h t u o M f o d Wor Volume 8, Issue 4
Oak Hill Academy Student Newspaper
December 2013
By Terrence Phillips On November 11th, Coach Steve Smith reached a milestone by getting his 900th win against Carlisle High School. Coach Smith is now, 909-60 with losing only one time at home. When asked how it felt to get this win, Coach
Smith said “More than any feelings, it brought back memories of all the players I've been lucky enough to coach for the past 30 years. All the relationships that have developed through the years of coaching high school basketball at Oak Hill.” When asked how much effort went into reaching this milestone he responded, “The great players who have chosen to attend Oak Hill made the 900 wins possible. Players win games. Coaches prepare their
Inside this issue:
teams to win. I obviously have to put the team together each and every year, schedule the games, and coach in practice and games. A lot of preparation goes into each and every season.” However, with the warriors only
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Meet the Team (Gold)
3-4
All is Golden
Red Team Profile
5
By Tony Anderson
Meet the Team (Red)
6-7
JV Team Profile
8
Meet the Team (JV)
8-9
Cheerleading
10
B-Roc’s Boot Camp
11
Christmas Dinner & Winter Dance
11
When a basketball fan thinks of Oak Hill Academy the first thing that comes to mind is legendary. The legacy of the program tops that of some colleges. NBA superstars like Rajon Rondo and Carmelo Anthony have all lived in Fletcher Dorm and
played in Turner Gymnasium. Once a player puts on that Warriors jersey, it’s about playing to live up to a storied history. The Warriors are loaded with talent this year with four players already signing with ACC schools such as
Wake Forest, Virginia, and NC State. Even though they experienced an early loss to Quality Education, the team has received a high national ranking. The loss made this team hungry leading to dominating many (Continued on page 2)
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900 cont. winning by five points he said, “It was a tightly contested game on the road and The Warriors prevailed 60-55. It was a great game to reach a milestone win! Both teams were nationally ranked at the time of the game.” Knowing Coach Smith does not like surprises, the student body and team surprised him with 900 win t -shirts. “I loved seeing the players and entire student body wearing the 900 win t-shirts. I didn't know anything had been planned for our next home game to commemorate the 900 wins. To have the students and players honor me was not
expected and very humbling. It was also a proud moment for me when former players, Cory Alexander and Mike Rodgers, spoke and honored me with a plaque and a 900 win Oak Hill jersey. It was an awesome Saturday afternoon on ‘the Hill’ as we also won our 901st game that day against Cesar Chavez HS from Washington, DC.” When asked if would he stay until he reached his 1000th win, Coach Smith said, “I hope to coach another 5 or 6 years at Oak Hill before retiring. With the hard work of our players, the support
of our school administration, and good health, 1000 wins is very possible.” With the warriors being 12-1 so far on the season Coach Smith hopes to reach another milestone this year with winning his ninth National Champion.
Gold Team cont. opponents including other top 25 ranked teams. With a quick style of play highlighted with fast breaks, slam dunks, and three point shots, the team is explosive in their offensive approach often outscoring opponents by 20 or more points. Coach Smith uses a variety of defenses including the 2-3 zone and man-to-man just to name a few. The diversity of the defensive game often stops other teams in their tracks.
with a winning percentage of .942, the highest in high school history. This is Coach Smith’s 30th year as Head Coach. Coach Smith expects a lot from his team saying, “Once you put on that jersey you are playing to a standard.” He doesn’t care about what other people or scouts say; he makes every player prove it on the court.
The head coach is Steve Smith. Coach Smith isn’t like any other coach in high school basketball. This year, he reached nine hundred wins
In order to play fast and smart, the team has to be in great shape. The strength and conditioning coach, Coach Meagher, puts the team through a thorough program in the weight room. Coach Meagher has been with the Warriors for eleven years. Always full of energy and a positive force
on campus, he doesn’t let the team slack off. He requires maximum effort even if it’s just a stretch. Coach Conn is an assistant coach and the dorm manager who lives with and watches over the players. Coach Conn is in his sixth year of coaching at OHA. Eight national championships weren’t easy for the Warriors to obtain. Not only is the coaching staff hungry for another the players are as well. The team has the talent to do it and won’t settle for anything less. Don’t be surprised if the Warriors are putting up their ninth championship banner in late April.
