Now the big question floatin’ in the air thicker than molasses in January—can they run it back?
Shoot, that’s like askin’ if a rooster’s gonna crow at dawn. Course they want to. Whether they can—well, we’re about to find out. Practice starts Thursday for most of the young bucks in the Virginia High School League, and you can bet your last jar of dilly beans the G-Men are comin’ in hot.
They’ve wrangled six state titles over the years and are sittin’ on four straight Region 2D crowns like a banty hen guardin’ golden eggs. But back-to-back championships? That’s a trophy they ain’t dusted off yet.
Gabe Lilly, senior linebacker and full-time weight room junkie, put it plain: “Ain’t nobody outworked us.” Gabe’s the kind of fella who could carry a hay bale in each arm and still outrun a fox with a chicken in its mouth.
Gone but Not Forgotten, and Plenty Still Packin’
Now they lost a few hosses to graduation—including two-time Defensive Player of the Year Omarri Hill, who hit harder than a rusty hoe on a rocky root. But don’t count out this bunch from Bluefield. They’ve got more talent than a county fair pie contest, and they ain’t afraid to use it.
Coach ain’t got Mitchell Stadium to play in no more, though. After squabblin’ with the city slickers in Bluefield, Tazewell County said, “Fine, we’ll build our own dang barn.” So home games’ll be scattered like chickens after a firecracker—Graham’s own little field, Tazewell High, even Ernie Hicks Stadium in Richlands.
Call it the Travelin’ G-Men Show—one night only, bring your own seat cushion.
New Sheriffs in Town
We got ourselves a right lively coaching carousel this year. Marion’s got Billy Testerman holdin’ the reins, Ridgeview’s ridin’ with Kent Grant, and Tazewell lassoed Seth Padgett, who done pretty good down at Patrick Henry. That’s where Austin Cooper steps up—he’s a Hurley boy, coached there, now takin’ the reins at PH. Says he learned more from Padgett than a calf learns from its mama.
Back at Rural Retreat, Quinton Hensley returns like a possum to the same porch—had a solid run from 2004-2009, and he’s itchin’ for more.
And over at Honaker, Coach Aaron Lowe done dropped the interim tag and picked up a full-time whistle. He’s got a firecracker of a freshman quarterback in his own boy, Parker Lowe. That kid’s arm might just launch Honaker to the moon.
Reece Lightning and the Lebanon Boys
Lebanon’s Michael Reece, quarterback extraordinaire, done committed to UVA-Wise. He tossed 44 touchdowns last year, more than some folks toss horseshoes all summer. He’s got Toby Baker snatchin’ passes like he’s reachin’ for the last biscuit, and Layne Jessee, who runs like he’s late for Sunday supper.
Local Boys Ready to Rumble
Let me give y’all the quick-and-dirty on who to keep an eye on this fall, like varmints sneakin’ in the melon patch:
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Abingdon: Aidan Woods is Carolina-bound and tough as a two-dollar steak. Mason Sollien kicks like a mule.
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Honaker: Avery Musick’s got hands stickier than sorghum, and Maddox Sykes is a big ol’ wall.
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Eastside: Keldan Hamilton is the whole dang tractor—runs, tackles, and don’t take breaks.
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Rye Cove: Will Rollins is a workhorse, and they’ve got Division I talent in Ethan Lawson. Keep your eye on them birds.
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Union: Chandler, Bostic, and Anderson—sound like a law firm, hit like a sledgehammer.
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Gate City: Walker Hillman don’t just tote the rock—he makes it cry for mercy.
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George Wythe: Bralley and Skeens make more stops than a back road in pothole season.
And don’t forget the little fellas with big grit:
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Chilhowie’s Asher Chapman is back throwin’ darts,
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Grundy’s Trey Taylor runs hard,
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Patrick Henry’s Jeb Stewart is back from injury and ready to run roughshod,
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Virginia High’s Braylon Lester anchors the trenches,
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Holston’s Aaron Smith kicks like he’s aiming for the moon.
Schedule Shenanigans & Streaky Stats
Virginia High and Rye Cove are playin’ early—Week Zero, they call it. Sounds like a possum trap that ain’t been set. Gate City and Hurley are kickin’ off with Midnight Madness again, ‘cause them boys don’t sleep—they practice under the moonlight like some kinda football werewolves.
And we’re sayin’ goodbye to the Black Diamond District. Grundy, Hurley, and Twin Valley will merge like old rivers at the Southern Gap. Hurley Coach Deel says he’s proud to lead ‘em into that final ride. “Last hurrah,” he says. “Business as usual.” That’s the kind of tough we breed in coal country.
Now look here: Graham’s won 15 straight, Rye Cove’s won 17 regular-season games. John Battle and Marion… bless their hearts, they’re still lookin’ for a W like a needle in a haystack.
Northwood’s last playoff team was in 2015. Thomas Walker ain’t won a playoff game since 1996. That’s back when gas was a buck a gallon and folks still used road maps.
Football, Fried Bologna & Front Porch Legends
This year’s got some big anniversaries, too:
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Gate City’s last title? 2010. Seems like yesterday.
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Powell Valley? Them boys ruled the ‘90s like possums on a compost pile—’89, ’90, ’94, ’95, and on.
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Thomas Jones played his last high school game 30 years ago. He could’ve run through a concrete wall and kept goin’.
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And who could forget Hurley’s 102-0 Halloween special in 1970? Scored triple digits before the other team even knew they was playin’.
So that’s the lay of the land, y’all. Football’s comin’ in hot like gravy on a biscuit, and I reckon we’re all in for another wild ride.
Keep your radios tuned, your tailgates down, and your eye on the ball—‘cause down here in Southwest Virginia, we don’t just play football…
We grow it, we bleed it, and we pass it down like Grandma’s cornbread recipe.
—Farmer Fred (Farmers never REALLY retire, we just sit on the front row of the auction and tell ya that you paid too much!) 