By SHARON KILPATRICK

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahmnock News Staff Writer

High school athletic director Mike Tupper remains optimistic about the sports teams chances for success.

The boys’ basketball teams were finally able to make up their games with Luray last Thursday and came out winners.

Both the basketball teams and the volleyball teams are showing signs of lack of practice due to weather, he said, but he hopes practices can go ahead during the Christmas vacation.

The volleyball team will be playing in a tournament at Madison, and Mr. Tupper said he hopes they continue to show improvement in that. He says he expects them to finish strong toward the end of the season.

He is even more optimistic about the basketball program, and he and coach Eugene Baltimore both expect the team to finish in the top four or five in the Bull Run District.

Mr. Tupper is also looking ahead to next year when organizers of youth wrestling plan to add that as a JV sport. The three other schools that will be left in the new Bull Run District — Manassas Park, Brentsville and George Mason — have a strong wrestling tradition, Mr. Tupper said. Wrestling matches are generally held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so they should not present scheduling conflicts with basketball and volleyball games. The facilities will be stretched providing practice times for all the teams though, he said.

Mr. Tupper said he is already planning to reschedule games because missed school time will mean the exam schedule has to change. He said he hopes this does not mean a schedule stuffed with games in February. He anticipates some games being rescheduled for Saturdays.

When he looks at the spring schedule, Mr. Tupper is even more enthusiastic. This year JV soccer will be added to the schedule. Mr. Tupper said he sees a lot of soccer talent coming up in Rappahannock. He is adding games to the varsity schedule and hopes he will be able to get a full