It happens very year. Just as soon as wrestling season ends a tremendous letdown ensues. Who can understand it?  Who would care?

Much of the story could be seen in the face.There were scratch marks, discoloration around the eyes, the usual sweat and traces of blood for the full measure.All the things an embattled fighter or wrestler wears after a fight.That was the face of Madison County’s Ethan O’Connell following his Group A state championship bout against Covington’s Chris Bowden Feb. 20.

Because inclement weather forced its cancellation, no one can say for sure just how the Northern Sectionals would have played out on Feb. 6 when the six Bull Run District teams plus Stonewall Jackson and Central of Woodstock were slated to battle it out.Perhaps this past weekend’s Region B tournament provides the best indicator of how the Sectionals would have played out. That’s because the top six teams included four from the Bull Run District and both Stonewall and Central.

Before the snow fell Jan. 30 canceling that day’s action, Madison County’s wrestling squad was able to compete in three Jan. 28 matches. The Mountaineers traveled to Orange County High School where they went 2-1 with wins over Orange and Harrisonburg and a loss to Albemarle County.

Madison County’s girls basketball team had another successful night Monday as it defeated visiting Warren County 44-35. The Mighty Mountaineer girls were determined to take on another win by maintaining a lead over the team the entire game.

Madison County senior point guard Casey Campbell might be the shortest member of the Mountaineers’ starting lineup, but he doesn’t act like it.
“He’s 5’9 and he plays a lot bigger then that,” Madison Coach Ben Breeden said. Campbell and the Mountaineers jetted and jumped their way to three more wins last week, downing Manassas Park, George Mason and Charlottesville.

Madison County’s mat men were without the services of senior and co-captain Andrew Riner Jan. 13 and both he and sophomore Andrew Jewett Jan. 16. The team had a busy week that began on Wednesday with a quad at Rappahannock County and finished on Saturday after a round robin tournament at Strasburg.

Madison County’s mat men had their share of suspenseful moments Jan. 9 at Buffalo Gap High School where the team competed in the “Gap Duals” and went 3-2 on the day.

There wasn’t a capacity crowd in Madison County’s gym Jan. 9, but that didn’t stop the Mountaineers from sending the place to a new decibel level in their 71-36 win over Monticello. “We got a steal and I got Matt (Garr) a dunk,” senior Jerel Carter said. “Matt surprised everybody when he dunked on that dude —  everybody in the crowd went off.“

Entering the Dec. 30 contest, Madison County’s Logan Terrell was 7 points away from the Mountaineers’ school record for career points.
And everybody in the building knew it.

Madison County’s mat men hosted a tri-match on Dec. 9 and then traveled to Harrisonburg on Dec. 11 and 12 for the 37th annual Harrisonburg Invitational. At the tri-match Madison defeated both Rappahannock County and Monticello and improved its dual match record to 4-2.  In Harrisonburg the Mountaineers tallied 109 team points and finished in seventh place among 14 teams.

This is a re-building year for Madison County’s girls basketball team, according to longtime Coach Katherine Johnson. Johnson has been coaching MCHS athletes for the past 32 years.

The Madison County wrestling squad’s third-place finish at last season’s Group A state tournament is the best in the program’s history. The Mountaineers sent seven wrestlers to the event where all seven placed in the top eight of their respective weight classes and combined for 91 team points to finish 9 points behind district nemesis and runner-up Strasburg, and 32 points back of first-place Glenvar.

For Madison County basketball, the only goal is the one that got away last year. “We expect to win it all this year,” Madison County senior Jerel Carter said. “Last year was a big disappointment – how we lost in the semi-finals – and we don’t want that feeling again.”

Last year Madison County’s Ethan O’Connell was third in the district, third in the region and seventh in the state and has compiled a 91-30 record after two seasons.

When looking back on a successful football season and career, one of Madison County senior Dylan Shifflette’s fondest memories is still fresh in his mind.
“(Senior lineman) Trey Good’s speech after the last game at Altavista was probably the most important thing I think I remember from all the years,” Shifflettte said. “Before we left he told us all that he loved us and that we were family, and it was just a very important moment for everybody in that locker room.”
The Mountaineers’ family theme led to a 9-2 record and a Region B semi-final appearance.

It was a long-awaited match for Madison County’s volleyball squad as its goal for the season was to make it to the regional tournament. The Mountaineer girls, the No. 2 Bull Run District seed, traveled to play the No. 1 seed Riverheads from the Shenandoah Valley District on Nov. 10. The Gladiators, who entered the match with an impressive 12-0 district record, battled Madison through the first half of game one.

Madison County’s football squad proved that old coach’s adage Friday night at Altavista: You can’t win in the playoffs without winning the turnover battle.The Mountaineers put the ball on the ground three times, missing the chance to extend their season in a 10-0 loss to the Colonels in the Region B, Division 1 semifinals.

The No. 3 seed Mountaineers (9-1) will be making the trip south to visit No. 2 Altavista (9-1) Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in the semi-finals of the Region B, Division 1 playoffs in Altavista’s English Stadium.

The light-hearted, annual Madison County High School powder puff football game, which features a MCHS senior girl team vs. a junior girl team (and skirt-clad boy cheerleaders), has been resceduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Eddie Dean Field.

All season long, it was the Madison County volleyball squad’s most anticipated match — the Bull Run District semi-final. With host Strasburg clearly the No. 1 seed and automatically advancing to regionals, the Mountaineer girls knew the only obstacle that stood in their way was Clarke County.

Madison County’s football squad (No. 5 in the Virginia Class A Associated Press poll) look to continue that unbeaten streak Nov. 13 as Clarke County (No. 1 AP) invades Eddie Dean Field. The game has added incentive as the winner would not only be declared Bull Run District Champion, but Madison County would also clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the Region B, Division 1 tournament

When Madison County (8-0, 2-0 Bull Run District) travels to Manassas Park (2-6, 1-1) Nov. 6, Mountaineer Coach Stuart Dean will have no problem continuing to call his quarterback’s number.

With Halloween on the way, Madison County moves to the part of its football schedule that could either be trick or treat for the Mountaineers. After picking up its first Bull Run District win against George Mason last week, Madison’s (7-0, 1-0 Bull Run) next two district opponents currently have a combined record of 2-14, with Strasburg (1-7, 0-2) coming to town Friday, Oct. 30.

Madison County remained undefeated as it notched its first Bull Run District win, corralling George Mason’s Mustangs 35-14 in Oct. 23 football action in Falls Church.

The Madison County defense has seen plenty of running plays during its non-district schedule, but its Oct. 23 football game brings a completely new challenge on the ground.

Madison County gets to celebrate its homecoming week in style this week, after the Mountaineers returned home with two more road wins under their belt to go into Friday undefeated at 5-0, 0-0. They take on Stonewall Jackson-Quicksburg Oct. 9 in the friendly confines of Eddie Dean Field after the week-long celebration.

Madison County will return to the Shenandoah Valley for gridiron action the second week in a row Friday, but this time it will go into the valley with a different mindset than when it left it.

There was no surprise from tailback Ralph Yates after the Mountaineers’ 35-0 win over visiting Nelson County in home football action last Friday.
He’s seen this running game before.