Sports

U.S. MEN’S SOCCER TEAM OPTS OUT OF OCTOBER

Citing the challenges of COVID-19, the U.S. men’s national soccer team is not playing FIFA matches in October. The U.S. men last played Feb. 1, downing Costa Rica 1-0. Postponed have been friendlies against Netherlands and Wales, the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four and the start of 2022 World Cup qualifying in September.

Fauquier Times | September 23, 2020

11

SPORTS

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LET THE PLANNING FOR THE GAMES BEGIN

VHSL gives go-ahead for high school sports to resume in December

By Peter Brewington and Fred Hodge Times S ff Wri ers

Coaches and athletic directors in Virginia formally heard the news they expected last Thursday when the Executive Committee of the Virginia High School League (VHSL) finalized the abbreviated athletic calendar for the 2020-21 school year.

The 33-0 vote capped months of intensive state-wide discussion. Each sport will be limited to 60% of its normal schedule, opening with winter sports in December.

The VHSL is calling its approved model “Championship Plus One,” which refers to state championships being held, with schools who don’t qualify for postseason getting to play an extra game.

“We understand this plan, or any plan, will not meet the expectations for those wanting a normal fall, winter and spring sports season. This plan, however, will allow student-athletes and academic activity participants the opportunity of having a season and playing for a state championship,” said VHSL executive director Billy Haun.

The news was greeted with relief by school officials eager to finalize planning they’d already been working on. “It’s nice to be able to schedule and know what to look forward to instead of ifs, ands and buts,” said Kettle Run activities director Paul Frye.

Basketball and sideline cheerleading may begin practice Dec. 7, with first games Dec. 21. Wrestling, indoor track and swimming start Dec. 14 and begin competing Dec. 28.

Football and competition cheerleading can start practice Feb. 4, with first football games Feb. 22 and cheer meets March 1. The other relocated sports of field hockey, volleyball, cross country and golf can practice

By Peter Brewington

Times S ff Wri er

The revamped six-game high school football schedule is set for this coming winter and it’s a double dose of Fauquier vs. Liberty vs. Kettle Run action.

Instead of one individual game against each other, Fauquier and Liberty will play twice, with Kettle Run also playing Liberty twice. Fauquier will meet Kettle Run just once. Liberty will play Culpeper once.

With teams limited to six games, Feb. 15 and compete March 1.

The spring sports of softball, baseball, lacrosse, outdoor track, soccer and tennis may begin April 12 with openers April 26 except tennis, which can begin April 21.

Unity Reed (Manassas) activities director Kevin Turner said he and fellow ADs in the Class 6 Cedar Run District have made tentative scheduling plans and will meet again Wednesday to make more refinements, with a 16-team regional meeting set for Thursday.

With six teams in the Cedar Run (Unity Reed, Battlefield, Patriot, Osbourn, Osbourn Park, John Champe), Turner said each football team will play five district games and one outside opponent. “Football seems easier now that we don’t have to schedule out-ofdistrict opponents,” said Turner.

The Northwestern District met last week in anticipation of the VHSL vote, so the district schedules for each sport are done.

The district is split into a southern pod of Kettle Run, Liberty, Fauquier and Culpeper and a northern one of Handley, James Wood, Millbrook and Sherando.

Each school will play the others in its pod on a home-and-home basis. The local schools will play each northern school once, hosting two teams and traveling to Winchester twice for 10 district games.

Turner said he’s cautioned his Unity Reed coaches that things could still get hindered by pandemic restrictions, bad weather and other considerations. “I’ve tried to explain to coaches not to get too excited about getting all their games in,” said Turner.

Unity Reed football coach Carroll Walker says the pandemic is still his No. 1 concern. “Right now, until school opens, we need to follow

Not one, but two Bird Bowls

Revamped football schedule sees Fauquier vs. Liberty twice, with KRHS meeting Eagles twice

those guidelines to be sensible, and the eight-team Northwestern District broke into two pods to limit travel and maximize games against local foes. Fauquier, Liberty, Kettle Run and Culpeper comprise the southern division, while James Wood, Handley, Millbrook and Sherando are in the north.

