Rockbridge County (0-0) at Parry McCluer (0-0) WHEN: 7 p.m. on Friday
WHERE: Bobby Williams Field in Buena Vista. Tickets are $7.
LAST YEAR: The Fighting Blues earned a 33-16 road win over Rockbridge County in the season opener. PM quarterback Nathan Glass passed for 150 yards and three touchdowns, throwing two TD passes in the first quarter to help the Blues jump out to a 13-3 lead, and PM led 27-10 at halftime. Jackson Brockenbrough led the Blues’ running game, rushing for 100 yards and two TDs. Eli Sorrells, who led RC with 77 rushing yards, and Gabe Wade each scored a TD for the Wildcats, and Aiden Meyers made a 25-yard field goal. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 12-10.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: The Wildcats are looking to get the Zack Rhodenizer coaching era off to a strong start, and they’ll try to get their speedbased offense going early against a PM team that has a strong run-
, page B5 ning game to complement Glass’s passing game. In preseason and scrimmaging, defense has been a strong point for the Wildcats, as has their offensive line. Some players will be taking on new roles for RC, and this will be a good chance to see how they adapt. Rhodenizer acknowledges that every game is important, but he knows the intensity will be especially high in this first game.
SCOUTING THE BLUES: In addition to their offense, the Blues have a talented and hardworking defense, and the combination should test the Wildcats. After defeating the Wildcats in the openers the last two years, the Blues went 6-5 both seasons, exiting the playoffs in the first round. PM is looking to advance further this year, and a win in the opener would set a good tone for the season.
THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: From a head coaching standpoint, this game puts a PM alumnus, Jeremiah Brockenbrough, against Rhodenizer, the first RC alumnus to serve as the Wildcats’ head football coach. That alone would make this game intriguing to watch, but lots of other factors will come into play. Glass starts his senior year, while the Wildcats will have a new quarterback looking to establish himself. The Blues got ahead early last year and didn’t let up, but we expect the Wildcats to challenge them this year. Look for a close battle throughout the night between two teams that have a mixture of experience and new faces. We think the Blues’ recent playoff experience and the energy from their home crowd will lift them to a 37-34 win.
