The Goochland Gazette – 12/17/2020 by Goochland Gazette

INSIDE Goochland Pet Lovers awarded $1K grant from rescue fund > page 4 Volume 65, Number 50 • December 17, 2020

BOS called out for not issuing proclamation against racism NAACP leader questions delay on resolution; board member says focus should be on identifying problems By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Coming together to make holidays bright

Photo by Beth Ferguson

This Goochland Christmas Mother program wrapped up yet another successful year last Saturday, with dozens of volunteers gathering to make sure the 164 gift boxes made it safely into the hands of local residents. Many recipients came and lined up while Goochland Rotary members stood at the ready to load their cars. Sheriff’s deputies and their families delivered packages to the homes of those who were unable to travel, and county staff and members of the Board of Supervisors raised funds to help support the project. Above, 2020 Christmas Mother Joy Kline gathers with county deputies and their families before loading up the holiday packages.

Local leaders eyeing ways to regulate use of exploding targets

Tannerite, a type of explosive target popular with hobby shooters. The request is to amend the code of As part of the county’s proposed 2021 Virginia to allow localities to ban or reguLegislative Agenda, Goochland leaders are see Target > 2 seeking the authority to regulate the use of By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Last July, as the nation was rocked by protests following the death of Minneapolis, Minnesota, resident George Floyd, Goochland NAACP President Wendy Hobbs appeared before the Goochland County Board of Supervisors with a request: Would the board draft and adopt a resolution condemning racism and discrimination and publicly pledge to work towards ensuring equality for all Goochland residents? Hobbs Five months later, Hobbs see Target > 3

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The Goochland County Animal Shelter currently has the following pets available to a good home: A sweet spayed female hound, about 6-8 years old; a lovable neutered male hound, about 4-6 years old; and two female brown tabbies, about 5 months old. The shelter is located at 1900 Hidden Rock Lane, in Goochland, and is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The facility has many lost dog and cat fliers posted. For more information on these pets, as well as the many more still in need of homes at the Goochland Animal Shelter, call (804) 556-5302. You also can visit the shelter on Facebook at “Goochland County Animal Control.”

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late Tannerite, particularly in cases where the noise produced by the product impacts those living in residential areas. While the manufacturers of Tannerite maintain that it is safe when used as intended, it has received scrutiny from lawmakers in the past after constituents complained the explosions created by Tannerite use near their homes was making their lives miserable. Last January, the failed HB 1776 introduced by Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, sought to allow counties to prohibit the use of Tannerite or similar substances in or near residential areas. As Goochland Administrative Services Manager Paul Drumwright cautioned during the board’s Dec. 1 meeting, the county is not currently seeking to ban the use of Tannerite. “This is giving us the ability to do that,

it doesn’t mean that we would have to do that,” Drumwright told county supervisors. “It’s just another tool in the toolbox.” Board chair Susan Lascolette insisted in an interview last week that the request to state legislators is not about restricting anyone’s rights, but rather about ensuring quality of life for all residents. A strong second amendment supporter, Lascolette said the measure was brought forth after the county received a number of complaints from residents who said they were deeply impacted by noise from Tannerite use. “It’s not anti-hunting or anti-target practice,” Lascolette said, noting that the county could, if the code is amended, choose to restrict the hours during which Tannerite could be used rather than ban it. A 2014 opinion issued by Attorney General Mark Herring stated that Tannerite and other brands of binary explosives should not be con-

sidered illegal, likening them to other explosives such as gun powder and gasoline that can be legally possessed for lawful purposes. Goochland political activist Heather O’Brien, a vocal advocate for the protection of second amendment rights, said last week in an e-mail that any move to restrict the use of Tannerite in residential areas might not have the desired impact. “In reading their wording I would caution them as there is a great part of Goochland County, especially in the western part of the county, that is Zone-A (Agricultural) rather than residential,” O’Brien wrote. “When used responsibly Tannerite poses no larger threat than any other similar incendiary material such as gun powder. Reckless endangerment is already illegal so no separate ordinance would be necessary if that is their concern in residential neighborhoods.”

