Long overdue recognition for Beale, Cantrell

Floyd County High School’s girls varsity coach Alan Cantrell.

The Floyd County School Board awarded long overdue honors to longtime football coach Winfred Beale and retired basketball coach Alan Cantrell by naming the football field and basketball courts, where their teams played, after the school’s most successful athletic leaders.

Both began coaching in the 1970s, both have won state championships. Beale is still coaching. Cantrell retired in 2017.

Longtime Floyd Press sports editor Roger Mannon, a member of the high school’s sports Hall of Fame, has a good story on the two in this week’s Press. It’s been my pleasure to photograph the two coaches and their teams for the past 15 years after returning to Floyd County. They are good friends, great coaches and valuable assets to the community.

Roger’s article tells their stories better than I ever could, but here are some photos of the two from over the past 15 years.

Winifred Beale starts his 39th year as head coach of the Varsity Buffaloes.

Head coach Alan Cantrell and his son and assistant Travis in action in 2010.

Coach Winfred Beale: 225 wins as Buffaloes head coach

Buffalo head coach Winfred Beale makes a point.

Coach Cantrell and his Lady Buffaloes celebrate their 2010 state championship.

DOUG THOMPSON

Long-time newspaperman, photographer, and videographer who sold his first news photo more than 60 years ago, still writes and shoots photos for Lee Enterprises newspapers, provides TV news for local stations/networks, and produces documentaries. He is also the founder and publisher of Capitol Hill Blue, the oldest political news channel on the Internet, and owns Blue Ridge Muse, a hyperlocal website in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia. A member of the National Press Photographers Association, Thompson also owns Blue Ridge Photography, LLC.

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