Missing coach Travis Turner’s high school football team loses in state semis by 1 point

The Virginia high school football team that was coached by Travis Turner until he vanished while under investigation for child sex crimes was defeated in the state semifinals Saturday evening.

Big Stone Gap’s Union High School Bears went down 21-20 against Glenvar during a Saturday showdown, knocking them out of the running for the state championship, WJHL reported.

Before that state semifinals loss, the team was undefeated at 13-0.

The Bears even managed to keep their run going over a week after their coach went missing to decisively clinch the regional championships in late November.

News of Turner’s disappearance dominated the close of his team’s season.

The coach disappeared on Nov. 20 as cops were driving to his Appalachia home to question him over allegations of child sex crimes.

A search was launched over the mountainous wilderness, and police announced within days that Turner would be charged with possession of child porn and soliciting a minor for sex.

His attorneys later said his family last saw him walking into the Virginia woods with a gun, while his family has denied the charges against him.

There has been no sign of Turner for over two weeks, according to police.

Before he vanished the coach was a beloved member of his Virginia community, where high school football is the regular talk of town.

Fans of the smalltown football team were impressed that the Bears players managed to keep their heads down and stay focused, despite the headlines dominating their days.

“I mean, you know, the boys, it’s hard for them not to hear a lot of things, you know,” one supporter told WJHL after the Saturday loss. “For them to stay focused, I think it tells a lot about them and the community as well.”

They were being coached by interim coach Jason Edwards in Turner’s absence.

“They can tell their kids and grandkids about it,” Edwards said of the action-packed football season.

“Football is something, you know, once you graduate you don’t get the chance to do it again much,” he added.

“Take the moments from it and and always cherish.”