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Wampler embracing role as head coach PAGE 9 Letters .................................... 6 Opinion .................................. 6 Sports ...............................8-10 TV Listings ......................11-13 Classifieds ........................... 14

CONTACT US Toll Free - (877) 888-0449 Office - (804) 746-1235 Joy Monopoli Publisher (804) 775-4614 Fax: (804) 775-4010 Melody Kinser Managing Editor (804) 775-4622 Fax: (804) 344-8746 Roslyn Ryan Editor (804) 339-7956 Cindy Adams Classifieds (804) 775-4616 Fax: (804) 344-8746 Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor (540) 728-0549

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December 17, 2020

For the ninth year in a row, Goochland school division administrators are headed back to the classroom. On Dec. 4, teams from Goochland County Public Schools’ leadership division began what they refer to as “instructional rounds,” visiting classrooms at Goochland Elementary School to check in and lend their support to both teachers and students. Based on the model used in the medical field, and in keeping with tenets from the book “Instructional Rounds in Education,” the effort is designed to help connect

Resolution continued from >1 said she is still waiting. While she acknowledges that some action has been taken — Board Chair Susan Lascolette issued a public statement during the board’s August meeting denouncing all forms of discrimination and said the county leadership would not tolerate racism or bigotry of any kind — Hobbs said she can’t understand the resistance to crafting a resolution similar to those presented in several other localities this year. “To me, drafting a resolution against racism, that’s a nobrainer,” said Hobbs, addressing the board during its monthly meeting Dec. 1. “If you see [racism and discrimination] as wrong, why wouldn’t you do it?” Goochland resident Vernon Fleming, who also addressed the board during the public comment period, said he feels issuing a resolution is an impor-

school administrators with the work being done in classrooms across the division. This year, in addition to visiting classrooms at Goochland Elementary School, the teams also dropped in on several “classrooms” operating in the distance learning environment. “We have the most talented, caring teachers anywhere,” said Dr. Stephen Geyer, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for GCPS. “And our practice of instructional rounds helps keep our school leaders connected to the great work that goes on every day in our classrooms.” Instructional rounds are expected to continue at Goochland Middle School in January. tant step toward letting Black residents know the county leadership stands with them. Fleming said in a phone call Monday that he feels the reluctance to draft a resolution is due in part to political concerns. “It is almost as if the board is appeasing the conservative majority in the county by not yielding to the minority concerns,” Fleming said. As part of a plan to address concerns brought forth in July, a committee of various stakeholders has held two Community Conversation events focused on racism and discrimination so far this year, and another such meeting is tentatively scheduled for January if ongoing COVID19 restrictions allow for it. To District 2 supervisor Neil Spoonhower, who led the formation of the committee and attended both meetings, Hobbs’ statements at the Dec. 1 board meeting came as something of a surprise. Spoonhower has spoken publicly in recent months about

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Now virtual, child trauma identification training sees uptick

Goochland school leaders ‘making the rounds’ to help support teachers, students By Roslyn Ryan Editor

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NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Long marks 40 years of service Last month Beverly Long celebrated 40 years with the Goochland County Department of Social Services, and to say she has earned the respect of her colleagues would be quite an understatement. In September, when Long was recognized and presented with a bouquet of flowers during the Board of Supervisors meeting for her four decades of service, then Acting County Administrator Derek Stamey described her as the department’s rock, and “a beacon of toughness and tenacity.”

his reluctance to draft the resolution requested by the NAACP, saying he feels it would be “the easy thing to do.” “We could draft a resolution, throw it in a drawer and move on,” said Spoonhower last week, making clear that he was speaking only for himself and not the Board of Supervisors as a whole. “But that’s not what I want to do because that doesn’t solve anything.” Instead, Spoonhower said, he is hoping a continued open dialogue will help pinpoint problems that need to be addressed, paving the way for leaders to do so. “For me to get behind something, I want to understand it,” said Spoonhower. “To date, nobody has been able to point to anything specific [concerning racial injustice in Goochland]. I’m not saying it’s not there, I just want to understand.” Ultimately, said Spoonhower, “We want this to be about actions and not just words.”

While silver linings may be tough to come by when it comes to COVID-19, one such positive outcome has recently been seen in the area of childhood mental health support. According to Goochland Powhatan Community Services (GPCS) Director Stacy Gill, her organization has seen a significant increase in the number of people taking part in a training program to help recognize and address causes of what mental health profes-

sionals call adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. While in past years a typical in-person training might draw only a handful of attendees, Gill told county leaders during a recent presentation, virtual training sessions set up in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions have proven far more popular. In just a few months, Gill said, GPCS has been able to train 226 individuals to recognize and respond to instances of child abuse, neglect and other trauma. see ACEs > 4

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Requests for domestic violence help surge as restrictions lift By Roslyn Ryan Editor

While COVID-19 and its related shutdowns and restrictions have impacted almost everyone in some significant way, those who were already facing a domestic crisis before the pandemic have been hit particularly hard. Counted

among those most vulnerable are those trapped in abusive relationships. The Gazette recently reached out to Heather Salmon, Sexual and Domestic Violence Coordinator for GoochlandCares, for her perspective on how COVID-19 has affected the lives of those facing domestic violence and how the community can help.

