Randy Arrington was involved at the Page News and Courier for the longest time until he set out on his own with an on-line newspaper. Here is the story that we teamed up on once Alan Knight made it into the VHSL Hall of Fame !
When you set out to tell a lifelong story about people that you meet in and around ballparks, there are certain ones that are larger than life itself.
One of those still exists here in Carroll County, Virginia. CCHS Principal Chuck Thompson and his bride, Monica, combined with softball Coach Rick Nester and his wife Donna, combine to create a bond that will last to eternity.
The health challenges that our Principal faced a few years ago have been well documented, but the story behind the story is often about who is there in your darkest hour.
The photo above is a priceless keepsake from that period of time, and you will notice the message being sent from Cavalier Park to Mr Thompson. The good folks at Duke University Medical Center played a role in the process that allowed Principal Thompson to recover to the point where he could return to The Hill.
The two men like to joke about their Yankees – Red Sox fued, but don’t think for a minute that these two are going to be on the same page until the end of their time here.
Coach Nester walked me through the step by step path between the two families as Tommy Thompson was the football coach for the two older Nester brothers, Paul and Jerry.
Mr Chuck Thompson was a student athlete at the intermediate school where Nester taught. The two sports of choice at the time were basketball and baseball for the teenager.
Later, they would teach together at the same school in which they first met, and the old line about the student became the teacher fits here. Then it was on to being Principal and finally, Principal at the High School.
Four decades of crossing paths with someone who is chasing the same things as you will create a bond between individuals that will stand the test of time!
Yes, Alan Knight has been the head coach of the Lady Panthers Softball program since the early 1980s and has racked up in the area of 700 wins and 3 State titles but Coach will be quick to tell you that he was anything but a one man band.
It would be impossible to list every single person who contributed to both the rise and the longevity of the program, but we will do our very best to include as many as possible. The accomplishments in the building of Alan Knight Field, from scratch to its current state was very much like the fun Johnny Cash song, One piece at a time. I actually played the tune the night of the field dedication.
Ralph Viafora, Roy Cardin, Arthur Campbell, Doug Knight, Clyde Freeze, Dennis Zimmerman, Meagan Gordon, Rebecca Carter and Brian ” Big Daddy ” Hendrick are just a few of the names that come to mind when you start to think about the core group. Each one just chasing the opportunity to add their personal touch to a place I like to call Magic Mountain.
The high school sits on US-340, just north of the town of Shenandoah, and when you list the highlights of the park, you have to include the views from the top of the Hill. Page County High School has been the home for some legendary coaches over the years, and this book is my attempt to try and tell as much of the story as I know.
The partnership formed between myself, Coach Knight, and the numerous others that tagged in and out will always remain atop any lists of personal accomplishments when the dust settles on life.
Knight and Viafora were already 20 years into the process when we first moved to Page County. Ralph took the time to try and put into words just how much his time with the program meant to him, his wife, and his three daughters who all wore the school colors !
Eric Benson, Bill Meade, and Lori Mongold each played their part in the process, and Lori has never been more than an arm’s length away.
We were involved in getting the outfield fence installed through our Panther Palooza efforts. This allowed us to place the name Alan Knight on the front of the park and my parents’ name on the back. That doesn’t happen without Eric Benson and a slew of others that pitched in once we rolled out the idea back in 2011.
Countless years of announcing the home games and having a front row seat to all three State Championships were a stimulating ride, and then we circled back a few years ago to add the Pavillion under the umbrella that is OneofUs.Care.
Travis Knight played a tremendous role in that one, but we all took a back seat to Arthur Campbell ! Mrs Gordon continued to play a role as well, even though both her and Arthur had seen their daughters play their final games years earlier. Viafora also stayed after his third Kiddo had left the program.
When you visit Roy Cardin Field, you will notice the name Archie Dodson in more than one place, and his Boy, Chris Dodson, is multitasking at a ridiculous pace with one effort being to document the story about his Father.
Dow McGrady pitched in back in 2011 in a number of ways, including getting us a new scoreboard at the time. It’s not bad for a fellow guy from Luray.
There should be an asterisk on the three rings 💍because Covid prevented a fourth, and the team has earned a multitude of trips to the State Tournament over the years. The amount of consistency in between the chalk and outside the lines is beyond impressive, and we will touch on as much as possible in the pages to follow !