The sixth game will pit the No. 1 team in the south against the north’s top squad for the district title. There also will be games matching the second, third and fourth place teams. The two finalists advance to regional play.

There is also the opportunity to play a seventh game if a team does

FILE PHOTO High school sports are set to return in December. The state’s public high school sports have been on hold since March 13 when Governor Ralph Northam shuttered all schools in response to the threats presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. not jump the gun,” said Walker.

Playing four of the six football games in winter, which runs until late March, is a potential problem. “February is the worst. We’re talking about freezing weather. If it snows two days in a week, how are we gonna play?” said Walker.

Could COVID return?

While scheduling can begin in earnest, there still are potential storm clouds on the horizon.

The VHSL’s Haun repeatedly has said the VHSL will not be able to conduct sports in the high risk category (as classified by the NCAA) while Virginia is under Phase 3 guidelines issued by the governor.

Haun said he met with members of the Governor’s staff two weeks ago and were told not to expect exiting Phase 3 “anytime soon.”

Basketball, wrestling, football, competition cheerleading, field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse and soccer are in the high risk category.

With approximately 82% of the state’s public school students undergoing full virtual learning, a return to sports is still a challenge. not make the postseason.

“Any football is good football. We are counting down the days. We can’t wait to put pads on. We’ll be ready to go,” said Liberty coach Travis Buzzo.

It will be winter football with games running from Feb. 22 to April 2, with practice opening Feb. 4.

The last time Fauquier and Liberty met twice in the same season was 2007. The playoff-bound Falcons (8- 3) beat Liberty 17-14 in the season opener, then fell 33-27 in the Bird Bowl season finale.

Liberty (7-3) ended its season with that win, while Fauquier went on to suffer a tough 17-7 loss at Potomac in the Division 5 playoffs. Potomac went 13-1 that year and lost in the D-5 state final to Stone Bridge.

Student sportswriters sought to cover high school games

The Fauquier Times is looking for student sportswriters to help cover sports this coming season. Candidates need a knowledge of sports and ability to write clearly. They’d be assigned to file stories on games, which would include quotes and stats. Stories would be edited by sports editor Peter Brewington for potential publication in the Fauquier Times and online. Contact Peter at peterbrewington@hotmail.com.

“It’s going to be very hard for superintendents and localities to say it would be fine for us to have full-blown football practice on Monday afternoon when there’s no students allowed in the building,” aid VHSL chairwoman and York High principal Shannon Butler. “[The VHSL] can open sports up if we chose to do so, but that doesn’t mean all our kids would be able to play.”

Citing what she deemed a widespread misconception, Butler said Gov. Northam and the state, not the VHSL, is not the final authority on

whether athletics can be played.

2020-21 REVAMPED FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

FEB. 22: Liberty at Fauquier, Culpeper at Kettle Run FEB. 27: Fauquier at Culpeper, Kettle Run at Liberty MARCH 5: Kettle Run at Fauquier, Culpeper at Liberty MARCH 12: Fauquier at Liberty, Kettle Run at Culpeper MARCH 19: Culpeper at Fauquier, Liberty at Kettle Run MARCH 26: District matchup based on final seeding

Thoroughbred futurity held at Warrenton showgrounds

A 2019 Causin Commotion colt earned the nod as grand champion in the Virginia Yearling Futurity last week at the Warrenton Horse Show grounds. Knockgriffin Farm’s Virginiacertified colt won the Virginia Breeders Fund event for ownerbreeders Jim and Katie Fitzgerald of Marshall. The dark bay was sired by Mineshaft’s son Unified.

Morgan’s Ford Farm’s 2019 Animal Kingdom-Smart Believer was top filly.

Althea Richards’ 2019 Darting colt won the Virginia-bred division and got the nod as Best Turned Out.

The judge for this year’s futurity was Rick Abbott, a longtime Pennsylvania bloodstock agent and sales consignor.

USPA Chairman’s Cup underway

The U.S. Polo Association National Arena Chairman’s Cup started Friday at Great Meadow in The Plains. The $30,000 round-robin tournament for nine to 12 goal teams concludes with the championship finals on Oct. 3. Some sponsor tailgate parking spaces are available for purchase.

Details are at greatmeadowpoloclub.com.

