After 21 seasons at the helm, Mike Cartolaro has stepped down as the Head Basketball Coach at Altavista High School, which won its third consecutive State Championship last March.
Cartolaro, who won four state titles in total with the Colonels, has won 502 games in his coaching career that also includes stops at Monacan, Orange County and Virginia High. At Altavista, he took the Colonels to the State Championship game on six occasions and this season's team finished with a record of 25-3 overall with two losses to Group 2A runner-up Dan River and one to Group 3A runner-up Spotswood.
Altavista graduates all five starters - UVA football signee Juan Thornhill, backcourt mate Meche Maulbeck, Demetrius Johnson, Darius Johnson and Donavan Montague - from their title winning team. They became only the tenth school in VHSL basketball history to win three consecutive state titles and just the third at the Group A level, joining Drewry Mason (1982-84) and Bland County (1962-64).
Cartolaro released the following statement via e-mail to the media ...
"It is with bittersweet feelings that I announce my resignation as the head coach at Altavista. While it is difficult to leave the program that has been my life and the life of my family, as well, for twenty-one years, this opportunity allows us to be with my father in Buena Vista. I will be teaching, along with athletic administrative duties at Parry McCluer High School. Many thanks to the administration, coaching staff, players and community for the support and success we have had over the years. Altavista has been a great community to raise our family and we wish the basketball program continued success in the future."
... We'll have more on this developing story + our recent Q&A we conducted with Coach Cartolaro in late May on the Colonels' three-peat...
Cartolaro, who won four state titles in total with the Colonels, has won 502 games in his coaching career that also includes stops at Monacan, Orange County and Virginia High. At Altavista, he took the Colonels to the State Championship game on six occasions and this season's team finished with a record of 25-3 overall with two losses to Group 2A runner-up Dan River and one to Group 3A runner-up Spotswood.
Altavista graduates all five starters - UVA football signee Juan Thornhill, backcourt mate Meche Maulbeck, Demetrius Johnson, Darius Johnson and Donavan Montague - from their title winning team. They became only the tenth school in VHSL basketball history to win three consecutive state titles and just the third at the Group A level, joining Drewry Mason (1982-84) and Bland County (1962-64).
Cartolaro released the following statement via e-mail to the media ...
"It is with bittersweet feelings that I announce my resignation as the head coach at Altavista. While it is difficult to leave the program that has been my life and the life of my family, as well, for twenty-one years, this opportunity allows us to be with my father in Buena Vista. I will be teaching, along with athletic administrative duties at Parry McCluer High School. Many thanks to the administration, coaching staff, players and community for the support and success we have had over the years. Altavista has been a great community to raise our family and we wish the basketball program continued success in the future."
... We'll have more on this developing story + our recent Q&A we conducted with Coach Cartolaro in late May on the Colonels' three-peat...
