The Goochland Gazette – 05/26/2022 by Goochland Gazette

INSIDE IN N plan could mean New bright future for area cyclists and walkers > page 5

Volume 66 Number 21 • May 26, 2022

Goochland extends tax deadlines By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Photo by Roslyn Ryan

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, right, recorded the recollections of Second Union Rosenwald School alumna Gail Smith during a May 17 event held at the school, which has now been turned into a museum. Pictured in the photo is Julius Rosenwald, co-founder of the program that helped build over 5,000 similar schools for black students across the South during the time of school segregation.

Honoring a legacy of learning Alumni of Rosenwald school share how the education they received there shaped their lives

mother waved down the school bus that was headed to Second Union School and asked the driver to take him there instead. In short order, Miller or Raymond Miller, it all started with found himself standing in front of Ms. Fannie a bus ride. Beale, the teacher who would change his life. Noting that he seemed to spend On May 17, before an audience that included more time at recess than in the classsee Second Union > page 3 room at the school he was attending, Miller’s

By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Noting that many residents’ real estate and personal property tax bills were higher than expected this year, Goochland County leaders have stepped in to help. On Thursday, May 19, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors moved to extend the time to pay real estate and personal property taxes without penalty or interest by nearly two months. This means that tax bills that were issued with a June 6, 2022, date for payment can now be paid as late as Aug. 1, 2022, without any penalty or interest. The extension of time to pay without penalty or interest applies to real estate, personal property and ad valorem taxes. The board’s action is in response to the substantial rise in value for real estate and personal property due to inflation. Since both real estate and personal property taxes are assessed based on the value of assets, the increased values have caused residents’ tax bills to be higher than anticipated. Interim county administrator Manuel Alvarez Jr. also announced at the board meeting that commissioner of the revenue Jennifer Brown has agreed to waive the March 1 deadline for high mileage applications. Residents who believe their see Taxes > page 2

Thursday

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

May 26, 2022

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Cottage’s history predates Revolution Queen Anne’s Cottage at Rock Castle was completed by 1732, at which time Tarleton Fleming and his wife moved in. By 1750 the estate belonged to his son, also Tarleton, who married his first cousin, Mary Randolph of Tuckahoe. While the young Tarleton was away serving in the Continental Army, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton led British forces to raid the countryside. Upon seeing the Tarleton coat of arms over the mantle, he angrily cut it down and carried it away.

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Taxes continued from >1

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vehicles have higher-thanaverage mileage may still file an application requesting a value reduction for those vehicles and, if granted, the reduction of their vehicles’ value will cause the tax due to be lowered as well. The actions taken and announced May 19 are in addition to other recent actions the board of supervisors has already taken to reduce the amount residents have to pay for personal property tax this year. In its budget, adopted last month, the board authorized a 20-cent reduction to its personal property tax rate, lowering it to $3.75 per hundred dollars of assessed value. In addition, the board

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retained the 30% level for the state’s PPTRA tax relief credit even though the state funding doesn’t fully fund that level of tax relief. Finally, in many other localities in the region, residents are still charged a vehicle license fee of as much as $40 per vehicle, but the board of supervisors eliminated that fee for Goochland residents several years ago. In order to comply with state law requirements, the board set a public hearing for its July 5 meeting, to confirm its action waiving the interest and penalty on tax payments received through Aug. 1, 2022. Board chair Neil Spoonhower said that county staff is still exploring the possibility of other tax relief options to present to the board of supervisors for consideration.

