SMITHFIELD, VA (WTKR)- One might say Kyle Buggs has a lot on his shoulders. The junior is the latest in his family to shine at Smithfield High School.
"The Buggs name was already known in Smithfield," Kyle pointed out. "I see people all the time in the community ask me 'you're Joe Buggs' grandson' and stuff. It's just kind of neat to see."
He's following in his family footsteps, a trail forged by his grandfather, Joe, who was the Packers' head football coach for 10 years. His father, Kermit, is the offensive coordinator on the sidelines.
"He played four sports," said Kyle of his grandfather. "He just really wanted me to do basically everything he did."
Baseball was among those sports, a game Kyle took up when he was eight years old. But he stepped away from the diamond last season to concentrate on football, where he is the school's starting quarterback. This past winter, with Joe's health declining, the family patriarch made one of his final requests. He wanted Kyle to return to the baseball field.
"When he was in hospice care after he got back from the hospital, he told everybody he wanted me to play baseball," recalled Kyle. "He talked to one of the bus drivers around here who he coached when he was at Smithfield and said 'go to the baseball coach and ask him why Kyle Buggs isn't playing baseball.'"
Joe Buggs passed away this past December at the age of 88. Shortly thereafter, Kermit visited with Smithfield head baseball coach Nick Tugwell and now the younger Buggs is swinging away for the Packers.
"He talked to me a little bit about Kyle's former playing days in baseball... some of things that were going on in their personal life including the loss of his father, Kyle's grandfather and some of the things he had hoped Kyle would wish for on his deathbed," Tugwell remembered. "Some of those things came true."
"Especially the first game back," added Kyle about thinking of his grandfather on the field. "We played Surry and I hit a pop-up, but it felt like I did everything I could and just really made his wish come true."
Now he's working hard to better his bat and sharpen his skills in the field. Kyle took a big step last week, coming up with the first hit of his high school career, which just happened to be a three-run home run.
"I just saw the first pitch strike and I went after it," he smiled. "I really just drove the ball like Coach always tells us to do, drive the ball, and I drove it and it went over the fence."
"You only get one first time, first hit, first opportunity to be your first hit in high school," added his head coach. "For him it was pretty special. The team celebrated. It was awesome."
It was awesome on several levels. Not only did it help the Packers to a win over Isle of Wight Academy, but it was a swing that would've made Joe smile.
"I believe that was something that was written for him, for his future and for his legacy," Tugwell noted. "It's amazing he got to experience that."
"After the game I really thought about it," said Kyle. "I know that if he was still here today, it would've made him very proud."
Kyle has his eyes on the next level. He would love to get a chance to play both football and baseball in college, but no matter what happens in the future, he's making the most of the present. The junior has granted his grandfather's wish, while reconnecting with a sport he loves.
"It's been pretty special," he said. "These are the same kids I've played with since I was eight years old and growing up. It was just special to be back out on the field with them and just having fun and have the love of baseball back."
Tugwell is putting his foundation in place during his first season as Smithfield's head coach. He will lose just three seniors and two starters going into the 2027 campaign. Sophomore Tanner Brobst and freshman Luke Waycaster are leading the Packers at the plate, hitting .377 and .373, respectively, with freshman Quincy Carr close behind with a .320 batting average. One of those few seniors, Nick Gaspar, is hitting .320 and will continue his career in college at Chowan.
The future certainly looks bright for Smithfield baseball.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