The main thing about my athletic career was that there was little to no downtime. I started with soccer, then played basketball, volleyball, and softball. I am very blessed to say that I have always been athletic.
Early Beginnings
I started playing softball in 4th grade through the Carroll County Recreation Department. I became interested in softball because my parents joined the church softball league, so I would go with them to all of the practices. I somehow was the pitcher for the team! (I wasn’t too bad considering I had never played before). When I didn’t pitch I played shortstop. I made the All-Star Team every year through the Rec Department. I played through the Rec Department for several years after that. During this time I played with and against numerous of my teammates: Sydney C., Hannah, Tiffanie, Gracie, Caitlyn, Morgan, and Kayla. I also played on a few different travel teams throughout my high school career.
Middle School Years
During my 7th grade year at Woodlawn Middle School, I had the opportunity to play 8th grade volleyball, basketball, and softball. This led up to me making the JV softball team for volleyball and softball in my 8th grade year. This was my first real introduction to Coach Edwards. My sister Ashley is 7 years older than me and played volleyball for Coach Edwards when she was in high school. If my sister was at a game, travel practice or tournament, I was there also. Coach Edwards would play with me on the side when she wasn’t directly coaching. I will 100% say, Volleyball Coach Edwards and Softball Coach Edwards are very different, but it made me the player I became.
We would have softball practice at Hillsville Elementary School and let me say, unless it was just unsafe for us to practice, we were on that field. There was even one practice where it was sunny, rained, sleeted, and snowed. I probably came home covered in mud more than I ever did clean. (Thankfully my mom was a pro at getting out the stains and patching up the rips in the knees of my pants).
During my 8th grade year, I was also playing on a team out of North Carolina when I hit my very first home run with a Rocketech bat. Truly, I didn’t even realize it was a home run until my dad told me while he was coaching third base.
I played JV softball for Coach Edwards my 8th and 9th grade year. I played shortstop and batted leadoff for both years. At this point I was with Coach Edwards Monday-Friday for softball and Saturdays and Sundays for travel volleyball. At this point in my athletic career, softball was definitely my number 1 sport.
For my 8th and 9th grade year, I also played JV Volleyball under Paula Green. I was a setter in volleyball.
High School
When my 10th grade year rolled around, I was fortunate enough to make the varsity team for both volleyball and softball. Now I switched from having Coach Edwards in softball to then having her in volleyball!
Prior to softball tryouts, word was out that we would be getting a new softball coach. When we found out it would be Rick Nester, I was apprehensive. One, I knew he had a baseball history, but as we all know boys and girls are very different. Two, I never had him as a teacher, but I had heard he was always serious and strict. This was enough to put a pit in my stomach when trying out on top of trying out for varsity as a sophomore.
I tried out as a shortstop, but Coach Nester approached me and informed me that I needed to try the outfield. This was extremely new for me and it was a bit of a shock, but I did it! During my sophomore year I played right field for a couple games, but then found my home in left field. I remember one of our first home games I was in right field, made a diving catch and doubled up the runner on first base. Nester ran out on the field and gave me a hug, which boosted my confidence for sure. During my sophomore year I hit 7 home runs. (3 in one game against Galax).
My junior year I continued my volleyball career as a setter, but also some right-side hitting. In softball, I continued to play in the outfield. I remember during tryouts, my dad brought me a brand-new Demarini bat that was 34 inches and 24 oz. Offensively, I only hit two home runs that year, and honestly, my junior year was more difficult mentally because of the stellar performance I had the year prior. I had such high expectations for myself.
My favorite memory from that year was playing up at Louisa High School. The field was MASSIVE! “No one will be hitting it out today.” I was able to hit one out.
Senior Year
Moving into my senior year, I knew it was crunch time. I really wanted to play volleyball and softball in college. I was being recruited in volleyball through Emory and Henry and Ferrum College. I toured both campuses and met the teams for both. I was also invited to a hitting camp at Ferrum College later in the year. On the way to the camp, my dad’s words were “Well she won’t be going here because of these crooked roads!” And if you have ever been to Ferrum, you know there is no easy way to get there.
The 2015 softball season was truly a fairytale. There was 0 drama between any of the players, and the majority of us had played together for years. We all probably knew way more about each other than most teammates would know. I moved to shortstop and batted third in the lineup. As the season progressed, it became apparent that we were good. Tiff and I would always joke around about getting pinky rings for our state championship ring.