The Goochland County Treasurer’s Office offers multiple payment options for residents, including paying in-person, online, over the phone, by mail or via the drop box located outside of the Administration Building. For more information on these payment options, visit https:// www.goochlandva.us/290/ Treasurers-Office. Real Estate and Personal Property taxes may also be viewed online via Goochland County’s e-Treasurer Services at https://www.goochlandva. us/688/View-and-Pay-Taxes. The Treasurer’s Office is available to assist citizens by phone (804) 556-5806, fax (804) 5562105, and email at treasurer@goochlandva.us Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cadets relay team wins state title PAGE 7 Calendar ................................ 4 Classifieds ......................12-14 Letters.................................... 6 Opinion .................................. 6 Sports .................................7-8 TV Listings ........................9-11

CONTACT US Toll Free - (877) 888-0449 Office - (804) 746-1235 Joy Monopoli Publisher (804) 775-4614 Fax: (804) 819-5529 Laura McFarland Managing Editor (804) 363-1577 Roslyn Ryan Editor (804) 339-7956 Robby Fletcher Sports Editor (804) 380-0497 Cindy Adams Classifieds (804) 775-4616 Fax: (804) 344-8746 Denine D’Angelo Production Manager (804) 775-4624

Thursday

May 26, 2022

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

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Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, Miller and several other Second Union alumni shared their memories of Ms. Beale and the thriving two-room school, now a lovingly restored museum celebrating the legacy of the county’s Rosenwald schools (see sidebar, right). Sears served as the keynote speaker for the event, which was held in partnership with the Richmond Jewish Coalition, an organization that has been a strong supporter of the Second Union Rosenwald School Museum. Listening to the former students relate their experiences at the school, it soon became clear that Second Union’s focus on self-respect and rigorous academics helped underpin what would become a defining experience for many of them. Gail Smith, who attended Second Union from 1953 to 1959, described her time there as the best years of her life. With Beale at the helm, “everybody wanted to come to school,” Smith said. They may not have had certain amenities most students today couldn’t imagine going without— such as indoor plumbing or separate classrooms—but the education they received at Second Union prepared her and her classmates for success outside the classroom, Smith remembered, and taught them the value of hard work and discipline. Smith grew solemn last Tuesday as she noted that the respect she and her fellow students had for their teachers, and the value they placed on education, seems at times to be a thing of the past. It was a theme echoed by Sears, who lamented to those in attendance that students in the United States have fallen woefully behind their counterparts in other

People often ask “What advantages does a white cat, like Foxtrot here, have over other cats?” Well, first off you can tell your friends he’s a rare “Snow Cat.” You could claim he’s part beluga whale. You can even say he drank too much milk as a kitten as a warning to dairy addicts. But the best reason to adopt Foxtrot is his amazing “purrsonality.” This 8-month-old boy will steal your heart. He might be the friendliest of the friendly cats. Plus, just look at those eyes! So if you have a lap vacancy and are looking for the ideal indoor kitty, who can also do a killer marshmallow impersonation, stop on in and meet this handsome boy! Foxy is neutered, chipped and vetted. The Goochland Animal Shelter is located at 1900 Hidden Rock Lane in Goochland. 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.”

nations when it comes to reading and math. “We’ve come a long way,” said Sears, “but we’ve taken 10 steps back.” Sears said she hoped that the steadfast devotion to education and spirit of community that sustained the nation’s Rosenwald schools might serve as a model for how to repair the nation’s education system. Both Miller and Smith went on to have successful careers, and, like so many of their former classmates, both say they don’t think they would have gone nearly as far if it had not been for the education they received at Second Union. Calvin Hopkins, who now serves as the president of the SURSM Board of Directors, went into the Air Force as a young man and says he has no doubt that Ms. Beale’s continued emphasis on reading comprehension allowed him to excel on the entrance exam. These days, Hopkins and his fellow board members continue their tireless efforts to preserve the legacy of the Rosenwald schools as a whole, but also their own cherished link to it. During her visit, Sears toured the museum, learning about the cooperation, respect and discipline that helped make each day successful. She saw the chalkboards on the walls—some low and some high depending on whether they were for younger students or older ones—and the woodstove that was used to heat the building in the winter. Addressing those in attendance after the tour, she praised both the SURSM leadership and the Richmond Jewish Coalition for their efforts. “This is such a beautiful example of what can come out of this partnership,” Sears said. “It is just such an honor to be here.”

