The Clinch Mountain District was a district of the Virginia High School League . The league's mission was to establish and maintain "standards for student activities and competitions that promote education, personal growth, sportsmanship, leadership and citizenship." The secondary schools within the district compete in various events, predominantly athletics. The district was formed as part of a comprehensive redistricting plan to balance the four regions competing in Groups A and AA.
34-869: The district's initial five-member schools were Gate City High School , John S. Battle High School , Lebanon High School , Lee High School , and Virginia High School . All five secondary schools are located in Southwestern Virginia either along or to the northwest of Interstate 81 . As of the 2006 realignment, the student enrollments of the schools were as follows: Battle, 638; Gate City, 599; Lebanon, 575; Lee, 840; and Virginia, 730. Lee High had an enrollment that would normally be put in Group AA. However, by 2007, several nearby schools had dropped down to Group A due to declining enrollment. The nearest AA schools were now in Marion , Bristol and Abingdon —more than an hour and
68-468: A bowl of cereal, he’s going to make a competition." His older sister Anna would add, "He would just come at you every day, no matter how small he was." His parents built a basement gym in their home, initially for Anna, but Mac would regularly use it as he grew up—though he was so competitive that his father would frequently ban him from the gym to allow Anna to work out undisturbed. He received his first significant exposure to basketball just before entering
102-547: A day later. He later joined the NBA G League 's Delaware Blue Coats for the 2022–23 season and accepted an invitation to the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest , becoming not only the first G League player to participate in the event, but also to win it. Later that season, he was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game. On February 14, 2023, McClung signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers . and on February 18, he won
136-470: A freshman season-high 38 points for Georgetown in a 102–94 victory over Little Rock . As a freshman, he averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and two assists per game, leading Big East Conference freshmen in scoring. McClung was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. In February 2020, during his sophomore season, he missed several games with a foot injury. McClung only played 21 games due to
170-576: A game-high 24 points, nine assists and six rebounds in a 112–105 victory over the NBA G League Ignite on November 5, 2021. On December 22, 2021, McClung signed a 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls . He signed a second 10-day contract with them on January 1, 2022. On January 4, 2022, the Chicago Bulls assigned McClung to their NBA G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls . McClung debuted
204-555: A half away. Thus, a travel hardship was declared, allowing Lee to play in Group A. Virginia High School was also assigned to play in Group AA. The school had successfully appealed the assignment to the Lonesome Pine District of Group A during the 2005 redistricting plan, but this time chose not to appeal. With Lee and Virginia out of the district, the old Highlands District had only two member schools, both of which were assigned to
238-568: A small town of about 2,000 in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area straddling the Tennessee –Virginia border, where he initially began playing football —a sport that is far more popular than basketball in Southwest Virginia . Family members recalled in a 2018 interview that McClung was extraordinarily competitive as a child. His father Marcus said of him, "Mac was just born with it. If you’re fixing
272-687: A subsequent game, and the ACLU endorsed their right to do so. Mac McClung Matthew Ford " Mac " McClung (born January 6, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League . He played college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas and
306-588: Is a public high school in Gate City, Virginia . The school was built in 1956. The school employs about 41 teachers and the student-to-teacher ratio is 15.10. Gate City High School's mascot is the Blue devil, and the school colors are blue, black, and white. Gate City High School offers a variety of sports and recreational programs, competing in soccer, track and field, swimming, cross-country, forensics, speech and drama, and academic tournaments. The girls' basketball team won
340-538: The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the school objecting to a Christian prayer having been read over the public address system before a football game. The principal, Greg Ervin, said that a student had read the prayer on her own initiative in response to the death of a student. Students then planned to protest the ACLU's position by wearing T-shirts reading "We're still praying in Jesus' Name" to
374-686: The NBA Slam Dunk Contest ; 19 out of his 20 scores from the judges were a perfect 50, with a lone 49 in his second dunk of the first round. On April 7, he won the NBA G League title with the Blue Coats. On April 9, 2023, in Philadelphia's last game of the regular season, McClung recorded a near-triple double with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists to help the 76ers defeat the Brooklyn Nets , 134–105. On September 13, 2023, McClung signed with
