One repeat of a championship is outstanding, but six in the same year is all but unheard of.
With that in mind, Auburn, Maggie Walker, Western Albemarle, Blacksburg, Deep Run, and Cosby all repeated from the previous year in Virginia High School League athletic competition for the 2018-19 school year, winning the coveted Wells Fargo Cup for Classes 1 through 6. This is the first time in Cup history that all six schools repeated as Cup champions during the current six classification system. It happened once during the three classification system, over the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.
Lord Botetourt finished ninth among 44 schools in Class 3 with 212.5 points. The Cavaliers scored 87.5 points in the fall and 57.5 in the winter. During the recently completed spring season LB scored 67.5 points with 22.5 each in boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer and baseball.
James River was 19th among 46 schools in Class 2, finishing with 122.5 points. River came into the spring season with just 35 but had a big spring with 87.5 points. The Knights scored 37.5 by reaching the state semifinals in girls’ soccer and added 50 points with the sportsmanship award.
The winner of the Wells Fargo Cup is determined by a point system based on performance in state championship events. Points are awarded for all sanctioned sports in the following manner: First place-50, Second-45, Third-40, Fourth-35, Fifth-30, Sixth-25, Seventh-20 and Eighth place earns 15 points. In the event of a tie, the schools received an equal number of points based on the number of schools that tie and the number schools that finish higher in the standings. For example, semifinal losers split third and fourth place points (37.5 points each). Also, schools earning the League’s Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award earn 50 points each.
First awarded in 1990, the Wells Fargo Cup goes to the school in each group classification that has achieved the best overall record in VHSL state-level competition in 27 sports – the state champions’ state champion.
Cups are presented for athletic and academic activities to the top school in each of the League’s enrollment Classifications. George Wythe-Wytheville, Maggie Walker, Turner Ashby, Blacksburg, Massaponax, and James Robinson were announced earlier as 2018-19 winners for academic activities.
Cosby athletes scored a total of 352.5 points to win the Class 6 crown, with James River-Midlothian finishing second with 315 points. In Class 5, Deep Run claimed the top spot, accumulating 550 points, while Blacksburg scored 610 to take Class 4.
In Class 3, Western Albemarle accumulated 777.5 points to claim the top spot. The Warriors totaled 142.5 points in the fall followed by 217.5 points in the winter and 417.5 points in the spring. Tabb (462.5), Brentsville District (347.5), Hidden Valley (337.5), and York (302.5) rounded out the top five in the Class 3 Cup final standings.
Maggie Walker won athletic honors for the sixth straight year in Class 2 scoring 667.5 points followed by five-time Cup champion George Mason in second place with 415 points. The Dragons were a model of consistency throughout the year scoring 112.5 points in the fall; 232.5 points in the winter, and 322.5 points in the spring. Rounding out the top five was seven-time Cup champion Radford (322.5), Poquoson (247.5), and East Rockingham (210).
In Class 1, Auburn returned to the top spot earning 605 points. The Eagles scored 182.5 fall points followed by 87.5 winter points, and 335 spring points. Riverheads (357.5), George Wythe-Wytheville (260), Galax (240), and Lancaster (240) filled out the remaining spots in the top five.