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Meet the Team By Destiny Crickman Shelton Mitchell- With the number 1 on his jersey, from Waxhaw, North Carolina, Shelton plays as the point guard. He has committed to Wake Forest University. His future goals are to provide for his family and hopefully make it to the NBA. Some of his favorites include: the LA Clippers, James Harden, He Got Game, and ecology class. Terrence Phillips– In his second year on the Gold Team, Terrence plays as a point guard with the number 3 on his jersey. He is from Carson, California. He likes soul food, history class, and the movie, Friday Night Lights. His favorite NBA team is the Detroit Pistons. In the future Terrence hopes to grow as a better person, excel in whatever God has in store for him, and to fall in love and have a family. B.J. Stith – As number 2, B.J. also plays as a point guard. He is from Lawrenceville, Virginia and has committed to the University of Virginia. His favorite NBA team is the Miami Heat and LeBron James, his favorite player. Some
of his other favorites include baked chicken and rice, history class, and the movie, Friday. His goals for the future are to provide for his family and hopefully make it to the NBA. Khadim Sy – Wearing the number 31, Khadim plays forward. He is the tenth player from Senegal to join an Oak Hill Academy basketball team. Anthony Davis is his favorite athlete with the Miami Heat being his favorite team. In school, he excels in English class. His favorite movie is Alvin Johnson Pool Cleaner. Kem Ubaru – Kem is from Richmond, Texas. Pizza and rice, the movie Glory Road, math class, the LA Lakers, and Kobe Bryant are all very appealing to him. His ultimate goal is to be as successful as he can be in every aspect of life. Not only does he want to be a professional basketball player, but he would like to be an icon that can help change the world. For his senior year, he is positioned as a forward with the number 20 on his jersey. Jeffrey Uju – Hailing from Bolingbrook, Illinois, Jeff is finishing his
OHA basketball career wearing the number 24 in the forward position. After playing two years on the Oak Hill Academy Red Team, he is talented in multiple frontcourt positions and perimeter shooting. He likes the small community at Oak Hill because it allows him to stay focused on his goals. His goals are to excel in whatever God leads him to, to be the best that he possibly can be, to play in the NBA, and at the end of the day, become a successful model figure to the world. His favorites include shrimp fried rice with sweet and sour chicken, the movie Friday Night Lights, math class, Jeremy Lamb, and the Golden State Warriors. Rodney Miller – Rodney expresses his extreme work ethic as number 30 and plays center. He is from Manning, South Carolina. His goals in life are to grow and develop as a person and as a basketball player. Rodney wants to make it to a top division and to his dream job as center for the NY Knicks. He likes meeting people (Continued on page 4)
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Meet the Team cont. from around the world, mac and cheese, the movie Coach Carter, history class, and Bill Russell. Cody Martin – He plays both guard and forward with the number 5 on his jersey. Cody has committed to NC State. He is from Cooleemee, North Carolina. His favorite athlete is Lebron James. In the future he would like to become the best basketball player. He also likes BBQ sandwiches, the movies We’re the Millers and The Conjuring, and Boys Advanced Fitness. Caleb Martin – Wearing the number 4, Caleb is a top scorer as a result of his excellent three point range and ability to score off the bounce. He is from Cooleemee, North Carolina and has also committed to NC State. His favorites include BBQ sandwiches, the movie, Friday, Boys’ Advanced Fitness, Lebron James, and the Miami Heat. He likes the opportunity to meet new people. His goals are to play well in college and hopefully
have the chance to go into the NBA; therefore, he would have a good job to do well for himself and his family after basketball. Trevor Manuel – With the ability to play multiple positions such as perimeter shooter, rebounder, and shot blocker, he is positioned as forward and wears number 23. Trevor is from Lansing, Michigan. Kevin Durant is his favorite athlete. His favorite NBA team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also enjoys mac and cheese, math class, and the movie He Got Game. Rokas GustysReturning from Kaunas, Lithuania for his second year on the Gold Team, Rokas is wearing the number 33 and positioned as forward. He is a great rebounder and shooter from 15-18 feet. He likes fried chicken, Michael Jordan, the Toronto Raptors, Boys’ Advanced Fitness, and the movie Hurricane Season. Tony Anderson– From Columbus, Ohio, Tony is positioned as a forward and wears number 21. In the future, he hopes to become the best person he can as a basketball player as well as
provide for his family while in the NBA. Chicken Alfredo, the NY Knicks, Business & Personal Finance class, Carmelo Anthony, and the movie Coach Carter are some of his favorites. He especially likes being able to live with his teammates on the Oak Hill Academy campus. Team managers include Shawn Haas who aspires to a career in journalism working for Sports Illustrated and ESPN, WonJun Jung who hopes to become a successful engineer, and Josh Yoon who looks forward to another year on ‘the Hill’ before a career in sports management.