Rosenwald schools What started as a partnership between famed educator Booker T. Washington and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald would eventually help educate an entire generation of black students who might have otherwise been denied an education in the segregated south. Between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, the Rosenwald rural school building program proved to be a critical initiative, providing matching funds to communities willing to donate their own funds and labor to create small, multi-grade school houses. More than 5,000 Rosenwald schools, including 10 in Goochland, were built during that time. However, today, it is estimated only 10% to 12% of these buildings remain standing nationwide. In introducing Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears on May 17, Dr. Ken Lipstock, a co-founder of the Richmond Jewish Coalition, pointed to what he saw as a crucial link between the two founders of the project. “I am certain that Mr. Washington, a former slave living in the bitterly racist south, and Mr. Rosenwald, a Jew living in an age when antisemitism ran rampant, didn’t look at themselves as victims but as victors in their own lives,” said Lipstock. “And they believed that everyone, in this particular case African-Americans, has the ability to follow their dreams, whatever they are, if given the opportunity for a solid education.”

Thursday

May 26, 2022

NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County

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Saturday, June 4

Saturday, June 11

Are you a teen looking for volunteer service hours? Join us for a training session and learn about opportunities to help with Summer Reading and beyond. Volunteen Training will be held at the Goochland Branch Library from 11 a.m. – noon for teens ages 13-17. Call (804) 556-4774 or visit the library at 3075 River Road West for more information.

Jerusalem Baptist Church will hold its annual Car and Bike Show Fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 11 at the church, located at 994 Three Chopt Road, Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103. Registration cost is $15 from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. In addition, there will be trophies, door prizes, a dessert contest, various types of entertainment, food, singing and fun for all. Interested vendors may contact Melissa Jones at (804) 852-8090 to reserve a table prior to the event. The rain date is June 18. All proceeds will benefit the JBC Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact A.B. Taylor at (804) 514-8649, Howard Leabough at (804) 337-5511 or Melissa Jones at (804) 852-8090

Monday, June 6 A Summer Reading Kickoff Party will be held at the Goochland Branch Library from 6 - 7 p.m. for all ages. Join the library for a fun night of games, crafts and Kona Ice and sign up for the summer reading program while you’re there. Call (804) 556-4774 or visit the library at 3075 River Road West for more information.

Friday, June 10 Friday Book Group will be held at the Goochland Branch Library from 11 a.m. – noon. Call (804) 556-4774 for more information.

Master Gardener Association. Registration required at https:// pamunkeylibrary.libcal.com/ event/8882472. This program is hosted virtually through Zoom. The Zoom meeting link will be sent to the email registered before the event occurs. Contact the Goochland Branch if you do not receive this email. Call (804) 556-4774 or visit the library at 3075 River Road West for more information on this program.

Worked For,” a workshop at the Cochrane Rockville Branch Library for those age 18 and up. This program will be held from 6 – 7 p.m. Call (804) 749-3146 for more information.

Wednesday, June 15

Action Figure Art Class will be held at the Goochland Branch Library from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. for ages 12-18. Meet local artist Curtis Brown and learn techniques to draw your own A Paracord Bracelets and superhero action figure. All supKeychains workshop will be plies will be provided. Call (804) held at the Cochrane Rockville 556-4774 for more information. Branch Library from 1 – 2 p.m. for ages 12 and up. Visit the Thursday, June 16 Rockville Branch Library to Read to Rover will be held learn all about knots and make at the Cochrane Rockville your very own paracord bracelet Branch Library from 4:30 - 5:30 or keychain! Supplies will be p.m. or children in grades K-2. provided. Call (804) 749-3146 Read 2 Rover provides comfort A virtual regenerative garfor more information. and motivation for beginning dening workshop will be held at readers as they read aloud to the Goochland Library from 10Tuesday, June 14 Colby or Pepper, the library’s 11 a.m. for ages 18 and up. This workshop will focus on valuing Learn how to protect your therapy dogs. Space is limour soil, treating it with respect, income during retirement, ited. Registration required at and investing in its future, as create a foundation to protect https://pamunkeylibrary.libcal. well as rebuilding soil in part- against unexpected events, com/event/9160799. Call the nership with Mother Nature. and address rising health care Rockville Branch at (804) 749The program will be presented and long-term medical care 3146 or visit the library for more by Pat Lust, Master Gardener costs at “Protect What You’ve information to register for this rewarding program. with the Goochland Powhatan

