To be sure, the Hidden Valley Titans have been one of the surprise stories of the season through eight weeks of high school football in the Roanoke Valley. Still, questions persist about just how good the Titans actually are. After all, five of the Titans’ six wins have come against Patrick Henry, Pulaski, William Byrd, Lord Botetourt and Blacksburg, teams with a combined record of 11-31.
Those questions may have been answered, at least in part, on October 16, when Hidden Valley went down to Christiansburg and upended the previously unbeaten Blue Demons 28-21. Friday night (Oct. 30), the Titans (6-2) can put any lingering doubts to rest with a win over the Salem Spartans.
At 3-0 in the River Ridge District, a win over the Spartans would put Hidden Valley in the driver’s seat for the district title, something the school has never achieved.
“We play in a very competitive district, and we’re just trying to get better each week,” Head Coach Scott Weaver said. “We’ve never won the district before, and you can’t win it without winning the first three games, which we have been able to do.” Salem has usually been the school in the way.
Heading into district play, however, the Titans were in the midst of a funk, with back-to-back losses to Brookville and Northside.
“We just didn’t play our game against Brookville – I mean, we turned the ball over 7 times,” Weaver said. “And the Northside game was just a great football game. Sometimes things can’t always go your way.” The Titans missed a 44-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining in the loss to the Vikings.
The team responded with three straight wins over Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Pulaski, led by sensational senior running back David Williams.
Williams, the leading rusher in the Valley, has 2,071 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground, an average of 258.9 yards per contest. What makes Williams even more special has been his performances in big games. Against Christiansburg, the Titans’ star tailback ran for 278 yards and 2 scores. And in the loss to Northside, Williams still dazzled, racking up 251 yards and another touchdown.
“He’s a player,” Weaver said. “We want to run the ball first and foremost, and it’s nice to have someone like that back there.”
In order to knock off the Spartans, Williams will have to carry the load again. Weaver isn’t hiding the fact that the Titans plan on feeding him the ball early and often.
“We’re going to have the same game plan we’ve had all season long,” he said. “If they are able to slow us down on the ground, we have no problem putting the ball up in the air.”
Weaver knows his team has a tall order on Friday night. “[Salem is] the premier program around and have been for a long time,” he said. “Their whole team concerns me, I mean they are that good. But for it to be Week 9 and for us to have one of the most hyped games this week, it’s really special for our kids.” Prediction: Salem 28, Hidden Valley 21.
By Matt Reeve [email protected]