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How do you perceive that COVID-19 has impacted the lives of those dealing with abusive relationships? “COVID-19 has impacted the lives of those dealing with abusive relationships tremendously, especially in a rural community with limited transportation and safe public places within walking distance. Isolation is a means of control that is seen in abusive relationships, with COVID-19 mandatory quarantine, the meaning of isolation has taken on a very dangerous reality for someone living in an abusive relationship.”

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What can the community do to help support efforts on behalf of survivors of Sexual/ Domestic Violence? Listen and provide support. Someone living in an abusive environment, may not be able or ready to leave. A survivor knows their situation best and what the appropriate next steps are. The community can be there to respect and support their choices. To men and women dealing with abuse, additional support and resources is available by calling GoochlandCares 24/7 Sexual and Domestic Violence hotline at (804) 980-6267. A survivor or someone helping a survivor can call the hotline for assistance.

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“The need for Domestic Violence services has increased during the pandemic. Unfortunately, for a survivor, accessing these services has become more challenging with restrictions that have been put into place including the stay at home order. The pandemic has given abusers another source of power to control survivors. As restrictions began to lift during the first quarter, GoochlandCares saw a 70 percent increase in the request for sexual and domestic violence services. With new restrictions being put into place and the added stress of the holidays, GoochlandCares is working closely with community partners to help survivors safely

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Goochland Pet Lovers was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. The funds will be used to support Goochland Pet Lover’s veterinary care, spay and neuter, and training programs. “Goochland Pet Lovers sincerely thanks the Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund for selecting us as one of the 20 organizations to receive funding,” said Sara Grattan, Goochland Pet Lovers Board Chair. “Receiving support from outside of the Richmond-

ACEs continued from >3 According to a report published last year by the Centers for Disease Control, ACEs can include experiencing abuse, witnessing violence or sub-

metro and Goochland communities is a great testament to the work we are doing to make Goochland a special place for animals and the people who love them.” Since its founding in 2016, Goochland Pet Lovers has successfully completed a $1.5 million capital campaign for the adoption wing of the newly opened Goochland County Animal Protection and Adoption Center, two community dog parks, and, together with the Goochland Rotary Club, an exercise trail at Hidden Rock Park. The organization has also founded the Dr. Lori L. Elliott Medical Fund and has partnered with Goochland

County Animal Protection to implement a dog training program to help ensure the adoptability of every animal. As a way to engage the community, the Rescue Dog Olympics was also started in 2018 as a way for pet owners to showcase their best friends. The Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund of Virginia was founded in 2008 by Ursula Landsrath and continued within the Community Foundation after her passing in 2019. The Fund continues to provide needed funds to grassroots animal rescue organizations. For more information about Goochland Pet Lovers, visit www.goochlandpetlovers.com.

stance misuse in the home, or having a parent in jail. Exposure to ACEs can result in extreme or repetitive toxic stress responses that can cause both immediate and long-term physical and emotional harms. The report went on to say

that at least five of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACEs, and prevention of these traumas could potentially reduce chronic diseases, risky health behaviors, and socioeconomic challenges later in life.

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December 17, 2020

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

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Leaving Christmas Cactus alone often best bet for blooms By Virginia McCown Contributing Writer

: How can I get my Christmas Cactus to bloom?

late summer. I never did anything to help my poor little plant. Turns out my indifference was the best thing! A Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus requires less water from October to March than it does earlier in the growing season. A rest period is important. Dormancy should begin around the middle of September and continue for eight weeks. I accomplished all this by shear misadventure. Around Halloween, I decided to check my neglected cactus and noticed it had what looked like buds! Indeed they were. By Thanksgiving Day, my cactus was blooming.

Fuhgeddaboudit! The secret of a good bloom is influenced by the amount of light and nighttime temperature. Both Thanksgiving or Christmas cacti will develop buds and blooms if offered bright light, short days and night temperatures of about 60 F. They do best if potbound. They do best if left alone! All flowering requirements can be met simply by ignoring : How do I tell the Schlumbergera truncata or Zygocactus truncatus plant. the difference In my case, I was busy and between Christmas placed my Thanksgiving cacand Thanksgiving tus plant behind a large indoor elephant ear. One of the “ears” Cactuses?: or leaves began blocking the Besides a different bloomcactus from the sun around ing time, the Thanksgiving

cactus (Schlumgera truncata) has pointed or jagged projections on the edges of its leaves or joints. The Christmas cactus (Schlumgera bridgesti) has smoother leaf projections or joints.

berries?

