Despite falling, Lady Panthers volleyball show improvement in relaunch campaign

Reviving Charles City High School’s girls volleyball team became a reality this year. And despite a straight sets loss to visiting King & Queen on Sept. 17, hopes of improvement and team unity are clear goals for first year head coach James Raj. Fielding its first team since the 2003-04 season, the Lady Panthers fell 25-10, 25-4, 25-10 to the visiting Lady Tigers in front of a modest crowd. The turnout of support was something the program looked for and the team is looking to build upon, according to Raj. In the opening set, Charles City fell behind early 11-3…
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Erratic serving helps erase New Kent volleyball upset opportunity

New Kent’s Lady Trojans appeared to master most of volleyball’s crucial fundamentals while entertaining Jamestown’s perennially powerful Eagles Tuesday night. But the hosts fell short in one category, ultimately leading to their undoing. Lady Trojan missed serves popping up at inopportune times helped the Eagles avoid an upset on the way to a 25-21, 25-15, 27-25 win. “We missed a lot of serves,” said Lady Trojan coach Cyndi Burnett. “I told them, ‘Ladies, you’ve got to get your serves in.’” Four errant serves in game one negated chances to either extend a slim lead (twice), forge a tie, or pull…
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New Kent defense shines in first half before York takes over after intermission

After surrendering an early goal to York’s visiting Falcons, New Kent’s defense stiffened, repulsing every Falcon attack, most notably 11 penalty corner situations over the remainder of the first half during Monday night’s field hockey clash. Led by defenders Ashleigh Bedwell, Chandler Dagenhart, Ashby Holsapple, and Dominique Palero, the Lady Trojans remained within striking distance of the powerful Falcons. But then came the second half and a Falcon onslaught spurred by the visitors’ Jordyn Keller. New Kent’s defense wilted, enabling Keller to punch in four straight goals to lead her team to a 6-0 conquest. “We just ran out of…
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Allen nominated for scholar-athlete award

Karley Allen, a Lanexa native, rising junior at UVA-Wise, and former standout on New Kent High School’s volleyball team, has been named a finalist for the inaugural Mountain East Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Allen is a nursing major and carries a 3.45 grade-point average and was named to the Dean’s List this past spring with a 3.81 GPA. On the court, Allen was a first team All-MEC and All-Atlantic Region selection as a sophomore. She tallied 394 kills, averaging 4.19/set. This year in her junior campaign, she has led the team to a 3-1 record and earned…
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Nightmare of third quarter dooms Panthers, Sussex rolls 44-6

Despite executing poorly on the offensive end and failing to take advantage of miscues by the visiting Sussex Central Tigers, Charles City’s Panthers found themselves down 6-0 at halftime. But a kickoff return for a touchdown by the visitors to begin the second half of play turned what was a close game into a nightmare of a third quarter for the Panthers. Sussex Central scored 30 points in the third quarter as the visitors prevented Charles City’s first win of the year with a 44-6 thumping in the Sept. 11 non-district contest. Both teams battled back and forth in the…
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Stock car champion

New Kent survives Bruton scare, wins volleyball home opener

After seven games on the road to start the 2015-16 season, New Kent Lady Trojans’ volleyball team returned to the confines of its home gymnasium. And after winning the opening sets against the invading Bruton Lady Panthers, it was apparent the travel took a toll of the team. Surviving a scare in set three, New Kent went on to sweep the visitors 25-15, 25-16, and 26-24 during Tuesday night’s Bay Rivers clash. Sets one and two followed similar patterns to give the hosts an early advantage in the contest. In the opening frame, New Kent pulled out early only for…
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Southampton’s fast start too much for Panthers to overcome

Charles City’s Panthers played on even terms with the hosting Southampton Indians for three quarters during a Sept. 4 football contest. Unfortunately for the visiting Panthers, a first quarter marred by ineffective execution on both sides of the ball was enough to keep them out the win column. The host Indians jumped out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter and held on for a 20-8 win, sending the Panthers to their second consecutive loss to open the season. Southampton took command on the opening drive of the game. Running back Harrison Erenzeller would gash the visitors’ defense with…
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Heartbreak as Trojans collapse in final quarter, fall 24-21 to Colonial Heights

For nearly three quarters, New Kent Trojans remained poised and in control of the visiting Colonial Heights Colonials with a 21-6 lead. But a downward spiral of big plays and turnovers in the final 13 minutes of the game soured the mouths of the hosts. Back-to-back turnovers in the fourth quarter, including one that resulted in a fumble return for a touchdown, played vital roles in Colonial Heights’ 24-21 victory over the Trojans. The visitors’ quick-paced offense rocked New Kent back onto their heels during the opening drive of the game. But weathering the storm, the Trojans’ defense forced a…
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Miscues, missed opportunities doom Charles City in football season opener

Charles City Panther head football coach Steward Greene’s facial expression after a 22-8 season opening loss to Cumberland’s visiting Dukes said it all about the game. Miscues and missed opportunities were lowlights in the Aug. 28 contest in a game that Greene said was a “disappointment.” Fueling that disappointment was the Panthers’ ineffective offense and inability to capitalize off Cumberland mistakes. Tack on eight first half penalties, including two that kept a drive alive for the Dukes and one that negated a Panther touchdown and you have a recipe for disaster. In the opening quarter, Cumberland milked the clock for…
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