By TAFT COGHILL JR.
The honors keep coming for Chancellor High School senior volleyball standout Kira Ford.
Ford, The Free Lance-Star volleyball player of the year, was named to the second team of the Group AA Virginia High School Coaches Association all-state team.
Ford led Chancellor to a 19-5 record and the Battlefield District regular season title.
Chancellor fell to Courtland in the finals of the district tournament, and was eliminated in the Region I quarterfinals by New Kent.
Ford's stellar season included 412 kills, the most any girl has had under veteran coach Rod Crooks at Chancellor.
Ford also had 140 digs, 47 service aces and a .483 hitting percentage. She played some as a middle blocker for the Chargers as well.
"In the 10 years I've been here, she's the most explosive, hardest hitting girl I've had in this gym," Crooks said.
Ford hasn't decided where she'll play in college.
Green wins essay contestJames Monroe senior Delano Green was named the Central Region winner of the Dominion Strong Men and Women essay contest.
Green and three other regional winners were honored last Wednesday at the Richmond Marriott Hotel.
The winning prize included a new laptop computer for Green and a $1,000 donation to James Monroe.
Essay contestants were asked to write about one of nine 2006 Strong Men and Women honorees.
Green wrote about poet Maya Angelou. Green's essay focused on how Angelou's life story affected him. He also wrote of how his own life story can help others.
Green, The Free Lance-Star's football player of the year, has overcome a litany of problems at home to become an honor roll student and standout athlete.
As a quarterback for James Monroe, Green led the Yellow Jackets to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the Group AA, Division 3 semifinals. He's also the second-leading scorer for JM's boys basketball team, which is in first-place in the Battlefield District.
Spotsy to host all-star gameSpotsylvania High School will host the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Star Celebrity Basketball Challenge on April 22 at 7:30 p.m.
A team of senior ACC basketball players will team up to play against Spotsylvania High faculty, students and friends.
There will also be a halftime slam dunk contest, a 3-point shootout, a free throw contest, door raffles and live music.
Tickets go on sale on Feb. 10. Admission is $8 in advance and $10 at the door.
For more information or for advance tickets, call Spotsylvania athletic director Buddy Herndon at 582-3882, ext. 4 or 764-0778.
To reach TAFT COGHILL JR.:
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com