Hollies are dioecious. This means they produce both male and female flowers on different plants. The most common reason for lack of berries on our native species, American Holly, Ilex opaca, is that the : Is there an tree is a male. If it’s a female Easter Cactus? tree, a male tree isn’t available Yes! The Easter Cactus for pollination. Bees usually (Hatiora gaertneri) sometimes called the Whitsun Cactus, Protection your loved ones deserve ... blooms during the months of April and May. It is differentiated from the Christmas and Thanksgiving cactuses as its leaf projections have small bristles at the ends. There are no bristles on the Thanksgiving or the Christmas cactuses, and the Easter cactus flowers are more star shaped than the other two “holiday cactuses’.

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examples of “parthenocarpic” or sterile plants. Alas, saving berries from one of these trees won’t result in another like holly shrub if you chose to try and plant your own from these seeds. Virginia McCown is a master gardener living in Central Virginia along with her garden and assorted creatures both great and small.

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pollinate hollies. A large male holly tree can pollinate several female trees from a range of 200 feet. Hollies need to be pollinated by plants of the same species or variety, but there are several self-pollinating varieties. These are sterile plants available through a nursery. The Ilex x ‘Nellie Stevens’ and Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’ are two

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Beulah Baptist to host Christmas Eve service All are invited to join the congregation of Beulah Baptist Church in Kents Store (1633 Kents Store

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December 17, 2020

OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor

Best Christmas gift ever isn’t hard to guess this year By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Well, the big day is almost here — that’s right, if you are reading this on Thursday, Dec. 17, there are just eight more days until what promises to be the strangest Christmas most of us can recall. Certainly there will be those who can claim their own lives haven’t changed much this year, but they are few and far between (and also may, in fact, have spent the last eight months living on Mars). For the rest of us, this holiday will probably offer yet another reminder that we are living in strange times and

doing the best we can, even as we ache often for the way things were pre-corona. Let’s face it: Christmas and COVID/19 are a nightmarish combo, with the latter doing its best to drain every bit of joy from the former. Lest I think I have it tough, I know several people who just found out that they will not even be able to visit parents residing in nursing homes for the foreseeable future due to tightened restrictions, a cruel blow made even harder to bear this time of year when the focus is so often on being with family. I know I have it far better than many others. Still, however, keeping

the “joyeux” in my Noel has not exactly been easy. Like so many others, I’ve gotten used to wearing a mask and maintaining my distance. Shopping is now done almost exclusively online, large gatherings are avoided and hand washing is de rigueur. My husband and I even opted out of the family Thanksgiving celebration (which had already been pared way down), opting instead for a brief trip to the beach where we stayed mostly to ourselves. Please don’t send me any medals: I do these things, and yet often I do them grudgingly. I champion all efforts large and small to combat

COVID, and yet I also really just want to take this mask off and hug my friends again. Is it possible to feel both ways? I suppose it is. “Very well, I contradict myself,” said the poet Walt Whitman. “I am large, I contain multitudes.” Like most everyone else, I’ll be doing my part and watching the numbers as Christmas draws closer, hoping for an end to both the minor inconveniences and the major heartbreak that this year has seen. The countdown to Christmas may be on, but getting back to life as we knew it would certainly be the best gift of all.

Photos by Beth Ferguson

Many hands made for a tremendously successful 2020 Christmas Mother effort, despite the many challenges COVID-19 added to the mix this year. Above, Goochland Rotary Club members prepare to load up the deliveries for the Christmas Mother. Right: Goochland Christmas Mother Joy Kline receives a check presented by County Administrator Kenneth Young, representing money the county collected through fundraising. Editorial & Business Office and Mailing Address: 8460 Times-Dispatch Blvd. Mechanicsville, VA 23116 Phone – (804) 746-1235 Toll free – (877) 888-0449 Fax – (804) 344-8746 Online: www.goochlandgazette.com

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WE WANT TO O PUBLISH YOUR ISSUE-DRIVEN LETTERS The Gazette welcomes your signed letters to the editor on topics of interest to Goochland residents. Letters must include your address and a daytime telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters. We do not guarantee that every letter received will be published. Letters reflect the opinions and positions of the writers and not The Goochland Gazette. Send letters to: The Goochland Gazette 8460 Times-Dispatch Blvd. Mechanicsville, Va. 23116 Fax: (804) 344-8746 E-mail: rryan@goochlandgazette.com © 2020 by Richmond Suburban Newspapers. All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the permission of the publisher. CAC Audited Circulation: 8,014.

