Parry McCluer (2-0) at James River (1-1)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday WHERE: James River High School in Buchanan, Va. Tickets are $7.
LAST MEETING: Parry McCluer took advantage of three James River turnovers and held the Knights to just 152 yards of total offense in a 34-7 victory last year in Buena Vista. Jonovan Dunn returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Jase Barger added an 84-yard fumble return for a score later in the period as the Blues raced out to a 26-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Nathan Glass threw two TD passes and ran for another touchdown in the Parry McCluer victory.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS: James River, under the new direction of Buchanan native and former Parry McCluer head coach Jack Baker, is off to a 1-1 start after defeating Auburn in the season opener before falling to Blacksburg, 36-26, last Friday night. The bulk of James River’s offense has come from speedy senior running back Gavin Binns, who rushed for nearly 200 yards in the contest against Auburn and scored three touchdowns in last Friday’s loss, giving him five TDs on the season. Freshman Merit Hammons has gotten the starting nod at quarterback for the Knights each of the last two weeks and will direct the James River offense, which will spread the field in an attempt to mostly run the football. Maddox Woodyard, a senior, could see some snaps at quarterback, while Sam Wilson is another threat out of the backfield. Defensively, the Knights typically run a four-man front, but one would expect them to load up the box against the Blues.
SCOUTINGTHEBLUES: Parry McCluer’s defense gave up two big plays early, but the Blues scored a pair of touchdowns late in the first half to pull away and defeat Page County, 46-12, last Friday night in Buena Vista. Included in those TD strikes in the second quarter was a 95-yard touchdown pass from Glass to Zavion Dunn at the buzzer, a pass that set a new PM record for the longest in team history. Glass finished the game with four passing touchdowns, and the senior quarterback ran for another. Jacob Shafer was the recipient of two of those TD passes, and he ran for two more scores en route to 99 yards rushing. Parker Snider finished the game with 126 yards on 16 carries for the Blues. The Blues are now averaging over 33 points per game and have the offensive weapons to keep the James River defense honest.
THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: James River and Parry McCluer first met way back in 1970 and have played every year since, with the Blues holding a 35-19-1 edge in the series. While the Blues didn’t lose their first game to a James River team until 1995, the Knights have held the edge lately, winning eight in a row and 15 of 19 since 2006. The Blues ended a stretch of three straight losses to the Knights with a stellar defensive effort last season, and it will take that kind of performance again this year, particularly on the edge as they try to shut down Binns. Look for this one to be an offensive shootout, with Parry McCluer earning a 32-28 victory on the road.