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#1732883402286408-452: The Orlando Magic and on October 19, his Exhibit 10 contract was converted into a two-way contract . McClung is the son of Marcus McClung and Lenoir McClung. During his birth, his umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around his neck ; his father recalled, "He was blue as a Smurf ." The attending physicians quickly freed him, and he almost immediately recovered. His parents met at Virginia Tech , where Marcus played football and Lenoir
442-612: The Orlando Magic but was waived on October 21. On November 2, he joined the Osceola Magic . On February 17, 2024, McClung won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the second consecutive year, joining Michael Jordan , Jason Richardson , Nate Robinson and Zach LaVine as the only players to win back-to-back contests. On April 5, he was named NBA G League Most Valuable Player after averaging 25.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 27 games while scoring 30-plus points in eight of them. On September 20, 2024, McClung re-signed with
476-677: The Southwest District , according to the state's 2007-08 and 2008-09 Final Alignment Plan. Gate City High School was taken from the Lonesome Pine District and reunited with rival schools Lee and Virginia. The move was necessary to balance the district. John S. Battle and Lebanon high schools were taken from the Hogoheegee District of Group A and placed within the A Clinch Mountain District. Both schools were in Group AA during
510-513: The Texas Tech Red Raiders . He was a consensus three-star recruit and among the highest-ranked high school players in Virginia . He is a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, just one win away from the record of three held by Nate Robinson . McClung went unselected in the 2021 NBA draft and spent time during the 2021–22 season with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers . With
544-622: The 2002 and 2005 state championships in softball. The girls' tennis team won the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 state championships, and the boys' tennis team won the 2008 and 2009 state championships. Gate City additionally won the 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2014 state championships in volleyball. Gate City alum Mac McClung holds the Virginia state high school scoring record, formerly held by Allen Iverson . He also broke J.J. Redick's state championship game scoring record (McClung had 47 to Reddick’s 43). In 2009
578-473: The 2018 VHSL regional playoffs on February 21, surpassing Iverson's record of 948 points in 25 games—five fewer than it took Iverson to amass the previous record. He ended his high school career with Gate City's first state championship, scoring 47 points in an 80–65 title-game win over Staunton's Robert E. Lee High . The 47 points broke a VHSL all-classes scoring record for a championship game that had been held by former NBA player JJ Redick . McClung finished
612-668: The Lakers for the California Classic in the 2022 NBA Summer League . After playing two games for the Lakers' summer league team, McClung joined the Golden State Warriors ' summer squad. On July 22, 2022, McClung signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Warriors. On October 3, McClung was released by the Warriors. On October 9, 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers signed McClung to an Exhibit 10 contract before waiving him
646-563: The South Bay Lakers of the G League, he won the 2021–22 NBA G League Rookie of the Year award. McClung joined the Blue Coats for the 2022–23 season and signed with the 76ers in February 2023. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest at both the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and the 2024 NBA All-Star Game . He earned the 2024 NBA G League Most Valuable Player Award . McClung grew up in Gate City, Virginia ,
680-625: The draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility. After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft , McClung joined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2021 NBA Summer League , and signed afterward with the team on August 10, 2021. However, he was waived on October 13. On October 23, 2021, he signed with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League , the affiliate team of the Los Angeles Lakers. McClung's debut with South Bay consisted of
714-556: The early 1990s but have been in Group A for more than a decade. While those schools tried to stay in the Hogoheegee district, the appeals were denied by the Virginia High School League. 2007-2008 District Officers Chairman: Ina Danko, Virginia High School Vice-Chairman: Tony Dodi, Lebanon High School Secretary: Jeff Hawkins, John S. Battle High School Treasurer: Ina Danko, Virginia High School The Clinch Mountain District
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#1732883402286748-466: The family was able to afford placing him on a Richmond -based AAU travel team. His sister Anna, who completed her high school soccer career as the VHSL's all-time goal scoring leader, played the sport at Florida State and Tennessee , and his uncle Seth competed with two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. His aunts Correne and Collette both played Division I college hockey; Correne also played with
