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Honaker High School bid adieu to the Black Diamond District with a trophy haul.
The Tigers won the baseball, softball and boys soccer tournament titles on Friday evening in what were officially their final league games as a member of the BDD.
Honaker moves to the Hogoheegee District for the 2023-24 school year.
The Tigers’ run in the Black Diamond District began in the fall of 1988.
“Yes, it is bittersweet to be leaving the BDD,” said Honaker athletic director Trevor Coleman. “The move was made to do what was in the best interest of our student-athletes, but that kind of decision doesn’t come without mixed feelings.
“The BDD has been our home for a little more than 30 years, so it’s all that our kids, fans and coaches know. I have developed some great professional relationships and personal friendships with my colleagues in the district and I’m certain my co-workers at Honaker feel the same. While we will no longer be district rivals, we will still have some games with BDD schools next year and could possibly face them in regional playoff games.”
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Honaker certainly had a fond farewell on Friday with three teams beating Grundy in title games on their home fields.
“It’s great anytime one of our teams is fortunate enough to win a district championship,” Coleman said. “So obviously [Friday] was awesome for Honaker with the three championships, especially with all of the games being at home. We had good crowds. … and quite a few of the fans were able to make it to multiple games to support their teams and the atmosphere was a lot of fun.”
Honaker hammered out a 13-0 win over Grundy in the baseball finals as Jax Horn and Connor Musick each had three hits. The Tigers (11-7) have won seven straight following some initial struggles after losing eight starters from the 2022 squad.
“These young men have continued to work hard every day,” said Honaker baseball coach Chris Anderson. “Always wanting more ground balls hit to them, always wanting more cuts in batting practice. Eventually, they began to see their hard work paying off as the speed of the varsity game became more familiar to them.”
Horn has been a leader with a .457 batting average, .597 on-base percentage and has pitched to the tune of a 0.89 ERA. He is Honaker’s catcher when he is not on the mound.
“I would be remiss not to mention Jax Horn,” Anderson said. “He accepted his responsibility of being a team leader, nurturing a young pitching staff and providing offense in the middle of the order.”
The softball squad took a 7-2 win over Grundy in the title game as Lincoln Bush did major damage with her bat and Gracie Shelton was the winning pitcher. It was the Tigers’ third matchup with the Golden Wave in five days.
“This group is scrappy. They don’t give up and fight hard,” said Honaker softball coach Donovan Helton. “The youth we brought in this year has come together with my group of seniors at the right time to find success.”
Meanwhile, the boys soccer team improved to 14-2 with a 14-1 win over Grundy as seven different players scored goals.
Honaker soccer coach Wilburn Johnson has a unique perspective on the move to the Hogoheegee District, which is a league Honaker was a member of from the 1978-79 through 1987-88 school years.
“When I was in high school playing football and track, we competed in the Hogo,” Johnson said. “I always have good memories of playing at places like Rich Valley and Saltville before the consolidation. Now, it seems as my career is winding down in coaching we have come full circle moving from the BDD back to the Hogo.”
Class AAA State Tournament
Game 1 – South Gibson vs. Upperman, 4 p.m.
Game 2 – Tennessee High vs. Dyer County, 6:30 p.m.
Game 3—Lincoln County at Greenbrier, 4 p.m.
Game 4 – Greeneville vs. Brighton, 6:30 p.m.
Game 5 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m.
Game 7 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 12:30 p.m.
Game 9 – Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 7, 5 p.m.
Game 6 – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 10 a.m.
Game 8 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 12:30 p.m.
Game 10 –Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8, 5 p.m.
Game 11 – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 2 p.m.
Game 13 – If Necessary, 4:30 p.m.
Game 12 – Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 2 p.m.
Game 14 – If Necessary, 4:30 p.m.
At Middle Tennessee State University
State Championship Game, 4 p.m.
Class AA Singles Tournament
Adams Tennis Complex (Murfreesboro)
Rachel Houston (Stone Memorial) vs. Ellie Zolt (Siegel), 12:30 p.m.
Ensley Collins (Walker Valley) vs. Ava Freeburg (Northwest), 12:30 p.m.
Ellyson Kovacs (Tennessee High) vs. Ella de Jesus (Collierville), 12:30 p.m.
Riley Cassity (Farragut) vs. Grace Stout (Ravenwood), 12:30 p.m.
Houston-Zolt winner vs. Collins-Freeburg winner, 4 p.m.
