Despite the Snow-covered grounds outside our athletics office here at Monticello High School, I’m happy to share information regarding Fall sports tryouts/practices with plans to begin on Monday, Feb. 15. As many are excited about participating in VHSL Athletics/Activities, I remind all stakeholders that ‘With Opportunity Comes Responsibility’, a nod to our commitment to both adhering to established protocols and our student and coaches working together to hold each other accountable to following all protocols.
Please review ALL information below. For any sport-specific questions or updates, please contact the respective Coach. For any questions regarding Athletic Department requirements or COVID-mitigation strategies, please contact me directly.
Team-by-Team Tryouts start date & Coach Contact Information
JV & Varsity Football
Head Coach – Matt Hicks, mhicks@k12albemarle.org
- Practice started Feb. 4, however students are still welcome to join the JV or Varsity teams.
- Practice Monday, Feb. 15 is scheduled from 6:00-8:00pm on the Grass Practice Field(s).
JV & Varsity Volleyball
Head Coach – Meg Laughlin, mlaughlin@k12albemarle.org
- Tryouts begin Monday, Feb. 15, 6:00-8:00pm in the Main Gym. Use side entrance to Main Gym.
JV & Varsity Field Hockey
Head Coach – Kaitlyn Bodine, kbodine@k12albemarle.org
- Tryouts begin Monday, Feb. 15, 5:00-7:00pm on the Stadium Field. Some practices will be held 6:30-8:00am.
Varsity Golf
Head Coach – Mike Parsons, mparsons2@k12albemarle.org
- Tryouts begin Monday, Feb. 15, 5:00-6:00pm at Spring Creek Golf Club. Some practices may be held at Monticello H.S.
Varsity Cross Country
Head Coach – Doug Bloor, dbloor@k12albemarle.org
- Tryouts begin Monday, Feb. 15, 5:00-6:30pm at the Stadium High Jump area. Some practices may be held at Darden Towe park.
JV & Varsity Sideline AND Competition Cheer
Head Coach – Veronica Price-Thomas, vthomas@k12albemarle.org
- Tryouts begin Monday, Feb. 15, 5:30-7:00 on Zoom (email Coach PT for link) and Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6:00-7:30 in the Auxiliary gym. Use the back parking lot entrance to the Auxiliary Gym.
Athletic Department Requirements
- Students must have a current VHSL Physical Form on file in the athletics office, dated on or after 5/1/20. All four (4) pages of the form must be complete.
- Students must have an Albemarle County Public Schools COVID-19 Liability Waiver form on file in the athletics office.
- Students must be registered online for participation. Registration is online at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘REGISTRATION’.
Academic Eligibility
- All students that intend to tryout must be in good standing at Monticello High School, in-person or virtually.
- Students must have passed a minimum of three (3) semester courses for the Fall 2020-21 semester.
- Students must be enrolled in a minimum of three (3) semester courses for the Spring 2020-21 semester.
- Any questions regarding school schedules should be referred to your School Counselor. Any questions about VHSL Eligibility should be referred to the Athletics Office.
Safety Protocols
- All in-season VHSL athletics/activities shall follow the VHSL 2020-2021 Guidelines for Return to Participation.
- All out-of-season workouts shall follow the VHSL Phase 3 Guidelines.
- Please be prepared for the weather conditions and dress appropriately for the temperature and activity level. The ACPS Cold Weather Guidelines and the ACPS Heat Guidelines will be followed during periods of weather extremes.
- Albemarle County Public Schools partners with Physical Therapy @ ACAC for Athletic Training services. For Athletic Training needs or questions, please contact our Head Athletic Trainer, Shannon Snell (shannonsn@acacpt.com).
- COVID-19 Specific Guidelines
- Coaches are expected to wear face coverings at ALL times. Students may remove face coverings only when actively participating in physical activities. All students on final rosters will be issued a Monticello face covering courtesy of the Monticello Athletics Booster Club.
- All Coaches and Students will be temperature checked and certify negative responses to pre-screening questions daily.
- Students should bring their own water bottle and towel. Coolers to refill water bottles will be provided.
- Students should practice social distancing at all times unless actively engaged in the sport/activity.
- Students should stay home if displaying any symptoms of COVID-19. Please notify your Coach, Athletic Trainer or Athletic Director immediately in the event of a positive test or a close contact with anyone known to have COVID-19.
- CLICK HERE for detailed Health and Safety Measures for Athletics in Albemarle County Public Schools.
Schedules, Admission & Live Streaming
- All contest schedules are published online at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘CALENDAR’. Parents and students may click ‘Notify Me’ in the upper corner of the screen to receive sport-specific schedule change updates. All schedules are subject to change, however the CALENDAR schedule at www.GoMonticello.org is updated in real time as changes are made in the athletics office.
- The Athletic Directors and Administration of Albemarle County Public Schools are working to finalize a plan to offer limited in-person access for parents of team members for the upcoming winter season. This plan will be shared on our athletics website (www.GoMonticello.org) and with parents as soon as possible.
