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Blacksburg’s run to state was simply, “Unbelievable.”

BLACKSBURG, Va., - The 2016 Blacksburg Bruins football team is one that many people in Blacksburg will never forget. After a struggle that many teams would have let get the best of them, the Blacksburg Bruins were crowned the Virginia High School League 3A State Champions on Saturday. The Bruins started the season 2-4, with a chance at making the playoffs looking slim. While some people thought hope for a successful season was lost, some people took a trip down memory lane. The last Blacksburg football team to win a state championship was in 1989. The 1989 season looked a lot like the current season, with similarities that Brad Epperley; a player on that 1989 championship team would tell you are scary. After the 2-4 start, Coach Thad Wells and his staff knew there needed to be some changes in order for success to darken the doorstep of Blacksburg High School. A 17-13 upset win over Pulaski sent shockwaves across the New River Valley. “I’d say the Pulaski game was the turning point of the season,” said Justin Snyder, a Blacksburg senior leader. The Bruins kept their foot on the gas, only losing one more time in the regular season. They headed into the playoffs 5-5 and were about to make some noise. “We knew we were the better team going into every game,” said Brad Shelton, another Blacksburg senior when talking about Blacksburg’s magical postseason run. Blacksburg not only got the wins, but they won in convincing fashion. The Bruins rattled off wins over a seven, two, six and one seed in the playoffs before clinching a berth in the state championship game. The Cinderella story was in effect Saturday, as Blacksburg took on Staunton River. The Blacksburg Bruins found themselves in a hole early, going down 14-7 at the half. The Bruins made a big statement in the third quarter when quarterback Grant Johnston found Tiquest Terry on a 58-yard pitch and catch to tie the game at 14. After that, it was all Bruins. Blacksburg would score on two one-yard plunges from Cole Beck to put the Bruins up 28-14. Staunton River tried to make a comeback, scoring late in the 4th quarter, but it was not enough. The Cinderella 10th seed had just won a state championship. “We are excited as heck that these seniors get to go out on top,” said an ecstatic Thad Wells after the game. The celebration was just beginning for the Bruins. After the game, the soft-spoken tailback that had carried the team throughout the playoffs might have summed up the Blacksburg season the best that anyone could. Cole Beck simply said, “Unbelievable.”

Like economy, high school enrollment in SWVA dwindles

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RICHLANDS, Va., -The coal industry is not the only thing in southwest Virginia that is declining. The public high school enrollment in the region has also decreased in recent years. Across the country, school enrollments are on the rise. However, in the past seven years, not only have the school systems in southwest Virginia seen a decrease in the number of students, but also in the total number of schools. Dickenson and Wise Counties have consolidated high schools in their region in the past seven years to meet the curve that the dwindling enrollment creates. Citizens of southwest Virginia take pride in telling you where they went to high school. Many of these people have seen the places they take pride in shut their doors. With the continuing decrease in numbers across the region, the idea of each county eventually being the host of one high school is not unlikely. These same Virginia counties have seen a loss in coal mining jobs in recent years. Other than coal in this area, the economy is not very diversified. Due to a lack of economy in the region, many aspects of life suffer, including the number of people that inhabit a region, which results in fewer children in a school system. In an election year, these ideas are addressed more than they are at other times. With the recent presidential election, this graph comes at an interesting time. The information in the graph above was obtained from Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise County Public Schools.

Change comes just in time for Blacksburg

BLACKSBURG, Va., - Coming into the 2016 season, the Blacksburg Bruins had high expectations. In only the second year of Thad Wells’ tenure as the head coach of the Bruins, Blacksburg found themselves in the Timesland Top 10. The Bruins began their year with wins over Carroll County and Bassett, while dropping contests against Giles, Abingdon, Hidden Valley and Salem. The team that was expected to be one of the toughest in the region was sitting at 2-4. The bright hopes at making a run into the VHSL 3A West playoffs looked dimmer each week. The pressure surrounding the program was building. After some devastating losses, Wells knew it was time for a change. The Bruins had to face a familiar rival in the Pulaski County Cougars, a team who was at the top of the 4A ranks. To beat the Cougars, Blacksburg had to make some adjustments to help out their defense. The most notable one: Limit the use of the onside kick. In the first six games, Blacksburg would onside kick every time they would kick the ball off, resulting in a short field for the defense to work with. The Bruins came into the game with Pulaski with their backs against the wall. A win was necessary to keep their postseason chances alive. That night, the struggling Blacksburg Bruins topped the Pulaski County Cougars. This win was not only the biggest of Wells’ short career but a turning point in the season. The Bruins would follow their strong performance the next week in Roanoke with a win over the Cave Spring Knights. All of a sudden the boys from Blacksburg are back in the playoff hunt. With wins over Patrick Henry and Christiansburg to round out the regular season, they could possibly host a playoff game, something a Blacksburg team has not done since 2003

