Parry McCluer (4-1) at SMLCA(0-4) WHEN: 7 p.m. on Friday WHERE: Osprey Stadium in Moneta. Tickets are $7. LAST YEAR: PM spotted Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy a 3-0 lead but roared back to take a 35-16 victory last season in Buena Vista, a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. The Blues committed 12 penalties and turned the ball over three times but still piled up 437 yards of total offense, including 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns from halfback Parker Snider. Meanwhile, the PM defense held SMLCA to just 89 yards of total offense and intercepted two passes.
SCOUTING THE OSPREYS: The young Ospreys, led offensively by a trio of sophomores, are playing in their second year of full Virginia High School League competition and still seeking their first victory of the season. They did come close their last time out, two weeks ago, falling to unbeaten Northumberland 28-21. Quarterback Jack Maybee, who completed just one of nine passes in mop-up duties against the Blues a year ago, directs the spread offense and has completed 25 of his 47 passes over the last two games for 281 yards and a touchdown. Classmate James Pulling has been his favorite target thus far this season, including a 91-yard effort against Riverheads. Riley Neisch will get the bulk of the carries when SMLCA keeps the ball on the ground. Defense, however, has not been a strong suit for the Ospreys, who allow 45.5 points per game.
SCOUTING THE BLUES: If Friday’s 13-12 victory over Luray was not one of PM’s best games in recent memory – and not just for the sheer excitement of it – one would be hard-pressed to find another. The Blues came up with four interceptions, and while Luray’s Mr. Everything Ryan Jenkins did get his usual gaudy numbers, the Blues came up with four huge fourth-down stops and limited the Bulldogs to a paltry 1-for-9 on third downs to eke out the win. Snider, with 13 total tackles and an interception, and Quentin Rosser, with three interceptions, were the stars of the defensive effort, though the entire stop unit contributed as six different players finished with at least five tackles. The Blues did not have a turnover for the first time this season, and Brody Coleman continued to emerge as one of the top running backs in the Pioneer District, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. While the Blues had only 200 yards rushing in the contest, they held the ball for nearly 30 minutes and battered a Luray defense that had not surrendered a point in its previous two contests.
THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: Friday night will mark the last season the Blues and Ospreys will meet as nondistrict opponents. The recent VHSL realignment plan will move SMLCA into the Pioneer District next season. This outing will not go well for the home team, as the Blues will travel to Moneta and return with a 42-6 win and a 5-1 record for the first time since 2016.
Rockbridge County (0-5) at Buffalo Gap (4-1)
WHEN: 7 p.m. on Friday WHERE: Buffalo Gap High School in Swoope. Tickets are $7. LAST YEAR : In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, the shorthanded Wildcats suffered a 55-9 home loss to Buffalo Gap. The Wildcats, missing several starters due to injuries, struggled against the Bison’s single-wing offense. Gap led 13-0 after the force quarter and increased its lead to 27-2 by halftime, with the Wildcats scoring on a safety. The Bison added two more touchdowns in the third quarter and another two in the fourth. The Wildcats only TD of the game came on a 28-yard run by quarterback Taylan Tyree in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Cooper Reed passed for 35 yards and led Gap with 126 rushing yards and three TDs on just five carries, while Isaac Goff rushed for 105 yards and a TD on 10 totes. Tyree led RC with 72 yards on 20 carries, and he passed for 72 yards but was intercepted twice.
SCOUTING THE BISON: Gap is 3-0 in the Shenandoah District and is coming off a 41-21 road win over Fort Defiance. The star of the game for the Bison was Jaden Humphrey, who rushed for three touchdowns, all from more than 20 yards out, including a 73-yard TD. Reed is now a senior, and his leadership has helped the Bison offense keep rolling. Gap’s only setback was a 27-0 loss at Broadway in the season opener. The Bison’s other district wins were a 14-7 triumph at Wilson Memorial on Sept. 11 and then a 7-0 home victory over Riverheads on Sept. 18. Although Gap is in Class 1 and is a smaller school than RC, a Class 3 school, there’s no reason the Bison should be overlooked.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: The Wildcats are coming off arguably their best game of the season, a 35-21 home loss to Stuarts Draft (4-1) last Friday. Although the Wildcats trailed 35-7 in the fourth quarter in that game, they kept battling, with two passing touchdowns in the final 4:27. Gap will be another challenging opponent, and the Wildcats can’t afford to let the Bison build up a big lead if they want to compete. RC had a lot of success with Tyree passing the ball, and the Wildcats got good running from Tyree and Carson Fridley while playing strong defense.
THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: The Wildcats are hungry for a win, but they’re facing a team that’s got a lot of positive momentum. We see the Wildcats continuing to improve and playing with Gap, but the Bison’s running game will be tough to contain. We expect Gap to deal the Wildcats a 28-22 loss.