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Thursday

May 26, 2022

New plan could offer a brighter future for local cyclists, walkers Contributed report

A recently approved plan is calling for an additional 770 miles of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to promote safety, accessibility and equity across the region. On May 5 the Policy Board for the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RRTPO) adopted BikePedRVA 2045, a visionary framework tied to immediate recommendations for activating bicycling and pedestrian transportation throughout the region. Since the last iteration of the bike and pedestrian plan in 2004, the popularity and necessity of active transportation — a term used to describe travel by human energy, such as walking, bicycling or by a mobile assist device—has greatly increased, and new micro-mobility options allow for longer trips using e-bikes, e-scooters and other technology. The adopted plan emphasizes mobility for people of all ages and abilities through a continuous and recognizable pedestrian and bicycle network across Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties, the town of Ashland and the city of Richmond. BikePedRVA 2045 focuses on building a cross-regional transportation network of shared use paths, interconnected and supported by local level projects for bike lanes, sidewalks, neighborhood connectors, bikeable streets, and complete street elements that together will create more accessible systems for people walking, rolling, scooting, cycling or taking transit. The greater Richmond region currently has an esti-

mated 136 miles dedicated to safer cycling infrastructure, such as shared use paths, cycle tracks and bike lanes. Projects identified in BikePedRVA 2045 like the creation of the Fall Line Trail and the extension of the Virginia Capital Trail set a target for another 121 miles of shared used paths and over 650 miles of bicycle and pedestrian routes in the region over the next 20 years. According to the plan, “The Goochland County 2035 comprehensive plan includes guidance for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure through the Major Thoroughfare Plan (MTP). The MTP identifies the transportation assets and needs for motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit. While Goochland is rural, its east end continues to develop, and the county is focused on improving the pedestrian network with sidewalk and trails. Improving public safety for individuals walking and biking is a central call-to-action for the regional plan. According to Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) data, cyclist and pedestrian fatalities have increased by nearly 45% from 2015 to 2020. The plan’s authors point to how historically disinvested communities are the most vulnerable to pedestrian injury and fatalities connected to vehicular crashes. “The BikePedRVA plan is a significant step forward for the region,” said PlanRVA Director of Transportation Chet Parsons. “We know that physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health and quality of life. When we create more equitable opportunities for walking and biking infrastructure, it’s an important investment in public health. I know this work will positively impact

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future generations.” A steering committee of the region’s localities, transportation agencies and advocates began meeting to guide the plan in 2019. Organizers fielded virtual surveys and met with a wide cross-section of community members throughout the final review period for public input in building a working web site of resources to implement BikePedRVA 2045. BikePedRVA 2045 serves as a companion plan to ConnectRVA 2045, a longrange transportation plan that guides the region’s transportation investments for all modes of travel including transit, highways, bicycles and pedestrians. The active transportation best practices in the BikePedRVA 2045 framework will help guide bike and pedestrian infrastructure priorities in the overall ConnectRVA 2045 plan. Created in 1974, the RRTPO helps facilitate collaboration and cooperation among residents and stakeholders related to funding and planning the future of the region’s transportation network. PlanRVA—a regional organization focused on community development, emergency management, the environment and transportation—provides staffing to assist the RRTPO in its administration, project evaluation and prioritization, and other identified needs. To access the plan and implementation resources, visit http://BikePedRVA.org. Created in 1974, the RRTPO helps facilitate collaboration and cooperation among residents and stakeholders related to funding and planning the future of the region’s transportation network. Visit https:// planrva.org/transportation/ for more information.

