WILSON EXTRA: Sacco: Wilson deserves some props

FISHERSVILLE
Let’s just get this out of the way, bub. Because you know at some point someone is going to bring it up. Whether they’re looking to discredit Wilson Memorial’s three-game sweep of the defending Group A champs, or whether their knowledge of volleyball in the state of Virginia is still stuck somewhere in the Midwest.

It doesn’t matter that Strasburg, weighed down by a bull’s-eye on its back and a state-title ring on its finger, lost seven players from that 28-0 team last season.

Not one bit.

It doesn’t matter that only three players on this year’s version of the Rams sniffed the Siegel Center court during that magical run that had them giving out free Caesar salad’s at that hole-in-the-wall bar at the Hotel Strasburg.

Nobody discredits a football team when it scores a Monday Night season opening-win over the defending Super Bowl champs. And nobody should discredit what the Green Hornets did Saturday night. Because, and let’s be honest here, the Green Hornets under rock-’em, sock-’em coach Kim Claytor have been here before.

You know, like last season when, months after watching seven seniors walk out the door and the Green Hornets in a supposed rebuilding mode, Claytor and company won the Shenandoah District.

So yeah, don’t be going up to Claytor and posing that “this ain’t your big brother’s Strasburg team” to her. She’ll turn a deaf ear, give you a death stare and fire back in ways that would make Kala Guy’s Howitzer arm green with envy.

“I’ve been in that situation before. You never count anybody out,” she said. “Look at us last year. They counted us out and said we wouldn’t do didly-squat.”

What better way to make the statement the Hornets did than sweeping the Rams? The squad formerly called the Little Team that Could has now become the Little Team That Just Might.

The Hornets knew what was coming, they knew they would face Jenna Smoot — a cannon-armed junior who could damage the floor just as bad as Guy can and has. (Though, on Saturday, when Guy and Smoot traded shots, it was Guy usually coming out on top.) And that’s where the unheralded Hornets defense came into play.

Noël Bartley led the way with 15 digs, but did her most damage on the offensive side of the ball, Christine Coffield and Taijha Jones both scooped up 13 and Fonzie impersonator Tiffany Crosby had seven of her own.

“They knew what was coming in,” Claytor said. “I told them they had to play their butts off to get it done.”

The definitive win in front of a smaller-than-expected, but raucous, Wilson crowd, left Crosby feeling numb and had Coffield, for the most part, speechless.

“It’s awesome,” she said. “It feels so good.”

“I’m overwhelmed,” Crosby added. “We did so well.”

It was the perfect match played at the perfect time for the Green Hornets, a match that saved them from a four-hour bus ride to Mathews on Tuesday for the quarterfinal round of the Group A tourney.

This match against Strasburg was a test the Hornets could have failed and been forced to retake. But why take a long drive for your PSATs when you can ace the real thing right here at home?

“It’s a blessing,” Coffield said of Tuesday’s home match against Northumberland. “It would have been a long bus ride [to Mathews] and we would have been tired and grumpy.”

The fact of the matter is the Hornets are one win from Richmond.

One win in front of their home crowd from the Seigel Center.

And it don’t matter how many players the other team has lost or is missing or whatnot.

Because the Hornets have worn those shoes before. And this state thing? It’s a whole new footpath for them.