Ashe boys robbed in locker room while playing
Fans were within inches of the playing floor Friday, standing several rows deep in corners of the
gym that would permit, as Ashe County and Wilkes Central played for the MVC Tournament title.
While the game was in action, the locker room of the Ashe County boys was robbed.
Alan Wooten photo/AMT
Last modified: Feb. 18
Alan Wooten
Ashe County High's boys basketball team picked up its hardware, and then found out its pockets were picked in the locker room during the game.
At Wilkes Central High on Friday night, Wilkes County sheriff's deputies filed a report for personal items taken from the locker room of the Huskies. Ashe's team was playing Wilkes Central in the Mountain Valley Conference Tournament championship when the theft took place.
Deputies were in sight during the game, most standing at each end of the gym.
Tournament officials allowed a staggering number of fans in, put the game on monitors in the commons area outside the gym, and dealt with fans spilling into the corners of the court throughout the girls and boys championship contests.
During the boys championship, fans were crunched into every aisle, stood encircling both baselines, and were several rows deep in two of the gym's corners. Seats were filled 20 minutes prior to the tip-off of the girls title game.
The gym has a listed capacity of just over 1,300.
It was the second time Ashe County High has needed the services of sheriff's deputies while playing basketball games in Wilkes County this season. On Jan. 4, when Ashe visited North Wilkes, deputies removed and arrested a spectator alleged to have made contact with a non-playing member of Ashe's teams.