has been playing with this season.

Stay tuned as the stories for this group of five is just getting started.

Last week, we were able to provide a Free Gate night for both the Girls and then the Boys. Paul Nester and OneofUs.Care teamed up to cover the first two nights 🌙 with the hope that others with an interest in the growth of Soccer would step up and do the same.

Great News in that the first person to reach out was Mr. Ronnie Collins. Collins is a local realtor who happens to have two Sons on the Varsity team.

The second person, Ches Helmick of Edward Jones Investments, has ties the youth Soccer on both ends of the County. Helmick is the definition of a dedicated Soccer fan and has done a number of things to help promote the Sport here in the area.

  We hope to get with AD Kevin DeHaven soon to iron the details out, just trying to respect his Easter holiday.

Great exchanges with both of these gentlemen and excited about seeing the idea move forward. Our four Soccer teams are both dedicated and entertaining and we are exploring ways to expose more fans to the game.

  The matches held the rest of the month will be limited to the visitors bleachers with the target day of May 1st to have full access to the Home Pitch !

Stop ✋ #1 on the day long adventure takes place at The Barn Cafe on The Hill. Breakfast and reflection about the conversation with Head Coach Rick Nester after a busy, busy week in which the Lady Cavaliers played three games in four days.

The team went 1-2 over the stretch, defeating Galax at Cavalier Park and then falling short at Floyd County and Patrick County.

Working the week backwards, Thursday night in Stuart was a great example of what the team has been facing this season. Carroll County was leading 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Emma Harman pitched a great game and slugging Short Stop Addie Greene had stroked two extra base hits ➕ the defense was playing spot on.

  The line score shows that Carroll County outhit Patrick County 7-6 on the night but the Cougars bunched theirs up in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Breakfast is here, so its time for the first break. More to follow…

PCHS plated five runs 🏃‍♂️ in their big inning and held on for a 6-3 victory, dropping the Lady Cavaliers to 4-6 on the season as we approach the halfway point.

” I told the girls after the game that if someone was a fan of softball they saw an entertaining game tonight,” said Nester. ” We did everything we needed to do to win the game, they just bunched up their hits in that one inning.”

Musical 🎼 🎵 Chairs 💺

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  One of the things that Nester is most proud of this season is the way that his team has bought into the rotation of spots in the lineup and in the field. The team started with little wiggle room on the roster and that has been magnified by injuries and illness.

The outfield appeared to be the most set part of the lineup card. Brooke Webb in left field, Holly Miller in Center and Madison Coleman in right. The trio has spent very few innings on the Diamond 💎 together as each has sustained an injury.

  Coleman was the first to miss time but has since returned while Miller is most likely done for the season with a broken collar bone and Webb is out with a sprained ankle, hopefully returning at some point.

Carlie Beamer and Laynie-Jo Leonard have faced challenges with health issues.

” I have explained to our team that you have to show up with the mindset of I will play where the team needs me to play,” added Nester. ” Especially for the ones that hope to play at the next level, you have to be able to fill whatever role is needed from you. I am proud of the fact that our Girls have bought into the thought process.”

Faith Clontz underwent a second surgery on her shoulder and is out for the season but this was known before opening day. The loss of Miller put the Cavaliers squarely behind the eight ball in a number of ways.

Miller is the spark plug to everything, from her understanding of how to play centerfield to using her speed to reek havoc on the base paths to energizing the bench. Her loss to the injury during the home opener was a setback and then some. Once Coleman was healthy enough, she slid over to Center, leaving a vacancy in right field.

Natalie Burress is holding down the catching duties and working with both Emma Harman and Addie Greene, the two pitchers working in the circle 🔵.

The theme of folks having to step into the shoes 👞 of another is a lengthy one.

Travis Leath replacing the Coaching spot vacated by the passing of Jeff Tobler.

Emma Harman replacing Emma Leath in the circle.

Madison Coleman replacing Holly Miller in centerfield.

Laiken Burnett replacing Coleman in right field.

Laynie-Jo Leonard filling in for Brooke Webb in left field.

Carlie Beamer replacing the Senior leadership of Leath and Lindamood.

Kenzie McMillian sliding into the spot vacated by Harman being on the mound.

Raylee Goins playing the role of Swiss army knife 🔪, going wherever Coach needs her.

Don’t forget the revolving door leading to the JV roster so that Carroll County can have a healthy substitute on game day.

The schedule this week is more user friendly as the team heads over to Galax on Wednesday evening and returns to Cavalier Park on Friday to face Radford

Coach Nester is not making excuses nor is he looking for sympathy. Coach is just looking for his group to make plays and show flexibility. They are doing both and as long as they continue to be themselves and not the person who they are stepping in for, everything will be fine.

We have reached the next stop ✋, the Planet Fitness in Bluefield. Will pick this back up afterwards.

  The next stop ✋on the Saturday with Linda day will be to ✔ in on Miss Macie Adkins at Southwest Virginia Community College.

I will take a moment to rewind to the start of the day. Linda worked out of town this week over in Arkansas so we haven’t spent much time together this week. So I mapped out a day that would involve us g together. The day required a meal, a movie, a trip to the Gym, a story for Coach Nester and watching 👀 a sporting event.

The logical answer was to head over to Duke because there we would get a twofer as the Blue – White football game is being played & Duke – Notre Dame softball.

  The decision to take the other path has very little to do  Softball and more about the impressive young Lady playing it.

Louisburg College is an absolute juggernaut on the Softball diamond 💎.

They are 26-0 in the league and flirting with 50 wins on the season. They’re is little reason to think that the Flying Eagles will upend their guests today but that’s not the reason why one shows up.

  Macie Adkins is a great example of a potential Difference Maker and there is a shortage of people like that nowadays. Brandi Cochran – Mitchell, Kris Richardson, Shannon Dalton and Vickey Ritchie are four examples of people that I have crossed paths with over the past five years. This group does for the Greater Good and we need more of them!

Adkins comes from a loving and well grounded Family 👪 and that’s a terrific start. She absolutely shines in the classroom and plays her heart ❤ out on the Softball field. SWCC is trying hard to build a program and its moving along at a slow pace but that hasn’t effected the disposition of our former Lady Cavalier, not even a little.

51 minutes / 45 miles to the next stop ✋, where we will find Macie Adkins and SWCC!

2:27 – end of 1st game…