Trail ride slated Sept. 27

A benefit ride for the Orlean Community Trail System is slated Sept. 27 at Hungry Run Farm near

PHOTO BY DOUGLAS LEES

Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point

Virginia-bred River Deep gets deserved congratulations from rider Gerard Galligan for his late move, resulting in easy victory in the Woodley Cup at Saturday’s Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point. The 6-year-old son of Arch is trained in Middleburg by former champion amateur jockey Speedy Smithwick.

The Blue Ridge event was the fourth steeplechase program held in the nation since the COVID-19 shutdown in March. Every one of the meets has been held in Virginia, with organizers offering a variety of pandemic management guidelines -- from limited “sponsor” tailgate parking like Old Dominion last week, to “owners and horsemen only” as at Blue Ridge, to no spectators at all, like Middleburg Spring and Virginia Gold Cup in June. Foxfield in Charlottesville runs Oct. 4, Virginia Fall Oct. 11 and International Gold Cup Oct. 24, all playing to an empty house, but with an extensive free livestream program televising all the races. See centralentryoffice.com for complete Blue Ridge results, more photos and livestream details.

Flint Hill. Hikers are also welcome to take to the trail that leads through the adjacent Big Woods property and down to the Rappahannock River. Sign up or find more details by emailing sherry.york@gmail.com.

St. Francis Day event Oct. 4

In a year when folks could use all the help they can get, an interfaith blessing of the animals to celebrate St. Francis Day – patron saint of the animals – is set for Oct. 4 at the National Sporting Library in Middleburg. Pet owners young and old are invited to bring their pets – safely crated or leashed, for an individual blessing by local clergy. Blessings will be drive-through on the library grounds, or virtual via a Zoom session.

Go to nationalsporting.org for more about the free event.

Virginia championship Oct. 18

The 2020 Virginia Field Hunter Championships will be hosted by the Bull Run Hunt at Locust Hill Farm south of Culpeper starting at 11 a.m. on Oct. 18.

All masters of recognized Virginia foxhunt clubs can send up to two subscribers to represent their hunt in the three-phase competition – mock hunt, hack class and handy-hunter course.

The mock hunt will be led by a Bull Run member in honor of Pam Cibula, last year's champion who died from a horse accident earlier this month.

Socially distance spectators are welcome to attend. More is at bullrunhuntclub.com.

Fauquier Times | September 23, 2020

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13

REAL ESTATE

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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, age, familial status, or national origin.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Virginia and federal fair housing laws, which make it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or elderliness, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

For more information or to file a housing complaint, call the Virginia Fair Housing office at 804-367-8530 or toll-free at 888-551-3247. For the hearing impaired, call 804-367-9753. EMAIL: fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov WEBSITE: dpor.virginia.gov/fairhousing

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The NSLM and Emmanuel Episcopal Church are excited to host our annual Interfaith Blessing of the Animals, October 4th, 2020 at 2PM. This year, we are offering a drive-thru blessing on the NSLM campus and individual virtual blessings via Zoom. Bring your furry, feathered, scaley, or Teddy Bear friends to be blessed in honor of Saint Francis Day! We will be creating a one-way path thru the NSLM campus for our in-person blessing of the animals. Volunteers from the NSLM, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and our partner organizations will be onsite to help direct traffic, pass out goodie bags, and be on hand to help answer any questions.

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Fauquier County PROPERTY TRANSFERS

TONI FLORY

These property transfers, filed Sept. 10-16, 2020 were provided by Clerk of the Court of Fauquier County. (Please note that to conserve space, only the first person named as the grantor or grantee is listed. The kind of instrument is a deed unless stated otherwise.)

Top Dollar Deal: $965,000 in Marshall District

Cedar Run District Yvonne K. Meadows to William Schum, Nicholas Kurt Bretz to Christine Joanna Thomas Christopher Gore to Elizabeth O.

