SHS Celebrates Three D-II Scholarships

PENN LAIRD — Savannah Turner's gloom lasted about two days.

After that, she refused to let herself be bogged down by the disappointment of the torn ACL in her left knee that robbed her of most of her senior volleyball season.

"When you have a good mindset, it's really easy," Turner said. "But it was kind of hard, mentally, sometimes to know that you can't play volleyball with your team anymore. Missing my senior season was kind of hard, but you've gotta have a positive mindset. That's what I feel like got my commitment to [Virginia-]Wise."

Turner may not have ended her Spotswood volleyball career the way she hoped, but she'll be able to play the sport again for the Highland Cavaliers, from whom she's accepted a partial scholarship to play Division II volleyball.

That's what she and fellow Spotswood seniors James Sullivan and Brady Dodson came together for in the SHS auditorium Thursday afternoon to celebrate, as SHS threw a ceremony to honor each senior's D-II athletic scholarship.

Sullivan submitted his national letter of intent last week to play basketball on a full ride at Millersville in Pennsylvania, while Dodson is headed to play football at Glenville State on a partial scholarship.

The seniors each addressed the audience Thursday after their Spotswood coaches took the podium.

"It was a great feeling. I was a little nervous when I got up there, didn't really have anything planned," Sullivan, a 6-foot-3 guard and aspiring accounting major, said with a smile. "I was thankful for everyone that came out and supported me and I've had a great support system throughout my four years, but it was great to have it all come to fruition today."

Said Turner: "It's a total blessing. I couldn't ask for more. Going to Wise is just a dream come true. I've dreamt about it since I was a little girl."

But Turner, for a time, wasn't sure she'd have the signing-day ceremony she'd always hoped for.

From her recruiting visit to U.Va.-Wise over the summer, she knew that Cavaliers coach Kristen Salyer planned to offer her a roster spot. Then the 5-11 outside hitter tore her ACL on Sept. 13, within the first five minutes of an intense rivalry match at Turner Ashby, as she landed after spiking the ball.

But Salyer soon settled Turner's doubts.

"When she said, 'I'm definitely still going to offer you the position,' it was an overload of joy. It was amazing," said Turner, who verbally committed in December and plans to major in environmental science.

Trailblazers coach Jim Roth, speaking at the podium, recalled Turner's willingness to help the team in any way possible after being sidelined with her injury.

"I was more proud of her for the way she handled getting knocked down," said Bruce Turner, her father. "Spikes and aces are one thing, but being able to come back from that was very good."

Bruce Turner also called Thursday's realization of her commitment a "dream come true" after venturing all over the East Coast for exposure to college coaches.

"I mean, I didn't sleep last night just thinking about this, and I know I've been bugging her, 'Make sure you know what you're going to say and everything,'" he said with a smile. "… On top of what happened earlier in her senior year, it makes it that much more special. We couldn't be more proud, for sure."

Bruce Turner is already fretting over Turner's return to the court with Virginia-Wise, joking that he'd even strap her into braces for both knees to be safe.

The outside hitter, who was a first-team All-Valley District selection in 2015, is now on the verge of being cleared for full contact.

"She knew that her recovery was up to her," her mother, Suzanne Turner, said. "If she wanted it bad enough, she knew it was going to take dedication in order to get back to playing again. Her therapist said her recovery has been remarkable."

For the second time in three and a half years, one of Chris Dodson's children signed a letter of intent.

Watching them make adult choices doesn't get old for the SHS girls basketball coach — whose daughter, Tayler, just finished her junior season on George Mason's women's basketball team.

"It's a special moment when you see your child grow up loving what you loved growing up and finding the same enjoyment in it that you did," said Dodson, who was Spotswood's football coach from 2010-15 and a first-team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference defensive back during his 1987-90 career at D-III Bridgewater College.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Brady Dodson is going one level higher, but also considered D-II Shepherd and D-III teams Emory & Henry and Ferrum.

"Glenville just had a real good program," said Brady Dodson, who will likely major in criminal justice.

The play-making, versatile linebacker made 85 tackles with four interceptions for the Blazers last fall and was also SHS's top rusher at 902 yards on the ground with nine touchdowns.

Just Thursday, Spotswood coach Dale Shifflett learned that Dodson — along with senior Jared Morris and junior Drake Tomasi — was named to the Virginia High School Coaches Association 3A all-state first team.

The Pioneers' coaches now want Dodson to gain another 20 pounds or so over the next few months.

"Yeah, just gonna start shoving food down my stomach, hope for the best," he said with a laugh.

By committing to Glenville State, Dodson will be teaming up with East Rockingham standouts Jaylen McNair and Javon Butler, who signed with the Pioneers in February.

Butler, in fact, was one of the first to congratulate Dodson when he announced his commitment in February.

"He's hard-hitting. He can hit hard. I've experienced it," Butler, a wide receiver, said at the time of Dodson's commitment.

Dodson and Butler talk every day, have been friends since they were younger and both played in the VHSCA All-Star Game in December. McNair, a quarterback, is also the second cousin of Glenville head coach Eric Smith, giving the trio even more familiarity.

"A lot of times when you go away from home for the first time, it can be a little rough, especially if you don't know anybody," said Shifflett, who coached Butler and McNair as ERHS's offensive coordinator. "I think having some people there that they know, that they're already comfortable with, I think will help all three of them."

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