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Has COVID turned more people into night owls? Maybe so By Jim Ridolphi Contributing Columnist

I read with interest an article describing some of the aspects of our lives that have been forever changed by almost a year’s worth of pandemic mentality. I’m not sure where the author obtained his information, but he pointed to an increase in the number of drivers operating their vehicles in a reckless manner, specifically noting the increase of cars that run red lights. I checked out his theory later that day and, lo and behold, the guy was right. While it wasn’t unusual in the past to witness a stray car speeding through a yellow light, my experience at every light revealed a number of vehicles not only violating the yellow signal, but plowing right through the red. Returning to the article, which now had more credence gained from my own personal experience, he noted that a significant amount of Americans now find it difficult to maintain normal schedules, a phenomenon that has resulted in a notable increase in what I’ll call the night owl syndrome. It seems more and more Americans are staying up later and later. Even companies like Netflix have created categories for a group that has learned to appreciate sunset more than sunrise. I didn’t need to test that assertion contained in his article. For more years than not, I’ve preferred the stillness and peace of of 3 a.m. to much busier times of day prescribed by society as working hours. Working from home has see Night Owls > page 13

Thursday

December 17, 2020

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HAPPY SMALLIDAYS. Keep celebrations small to ﬁght COVID.

For many of us, being with friends and family is a holiday tradition. But this year, instead of having large gatherings, it’s smart to keep things small. To help prevent spreading COVID-19, limit the number of people in your home. And instead of personal visits, opt for video chats or long phone calls. Keeping it small can make a very big diﬀerence.

Thursday

December 17, 2020

SPORTS: Youth, High School, College, Recreational, Professional

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Remembering Benedictine’s John Fogarty By Zach Joachim Richmond Times-Dispatch

A larger-than-life persona befitting of a 6-foot-6 native New Yorker with Irish ancestry, Catholic faith and a booming voice made John Fogarty stand out, according to his former colleagues. But what defined him was the loyalty and humility with which he mentored young men over nearly 14 years at Benedictine College Preparatory School. Mr. Fogarty, who served the BCP community as an administrator, teacher and coach, died two weeks prior at home surrounded by his family. “John truly cared about each and every Cadet and really enjoyed helping mold the boys into the men that they would become,” said Cadets varsity baseball coach Sean Ryan. “Watching them grow, challenging them when they needed to be challenged, putting his arm around them and giving them a hug when they needed to be hugged — it takes someone special to be able to identify the needs of each individual student and know exactly the way to encourage them to do their best.” Never was the strength of Mr. Fogarty’s relationship with the students at BCP more evident than in the waning days of his life. A group of Cadets seniors drove by his house last week, honking their horns and stopping in his yard to sing the school’s fight song. Last Monday, the first day of classes since news of Mr. Fogarty’s death became known, the school held a rosary in his memory after lessons. About half the Benedictine boys showed up for 30 minutes of prayer in honor of their late

Photos courtesy of Eric Berger

Former Benedictine administrator, coach and teacher John Fogarty stands with the Cadets golf team’s student athletes.

In the photo at right, John Fogarty encourages Benedictine’s football team. Fogarty, who passed away two weeks prior, leaves behind a legacy of loyalty and humility with which he mentored young men over nearly 14 years at Benedictine.

instructor, said soccer coach and assistant AD Daniel Gill, who over the past two years worked closely with Mr. Fogarty. “Which I think was indicative of how much he meant to the kids,” Gill said of the turnout at the rosary. Benedictine football coach Greg Lilly used to affectionately refer to Mr. Fogarty as a “friend-

ly ogre,” a description indicative of his imposing frame and undeniable gravitas, yet also a nod to his caring and selfless demeanor. “He lived a blessed life, and part of his life was his faith and his family, but it was also our Cadets,” Lilly said. “He loved our Cadets, and that has really shown over these last two months, how much

our Cadets loved him and how much of a part of his life they were. ... Our kids loved him, and I think it was because he was so unselfish, humble and believed in them so much.” In a letter to the Benedictine family Saturday, school president Jesse Grapes described Mr. Fogarty as “magnanimous, gentle and humble.” “John was larger than life.

