More than halfway through the season, high school football in the Roanoke Valley has witnessed several surprise teams. Cave Spring, a year removed from a 2-8 record, is off to a 5-1 start. Hidden Valley, 4-6 in 2008, sits at 4-2. And Northside, only a .500 team last fall, currently is 5-2 (records before the games on October 16).
But in a seemingly recurring theme of the past few years, the Salem Spartans currently sit head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. And if the Spartans’ (6-0, 1-0) last three victories serve as a barometer, this team is ready for yet another deep postseason run.
That shouldn’t really shock anyone, either. Since 2004, Salem is 65-6, winning four River Ridge District titles, three Region IV championships, and two state titles during that span.
“We seem to be coming together, and everything just seems to be coming together right now, at least I hope it is,” Head Coach Stephen Magenbauer said.
What makes the Spartans so consistently good? “We have great community support, just so many people excited about Salem football,” Magenbauer said, noting that many home games draw upwards of several thousand fans. “We have been fortunate enough to have some stability on the coaching staff. And we have kids who love playing football here.”
Other coaches see a strong commitment to winning as the key ingredient. “As a school they are willing to hire the coaches they need, they’re willing to pump money into the program, they have top notch facilities and a great feeder system from the rec leagues all the way up,” William Fleming Head Coach Rob Senseney said. His Colonels were shut out in Salem earlier this season.
When asked about the Salem fans, Senseney added: “You have people tailgating before the game, tons of people come out…it’s like a college football atmosphere over there.”
With the increased commitment comes increased pressure to win, which Magenbauer has done consistently since taking over in 2004, following a stint at Hidden Valley. The Spartans experienced a down year of sorts in 2008, finishing second in the River Ridge District behind Pulaski – before getting blown out 38-0 by the Cougars in the Region IV title game.
With four games left in the 2009 regular season the Spartans appear to be back on track, poised to add a few more titles to the record books, if only because they have already beaten some of the best competition the area has to offer.
In the midst of a tough four-game stretch, Salem has whipped the previously unbeaten Cave Spring Knights 42-0, blanked defending Western Valley District champion William Fleming 27-0, and knocked off the Blue Ridge District leading Northside Vikings 26-22.
The Spartans have dominated on both sides of the ball thus far, outscoring their opponents by an average of 23 points per game. Offensively, Salem has been the epitome of balance, forcing defensive coordinators to pick their poison in choosing how to stop them.
Through six games, the Spartans have racked up 954 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground (an average of 159.6 yards rushing per game) using four different tailbacks. The team has been just as efficient through the air; junior quarterback Adam McGarrell, in his first season as a starter, has already thrown for 880 yards and six scores, with just two interceptions. McGarrell’s main target, senior Stephen Barnette, has 25 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns.
As good as the offense has been, particularly in the last three weeks, the defense has been even better. Led by junior linebacker Seth Fisher (48 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries) and senior safety Bud Tolliver (45 tackles), the Spartans are holding opponents to just 6 points per game, and have already forced 11 turnovers. In the blowout victory over Cave Spring, Salem held the Knights to just 115 total yards of offense.
“Our defense is playing really well,” Magenbauer said. “And when they are playing like that, you’ll be in every game you play in.”
Despite the team’s dominance thus far, Magenbauer refuses to look too far ahead – and with good reason. Another big showdown awaits October 23rd, when the Spartans have to travel to currently undefeated Christiansburg (6-0) to take on the Blue Demons. Also left on the schedule are the much-improved Hidden Valley Titans (October 30th), and Pulaski on November 6th.
“We don’t want to feel too good about what we’ve done so far,” he said. “There are too many good teams left on the schedule.” If the Spartans continue at their current level of play, it may not matter.
By Matt Reeve [email protected]