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Red Team Warrior Tradition By Shawn Haas The Red Varsity Basketball team has three excellent coaches guiding them to a successful start to the 13-14 season. With a record of 4-1, the team looks to be headed to a season filled with success. This season comes right off the heels of arguably the best Red Team season. Last year’s team enjoyed a plethora of wins and also had two players move up to the Gold Team. With high expectations in the balance, it doesn’t look like the staff and players have been fazed at all. Entering his fourth year as head coach, Mr. Steve Hebold leads the team with incredible charisma and energy. He has seen a great deal of success during his tenure at Oak Hill Academy. Coach Hebold has experience coaching in Europe as well as playing time in Europe and South America. Being extremely familiar with basketball around the world allows Coach Hebold to develop and teach skills to the diversity of
players housed at Oak Hill. His experiences help promote great success with players year after year. Assistant Coach Darwin Wolfe and Head Coach Steve Hebold have coached together for a handful of years now. Through four years assisting on the Red Team staff Coach Wolfe holds a key role. Often organizing the practice gear, making Gatorade, and coordinating travel plans, he is vital to the success of the team. He is an inspirational motivator and helps to devise strategy for the games. Coach Wolfe has been at Oak Hill for many years, and has previous head coaching experience with the Junior Varsity Basketball team. His familiarity with the region’s basketball programs is a great assistance in scouting. His wellrounded knowledge provides a huge advantage for Oak Hill basketball. New to the staff this year is Assistant Coach Michael Burns. Mr. Burns enjoys sports, having a degree in Sports Ministry from Campbellsville College. He has been around sports for a while,
obtaining a great knowledge of the game. He is warmly welcomed to the Red Team coaching staff and the Oak Hill Academy family. His addition to the team is greatly valued by the players, coaches, and managers alike. The team is currently going through the season, playing a stretch of important games before the winter break. Upon return to OHA the beef of their schedule kicks off. Coach Hebold often says that there are two halves to the season; before and after Christmas. With the opportunity to end the first half of the season at 8-1 it is important to finish strong. It will be crucial for the team to stay in shape over the break as they have a controlled up tempo offense, running set plays and making reads in transition. On defense a stout zone and man to man strategies are implemented. Good Luck to the team as the season continues, as well as a congratulations on the success they have already achieved.
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Meet the Red Team By Ma’moun Bukhari David Mosindi - David is a 6’2 guard/forward combo from Israel. He was a part of the Israeli Junior National Basketball Team. His quickness and agility make him a pivotal player in the forward position. His favorite food is Shawerma. His favorite movie is The Green Mile, and his goal in life is to become successful. Ray Lock -Ray (aka The Great White Hope) is the only returning player on the Red team. He is 6’5 and weighs 200 lbs. playing guard for his primary position and forward as his secondary position. Ray is a team captain and is greatly depended on to score. Ray is from Aiken, South Carolina. His goal in life is to be happy. His favorite food is double stuffed Oreos with milk, and his favorite quote is: “I feel like a white lion in the mountains during a snow storm, hunting for elk, trying to feed my babies.” –Ray Lock Christian Schmidt -Christian is a 5’8, 155 lbs. point guard from Boston, Massachusetts. He is a great defender and can be easily noticed on the court for his athleticism and assists.
