Patrick Wade will be putting in some serious work during the 2022-23 school year.
He was recently appointed as the athletic director at Castlewood High School, where he also serves as the head boys basketball coach and as an assistant football coach.
“Mr. [Jarrod] Sparks was taking over as principal for Mr. [Mike] Roberson who was retiring and Coach [Chris] Lark took a job in Tampa, Florida. It just fell into place,” Wade said. “I’m a firm believer in paying your dues and working your way up. I was involved in football and basketball and at a great small school, we share athletes, so I enjoyed keeping up with our kids’ success in spring sports too. I wound up being there anyway and the need presented itself, so I felt like it was a great situation for me.”
This is the first AD job for the 38-year-old Wade, a 2002 Council graduate. He had coaching stints at Twin Valley, Council and Richlands prior to taking over as Castlewood’s boys hoops coach last year.
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His uncle, Greg, has been the longtime athletic director at Radford High School.
“I’ve been lucky to be around some great coaches who were also athletic directors,” Wade said. “Dave Rasnake and Harry Presley at Council, Greg Rowe at Grundy, Rick Goodman at Twin Valley, George Brown and Ronnie Davis at Richlands and Mr. Sparks at Castlewood and my uncle Greg. … Over the years they have all shown me how they go about their jobs and were great coaches in their own right, as well as athletic directors.”
Wade has certainly found a home at the small Russell County school.
“I am really excited to get to work and thankful for the opportunity Castlewood High School and Russell County have given me,” Wade said. “Whether you are in Region D or watching on NFHS [Network] or following along on social media, I think Region D has some of the richest sports culture in the Commonwealth.”
Lallande to lead VHS XC
Zachlynn Blackburn Lallande is the new cross country coach at Virginia High.
She’ll pull double duty as she also leads the Bearcats’ track and field team.
“I accepted the position to begin uniting the cross country program with the track and field programs, so that our students, families and community can begin to see this as one program with three different and unique seasons,” Lallande said. “We look forward to building on the foundation that was built this past spring in outdoor and helping our athletes continue their success. Excited to begin this journey.”
Lallande is a Tazewell High School graduate who had a successful career as a thrower at East Tennessee State University.
Virginia High’s girls cross country team won the Southwest District team title in 2021.
Goforth gets new gig
Mike Goforth will officially take over as the superintendent of Wise County Schools on Friday.
Goforth played basketball at J.J. Kelly High School, graduating from the now-defunct school in 2000.
He coached J.I. Burton to the 2011 VHSL Group A, Division 1 girls basketball state championship and also had a successful tenure leading the girls hoops program at Virginia High.
Goforth has worked in administration since leaving the coaching profession.
Mat mentions
>>> Jake Lewis is the new wrestling coach at George Wythe.
Lewis won a 160-pound state title while competing for the Maroons in 2014.
>>> Virginia High’s head wrestling coach position is currently vacant.
>>> The Virginia High School League has tweaked its wrestling weight classes for the 2022-23 season.
The 14 weights will be: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285.
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