He had a huge frame, massive hands, and an even larger heart. It could be tough to see through his gruff demeanor, but he cared deeply for and loved the things that are most important. He loved his wife, his children, his Cadets, his coworkers, but most importantly, his Catholic faith in Almighty God. He gave all that he had every day. He gave everything he had to

Benedictine,” Grapes wrote. “John truly will remain a mythological figure, real yet undefinable. He was beloved and revered by his students and athletes well after they have left Old BC. ... We will never forget the force that was John Fogarty.” Mr. Fogarty arrived at Benedictine in January 2007, and since served as the school’s director of athletics, math department chair, teacher of multiple subjects, golf coach, assistant football coach, interim junior varsity baseball coach, dean of boys, informal grounds keeper and whatever else the Cadets community needed him to be. “John did everything,” Ryan said, noting Mr. Fogarty’s propensity to go out of his way to paint a fence, fix a foul line or stay on campus late to get extra, miscellaneous work done. “Just a very selfless individual who cared most about his faith and the students. And if that required going above and beyond his job description, he did it every day.” Mr. Fogarty is survived by his wife Lisa, son Conor, daughter Lauren and three sisters. Mr. Fogarty had a favorite quote he would read at the beginning of many of his speeches, a line from Saint Irenaeus — “the glory of God is man fully alive.” It’s that line that Gill often found himself pondering while working closely with Mr. Fogarty over the past two years, a man that Gill said exuded a truly rare care for living a good life and doing the right things. “Because to me, of anyone I’ve ever met, he was the most alive,” Gill said. “Just living in the moment, not complaining about what he was doing, just ready to get after it and help people.”

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Wampler embracing role as head wrestling coach By Nick Vandeloecht Sports Editor

If Jeremy Wampler could bring one thing to Goochland wrestling more than anything else, it’s who he is as a wrestler. He looks back on that match in college where he took on “a really quality wrestler” from Edinboro University in his home state of Pennsylvania. Wampler battled him into overtime, and he almost got taken down in the end by his opponent. But he hit a key move – he described it as being almost like a modified standing Peterson – to get out of a problematic situation. Ultimately, he didn’t win the match, but the referee looked at him and said, “Wampler, I’ll give you this. You’re a fighter.” That’s the kind of fight and attitude that Wampler – Goochland’s new head wrestling coach – wants to see from his Bulldogs. While Wampler wrestled in high school up in Pennsylvania, he actually went to college to play football as an offensive lineman. But when he broke his leg while playing, he went back to wrestling. When all was said and done, Wampler enjoyed threeand-a-half seasons as a wrestler at Millersville University near Lancaster, PA. He was a backup heavyweight for two years before he dropped weight along the way and started at 197 pounds his final year. That was a good year for him; he went 19-17 and came up just shy of winning the match that would’ve sent him to nationals. Wampler and his teammates were able to wrestle against Division I talent including Iowa State, and he

File/Goochland Gazette

Goochland coach Jeremy Wampler instructs a wrestler during a 2019 scrimmage at Goochland High School. Wampler has taken over as head coach of the Goochland wrestling team.

was very glad to have had that experience. “Wrestling has paid off in all kinds of ways,” he said. “It’s worked out just fine.” Following his wrestling career, Wampler was able to coach up in Pennsylvania. He was an assistant high school coach at Ephrata High School before teaching and coaching at Halifax. He was a head middle school coach for two years, volunteered with Cumberland Valley Middle School and served as the high school assistant at Palmyra. From there, he headed down to Virginia and coached wrestling at Warhill High School in Williamsburg for three years. Overall, he’s going on four years as a coach in Goochland, which, he said, reminds him so much more of what he grew up with. “The core of Goochland – that’s why I want to be here for a while,” he said. After he started out working with the Bulldogs as an

assistant coach, Wampler took the helm when Mike Nadder stepped back from the head coaching role at the end of this past season. “He and I both, we’ve always been very open, and I respect him greatly, not just as a coach, as a person, but also in that he’s allowed me to be me,” Wampler said of Nadder. “With Mike I appreciate his sense of humor very much and his hard-working attitude with what he wanted this program to be. “I hope to be able to bring that level of intensity as well.”

Coaching philosophy Wampler is a big believer in basics winning matches, and, in drawing on his experiences from the teams he had been on in the past while growing up as a wrestler, he values the goal of the team getting to do fun things together, “but you have to earn those fun things.” “I’ve been a part of a team where we’ve met on a Friday

night, coaches included, and we’ve gone somewhere and gotten wings,” Wampler said. “I want to have that fun, but I also want to instill in them that wrestling is basically a metaphor for life. “It’s a practice for what life is,” he said. “It’s you out on that mat all by yourself, but we’re here as a team together.”