He was named one of the captains at the beginning of the season because of his ability to lead on and off the court. His favorite food is Vegetable Pad Thai, his favorite movie is The Lion King, and his goal in life is to follow God. Cade Groesbeck Cade (aka Mr. Sunshine) is a 5’8 point guard from Tiburon, California. He is a selfless player who always looks to make his teammates better with his precise passes. He is also a great defender with great speed and grit. He enjoys strawberries dipped in sugar, watching Cool Hand Luke, and hopes to become a Rock Star. Kimenyi Kacyira - ‘The Dark Knight’ is the team’s 6’4 forward/center combo from Kighli, Rwanda. Kimy is great on the boards and finishing with contact. He is one of the quickest players on the team and has major bounce. His goal in life is to become so happy that he willingly wakes up every day before his alarm goes off. When asked how many pushups he can do, Kimy always replies with: “All of them.”
Mamoon Bukhari Mamoon Bukari (aka Gasol) is an aggressive 6’7 power forward from Amman, Jordan who consistently makes momentum shifting plays. He is exceptional at taking charges, rebounding, and has a consistent midrange jump shot. He enjoys Jordanian food the most, Monsters Inc. as his favorite movie, and follows the quote: “You have to think anyway, so why not think big?” –Donald Trump. Xavier Smith -Xavier (aka Professor X,) is a 5’11 pure lefty shooting guard from Arizona who can shoot as well as drive. He is a great defensive player especially when it comes to taking charges. Xavier’s favorite food is prime rib, his favorite movie is The Wood, and he aims to become a renaissance man in the future. Andreas Rodriguez - Another of the team captains, Andreas (CMC) Rodriguez, is a 5’11 point guard from Miami, Florida. He is quick and strong for his size, and can finish through
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Meet the Red Team cont. contact. He is a player who can shoot, drive, and pass the ball. Andreas can be easily referred to as an “all-round” player. His favorite movie is The Grey and his goal in life is to become a successful business man. Alex Zorn Alex Zorn is a lights out shooter from behind the 3point line. He is a 6’1 shooting guard recently coming to the US from Hong Kong, who can play against people with greater size due to his toughness and passion for the game. Alex’s favorite food is pasta, his favorite movie is Groundhog Day, and his goal in life is to teach younger kids how to play basketball.
William Hall Will is a 5’10 point guard from Maryland who played on the JV Basketball team last year at Oak Hill Academy. Will relies on his quickness and ball handling skills to get the ball down the court, and once there, he can easily make passes to open players due to his great court vision. Will’s favorite food is Chipotle, his favorite movie is He Got Game, and he hopes to become as successful as possible in order to provide for his family and help his mother retire. Jason Yao -Jason, a 6’5 forward from Canada, is a knock-down shooter from mid-range to behind the arch. As one of the younger players he has shown
improvement from the beginning. He enjoys Asian food, and his favorite quote is: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” His goal in life is to become successful at everything that he does. Nour Farag -Nour is 6’1 shooting guard from Egypt who played on the JV team last year. He is fluid in his movement, good at creating his own shot, and finishing at the rim. His favorite food is burgers and his goal in life is to become a professional basketball player. Ben Kpadeh -Ben is a 5’11 guard from Maryland whose specialty is 3-point shooting. Every time he steps on the court he brings toughness along with him on both ends. He is another returning student who played on JV last year.
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2013-14 JV Team Profile The Junior Varsity basketball team is coached by Mr. Knudsen, Mr. Crede, and Mr. Philyaw. The JV team has many styles of play. One style is called thirty-two. Thirty-two is one of the main defensive plays run by the squad. In thirty-two, the players run a 22-1 defense. The goal is for them to steal passes from the other team which leads to points. Their objective is to create offense from their defense.
