How's this for a celebration?

The athletic teams at Turner Ashby helped commemorate their school's 50th anniversary by cramming its trophy case with a slew of team championships.

The Knights – who won Group AA titles in football and baseball – dominated the 2005-06 sports calendar in the Valley District, running away with the top spot in the Daily News-Record's points standings for the third consecutive year.

The News-Record system awards points for teams that win district, regional and state titles, as well as for championship-game appearances on all three levels. Non-team crowns, such as an individual wrestling or track title, are not counted.

TA garnered 157 points, easily outdistancing second-place Harrisonburg High School (74).

"I think you can attribute it to a number of things," Harrisonburg athletic director Joe Carico said of Turner Ashby's success. "One, you can attribute it to very fine coaches, [as well as] very good athletes, and an administration that allows the blend like they've had this year between athletics and academics. That's very important, because as an athlete you also have to be smart and be able to make very good decisions, and I think that's what you see TA's been able to do this year."

Turner Ashby athletic director Greg Troxell, who arrived at the school last summer from Wilson Memorial, said he was immediately impressed with how a winning attitude has spread throughout the program.

"You know, people are always like, 'TA wins at everything' or 'TA, blah blah, blah,'" he said. "But I tell you, these kids work hard, I mean they really do. They deserve the success they're getting."

The Knights – who tallied 107 points in last year's News-Record standings – began their stellar year in the fall, when the football team brought home the program's first-ever state title, beating Richlands 27-13.

"I've always said – and I think a lot of people will agree with this – your fall kind of sets up your school year," Troxell said. "Usually when your football team has success, it kind of sets a tone and atmosphere for the school year. Now, I have a hunch that if Lee's football team is bad, their basketball team's still going to do good, but I think it really does set an atmosphere. It kind of gets the whole school into it."

In the winter, the TA wrestling team finished second in the state, and both the boys' and girls' basketball teams reached the Region II playoffs.

The Knights once again were kings of the spring, winning regular-season titles in baseball, softball, boys' and girls' soccer, and boys' track. The top squad was the always-formidable baseball team, which won the fifth state title in school history with a 5-0 win over Tunstall on June 10.

While no other Valley District school came close to matching Turner Ashby's success, others also flexed their muscles state-wide.

Harrisonburg gained the bulk of its points from its golf (25) and football (15) teams, reaching the state tournament in golf and falling just short of the Region II title on the gridiron.

The Blue Streaks finished second in the points standings for the second consecutive year, despite losing a class of stellar athletes that included current University of Maryland point guard Kristi Toliver – who led the Terrapins to the NCAA women's basketball title – and James Madison wide receiver Patrick Ward.

"That's just a credit to all the coaches and the athletes that we've had," Carico said. "They've set a standard, and the athletes always try to live up to what they've done and always try to succeed."

Before falling short in its bid for a third straight state title, the Lee boys' basketball team ran its winning streak to a state-record 85 games while cruising to the regular season, district and Region II championships.

Coach Paul Hatcher's crew provided Lee with 35 of its 37 points in the DN-R system, with the football team's Region II tourney appearance providing the other two.

Fourth-place Fort Defiance used its perennially strong cross-country and indoor and outdoor track teams to tally 34 points.

Lee and Fort weren't the only schools to benefit from one especially strong team. Waynesboro got all 30 of its points from its volleyball squad, which swept the district regular season, tournament and Region II titles before falling in the state semifinals.

Spotswood (31) finished fifth – thanks primarily to its girls' tennis, basketball and outdoor track teams – and was followed by Waynesboro, Rockbridge County (23), Stuarts Draft (3) and Broadway (1).

Draft got its points from its volleyball team, which reached the Region II tournament, and Broadway's lone point came from its baseball team's runner-up finish in the district tournament.

"Overall, I thought there was a lot of good competition this year in the Valley," Troxell said. "It has a reputation of being one of the finest AA districts in the state of Virginia, and I think it's a well-deserved title."