782-463: The injury, averaging 15.7 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals in 27 minutes per game as a sophomore. After the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft and signed with an NCAA-certified agent to maintain his collegiate eligibility. On May 13, he withdrew from the draft and entered the NCAA transfer portal . On May 27, 2020, McClung left Georgetown and announced that he would transfer to Texas Tech . He
816-601: The next night, scoring 19 points and adding nine assists in a 112–108 loss to the Motor City Cruise . On January 6, 2022, McClung was recalled to the main roster. On January 11, 2022, after his 10-day contracts expired, McClung was reacquired by the South Bay Lakers . He was named the 2021–22 G League Rookie of the Year . On April 9, 2022, McClung signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers . On June 29, Los Angeles declined his $ 1.62 million qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He joined
850-479: The rest of his high school career. MaxPreps labeled him "one of nation's most exciting players." As a junior, on February 24, 2017, he scored a career-high 64 points in a loss to Dan River High School at the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Region 2A West tournament. It was the best scoring performance in school history and the highest among Virginia public schools since 1984. After the season, he
884-565: The season with 1,153 points and 2,801 for his career, also a VHSL all-classes record, and was again named Southwest Virginia Player of the Year by the Herald Courier . He won the slam dunk contest at the Ballislife All-American Game . Prior to his final high school season, on October 6, 2017, McClung decommitted from Rutgers. Over one week later, he committed to Georgetown . Sources: On December 22, 2018, McClung scored
918-413: The seventh grade, when his mother Lenoir signed him up for a local youth league. Scott Vermillion, who was McClung's coach at Gate City High School , recalled in 2018, "He ducked his head inside for a minute and basically never left." McClung soon became more interested in basketball and began training for the sport regularly, with hopes of making the National Basketball Association (NBA), and his father
952-730: The state championship in 2006 and 2020 and were state runners-up in 2005, 2012, 2014, and 2021. The boys' team won the state championship for the 2017-2018 season and were state runners-up for the 1998-1999, 2006-2007, 2007–2008, 2012–13, and 2019-20 seasons, also winning the Marshall Johnson Sportsmanship Award for the 2004-2005 season. Gate City won state championships in football in 1970, 1974, 1997, 2003, and 2010. and were runners-up in 1978, 1994, and 2007. The school currently has three VHSL Hall of Fame inductees: Coach Harry Fry in 1991, Coach Nick Colobro in 2005, and football player Jeff Baker in 1995. The school also holds
986-507: Was Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing . On January 11, 2018, after opposing coach James Schooler reportedly told him "you're going to Georgetown to sit," McClung scored 44 points against Fern Creek High School of Louisville, Kentucky at the Arby's Classic tournament in Bristol, Tennessee . McClung broke the VHSL single-season scoring record previously held by Hall of Famer Allen Iverson during
1020-525: Was a cheerleader. His father became an attorney, serving as Commonwealth Attorney for Scott County, Virginia as of 2018, while his mother was teaching driver's education at Gate City High. According to a 2018 story in The Washington Post , as well as a story in The Undefeated , his parents' background aided McClung in his athletic pursuits. His father served as trainer for much of his youth, and
1054-524: Was averaging 29 points, 5.5 assists, and three steals per game for the Blue Devils and was tabbed Southwest Virginia Boys' Basketball Player of the Year by the Bristol Herald Courier . In the summer, he committed to play for Rutgers in college. On December 12, McClung made his senior debut by scoring 47 points, shooting 18-of-23, in a 96–43 win over Lee High School . Among those in attendance
Clinch Mountain District - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-455: Was dissolved in 2015 to create the newly formed Mountain District . Adopted 2007-08 and 2008-09 Alignment Plan, VHSL History, Virginia High School League website (Accessed March 1, 2008.). This article about a school in Virginia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to sports in Virginia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gate City High School Gate City High School
1122-485: Was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility on October 30. In his Texas Tech debut on November 25, McClung scored 20 points in a 101–58 win against Northwestern State . As a junior, he averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. McClung entered the transfer portal again in April 2021 while simultaneously declaring for the 2021 NBA draft . In May 2021, McClung confirmed via Twitter that he would remain in
1156-429: Was silently pleased when he gave up football after his freshman year of high school. According to McClung, his shooting form improved after he broke his arm while snowboarding in eighth grade, and he honed the skill with Greg Ervin, the former head coach at Gate City High. McClung first started dunking as a sophomore playing varsity basketball at Gate City High School. He grew in profile as an acrobatic dunker through
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