Carolina is a favorite offensive play for both players and fans. The main objective of Carolina is to get the ball to the big men for an easy bucket. If Carolina stalls, the players run ‘motion.’ In motion, the players pass the ball and cut towards the rim looking for an opportunity to take a shot. The main goal is for each player to learn how to play as a team. The players are very talented individually and are developing their team style of play. Head Coach Eddie Knudsen has a collective 15 years of coaching experience in New York and North Carolina prior to coming to Oak Hill. This is his
second year as head coach for the JV Warriors. Coaches Philyaw and Crede bring seven and five years of prior coaching experience respectively to the team. They love coaching our very motivated JV team. Goals for the season include individual player improvements in fundamentals which will enhance the overall play of the team. The team challenge for the season is to make the coaches run ‘11s.’ The coaches will run the full length of the court in 11 seconds when the team achieves more assists than turnovers in a game. Time to cheer for assists and our JV team!
Meet the JV Team By Yonatan Belayhun Andrew Awantang - Andrew is from Nigeria and plays center. His favorite class is Advanced Fitness. During his free time he enjoys playing video games and soccer. Andrew aspires to become a soccer player. Yu Fan - Fan is in 9th grade. He is from Henan Zhumadian
Xiping, China. He is a point guard and sometimes plays shooting guard. His favorite team is the Miami Heat, especially the star player LeBron James. During school he mainly enjoys weight lifting class. His dream is to play in the NBA. Peter Hatakeyama - Peter is from Tokyo, Japan. He plays the center and power forward positions. He favors the Los Angeles Lakers with the
player Kobe Bryant. One of his favorite classes is weight lifting. Peter wants to became a businessman. Austin Kloberg - Austin is from West Palm Beach, Florida. He is a shooting guard. Austin cheers for the Miami Heat and Rajon Rondo. His favorite class is geography. He hopes (Continued on page 9)
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Meet the JV Team cont. one day to become a business manager. Gianni Maduro - Gianni is from Tortola, British Virgin Islands. His positions on JV are small forward and shooting guard. He cheers for the Miami Heat and looks to LeBron James for inspiration. Gianni hopes to become an NBA player like LeBron. During school he enjoys Geography class. Jasin Rhymer - Jasin is also from Tortola, British Virgin Islands. He is in 10th grade. He plays the shooting guard. His favorite player is also LeBron James. His favorite class is English 9. During his free time he enjoys having fun with his family. His lifelong dream is to become an NBA player. Cian Samuels - Cian is from Harlem, New York. He is 14 years old and in 8th grade. Cian plays the point guard position. He cheers on Chris Paul and the Clippers. He hopes to make it in the NBA to become a sport commentator. His favorite class is Math with Mrs. Thompson.
Kane Schrader Kane is from Sydney, Australia and plays the forward and center positions. He is 16 years old and in 10th grade. His favorite sports team is the Golden State Warriors with Kyrie Erving being his favorite player. He enjoys his weight lifting class on ‘the Hill’ and especially likes to eat steak. Kane’s ultimate goal is to make it into the NBA. Marshall Vest - Marshall is from Anchorage, Alaska. He is in 10th grade and plays forward. His favorite class at Oak Hill is weight lifting. He cheers for the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry. Marshall hopes to play in the NBA one day. Stephen Wang Stephen is from Shenzhem, China. He is 16 years old and in 10th grade. Brian Wu - Brian is from Shandong Zibo, China. He is 14 years old and in 8th grade. His most favored team is the Los Angeles Lakers. He
dreams of becoming an NBA player like Kobe Bryant. During his free time he likes to play basketball and improve on his skills. In fact, his favorite class is Foundations of Basketball. Pei Zheng - Pei is from Harbin, China. He is 14 years old and in 9th grade. His favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers but he cheers for Rich Miller. His favorite class is English 9, and hopes to become an Engineer. DJ Grayson - DJ is from Clovis, New Mexico. He is 13 years old and plays power forward. He cheers for the Miami Heat and their star player, LeBron James. His favorite class is Health/P.E. During his free time he like to play basketball. He hopes one day to be a doctor. Fawaz Ilupeju - Fawaz is from Westwood, Massachusetts. He is 13 and in 8th grade. His positions are shooting guard and small forward. His favorite team is the Clippers and Jeff Green. (Continued on page 10)
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Meet the JV Team cont. His favorite class is Health/P.E. During his free time he likes to play video games and basketball. Frankie Culhane Frankie is from Dobbs Ferry, New York. He is 15 years old and is in 10th grade. He plays small forward. His favorite team is the Knicks, but his favorite player is Kevin Durant. He hopes to become an NBA player. During his free time he likes to play video games and play basketball. His favorite part of school is lunch.