For senior night, I hit my one and only home run for my senior year. Ferrum’s softball coach came up for a scouting visit and officially told me that he wanted me to play for him at Ferrum. I was ecstatic. I was going to get to play both volleyball and softball in college.
We continued throughout the season, winning (even though we had a close call with Cave Spring). It was now time for regionals, and school was already out. We were heading up to Fluvanna High School, but had to turn around halfway because they canceled the game. I had a horrible attitude because I was ready to play! Then, on top of that, we get back and have to practice! Coach Nester pulled us to the side as seniors and told us that we needed to refocus up and that we had a job to complete.
Fast forward, and we are preparing for the state tournament. We were fortunate to practice on VT’s baseball field to prepare for the turf that we would be playing on at Liberty.
The energy during the final game of the season was unbelievable. The stands were filled with Carroll County fans. This included staff members, family members, alumni, and just community members in general. I remember looking up, and it was just a sea of Carroll County fans. This game could not have been more tit for tat. Everyone on the team played in key moments throughout the game.
When the game ended, the roar of the crowd was insane! I didn’t cry tears at the time, but if I were to relive the moment, there would be no doubt it would happen now. There was so much support for a group of girls that were simply playing the sport they loved and were good at it.
My dad always compared it to the movie “Hoosiers” because we were a little team put on the big stage.
The outpour of love and support that we were given from the community was heartwarming. Everyone knew about this victory and wanted to honor or contribute in some capacity. It was astonishing.
After this season ended, I played some travel softball, but I truly focused on my conditioning for the transition to collegiate sports.
College Career:
I moved into Ferrum College and became a starter in both volleyball and softball my freshman year. Setter/Rightside in volleyball and shortstop in softball. I was the only freshman starter for both teams, so this was a challenge because I was in vital positions and the new kid on the block. Volleyball was a great and fun experience for my freshman year because of the friendships I created.
My freshman year at Ferrum for softball, I batted second in the lineup. We made it to the USA South Tournament Championship, where I was named Tournament MVP as a freshman. This was a huge accomplishment and a confidence boost to end the season.
In my sophomore year, I continued to start for both volleyball and softball. Luckily, most everyone for the volleyball team returned, so I continued to play with the same teammates as the year prior. In softball, there were only a few returning starters. I continued to start at shortstop but was moved to leadoff because of my on-base percentage.
Junior year, I continued to start for both volleyball and softball. In volleyball, I was the only returning starter, so this season was very different. I continued to set and play the right side. In softball, we had a majority of our team returning. I made the move to second and batted third. At first, I wasn’t sure about playing second base, but I loved it! Second became my all-time favorite position. This year, we moved into the ODAC, which had us playing teams that we hadn’t played before.
Senior year, I continued to start for both volleyball and softball. In volleyball, I played as the setter and the outside hitter. I was also completing my student teaching during this time. In softball, I played second base and batted third. I had the most fun season my senior year in softball and truly was so sad when it ended. Honestly, I cried for days. It was so hard to imagine that I was no longer an athlete in competitive sports. Then I graduated the same week. Talk about a life change!
Life Now:
Fast forward to my current life, I married Tyler Marinus on June 1st, 2019. We had been dating for 5 years, so he was able to experience my senior year of high school and all of college.
I started teaching at Mount Olivet Elementary School in Henry County, VA, in August of 2019. I decided to complete my Master’s degree in administration and am now going into my third year as an assistant principal for Henry County Public Schools. I currently live in Collinsville, VA.
I am still very much into athletics! While I was teaching, I coached for Magna Vista’s volleyball and softball programs. I coach for the State Line Volleyball Club for travel volleyball. I found a love for working out. I go to CrossFit 5 days a week and run a minimum of 3 miles a day. I run in numerous races: 5ks, 8ks, 10ks, half marathons and I completed my first ever full marathon in March! I play Co-Ed volleyball and softball where I have made many friends!
Chip Crabill was the voice of ESPN 1240 in the Waynesboro area for an extended period of time, and getting to ride shotgun was exhilarating. Fifteen years later, I Stull have my ESPN jacket and a treasure chest full of memories !
Valley Baseball League and High School football + basketball were just a few of our favorites. It was also the opportunity to get an upclose view of Riverheads football !