Being A Hokie Comes With Endless Opportunity

Virginia Tech was founded in 1872 as apart of the Morrill Land-Grant Act. Since then, the campus nestled in the Appalachian Mountains has seen a lot of change. More than 31,000 students call Blacksburg home, making Virginia Tech the third largest school in the Commonwealth. With the university being a land grant university, the curriculum has a strong focus on research. Virginia Tech offers 240 graduate and undergraduate programs. The engineering program ranks in the top tier of the programs in the country each year. Tradition is of the upmost importance around campus. Whether it is the Ring Dance, eating a turkey leg, doing the Hokie Pokie or having a picnic by the Duck Pond, there is a rich tradition on campus. Virginia Tech has a strong military background. The Cadets are heavily involved in activities around campus, whether it is the Highty Tighties playing the national anthem before a football game or shooting off the cannon named “Skipper” after every Hokie touchdown. Aside from an excellent academic reputation, Virginia Tech is respected nationally for its performance on the athletic field. The Hokies are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. While the Hokies are most recognized on the football field, the Hokies are also nationally recognized in basketball, track and field, wrestling and softball, to name just a few. Virginia Tech has recently been named #1 in the category of Quality of Student Life by the 2017 Princeton Review. By watching this video, one would not find this a surprise.

A Walk Around Virginia Tech

Nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia lies Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech was founded as a land-grant institution in 1872. In 1896, Virginia Tech adopted the motto “Ut Prosim,” which translates from Latin to “That I May Serve.” This still serves as the motto today. Everywhere you turn on campus, you see a way Virginia Tech shows its pride and tradition. From Hokie Stone, Tech Triumph, "Hokies," Skipper, Beamer Way; the list goes on and on. Having been a strong military college in it’s early years, Virginia Tech is one of three public universities with active members of the corps and civilian population on campus. In 2016, the undergraduate population is right around 30,000 students.  Although many things have changed over the years, Virginia Tech has been a mainstay in the Commonwealth. With the rich tradition and sense of community that surrounds the university, it is easy to fall in love with Virginia Tech. Below are pictures of some of the most popular spots on campus.  

Lane Stadium was built in 1965. It is named after Edward H. Lane, a graduate and former member of the Board of Visitors at Virginia Tech. Worsham Field was dedicated in 1992 to honor Wes and Janet Worsham, longtime Hokie supporters. Lane Stadium seats 66,233 people on a Saturday afternoon. The latest innovations to the stadium were in 2006, when this sign on Beamer Way was also erected.

Torgersen Hall was constructed in 2000. The building is named after the fourteenth president of Virginia Tech, Paul E. Torgersen. Torgersen Bridge (pictured) is a quiet area, which students use to study. The bridge connects Torgersen Hall to Newman Library. Also pictured is a hedge shaped to form the Virginia Tech school logo, the “VT.” There are numerous hedges like this on campus, including one by English Field.

Each entrance to the Virginia Tech campus has either a stone or black signage welcoming you to campus. This stone is near the entrance by the Moss Arts Center and Squires Student Center off of Main Street in Blacksburg. The logo on the stone includes the Pylons above War Memorial Chapel as well as “1872” the year Virginia Tech was founded.

Burruss Hall is the main administration building at Virginia Tech. The office of the President is in Burruss Hall. Burruss holds events such as concerts, Ring Premiere at Virginia Tech, commencement ceremonies as well as other events. The building is named after the eighth president of Virginia Tech, Julian A. Burruss. The building was originally constructed in 1936 with additions coming in 1958, 1968 and 2007.

April 16^th, 2007 was the darkest day in the history of Virginia Tech. 32 members of the Hokie Nation were slain that day by a gunman in what was then the largest shooting in United States history. 32 Hokie Stones stand with this stone (pictured) in the middle of them. The memorial is always decorated in some way. Every April 16^th, there are events centered at the memorial. The memorial was dedicated August 19^th, 2007.

The Drillfield is the divider between the academic and residential sides of campus at Virginia Tech. Each day, thousands of people cross the Drillfield as they trek across campus to wherever they may be going. Since 1894, this has been a hub for the Corps of Cadets drills, recreational activity amongst students, festivals as well as many other events that take place at Virginia Tech.

The Duck Pond at Virginia Tech is a wonderful place to relax on a warm day. The pond was man made in the mid-1930s. The dam closest to Duck Pond Drive carries water to Stroubles Creek and eventually the New River. The Duck Pond is home to many waterfowl as well as a variety of fish.

The Virginia Department of Historical Resources placed a historical marker at the edge of the Virginia Tech campus in 1996. This is one of numerous historical landmarks on campus. The sign gives a short background on how Virginia Tech was founded, as well as what happened on campus in the years before Virginia Tech was founded.