8 down, 2 to go as the wheels 🛞 touch down in Charlotte. Next up, presenting Crystal #2 of 3 to Principal Chuck Thompson, our John Culp Person of the Year !

Photos 📸 from Velvet Leonard

Step 2 of 3 for our annual OneofUs.Care awards took place last night at Cavalier Park. Carroll County High School 🏫 Principal Chuck Thompson became the fifth recipient of our Top award

Thank You to Mr Travis Leath for stopping by the shop in Galax and picking up our copy of the plaque.

Three phases of the acknowledgment, first was my lead in, followed by CCHS Senior, Brooke Webb, and then an elegant message read by Donna Nester on behalf of her and Coach Nester.

While I miss the planning of the banquet, I simply don’t know of a setting that would be any more fitting to present something to Principal Thompson than Cavalier Park. The bond between the Thompson family and the Nesters made it next level special !

Coach Nester took the time ⏲️ to add a C T behind the pitchers’ mound to further recognize our top administrator.

Bonus Nugget from Donna Nester :

I ran across this photo recently. It was taken to show the support from the softball team for Mr. Thompson when he was in Duke University Hospital fighting for his life.

From Brooke Webb

From the Nesters :


Welcome to Cavalier Park for the contest between your Carroll County Cavaliers and James River High School. Before we begin, Coach Nester and I would like to take a moment to honor and show our appreciation to the principal of Carroll County High School, Mr. Chuck Thompson. We would like to thank you for your dedication to each and every aspect of CCHS.  Not only for the softball program, but everything from sports programs to academics to CTE, chorus, band, FFA, MACC, cheer, dance, swim team, and so much more! 

    We see the love, support, and encouragement that you give to the students and faculty and staff each and every day. You build relationships that are personal and go beyond the school grounds.  You have built a campus unlike other high schools. You have been instrumental in supporting Cavalier Softball, and we appreciate you so much! You have made Cavalier Park one of the best high school softball facilities in the state! We are thankful for your efforts from the press box to the trees in the outfield to the storage building and the paved parking area.  Other accomplishments around our campus include the resurfacing and upgrade to the football field and new press box and bleachers,  the lights at the baseball field and the new hitting facility known as the Castle, a new auxiliary gym that serves many programs within the school, your support of each academic program and the pride you take in all things Carroll County Cavalier!

Many of you know that Coach Nester is a long-time Boston Red Sox fan, while Mr. Thompson is an avid New York Yankee fan! Mr. Thompson has been able to enjoy more success with the Yankees over the years than Coach Nester has with the Red Sox, but since the 2000’s, the Red Sox have won multiple World Series, while the Yankees sit at zero.  And, Coach Nester thinks that the wall of trees that Mr. Thompson helped install in the outfield sure do resemble the Green Monster of Fenway Park.

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for Carroll County Softball!

The Lead – In

Thank you, Principal Thompson, for accepting a job that never truly ends !

Thank you, Coach Nester, for providing us with the perfect backdrop.

Thank you, Brooke Webb, for adding your personal touch !

Brooke Webb and her Family !

Senior Night 🌙 at Bill Worrell Field was full of emotion, lightning 🌩 and rain but short on runs as Carroll County falls 1-0 in extra innings.

It’s not very often that contests at Bill Worrell Field and Cavalier Park extend past 10 pm, but that was the case in both parks on Thursday night. Varsity Baseball ⚾️ dropped a 1-0 decision to James River High School after the Knights connected on a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning.

” Threw it well enough to win tonight.  Reid and Colby were both excellent on the mound,” said Head Coach Casey Burcham.

” We didn’t do what we needed to do on offense to be successful,” Burcham added.

The team will wrap up its regular season today with the completion of a contest at Pulaski County.

Jeremy Puckett and our Junior Varsity Boys 👦 put together quite the season ! Final page was a 2-0 victory at James River in Wednesday night 🌙

Jeremy Puckett is sneaky, good, and his squad capped off a terrific season Wednesday night in Buchanan with a 2-0 victory over the Knights.

How good is this group ? The only two defeats came at the hands ✋️ or maybe feet of the Glenvar Highlanders. Even then, those losses were my the slimmest of margins.

It was a late night for this group after a weather delay, but I hope to circle back and add the goal scorers.

Robin and Johnny scored  the team, played hard, and given the high temperature. Credit to Diego he put in the extra hustle play to get us over the finish line.

Thank You Coach !