Jose E. Perez Gonzales to Melissa Cooper, 20.0483 acres at 6227 Liberty Road, Bealeton. Cornwell, Unit 63-C at 215-C Fernwood Valdez, 3304 Boathouse Road nr. Warrenton. 3.55 acres at 9114 Meetze Road nr. Warrenton. $735,000 Place, Warrenton. $215,000 $590,000 $305,000 Tyler Lamper to Valerie Nicole Wallace, 9028 NVR Inc. to John Toczylowski, 0.1840 acre Linda A. Brown to Walker Frank Morton

Jason Thomas Jones to Edward Allen Wade, Randolph Circle, Bealeton. $325,000 at 28 Patrick Ryan Way, Warrenton. $619,640 Jr., 5238 Graystone Road nr. Warrenton. 9736 Logan Jay Drive, Bealeton. $399,000 Dante Bumbray to Andrew E. King, 5 acres at Paul V. Anderson to Aley M. Castillo, 215 $450,000

Jesse Jay Outland to John D. Humphreys, 4147 Sumerduck Road, Sumerduck. Linden Street, Warrenton. $410,000 Elinore E. Vaughn to Edgardo Antonio Fino 7.93204 acres at 3250 Courtney School Road, Midland. $479,900 Sarah R. Walden to Tamara Tancredi, Unit 102, 6161 Willow Place, Bealeton. $152,000 Winchester Chase Development LLC to NVR Inc., Lot 16 (0.1505 acre) and Lot 17 (0.1505 Noriega, 1.7162 acres at 6775 Chestnut Oak Lane nr. Warrenton. $289,000

Deborah G. Aubrey to David Lee McNeil, 9.7430 acres at 1503 Grace Estates nr. Catlett. $532,000 Mireya R. Ramos-Espinoza to Mario Bautista Chinchilla, 6826 Brianwood Court, Bealeton. $290,000 acre) on Norma Dean Drive off Winchester Street, Warrenton. $330,000 Bryan J. Simpson to Aubrey Hall Jr., 6460 Marshall District Henry F. Atherton to Andrew Ethan Kuhlman, 154.61149 acres on Olinger Road. $745,000

Amy M. Berry by Sub. Tr. to FFC Properties LLC, 1.4018 acres at 9367 Meetze Road nr. Midland. $210,100 Jeanette Marie Carlson to Jose S. Benitez, 3.68183 acres at 7197 O’Keefe Road nr. White’s Mill Drive, Warrenton. $550,000 James W. DeVerna to Eric G. Schultz, 7130 Spencer Bunting to Thomas Faison, 25.0057 acres at 4449 Mountain Laurel Lane, Marshall. $965,000

Alvaro Antonio Moran to Joseph Harris, 9725 Bealeton. $400,000 Alleghany Street, Warrenton. $375,000 Rosita A. Whitman to Darcy J. Philips,

Logan Jay Drive nr. Bealeton. $380,000 Ashley Ramsey to Virginia Jordan, 5533 Hale Scott District 18.9856 acres at 3051 Tucker’s Lane, Linden.

Amber Wells to Jane M. Warwick, 1 acre at Street, Bealeton. $330,000 Andrew M. Wagner to Emily Beth Rusin, $690,000 5041 Weston Road, Casanova. $404,000 Center District 4633 Gates Road nr. Warrenton. $765,000 Gareth Hilton to Shingza Tulku, 8.419 acres at Lee District Kevin T. Roop to Rodeo Oak Properties LLC, Jimmy Ray Keens to Gerda von der Oelsnitz, 9433 Ada Road, Marshall. $465,000

Tetyana Breus-Smith to Matthew Smith, 0.52944 acre at 110 Oak Street, Warrenton. 3608 Sutherland Court nr. Warrenton. Bryan Counts to Tab L. Vollrath, 7321 0.9421 acre at 7106 Jamesmeade Lane, $250,000 $507,500 Meadow Court nr. Warrenton. $480,000

Bealeton. $200,000 C&J Assets LLC to Sarah Properties LLC, Richard E. Hastings to Alllison Spivey David C. Hager to Anthony Thomas

Michael G. Shoup to Ryan Reigel, 11706 Fort Upper Unit 100 at 568 Waterloo Road, Dressage LLC, 10.5507 acres at 8634 Tobias, 5.1754 acres at 7233 Della Street nr.

Drive, Remington. $375,000 Warrenton. $205,000 Woodward Road nr. Marshall. $850,000 Warrenton. $520,000