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Thursday

OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor

May 26, 2022

Postal pick-up: A reminder to look for the good By Roslyn Ryan Editor

Sometimes it takes an act of God to remind you that there is goodness all around us. And sometimes all it takes is a mailbox. Please allow me to explain. A few weeks ago, after a particularly long day during which an uncanny number of things had gone terribly wrong, I trudged up the front walk of my house intent on a quick dinner and an evening spent under the anesthetizing spell of whatever Netflix suggested. While I can no longer remember the specifics of the day, as I pushed open the door I remember feeling as though the world was suffering from a sudden and unexplained dearth of civility and kindness. I’m not sure that I had been home even a half hour when I thought I heard what sounded like a loud bang and the angry scrape

of metal on metal, almost as if someone had slammed an old iron gate. Fortunately, since I don’t have an old iron gate, I quickly came to the conclusion that whatever that noise was did not concern me. Unlike just about everything else that day, I grumbled pitifully to myself, this was someone else’s problem. Cut to less than three minutes later and I hear a knock on my front door. It was my neighbors, and they were carrying my mailbox—now mangled but still attached to a piece of wooden post. They had heard the bang too, and had looked up from their yard work just in time to see a dark sedan obliterate my mailbox and continue down the street like a bat out of you-know-where. While they didn’t have any more details, they seemed somewhat incensed on my behalf. It just wasn’t right, they said, and they had wanted to do what they could

to help find the person responsible. I did what I figured I was supposed to do and called the local sheriff’s office, though I had serious doubts that they would take this case very seriously. They have so many important things to deal with, I figured, they would probably all but laugh me off the phone. Instead, the dispatcher who answered was kind, attentive and polite and said she would send an officer right out. Within 10 minutes, he arrived. As it turned out my husband and I knew the officer, who admitted that these cases could sometimes be tough to solve. Still—and even though it was the very end of his own long day—he told us he was going to drive down the street and see if he saw any hints as to who might have been the culprit. In just a few minutes he was back, and just a few minutes after that a serious-looking gentleman I vaguely recalled seeing around

the neighborhood was nudging his terribly embarrassed teenage son up our front steps into our living room. Both apologized profusely for the incident—the son had apparently glanced down at his phone while driving past our house and drifted too far to the right—and assured us that they would be back as soon as possible to install a new mailbox. The next day, before most of the world had woken up, they did exactly that. Perhaps it may not seem like much to some people, but that afternoon I couldn’t help but think about the kindness of my neighbors, the dedication of the sheriff’s office, and the determination of the young man’s father to set the right example for his son. Yes, it had been an awful day, but it was also a reminder—on a day I really needed one—that there are still good people all around us. And all it took was a mailbox.

Love for cherished ‘Southern sound’ never fades By Emily Walls Ray Contributing Columnist

There is nothing more endearing to me about the South than the wonderful smorgasbord of Southern accents on the linguistics menu. In fact, when I was in the Air Force stationed overseas or in another part of the U.S.,

I sought out Southern voices. For example, if I traveled through an airport and had enough time between flights, I’d search out a departure gate for Atlanta or Birmingham or Charlotte— anywhere down South. I’d just sit there with a book so I could eavesdrop in hopes of hearing the sweet drawls and polite “yes ma’ams” and “no sirs” of my former fellow Southerners. The

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

Publisher Managing Editor Editor Sports Editor Sales Representative Classifieds Production Manager

Joy Monopoli

jmonopoli@RSNVA.com

homesickness for those accents was less for the actual decibels of the human voice than it was nostalgia for home, or perhaps vestiges of a way of life that includes home cooking, family lore, polite manners and eccentric but mostly treasured relatives. see Accents > page 11

WE WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR ISSUE-DRIVEN LETTERS The Local 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.