Starting out amidst the pandemic Modified rules addressing ongoing circumstances include keeping wrestlers in pods of four during practices, with the wrestlers only able to touch and work with those people in that pod two weeks at a time. Wrestlers are also supposed to only work with one partner each day. The schedule could still see more shakeups prior to and during the season. But the silver lining that Wampler has observed with this year’s modified slate (as it stands) is that the Bulldogs now have

the chance to slowly step into the Jefferson District, which Goochland will officially join next fall. The Bulldogs’ current opponents this winter include Louisa, Orange, Albemarle, Western and Monticello. Prior to official practices, which were slated to start Monday, there’s been no physical contact between the wrestlers whatsoever. But they’ve still been able to work out together. They’d meet twice a week, and on average, Wampler has had three to six wrestlers from the team – and not always the same people – show up once to twice a week to go for a run, do some sprints or go through wrestling drills like footwork without touching each other. “I’ve been very grateful to the administration here with Goochland for helping us have some preseason opportunities,” Wampler said. And with the chance to work out again comes “a little bit of that normalcy.” “I think that was the most important part of this,” he said. “Helping them just have an outlet . . . and also just having a chance to help them talk and just kind of be with each other, make stupid jokes, be there with me and just talk through life . . . it’s something very special to wrestling.” And as virtual teaching continues, Wampler also enjoys the chance to get out there as a coach and work out with the team, too. He’s looking forward to letting his wrestlers know that he’s there for them, and to working hard together with them throughout the day. “There’s some growth to be done, and it’s going to take a couple years I believe, but we’re going to start, and I’m really looking forward to being

here for a while,” Wampler said. “I’m a teacher here and I’m glad this has worked out the way it’s worked out and I’d like to be here for a long time.”

Sizing up the 2020-21 Bulldogs Wampler’s coaching staff will include head Mills Godwin wrestling coach Bob Harris, as well as returning assistant coach Charles Haines. Wampler called last year’s season “a beautiful stepping stone” for the young Bulldogs program, as Connor Duncan, who also played football and was a senior at the time, competed in the state tournament along with teammate Reese Vincent, who was then a freshman. In this year’s group, returning wrestler and senior Ayden Doczi, who also plays football and baseball, bumped up to 270 pounds and will compete in the heavyweight class for Goochland. “We’re hoping that this year can really be a breakout year for him,” Wampler said of Doczi. “He’s going to be a big heavyweight who knows some wrestling, and [with me having wrestled heavyweight], I’m looking forward to working with him on a couple things that if he can put what he knows together with what I know as being a pure heavyweight . . . he could really make some noise this year.” Wampler described Max Moreno as one of the most naturally talented wrestlers on the team, but with this year being his senior year, Moreno’s head coach is looking for him to center on consistency and focus. “If he can put the puzzle

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Benedictine’s new gymnasium offers reprieve from pandemic By Zach Joachim Richmond Times-Dispatch

Benedictine’s new multimillion-dollar gymnasium, McMurtrie-Reynolds Pavilion, opened its doors Tuesday when Saint Gertrude took on Central Virginia Homeschool in the facility’s first official basketball game. Jesse Grapes, the president of Benedictine Schools of Richmond, which encompasses Saint Gertrude and Benedictine, said although the gym’s opening isn’t how he imagined, it was a welcome celebratory occasion near the end of a turbulent year. The Gators won 90-30, led by Nan Kerner’s 21 points. Erin Woodson had 16, and 6-foot5 Kate Samson, who will attend and play for the Naval Academy. added 14. Kaylie Good paced the Patriots with 13.

Wampler continued from >9 together,” Wampler said, “he has plenty of big-time potential. Also representing Goochland’s senior class in 2020-21 will be Corey Vincent, whom Wampler said has been a workhorse for the Bulldogs over the last couple of years. Corey, who right now is around the 152-pound weight class, would oftentimes bump up to wrestle at least one class above where he should be, Wampler said, yet he was always in good positon to keep the match close; if his opponent made a mistake, he would capitalize. “I give him all the credit in the world: anytime that Coach Nadder and myself would ask

Saint Gertrude scored 56 points in the first half and coasted the rest of the way. About 15 masked and socially distanced attendees, almost all of them parents, lined the side of the stands opposite the team benches. Players and coaches wore masks on the sidelines; officials wore them during play. Grapes and all in attendance were excited for more than the new gymnasium and final score. Everyone was grateful to have athletic competition in a year when the coronavirus pandemic has canceled or postponed seasons for so many young athletes. “It makes me very proud of our kids and our teachers, because they’ve done a great job with all the safety protocols that we’ve put in place to respond to the COVID crisis,” Grapes said. “And them being here is

proof that it works, and they ought to be continuing to play this whole season and looking forward to the rest of the schools coming online for sports as well. It’s really important for the kids, it’s important for their physical health, but just as important, it’s critical to their mental health.”

