In the season opener tonight for both schools, it was gorgeous inside the Little Giants stadium but all you had to do was look to the west and you could see that it was not going to last. Sure enough around the 4 minute mark of the second quarter, they called for the stands to be evacuated due to some lightning being spotted in the area. Some folks may stick around to see if the game resumes but I decided to head on home (had to be concerned about my hair you understand!) so I left one of my ace reporters in charge and if the game does resume, we will try to get you a final.
Riverheads was in command at the time the game stopped, leading 14-0 and about to receive the ball on a punt. They had scored late in the first quarter on a 7 yard run by Brody Phillips, whom I am told is an eighth-grader playing his first-ever organized football. He had been the primary ball-carrier to that point in the game and seemed to have a natural instinct for finding the hole.
Then early in the second quarter, the Big Red caught the Little Giants napping as quarterback Levi Dunlap (does that surname sound familiar to anyone???) tossed about a 40 yarder to a Mr. Roberts, whom I am told is the younger brother of Trevor Roberts, who graduated this spring. (Don't worry.......as the season progresses I will get better with names.)
Anyway, he got behind the defense, hauled in the pass along the far sideline, and outran a couple of defenders for the score. The Gladiators failed on that two-point PAT, after successfully converting the first time.
As for the Waynesboro side of things, they were showing some potential and of course after last season when they didn't even field a JV team, it should encourage the community to even see bodies out on the field. In fact, numbers-wise it appeared that Waynesboro might have had a few more players than Riverheads. So under no circumstances should any of us assume that RHS was going to dominate the rest of the game. The Little Giants were only one big play away from getting back in it, and you can bet their coaching staff was preaching that exact message.
Regardless of what happens tonight, the Big Red travels to Parry McCluer next Wednesday night to battle the Baby Blues. Then as the season progresses, RHS should never have to leave the county as they will either play at home during the varsity team's five-game road swing, or they will have a bye, since there will be no JV game during the Lord Botetourt or Tazewell weeks.
Obviously the Varsity Gladiators are hosting Waynesboro Friday night but Mother Nature seems to be fully in charge of things with isolated chances of rain just about every day for the foreseeable future. So don't be surprised this week if some season-openers get played and others don't. County football fans might want to make a double-header out of it this weekend if they choose because in addition to RHS hosting the Giants, Stuarts Draft has at least tentatively re-scheduled its home opener against William Monroe for Saturday afternoon at 3:00. That might give RHS fans a chance to scout the Cougars and see what they have this season, since there will be not one, but TWO big showdowns this year between the Pride and the Cougars.
Riverheads was in command at the time the game stopped, leading 14-0 and about to receive the ball on a punt. They had scored late in the first quarter on a 7 yard run by Brody Phillips, whom I am told is an eighth-grader playing his first-ever organized football. He had been the primary ball-carrier to that point in the game and seemed to have a natural instinct for finding the hole.
Then early in the second quarter, the Big Red caught the Little Giants napping as quarterback Levi Dunlap (does that surname sound familiar to anyone???) tossed about a 40 yarder to a Mr. Roberts, whom I am told is the younger brother of Trevor Roberts, who graduated this spring. (Don't worry.......as the season progresses I will get better with names.)
Anyway, he got behind the defense, hauled in the pass along the far sideline, and outran a couple of defenders for the score. The Gladiators failed on that two-point PAT, after successfully converting the first time.
As for the Waynesboro side of things, they were showing some potential and of course after last season when they didn't even field a JV team, it should encourage the community to even see bodies out on the field. In fact, numbers-wise it appeared that Waynesboro might have had a few more players than Riverheads. So under no circumstances should any of us assume that RHS was going to dominate the rest of the game. The Little Giants were only one big play away from getting back in it, and you can bet their coaching staff was preaching that exact message.
Regardless of what happens tonight, the Big Red travels to Parry McCluer next Wednesday night to battle the Baby Blues. Then as the season progresses, RHS should never have to leave the county as they will either play at home during the varsity team's five-game road swing, or they will have a bye, since there will be no JV game during the Lord Botetourt or Tazewell weeks.
Obviously the Varsity Gladiators are hosting Waynesboro Friday night but Mother Nature seems to be fully in charge of things with isolated chances of rain just about every day for the foreseeable future. So don't be surprised this week if some season-openers get played and others don't. County football fans might want to make a double-header out of it this weekend if they choose because in addition to RHS hosting the Giants, Stuarts Draft has at least tentatively re-scheduled its home opener against William Monroe for Saturday afternoon at 3:00. That might give RHS fans a chance to scout the Cougars and see what they have this season, since there will be not one, but TWO big showdowns this year between the Pride and the Cougars.