Laura McFarland lmcfarland@powhatantoday.com Roslyn Ryan

rryan@gooochlandgazette.com

Robby Fletcher

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Tom Haynie

thaynie@mechlocal.com

Cindy Adams

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Send letters to: The Goochland Gazette 8460 Times-Dispatch Blvd. Mechanicsville, Va. 23116 Fax: 344-8746 E-mail: editor@goochlandgazette.com © 2022 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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Searching for sweetness By Jim Ridolphi Contributing Columnist

Like all Americans, the past years have taught me that dealing with disappointment is something we all need to get used to. The cause of that dismay could be motivated by anything from the lack of your favorite item at the supermarket to a long waiting list for that new vehicle you’ve promised yourself for years. I’m not sure how becoming accustomed to life’s disappointment somehow better prepares one for the looming dilemmas that surely await, but acceptance is sometimes the best remedy. On a recent trip to the grocery store, a display counter was filled to capacity to red, seemingly ripe strawberries. They all appeared almost perfect, each the perfect candidate for a scrumptious photo shoot. As I continued my day, I thought about those luscious berries in my refrigerator, and I immediately pulled them out after I returned home. As I washed and sliced some of fruit , I noted the lack of aroma usually associated with strawberries, especially when you douse them with a healthy dose of sugar. Although brilliantly red and inviting on the outside, the final product was, well, disappointing. My collection lacked any real flavor, or at least did not contain that treat to the taste buds that I associate with the seasonal fruit. After some research, I learned that I was not alone in my frustration regarding the current flavor of supermarket strawberries. It seems America’s demand for bigger and better fruit is the culprit when it comes to strawberries. Producing fruit that is large, red and perfect looking for anxious consumers keeps the shelves full, but it is also responsible for some see Sweetness > page 15

Thursday

May 26, 2022

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

Serving Goochland County Since 1955

Cadets relay team wins state title By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

hen the Benedictine running quartet consisting of Eddie Jackson, Nick Land, Antonio Schoenborn and Darryl Edmonds kicked off their run in the 4x400 VISAA Track and Field Championships, the four athletes quickly blew by the competition in a race that was firmly in the Cadets’ control all the way to the finish line. With Jackson starting and Edmonds closing, the Cadets blasted through the competition at Sports Backers Stadium on May 21 with a new school record time of 3 minutes, 25.08 seconds. After 800 meters, the Cadets held a five-second advantage over Episcopal, and that lead grew to eight seconds after 1200 meters with the Cadets clocked in at 2:34.25. While there were a few changes in the top five, that eightsecond lead was held intact

Contributed Photo

From left to right: Antonio Schoenborn, Darryl Edmonds, Eddie Jackson and Nick Land stand together after their record-setting 4x400 relay result that won the Cadets a state title on May 21.

once the Cadets finished the race, earning the team a welldeserved state title. That wasn’t Benedictine’s only title of the day though, with Edmonds also taking home a state title in the triple

jump. Edmonds’ top mark of 46 feet, 6.25 inches on his final attempt was unmatched, with the next closest jump coming in at 44-11 from Blue Ridge High School junior Chayse Sloan.

For the whole day, the Cadets finished in fourth place among 15 schools in the Division I boys competitions, recording a team score of 51.50 points. The top-3 schools were Woodberry Forest with 214.50

points, Fork Union with 74 points and Collegiate with 53.50 points. Those four athletes running the 4x400 relay earned the Cadets points in other events as well. Aside from Edmonds’ big triple jump victory, he also placed in third in the 300meter hurdles with a recorded time of 41.25 seconds that was behind Woodberry Forest runner Albert Asare and St. Stephen’s Bradley Cruthirds. His result placed him within the top-50 300-meter hurdle times within the state. Jackson also had another great performance in the 400meter dash, finishing in second place behind Fork Union’s Dominique Julius with a time of 50.21 seconds that also placed him within the top-50 sprinters in the state for that competition. In the pole vault competition, junior Jackson Mann had a strong outing on the big stage for the Cadets, placing fourth with a mark of 13 feet, a result that places him within the top-25 in the state

