Riverheads (3-3) at Rockbridge County (0-7) WHEN: 7 p.m. on Friday WHERE: Prasnicki-Ross Field at Veterans Stadium in Lexington. Tickets are $7.
LAST YEAR: These two teams did not meet.
SCOUTING THE GLADIATORS: One of the most storied programs in Virginia, Riverheads won seven consecutive state titles from 2016-22. The Gladiators are in Class 1, with smaller schools than Class 3 teams like RC, but they have held their own against the larger schools this season. After suffering a 14-0 loss at Wilson Memorial on Sept. 26, the Gladiators had a bye week and then bounced back with a 35-0 trouncing of Class 2 Fort Defiance last Friday to even up their record at 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the Shenandoah District. Against Fort, Riverheads quarterback Kendal Edwards rushed for one touchdown and threw for another, racking up 117 total yards of offense, while running backs Skyler Shifflett and Jackson Fitzgerald each rushed for a TD and more than 75 yards. The Gladiators’ other district win was a 29-15 win on Sept. 19 over Buffalo Gap, which went on to rout the Wildcats 55-9 on Oct. 3. From the two district wins and playing WM close, it’s clear that Riverheads is still a team to take seriously.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: The winless Wildcats weren’t able to do much in their last three games, and last Friday’s 52-0 setback at WM was RC’s first shutout loss of the season. Injuries have made it even harder for the Wildcats, who were missing six key players last Friday and lost freshman quarterback Taylan Tyree to a concussion in the second quarter. It was uncertain at the end of the game if Tyree would be back this week, but sophomore Carson Fridley will have to be prepared at quarterback, after getting some playing experience last Friday. RC’s defense will have to step up to keep this game competitive, and the Wildcats will hope for a big game from senior running back Andrew Kelly to get their offense going.
THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: The Wildcats look to make their fans proud in their homecoming game, when they face another tough test. We expect to see a stronger performance from RC, but the Gladiators have been getting better every week and will be looking to improve their district standing. We see Riverheads dealing RC a 42-21 loss.