Kovacs-de Jesus winner vs. Cassity-Stout winner, 4 p.m.
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
Thomas Walker 3, Twin Springs 1
J.I. Burton 7, Rye Cove 1
At Tracy Stallard Field (Coeburn)
Eastside 11, Thomas Walker 1
J.I. Burton 10, Castlewood 4
At Tracy Stallard Field (Coeburn)
Third-Place Game: Thomas Walker 14, Castlewood 9
At Tracy Stallard Field (Coeburn)
Championship Game: Eastside vs. J.I. Burton, 6 p.m.
At DeVault Stadium (Bristol)
Virginia High 6, Richlands 5
At DeVault Stadium (Bristol)
Third-Place Game: Marion vs. Richlands, 2 p.m.
Championship Game: Tazewell vs. Virginia High, 4 p.m.
Chilhowie at Thomas Walker, 5 p.m.
T. Walker-Chilhowie winner at Honaker
Rural Retreat at J.I. Burton
Honaker-Chilhowie/TW winner vs. R. Retreat-Burton winner, 2 p.m.
Eastside-T. Valley winner vs. Lebanon-Grundy winner, 4:30 p.m.
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.
William Byrd at Northside, 5 p.m.
Magna Vista at Carroll County, 5 p.m.
Northside-W. Byrd winner at Cave Spring, 5 p.m.
Lord Botetourt at Christiansburg, 6 p.m.
Hidden Valley at Tunstall, 5:30 p.m.
Carroll-M. Vista winner at Abingdon, 6 p.m.
Cave Spring-Northside/W.B. winner vs. Christiansburg-L.B. winner
Tunstall-H.V. winner vs. Abingdon-Carroll/M.V. winner
Patrick Henry at Twin Springs, 6 p.m.
Patrick Henry-T. Springs winner at Honaker
Rural Retreat at Eastside, 1 p.m.
Honaker-T. Springs/P. Henry winner vs. Eastside-R. Retreat winner, 2 p.m.
Rye Cove-Twin Valley winner vs. Lebanon-Grundy winner, 4:30 p.m.
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.
Tunstall at Lord Botetourt, 6 p.m.
Hidden Valley at Christiansburg, 6 p.m.
Lord Botetourt-Tunstall winner at Cave Spring
Abingdon at Northside, 5 p.m.
Bassett at Staunton River, 6 p.m.
Christiansburg-Hidden Valley winner at Carroll County
Cave Spring-L. Botetourt/Tunstall winner vs. Abingdon-Northside winner
S.River-Bassett winner vs. Carroll-Christiansburg/H.V. winne
at Gene Malcolm Stadium (Bristol)
Third-Place Match: Tazewell vs. Marion, 5:30 p.m.
Championship: Virginia High vs. Graham, 7:30 p.m.
Holston at Honaker, 6 p.m.
Grundy at Lebanon, 6 p.m.
At Fuller Field (Honaker)
Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.
William Byrd at Cave Spring, 6 p.m.
Staunton River at Lord Botetourt, 6 p.m.
Magna Vista vs. C. Spring-W. Byrd winner, 6 p.m.
Christiansburg at Abingdon, 6 p.m.
Carroll County at Bassett, 6 p.m.
L. Boteourt-S. River winner at Tunstall, 6 p.m.
M. Vista-C.Spring/W.Byrd winner vs. Abingdon-Christiansburg winner
Bassett-Carroll winner vs. Tunstall-L.B./S.R. winner
Lebanon at Honaker, 5:30 p.m.
Ridgeview-Richlands winner at Thomas Walker
John Battle-Eastside winner at Marion
Bassett at Magna Vista, 4 p.m.
Abingdon at Cave Spring, 4 p.m.
Northside vs. Lord Botetourt (at Hollins College), 1 p.m.
Staunton River at Christiansburg, 3 p.m.
M. Vista-Bassett winner vs. C. Spring-Abingdon winner
L. Botetourt-Northside winner vs. Christiansburg-S. River winner
Northside at Staunton River, 4 p.m.
Cave Spring at Christiansburg, 4:30 p.m.
Lord Botetourt at Bassett, 10 a.m.
Abingdon vs. William Byrd (at Emory & Henry), 4 p.m.
S. River-Northside winner vs. Christiansburg-C. Spring winner
L. Botetourt-Bassett winner vs. Abingdon-W. Byrd winner
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