for the event. In front of him were three Woodberry Forest athletes who all set marks that were within the top-10 in the state. Rounding out an impressive day for the Cadets was the 4x100 relay team consisting of Edmonds, Roth Thomas, Addison Gosline and Khalil Moore and their fourth place result among 13 schools. Their 44.66-second time was a second behind third place finisher Episcopal, while Trinity Episcopal and Woodberry Forest took home first and second place respectively. It was an overall successful day for the Cadets on the biggest stage they’ve faced all season, and while seniors like Edmonds and Jackson see their careers on the track draw to a close at Benedictine, they can say they went out on perhaps the highest note possible with a new school record and a state title to their names. Robby Fletcher can be reached at rfletcher@powhatantoday.com.

Goochland tennis: Bulldogs compete in regional matches By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

Goochland’s tennis teams took to the courts for postseason play last week, with the girls falling 5-0 to the Meridian Mustangs on the road and the boys team falling 5-1 to Maggie Walker. Two days before the girls traveled to Meridian, they concluded their regular season with

a close win over the Orange County Hornets for their sixth team victory of the season. They were led at the top by junior No. 1 Margaret Townsend against the Hornets, who won her matchup against Olivia Sciabbarsi with an 8-5 set. Townsend’s win was one of four for the Bulldogs in singles, with wins by Anna Stamey, Genevieve Williamson and Amber Robertson helping

the team take a 4-2 lead into doubles, where Williamson and Hadley Peskin won their set together with an 8-2 win. Against the Mustangs out of the Northwestern District, the Bulldogs had a harder time gaining the advantage, with their opponent winning five quick singles matches to move on in the tournament. Robertson had the closest match of the day for

Goochland, taking on Ellen Bruce. Robertson lost in a close 7-5 first set, and though Bruce was up in the second set, the game was retired once Meridian reached five wins. On the boys side, the team rode a three-game winning streak to end the regular season with the four-seed in the region, which allowed them to host the Green Dragons, but the fiveseeded opponent managed to

come out with a 5-1 win. Junior Evan Bernstine was the only Bulldog to come away with the victory, as the star player continues his monster third season. Bernstine will look to continue his strong play as he aims to defend his 3A state title from last season. In his matchup against Alex Percey, Bernstine made quick work of the Green Dragons sophomore with two

6-0 sets to win. The Dragons controlled the first sets of the rest of the matchups, but credit should go to juniors Alex Peskin, Ryan Bowers and Charlie Alston for earning a few games in their second sets to keep the Bulldogs alive. Bowers in particular played well in his second set, falling 6-4 after a 6-0 first set against sophomore Ethan Choe.

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Collegiate golf wins second consecutive VISAA title By Zach Joachim Richmond Times-Dispatch

Sitting on the 17th green at Meadowbrook Country Club on May 16, Collegiate golf coach Jeff Dunnington started to do some math with one of his assistants. With two groups still to go in the VISAA Division I championship, Dunnington “realized that we had it.” At that point, the coaches transitioned to the 18th green where the Cougars’ final player, senior captain Philip Clarke, was finishing up. “The team was all up there, waiting with anticipation, they all knew what was going on,” Dunnington said Thursday, a few days after his Cougars captured their second consecutive VISAA championship, the first time Collegiate has ever won back-to-back team golf titles. The VISAA team golf championship was first played in 2008. This is Collegiate’s third team title, with the first coming in 2012. “It was fun to watch the

Photo courtesy of Jeff Dunnington

The Collegiate Cougars won their second consecutive VISAA championship and third team title in school history.

