Professional basketball
Former Virginia Tech guard Hunter Catulle has signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers to play in the NBA Summer League, alongside former North Carolina State star DJ Barnes.
A number of other familiar names are expected to be on the summer league roster, according to various reports.
Armando Bacot, a former undrafted North Carolina star out of Richmond, will be teammates with Kyle Filipowski, a former Duke player drafted out of Utah, on the rival Jazz.
Former Virginia guard Reece Beekman, who signed a two-way contract with Golden State, will play for the Warriors. The New Orleans Pelicans roster includes former Providence and George Mason post player Josh Oduro. Former Hokies forward Cave Aluma will play for the Philadelphia 76ers. First-round draft pick Ryan Dunn of Phoenix will play for the Suns.
Football Recruit
Hokies acquire top running back from Northern Virginia
Promising senior running back Jeff Overton Jr., a two-time Class 6 Virginia Offensive Player of the Year, has committed to Virginia Tech. The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Overton led Freedom High School in Woodbridge to a state title but will now play at Hayfield, another school in Northern Virginia.
According to 247 Sports, Overton chose the Hokies over the University of South Carolina (coached by former Tech player and assistant Shane Beamer), the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia.
Last season with Freedom, he rushed for 2,713 yards and 41 touchdowns, averaging 13 yards per carry, and caught 15 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, he had 59 tackles and five interceptions, one of which went for a touchdown.
Going to Hayfield will reunite him with his uncle, Darryl Overton, who is the Hawks’ new head coach, and his father, Jeff Sr., who is Hayfield’s new defensive coordinator.
Local Baseball
Pilots extend winning streak to six
The Peninsula Pilots continued their momentum, defeating the host Greenville Yard Gnomes 16-6 on Friday night to extend their winning streak to six games.
The Pilots (19-8), who clinched a Coastal Plain League playoff berth last weekend by winning the East Division in a head-to-head matchup with Wilmington, improved to 3-0 in the second half of the game as Carlos Peña, Ryan Dooley and Coleman Calabrese each hit a home run and had three RBIs. Trey Morgan was 3-for-6 with a solo homer, and Corbin Shaw was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks.
The Yard Gnomes (7-20) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but Peninsula controlled the rest of the game. The Pilots scored five runs in the seventh to break a 5-5 tie and then scored six runs in the ninth to pull away.
Marcus Dax pitched 1 1/3 no-hitter innings in relief and contributed to the win.
high school baseball
Three Gloucester players named All-State players
Gloucester pitcher Austin Shackelford, first baseman Brayden Enoch, outfielder Dylan DeYoung and Smithfield designated hitter Maddux Brown were named to the VHSL Class 4 all-state first team. All four are seniors.
The second team included two Churchland Truckers players, senior third baseman AJ Boone and sophomore outfielder Cameron Duke.
High School Girls Lacrosse
Ocean Lakes players join first team
Ocean Lakes senior midfielder Summerlyn Gates was on the VHSL Class 5 All-State First Team. The second team included Bayside junior attacker Carly Gerhardstein and senior defender Jasmine Vaughn, as well as two Ocean Lakes seniors, midfielder Molly Ryan Gates and defender Erica Wilson.
High School Tennis
VHSL Recognizes State Semifinalists
The VHSL recognized all players who advanced to the individual singles and doubles semifinals as All-State Honorees.
In the boys competition, winners were Matthew Onoff of Menchville in the Class 5 singles and Rainer Christiansen of Grafton in the Class 4 doubles, Christiansen and John Lee in the Class 4 doubles, and Christoph Schweitzer and Max de Winter of Breton in the Class 2 doubles.
Also recognised were Class 5 singles runners-up Cox’s Neil Vanga and Class 2 Breton’s Christoph Schweitzer, as well as doubles finalists Vanga and Sam Dixon.
Jamestown’s Kean Byerski and Charles Alakhtinghi reached the semifinals in Class 4 doubles, while Byerski reached the semifinals in singles.
In the girls competition, Class 5 doubles runners-up Kayla Kennedy and Chase London of Great Bridge were recognized, along with singles semifinalists Kennedy and Tori Epps of Menchville and doubles semifinalists Epps and Erin Pridgen.
Jamestown’s Julia Clark missed the Class 4 semifinals due to injury but was honored in singles and shared an award with Scarlett Gamez in doubles.
In Class 3, Tabb’s Valentina Crespo was recognized as a semifinalist in singles and Grafton’s Michelle Cloud and Erin Braganza in doubles. Also recognized were Class 2 doubles semifinalists Meredith Woodruff and Sarah Litton of Poquoson.
golf
Auburn University freshman wins VSGA amateur title
Logan Riley, a 17-year-old Northern Virginia native who has committed to play at Auburn University, won the 111th Virginia Golf Association Amateur Championship at Loudoun Golf and Country Club, defeating former George Mason University player Nikita Gubenko (22), 4&2.
Several players with Hampton Roads ties advanced to the 32-player match play bracket, which is based on 36 holes of stroke play.
Former Christopher Newport star Rob Kinder, Churchland High School graduate Jonathan McEuen and Yorktown teenager Brandon Sipe made it into the final 32.
Former Catholic High School star Xander Govoy, former Hickory and Radford High School golfer Patrick Gareis and Jamestown High School graduates Ryan Leach and Bobby Dudek III each won matches to advance to the Round of 16. Leach represented West Virginia and Dudek represented Radford University.
University
W&M names women’s lacrosse coach
In women’s lacrosse, the College of William & Mary has announced that it has named Kerin Friedman its head coach. Friedman was an All-Big East midfielder at Georgetown University early this decade and has served as an assistant coach at the Hoyas, Towson, Niagara and George Washington universities.
Old Dominion’s men’s soccer program; Under the direction of first-year head coach Tennant McVea, the team announced a 16-game regular season schedule, including eight home games.
The Monarchs will play a home exhibition match against UNC Wilmington on August 10 at 5 pm and open the regular season at George Washington on August 22 at 1 pm. The Monarchs’ home opener will be against Radford on September 1 at 4 pm.
