The cold hard reality of rural counties is consolidation. At some point it becomes cost prohibitive for individual communities in rural outposts to continue having their own high school. Such is the case in Buchanan County, Virginia.
Buchanan County is so rural in the Commonwealth it’s the only county that borders both Kentucky and West Virginia. Coal is king in the county or at least it was. The coal industry has been dying since at least the 1960s and as a result the population of Buchanan County has declined in every United States Census the last 40 years. When the mines were booming, each little coal town had its own school. Those days are gone and Buchanan County is about to experience consolidation again and for the final time.
This is the final season for Grundy High School, Twin Valley High School and Hurley High School. Next year those three schools will become one to form the new Southern Gap High School. The school will be in the South Gap area of the County. The building project got a $92 million dollar boost from the United States Army Corp of Engineers. But its construction and the consolidation of the three schools hasn’t been without controversy. Some residents have complained about the travel time students will endure to get to the new school and like every consolidation most lament the loss of their own school. That is particularly true with Grundy. Football has had some modest success over the years, but the school will say goodbye to its powerhouse Wrestling program.
Grundy has won 25 Virginia state wrestling championships. The school won its first in 1987, but from 1987 to 2001 Grundy won 14 of 15 Group AA State championships, which included 12 in a row from 1987 – 1998, most of those under the direction of coach Kevin Dresser who is now the head coach at Iowa State University. Grundy added Group 2A wrestling titles in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and Class 1 championships in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The pain of consolidation is real, but rewards are often plenty. Taking a group of smaller schools and putting them into one school has academic and athletic benefits that sometimes takes years to see, but they will eventually come. Last year the 3 schools combined to go 10-22 and Grundy won 7 of those. The three schools also comprise the Black Diamond District which will also go away. But for now the three schools plus 11 others will take one last ride.
Grundy Golden Wave
Black Diamond District
2024 Record: 7-5 overall; 2-0 Black Diamond District
Playoffs: Lost in 2nd round of the Region 1D playoffs to Rye Cove 61-28
Head Coach: Keegan Bartley - 3rd season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Ridgeview
September 5 - vs. Rye Cove
September 12 - vs. Giles
September 19 - at Twin Valley*
September 26 - at Honaker
October 3 - at Richlands
October 10 - vs. Tazewell
October 17 - vs. Hurley*
October 24 - at River View, WV
October 31 - Open date
November 7 - vs. Central-Wise
*Black Diamond District game
Hurley Rebels
Black Diamond District
2024 Record: 2-8 overall; 1-1 Black Diamond District
Playoffs: None
Head Coach: Zachary Deal - 1st full season. Interim coach for last 5 games of the 2024 season.
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Bland County
September 5 - vs. Eastside
September 12 - vs. River View, WV
September 16 - vs. Tri-Cities Christian, TN.
September 26 - at Holston
October 3 - Open date
October 10 - at J.I. Burton
October 17 - at Grundy*
October 24 - at Phelps, Kentucky
October 31 - vs. Castlewood
November 7 - vs. Twin Valley*
*Black Diamond District game
Twin Valley Panthers
Black Diamond District
2024 Record: 1-9 overall; 0-2 Black Diamond
Playoffs: None
Head Coach: Tommy Crigger - 4th season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Castlewood
September 5 - vs. Montcalm, WV
September 12 - vs. Bland County
September 19 - vs. Grundy*
September 26 - vs. Tri-Cities Christian, TN.
October 3 - vs. Twin Springs
October 10 - Open date
October 17 - vs. Phelps, Kentucky
October 24 - vs. Van, West Virginia
October 31 - at Bland County
November 7 - at Hurley*
*Black Diamond District game
Castlewood Blue Devils
Cumberland District
Playoffs: None
2024 Record: 2-8 overall; 1-4 Cumberland District
Head Coach: Shon Chisom - 2nd season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Twin Valley
September 5 - at Phelps, Kentucky
September 12 - Open date
September 19 - at Auburn
September 26 - at Rye Cove*
October 3 - at Northwood
October 10 - at Twin Springs*
October 17 - at Thomas Walker*
October 24 - at J.I. Burton*
October 31 - at Hurley
November 7 - at Eastside*
*Cumberland District game
Eastside Spartans
Cumberland District
2024 Record: 11-2 overall; 4-1 Cumberland District
Playoffs: Lost in the Region 1D championship game to Rye Cove 26-20
Head Coach: Mike Rhodes
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - vs. Central-Wise
September 5 - at Hurley
September 12 - at Rural Retreat
September 19 - at Chilhowie
September 26 - vs. Bland County
October 3 - at J.I. Burton*
October 10 - vs. Rye Cove*
October 17 - at Twin Springs*
October 24 - vs. Thomas Walker*
October 31 - Open date
November 7 - vs. Castlewood
*Cumberland District game
Rye Cove Eagles
Cumberland District
2024 Record: 13-1 overall; 5-0 Cumberland District
Playoffs: Lost in the Class 1 semi-finals to Grayson County 40-34
Head Coach: Gary Collier - 4th season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - Open date