team go mob [Clarke] as he was walking off,” Dunnington said. “They loved it. It was a lot of fun. ... Our guys grinded the entire time to put us in a position to win.” Collegiate finished at 7-over 291, three shots ahead

of second-place Woodberry Forest (294). St. Christopher’s (297) placed third and Trinity Episcopal (298) came in fourth. Cougars junior Tyler Brand posted a 2-under 69, good for a three-way tie with St. Christopher’s JJ Powell and

Catholic High’s Xander Goboy for medalist honors, making them the co-state players of the year. Collegiate junior Jack Barnes came in at 1-over 72, and Tucker Smith, another junior, finished at 3-over 74 to

tie for 10th overall. The top 10 individual finishers earn allstate honors. Brand and Barnes both rebounded from slow starts on the first few holes to finish with a flurry. Dunnington said he was particularly proud of Brand and Smith, who’ve battled injuries over the past couple years and didn’t play much for last season’s title-winning team. “So to see those two guys be two of the players who really emerged to help lead us to the championship was really cool,” Dunnington said. “They were both healthy at the right time and able to put it together to lead the team to victory.” A fourth junior, Hudson Pace, provided the fourth top score with a 5-over 76 to wrap up the championship. Going into last Monday’s tournament, Dunnington said the Cougars probably shouldn’t have been considered favorites after placing fourth in the Prep League tournament at Old Trail Golf Club in Crozet on May 10 behind their three chief competitors for VISAA supremacy

– Woodberry Forest, St. Chris and Trinity. The Cougars finished 16 shots off Prep League champs Trinity, 15 behind Woodberry and seven off St. Chris. Dunnington called Collegiate’s performance at Old Trail “probably our worst performance of the year.” “So to have this turnaround just the following week where the guys were able to get it back together and dial in, it was really fun to see,” Dunnington said, adding that Collegiate’s 291 at Meadowbrook is the highest any team has shot in the four times the VISAA tournament has been held there. Dunnington said last season was really the one he’d had circled in terms of opportunity to compete for a state title. But the Cougars carried the momentum over to this season, and have subsequently put together the best run of team golf success the school has ever seen. “We’ve got the core of the team coming back next year, so expectations will certainly be high again,” Dunnington said.

DaSilva’s hat trick leads Goochland over Louisa County By Robby Fletcher Sports Editor

When the Goochland boys soccer team left the field on April 25 with a 5-0 win over Lousia County — its first win of the season — the team flexed its goal-scoring muscles for the first time this year with an allaround convincing display of playmaking and finishing. In their rematch on Wednesday, May 18, the Bulldogs once again showed that same knack for getting the ball in the net with a 5-2 performance, pushing their record

to 4-12 on the season as they head into their regional tournament. The game was Goochland’s third time scoring five goals this year, with the second occurence happening against Caroline on April 29. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by an astonishing hat trick performance from sophomore Yoshi DaSilva, who flummoxed the Lions’ back line of defense to put the Bulldogs ahead despite a few successful offensive attacks of their own. Ending the regular season, the sophomore forward’s goal-

scoring total now moves up to 10 goals on the year, with DaSilva continuing to demonstrate his high-end pace of play and nose for getting into the right position for a run down the middle of the field. The Bulldogs also saw junior Conner Doersch earn a brace with a two-goal performance of his own. While DaSilva’s been the team’s leading scorer this year at the top of the attacking line of forwards, Doersch has been close behind with some dazzling goals of his own, wrapping up his regular season with

seven goals on the year. In the net for the Bulldogs was senior Luke Michaels, who recorded five saves to help keep the Bulldogs’ lead intact. Michaels, who is usually a field player, has stepped up in the net admirably on multiple occasions for the Bulldogs this season. Looking ahead to the postseason, the Bulldogs have a tough tournament-opening matchup against the William Monroe Dragons, who finPhoto by Robby Fletcher ished their regular season Goochland sophomore Yoshi DaSilva challenges an Albemarle with a 12-2-1 record out of the defender in a 3-1 loss to the Patriots on May 11. DaSilva has 10 goals on the season for the Bulldogs. Northwestern District.

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