The Recorder on May 29, 2025
Highland’s Patton Hull connects for a hit during the 2025 season. (Photo courtesy Lori Moore)
MONTEREY — “In tranquil Highland County, the hottest topic of conversation is usually the weather,” The Recorder reported 25 years ago. “For the past week, though, the word on nearly everyone’s lips is baseball … the Highland Rams baseball team has beaten the usual odds stacked against the small school system and captured not only the Pioneer District regular season championship but the district tournament as well. Perhaps its greatest accomplishment, however is the pride in the team that has overtaken the entire community. Brightly decorated banners and blue and gold balloons have been popping up around the county — along the road to the school, in front yards, and in front of local businesses. The excitement continues to grow.”
The June 2, 2000, edition of The Recorder featured the Highland baseball team on the front page. The Rams were preparing to host Fort Chiswell in a Region C baseball game on their home field.
Twenty-five years later, history is repeating itself.
Whenever the rain goes away, this year’s Rams will host Giles at Ed Crigler Field in regional play.
I wasn’t covering the Rams regularly back in 2000. But I do remember seeing them at Casey Field that year.
Zack Phillips had transferred in, and the combination of Phillips, Jon Gwin and the rest of the Rams were poised to make a run.
Ellen Phillips (Zack’s mom) said at the time, “I remember what happened before the season got started. Zack and Adam Botkin told Coach Mick Strand one day at practice to look at the flagpole in front of the school. They told him, ‘That’s where we’re going to put our district championship flag.’”
The season opener was a 10-4 win over Blue Ridge Christian.
Phillips doubled and scored three runs in that first game and Gwin hit for the cycle (a single, double, triple and home run).
The confidence was growing.
Phillips struck out 15 and joined Nathan White in hitting home runs against Bath County.
Matt Johnston hit his first career homer and Gwin also went deep in the rematch with the Chargers.
And finally on May 26 in Covington, the Rams made history with a 2-0 shutout of James River, securing the district crown and yes, securing that flag for the flagpole.
“Hard work, discipline and experience is what got them here,” Strand said back then. “They never gave up. In six out of our nine district games, we came from behind to get the win.”
Over 200 people were at HHS for the regional first-round game. Extra bleachers were brought in and an area restaurant even closed to let their staff attend.
Jon Warner and Gwin both homered in the 8-2 regional win.
The Rams season ended one game later in Bristol with a 5-1 loss to John Battle.
Highland closed that 2000 season with a record of 13-5.
Mike Warf, the current HHS athletic director, was an assistant coach for Strand and was teaching life, physical and earth science at the high school.
“Back then, only the one and two teams went forward to the regionals,” Warf said. “We won both the regular season and tournament championships. I remember seeing officials who would ask to come call our games because they had heard about Zack and wanted to see it firsthand. Jon Gwin was also a really good pitcher and they were both excellent hitters. Zack was a lefty to boot and put a ton of baseballs on top of the elementary school.”
The championship roster featured Adam Botkin, Matt Johnston, Jon Gwin, Ryan Hooke, Jeremy Swecker, Landon Reedy, Nathan White, Zack Phillips, Ryan Lightner, Jon Warner, Brian Warner, Eric Ralston, Jeffrey Wooddell, Drew Sullenberger and Everett Gardner.
A couple of decades later, a new group of Rams have made their own mark in the Highland history books.
After starting the season 2-5, Coach Cole Armstrong’s bunch won eight in a row, including a 3-1 win over Bath County last week that guaranteed a home regional game.
The game was scheduled for Wednesday, but rain has left a date and time uncertain.
But you can bet Monterey may just shut down for a couple of hours when that first pitch is thrown.
Armstrong, whose son Zach plays first base and pitches for the team, has coached the current group of Rams for close to 10 years.
His emotions flowed last week after the district semifinal win over the Chargers.
“We just don’t want it to end,” he said. “We want it to keep going.”
So do the fans in Virginia’s smallest school, where Ram pride in the baseball team has once again swelled to fill the air, and the word on everyone’s lips is baseball.