- All ticket sales will be sold online to offer contactless entry to games. All parents are encouraged to go to www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘TICKETS’, and create an account.
- All schools on our schedule are making efforts to offer live streaming to as many events as possible. Many schools are using the NFHS Network, which does require a subscription with monthly and annual options. While ACPS plans to install NFHS Network cameras in the coming months, at this time events in Albemarle County are hosted on YouTube Live at no cost.
- To access the links to live streaming on game day, visit www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘CALENDAR’ and look for the LIVE camera icon.
Booster Club
- The Monticello Athletics Booster Club (MHS ABC) is an independent non-profit 501c3 organization that promotes and financially supports every Monticello athletics team and student-athlete, assists teams with fundraising, builds school pride and advocates constructive, dedicated parental community involvement.
- CLICK HERE to purchase a Mustangs face covering OR make an unrestricted donation to the MHS ABC.
- For corporate donations and/or facility advertising opportunities, please contact me (Athletic Director Matthew Pearman, mpearman@k12albemarle.org) or MHS ABC President Tracy Walker (mhsathleticboosters@gmail.com).
VHSL Activities & Club Sports
- VHSL Activities are meeting virtually at this time. Please contact the respective coaches for information and/or to join the team(s).
- Mountain Biking, a Club Sport that competes in the Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League, is beginning in-person workouts for a regular season that begins in mid-March. All Athletic Department Requirements shared above apply to Mountain Biking.
Spring Sports
- Pre-season workouts for Spring Sports are scheduled to begin on March 15 (up to 2 days/week).
- Tryouts/Practices for Spring Sports are scheduled to begin on April 12.
- Contest schedules for Spring Sports are posted online at www.GoMonticello.org, click ‘CALENDAR’.
Winter Sports/Activities
Winter Seasons are nearing completion, with some teams in postseason competitions. Thank you and a MAJOR shout out to all the students, parents, coaches, athletic department staff, school administrators, athletic trainers and more who diligently adhered to safety protocols that allowed our teams to participate! Here’s a quick update on our winter teams…
- Girls Basketball - Congrats to Coach Juwuhn Smith and our girls basketball team who went 5-5 in the regular season, advancing to the Region 3C Tournament. The girls’ season ended on Monday at Wilson Memorial in regional play.
- Forensics - Congrats to Phoebe Rebhorn for her 1st place finish and Natalie let for her 3rd place finish in last Saturday’s VHSL Forensics Sectional tournament. Both qualify for the Region 3C Forensics Championship tournament on Feb. 20 (virtual). Kudos to Coach Jennifer Timms and her team!
- Swimming - Our Girls Swim team was the highest scoring team in the pool at last Thursday’s Region 3C championship meet, and earned Region Runner-Up honors once the Diving scores were added (Western Alb. 141, Monticello 137). Seven ladies earned the opportunity to compete in the VHSL State Championship meet this Sunday Feb. 14 at Christansburg Aquatic Center. Congrats to Athena Vanyo, Katie Jordan, Elisabeth Bendall, Izzy Bradley, Eloise Weary, Allisan Bendall, and Mariam Mithqal. Shout out to Coach Jen Csapo and her staff
- Wrestling - Two thumbs up for freshman Nathan Houchens, who pinned his counterpart from Liberty Christian Academy last Saturday in the Sectional tournament, clinching a spot in the Region 3C Wrestling tournament scheduled for tomorrow (2/13) at Western Albemarle H.S. Thanks to Coach Rick Palmer and staff for their hard work.
- Indoor Track & Field - There’s been little “indoor” about Indoor Track & Field this season. All meets have been held outdoors, affectionately called ‘Polar Bear Meets’, including two meets hosted here at Monticello. Coach Steve Ivory and his staff’s Mustangs are currently practicing for the Region 3C Championship meet at Heritage H.S. in Lynchburg on Feb. 17.
- Boys Basketball - Our boys basketball team’s season came to a close with a loss at Fluvanna last Friday night. While the scoreboard didn’t reflect victory, I’ll remember hearing the team’s seven seniors share with their teammates and coaches after the game about their love of the experience of being able to share the game they all enjoy and the bond of friendship is something I’ll remember long after I forget the score of the game. (Editors Note: I have, indeed, already forgotten the score.) Coach Gary Spry and staff, thank you for the example as leaders and mentors you set for our young men.
- Scholastic Bowl - Coach Barry Keith’s troops defeated Fluvanna 285-140 on Wednesday to finish their season 3-2 with a three-match winning streak. Senior Ciaran Rivera concluded his high school career with 19 correct answers to lead the Mustangs!
Follow me on Social Media for Monticello Athletics updates…
- Twitter - @MonticelloAD
- Facebook – Monticello Mustangs AD
- Instagram - @monticellomustangsad
In Appreciation and Sportsmanship,
Matthew T. Pearman, Sr., CAA, CIC
Director of VHSL Athletics & Activities
Monticello High School