A Pioneer District
Encyclopedia
The A Pioneer District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that comprises high schools located west of the southern Shenandoah Valley
. The Pioneer District schools compete in Region C
with the schools from the A Hogoheegee District
, the A Mountain Empire District
, and the A Three Rivers District
of the Virginia High School League
.
, the latter which is in West Virginia
.
Although the schools in the Pioneer District are very small in size, most of its members do field teams in most of the sports offered by the Virginia High School League
. One notable exception to this is football, with Highland High School not participating because its school only has an enrollment of about 110 students in grades 9–12.
The largest school in the Pioneer District is James River, located in Buchanan, Virginia
(with about 467 students), and the smallest is Highland, located in Monterey, Virginia
. Due to its size, James River has dominated most of the district's sports in recent years, culminating with their winning of the Group A boys basketball championship in 2010.
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. The Pioneer District schools compete in Region C
A Region C
Region C is one of the four A regions of the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the A Hogoheegee District, the A Mountain Empire District, the A Pioneer District, and the A Three Rivers District. The region stretches from the Alleghany Highlands to most of Southwest...
with the schools from the A Hogoheegee District
A Hogoheegee District
The A Hogoheegee District is a high school conference of the Virginia High School League which draws its members from Southwest Virginia, many from the Bristol, Virginia area of the United States...
, the A Mountain Empire District
A Mountain Empire District
The A Mountain Empire District is a high school conference of the Virginia High School League which draws its members from Southwest Virginia, west of the Roanoke metropolitan area....
, and the A Three Rivers District
A Three Rivers District
The A Three Rivers District is a high school conference of the Virginia High School League which draws most of its members from the New River Valley. The lone exception is Glenvar High School, which is located in western Roanoke County. The district is named for the New River, Roanoke River, and...
of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
.
Facts about the District
Most of the Pioneer District schools are located in the Alleghany Highlands, though it extends into the Roanoke Valley with James River and Craig County High Schools. This region is probably best known for being the home of or at least nearby five-star vacation resorts such as The Homestead and The GreenbrierThe Greenbrier
The Greenbrier is a Forbes four-star and AAA Five Diamond Award winning luxury resort located just outside the town of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States....
, the latter which is in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Although the schools in the Pioneer District are very small in size, most of its members do field teams in most of the sports offered by the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
. One notable exception to this is football, with Highland High School not participating because its school only has an enrollment of about 110 students in grades 9–12.
The largest school in the Pioneer District is James River, located in Buchanan, Virginia
Buchanan, Virginia
Buchanan is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,233 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Buchanan is located at ....
(with about 467 students), and the smallest is Highland, located in Monterey, Virginia
Monterey, Virginia
Monterey is a town in Highland County, Virginia, United States. The population was 158 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Highland County.-Geography:Monterey is located at ....
. Due to its size, James River has dominated most of the district's sports in recent years, culminating with their winning of the Group A boys basketball championship in 2010.
Member schools
- Bath County High SchoolBath County High School (Virginia)Bath County High School is located in the lush mountains of western Virginia in Bath County.It borders Highland County, Augusta County, Rockbridge County, Alleghany County, Greenbrier County, West Virginia and Pocahontas County, West Virginia....
of Hot Springs, Va - Team Name: Chargers, School Colors: Orange & Black - Covington High SchoolCovington High School (Virginia)Covington High School is a public secondary school in Covington, Virginia, United States. It is part of Covington City Public Schools and is located on 530 South Lexington Avenue.-School Information:...
of Covington, Va - Team Name: Cougars, School Colors: Navy Blue & Gold - Craig County High School of New Castle, Va - Team Name: Rockets, School Colors: Royal Blue & White
- Highland High School of Monterey, Va - Team Name: Rams, School Colors: Navy Blue & Yellow
- James River High SchoolJames River High School (Buchanan, Virginia)James River High School is a public high school in Buchanan, Virginia. It serves the northern part of Botetourt County, including the towns of Buchanan, Eagle Rock, Fincastle, and Springwood. James River was founded in 1959 with the consolidation of the Buchanan, Eagle Rock, and Fincastle high...
of Buchanan, Va - Team Name: Knights, School Colors: Scarlet, Black, & White - Parry McCluer High SchoolParry McCluer High SchoolParry McCluer High School, also known as PMHS, is a high school located in Buena Vista, Virginia. The school has a population of approximately 340 students...
of Buena Vista, Va - Team Name: Fighting Blues, School Colors: Royal Blue & White