Anish Chatterjee - From Fairfax, Virginia, Anish is 14 years old and in 8th grade. He enjoys cheering for the Miami Heat and Paul George. On ‘the Hill,’ Anish enjoys World Geography. Anish hopes to be a sports writer. Chavis Rahming - Chavis is from the Nassau, Bahamas. He is 16 years old. His position is small forward. He cheers for the Miami Heat, especially
Dwayne Wade. During his free time, he likes to play basketball and play video games with friends. His favorite class is Foundations of Basketball. The team managers include Ming Ogden, Miles Preacher, and Nahum Belayhun. Amy He, from China, translates for the coaches and the Chinese players.
Cheer Team By Leah Baucom At every home game in Turner Gymnasium on the campus of Oak Hill Academy, the sounds of the cheers from the student body and cheerleaders resound. Cheering on the JV, Red, and Gold basketball teams, the cheerleaders always ‘Work Hard.’ The Oak Hill Academy cheerleaders faithfully cheer throughout the packed season. Putting in many hours and dedication to learn cheers and chants, this squad is a tight knit
group. The positivity added by the cheerleaders is a great addition to the student body life on campus, not to mention the athletic events.
Mariah Ashley, Michelle WatsonJones, Theresa Marinelli, Cheyanne Molina, The cheer team is coached by Mrs. Rhonda Bowen and Ms. Mikki Patrick Tighe, and Haas. The students participating on Jesse Wade. the 2013-2014 cheerleading team are: Amy He, Baaba Otabil, Cynthia Gao, Jae Mayweather, Kelsi Liddle, Leah Baucom, Libby Young, Lien Raets, Lizzy Aksamit, Mackenzie Harris, Maddy Leech, Maina Ly,
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B-Roc’s Boot Camp for Ladies By Amy He B-Roc’s Boot Camp started at the beginning of the school year for girls who would like to work out and get in shape. Each session is about an hour. There are usually two or three rounds of circuit work which include exercises such as: power slams or overhead throws with the medicine ball, squats with dumb bells, push-ups, jump rope, mountain
climbers, burpees, dips, box jumps, running stairs, lunges with dumb bells, kettle bell swings, plate raisers, and flies. Between circuits, the ladies complete different short exercises such as wall squats and quick feet. The session usually wraps up with a fiveminute ab workout. Crunches of many varieties are done in 30-second intervals. Ms. Haas assists B-Roc by escorting the
ladies and participating in camp. Lizzy Aksamit, Mary Anderson, Mariah Ashley, Leah Baucom, Alex Collins, Amy He, Maina Ly, Davi Lazard, Jae Mayweather, Baaba Otabil, Lien Raets, and Ms. Brooks have participated in B-Roc’s Boot Camp. This is an excellent way to tone up and slim down!
Christmas Dinner and Winter Dance
Editor-in-Chief Shawn Haas The Mission of Oak Hill Academy
Staff Journalists Tony Anderson Leah Baucom Yonatan Belayhun Ma’moun Bukhari Destiny Crickman Amy He Staff Photographers Mariah Ashley Carly Bronikowski Sallie Jones
Oak Hill Academy is a coeducational, Baptist affiliated, boarding/day school committed to excellence in education and adolescent development in a non-military setting. The mission of Oak Hill Academy is to offer a safe, secure, nurturing environment for girls and boys needing a change in school, peer, community, or family relationships. Oak Hill provides a structured college-preparatory program to students in grades 8-12. Our curriculum challenges the brightest student and encourages those who are unmotivated, who are underachieving, or who are experiencing difficulties in their school setting.
Proofreaders Lisa Finklea Cyndie Richardson Oak Hill Academy
Faculty Sponsor Mikki Haas
2635 Oak Hill Road Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363 Phone: 276-579-2619 E-mail: info@oak-hill.net