anything of him, he did it,” Wampler said. He also praised Corey’s dedication, work ethic and leadership. “He’s the type of wrestler who – he knows the basics, he has learned the basics, he has put things together and he’s always in good position and he surprises people.” Sophomore lightweight wrestler John Summitt, he added, has “the right attitude when it comes to wrestling.” “He knows some solid stuff with wrestling and he knows how to really turn it on when the time comes,” Wampler said, noting that Summitt not only can go out there and wrestle effectively, but he also “knows how to get mean in all the right ways.” “John was really putting some things together at the end of last year, and he almost pulled out a win at the last

second ... at the regional; he hit a move that no one off of Goochland has ever hit before, and you have to be mean to hit this move,” Wampler said. “He did it, he caught the guy, and you give him another 20 seconds, and he’s going to pin this kid, and it just didn’t happen. He ran out of time. I gave him a big hug at the end of the match ... very proud of him. “If he can keep doing that, that’s going to be good; he’s got a future.” Junior Blake Smith, who for the last couple years has wrestled in the 120- and 126-pound weight classes, is bumping up to 138. Wampler said Smith “has got the right attitude, too.” “If he can take the next step – he’s got one or two solid moves that he can hit hard ... and if he can put a couple

Kerner, a senior, said she cherishes the opportunity to have one final season with her teammates, particularly while so many athletes her age have lost that chance to the pandemic. “As a senior, it means so much, being able to play when everyone else’s seasons are on

the line,” Kerner said. “Being able to come out and play with my teammates, this is my fourth year with everyone, it means so much. Especially in a new gym, getting a chance to play in this college-sized arena, it’s beautiful.” Grapes said what stands out to him about the new facility, which he’s watched progress from design to construction to use, is the look on firsttime attendees’ faces when they walk through the front doors. “They can’t believe that this is a high school gymnasium. They’re just awestruck by the design of the space, the playing environment it creates, the spectating environment it creates,” Grapes said. Full capacity is just under 2,500 people, and Grapes can’t wait to see it full of Cadets and fans — because when it is, it will produce a cacophony. One standout feature of the design

is the grade of the bleachers, a very steep slope from an upper mezzanine to the playing floor below. Upon entering the pavilion, guests walk under a pair of arches before the facility opens up onto the mezzanine surrounding the playing floor, which is sunk below ground level. An observation box with a glass wall is atop the entrance end, and there’s an auxiliary gym in the back and even a bell tower at the front. Kerner and Samson said they cherished the opportunity to compete in a facility they say feels like a college athletic complex. “It means so much,” Kerner said. The boys varsity basketball game between Benedictine and Atlantic Shores, originally scheduled for Friday, Dec. 11, has been postponed to Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. at Benedictine.

more moves into his arsenal ... I think he can make some noise.” Also around 152, Wampler praised Riley Hite as a natural athlete and said he’s got the right instincts. He’s also interested to see how Alex Rosenbaum, who is also a football player, will fare this season. Ever since wrestling last year, Wampler said Rosenbaum “kind of got bit by the bug” and has been working hard to become a better athlete. “He’s got some potential at 220,” Wampler said. In viewing two more wrestlers in the 145-160 weight range, Wampler said returning state qualifier Reese Vincent and Grant Heidel over the last couple of years have really bought into the idea that they need to work on their foundation of wrestling – work on the simple things, and work hard

to get those simple things right. “If you can be in shape, and if you know the simple things and you have power to back it up, all it takes is one moment and you can end the match,” Wampler said. “Grant has worked with that killer instinct attitude. Reese – at the end of last season at the regional, I saw it. He figured something out.” Wampler said Reese was winning his match by a couple of points, but his opponent was “just kind of playing defense.” Reese grabbed him, tripped him, threw him, pinned him and was done. “Reese realized that, ‘Oh, I’m stronger than this kid, I can grab him, I can pin him,” Wampler said, speaking to the need for the overall team attitude of: “If I’m stronger than you, sometimes I can just grab you and pin you.”

That attitude – “the toughness, the meanness that we know needs to be there with wrestling from time to time” – is what Goochland wrestling, with Wampler at the helm, hopes to reinforce in the wrestlers who have that attitude, and instill in those still in need of it. That attitude is also what he’s seen his wrestlers improve on the most. “It’s starting, and it has been building,” Wampler said. “If at the end of the year I can look at myself and say, ‘This team has developed more of a killer instinct, has developed more of a natural understanding of having fun while being a wrestler and doing the work that it takes to be a wrestler’ – if I can feel like that has happened and has grown, this season’s going to be a success, and over time, the results will start to show on the scoreboard as well.”

Daniel Sangjib Min/Richmond Times-Dispatch

Players from Saint Gertrude and Spirit Homeschool play during the inaugural game at Benedictine’s new gymnasium, McMurtrie-Reynold’s Pavilion, on Dec. 8.

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