9 STATE FINALS/8 CHAMPIONSHIPS/WERE YOU THERE…
In 2000….on a bitterly cold day at Liberty University, the Big Red capped off its first-ever perfect season (14-0) with a 26-12 win over Bath County for our first state title. Coach Casto was a young buck then and had endured an 0-10 season in his first year with Riverheads before steadily building the program up to a new standard.
In 2006…in our one and only game ever played at JMU’s Bridgeforth Stadium, the Big Red survived a rash of turnovers and squeaked past J I Burton 21-20 for state title number two.
In 2010…Fans still talk about the day RHS stunned unbeaten Eastern Montgomery 63-49, with many state records set that day. The game featured the Big Red’s dominant ground game against a fierce passing attack from EM. The two kickers were 16-16 on PAT’s.
In 2015…on the one time when RHS reached the state final but failed to win the title, we scored on the very last play of the game with all zeroes on the clock but could not convert the 2-point conversion as Galax held on for a 7-6 win. As you will read, we have more than avenged that loss!
In 2016…we won the first of five straight state championships with a 49-6 thrashing of unbeaten Sussex Central. However, we earned the right to play for the title that season by traveling to Galax for the semi-finals and pounding the Maroon Tide 63-21 on its own field.
In 2017…the Big Red won the first of two state championships over Chilhowie, blanking the Warriors 42-0 in the title game. Although few fans were aware of it, that was also a grudge match as Chilhowie had beaten RHS 25-7 way back in 1975 in our first-ever playoff game.
In 2018...Playing in Salem for a fourth straight year, the Gladiators again defeated Chilhowie. This one was tight in the first half, before the Big Red pulled away to win 35-7.
In 2019…For our fifth straight appearance in Salem, it was Galax time again and the game went down to the wire. It was tied at 24-24 when Cole Burton broke loose for a 70 yard gallop with about two minutes left as RHS won 31-24, finishing with a best-ever 15-0 record.
In 2020 (Spring of 2021)…For the first time in school history, the Gladiators were allowed to host a state championship game in the Colosseum. The date was this past May 1 and once again we battled Galax. The Tide hung around for a while in a real shootout but the Big Red won 65-29.
That brings us to Saturday’s game. For the Big Red’s 10th championship appearance in 21 years, the opponent will again be Galax as the teams will meet for the fifth time in seven seasons. Each one topped the 50-point mark in their semi-final victories, which may mean we could have another shootout in store. Game time will be 4:30 PM this year. Tickets will be available ONLY by online advance purchase. Go to GoFan.com or consult your school for information.