September 5 - at Grundy
September 12 - vs. Honaker
September 19 - at Thomas Walker*
September 26 - vs. Castlewood*
October 3 - vs. Lee
October 10 - at Eastside*
October 17 - Open date
October 24 - at Chilhowie
October 31 - vs. J.I. Burton*
November 7 - at Twin Springs*
*Cumberland District game
J.I.Burton Raiders
Cumberland District
2024 Record: 2-8 overall; 2-3 Cumberland District
Playoffs: None
Head Coach: James Caudill - 6th season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Unaka, Tennessee
September 5 - vs. Chilhowie
September 12 - vs. PH-Glade Spring
September 19 - at Twin Springs*
September 26 - Open date
October 3 - vs. Eastside*
October 10 - vs. Hurley
October 17 - at Bland County
October 24 - vs. Castlewood*
October 31 - at Rye Cove*
November 7 - at Thomas Walker*
*Cumberland District game
Thomas Walker Pioneers
Cumberland District
2024 Record: 7-4 overall; 4-1 Cumberland District
Playoffs: Lost in the first round of the Region 1D playoffs to Eastside 54-13
Head Coach: Tanner Walker - 4th season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
September 5 - vs. Lee
September 12 - at Lynn Camp, Kentucky
September 19 - vs. Rye Cove*
September 26 - vs. Happy Valley, Tennessee
October 3 - Open date
October 10 - at Harlan Independent, Kentucky
October 17 - at Castlewood*
October 24 - at Eastside*
October 31 - vs. Twin Springs*
November 7 - vs. J.I. Burton*
*Cumberland District game
Twin Springs Titans
Cumberland District
2024 Record: 4-5 overall; 0-5 Cumberland District
Playoffs: None
Head Coach: Keith Warner
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Northwood
September 5 - vs. Unaka, Tennessee
September 12 - vs. Pineville, Kentucky
September 19 - vs. J.I. Burton*
September 26 - at Craig County
October 3 - Open date
October 10 - at Castlewood*
October 17 - vs. Eastside*
October 24 - at Twin Valley
October 31 - at Thomas Walker*
November 7 - vs. Rye Cove*
*Cumberland District game
Chilhowie Warriors
Hogoheegee District
2024 Record: 2-7 overall; 0-4 Hogoheegee District
Playoffs: None
Head Coach: Reid Sturgill - 3rd season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - vs. Marion
September 5 - at J.I. Burton
September 12 - at Narrows
September 19 - vs. Eastside
September 26 - at Northwood*
October 3 - at Honaker*
October 10 - Open date
October 17 - vs. Rural Retreat*
October 24 - vs. Rye Cove
October 31 - at PH-Glade Spring*
November 7 - vs. Holston*
*Hogoheegee District game
Holston Cavaliers
Hogoheegee District
2024 Record: 9-2 overall; 4-1 Hogoheegee District
Playoffs: Lost in the first round of Region 1D playoffs to PH-Glade Spring 35-7
Head Coach: Chris Akers - 4th season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - vs. Eastern Montgomery
September 5 - vs. Narrows
September 11 - at John Battle (Thursday)
September 19 - at Honker*
September 26 - vs. Hurley
October 3 - at Fort Chiswell
October 10 - at PH-Glade Spring*
October 17 - vs. Northwood*
October 24 - Open date
October 31 - vs. Rural Retreat*
November 7 - at Chilhowie*
*Hogoheegee District game
Honaker Tigers
Hogoheegee District
2024 Record: 7-4 overall; 5-0 Hogoheegee Disrict
Playoffs: Lost in the first round of the Region 1D playoffs to Grundy 66-30
Head Coach: Aaron Lowe - 1st year
2025 Schedule:
August 28 - at Lebanon
September 5 - vs. Ridgeview
September 12 - at Rye Cove
September 19 - vs. Holston*
September 26 - vs. Grundy
October 3 - at Chilhowie*
October 10 - Open date
October 17 - at Narrows
October 24 - at PH-Glade Spring*
October 31 - vs. Northwood*
November 7 - at Rural Retreat*
*Hogoheegee District game
Northwood Panthers
Hogoheegee District
2024 Record: 3-6 overall; 0-4 Hogoheegee District
Playoffs: None
Head Coach: Greg Prater - 4th season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - vs. Twin Springs
September 5 - Open date
September 12 - at Eastern Montgomery
September 19 - vs. Bland County
September 26 - vs. Chilhowie*
October 3 - at Castlewood
October 10 - vs. Auburn
October 17 - at Holston*
October 24 - at Rural Retreat*
October 31 - at Honaker*
November 7 - vs. PH-Glade Spring*
*Hogoheegee District game
Patrick Henry-Glade Spring Rebels
Hogoheegee District
2024 Record: 6-6 overall; 3-2 Hogoheegee District
Playoffs: Lost in the Region 1D semi-finals to Eastside 31-14
Head Coach: Austin Cooper - 1st season
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - at Virginia
September 5 - vs. Lebanon
September 12 - at J.I. Burton
September 19 - at George Wythe
September 26 - vs. John Battled
October 3 - at Rural Retreat*
October 10 - vs. Holston*
October 17 - Open date
October 24 - vs. Honaker*
October 31 - vs. Chilhowie*
November 7 - at Northwood*
*Hogoheegee District game
Rural Retreat Indians
Hogoheegee District
2024 Record: 5-6 overall; 3-2 Hogoheegee District
Playoffs: Lost in the first round of the Region 1D Playoffs to Rye Cove 55-12
Head Coach: Quinton Hensley - 7th season overall; 7th season at Rural Retreat (This is his second stint at the school. Coached from 2004 - 2009 with a 41-32 record and 3 Region 1C championships
2025 Schedule:
August 29 - vs. Fort Chiswell
September 5 - at Eastern Montgomery
September 12 - vs. Eastside
September 19 - at Lebanon
September 26 - at George Wythe
October 3 - vs. PH-Glade Spring*
October 10 - Open date
October 17 - at Chilhowie*
October 24 - vs. Northwood*
October 31 - at Holston*
November 7 - vs. Honaker*
*Hogoheegee District game