This Friday night we enter week-four of the high school football season and the stars have lined up in a most unusual fashion.
We have four undefeated teams remaining in the ‘ Big-11 ‘ and they’re all from the same district. The realigned Blue Ridge District has Northside, William Byrd, Lord Botetourt all at 3-0, while fellow member William Fleming is 2-0 after an idle week last Friday.
All four have very tough non-district matchups this week which will have the planchette on the Ouija Board grinding in high gear. So, before the smoke gets too thick around here, let’s get right to this week’s slate of ten contests.
For the record, last week’s predictions yielded only two misses for the third straight week. I just hope I’m not in a rut.
SALEM at NORTHSIDE: Clearly the showcase matchup of week-four. Northside escaped Bogle Stadium with a win last Friday and Salem was stunned at home in a one point loss to William Byrd. Is it possible that the Spartans could lose two weeks in a row? Burt Torrence and crew say yes. This one should be a barnburner. Northside- 27 Salem- 24
MAGNA VISTA at WILLIAM BYRD:
Magna Vista come to Vinton with a 2-1 record to find an undefeated Terrier team flying high after ruining Salem’s homecoming with the 29-28 shocker last Friday night. Byrd head coach Jeff Highfield will be tested in motivational skills to avoid a letdown. He’ll get the message across. WILLIAM BYRD- 30 Magna Vista- 21
ALLEGHANY at CAVE SPRING:
Homecoming weekend for the Knights at Bogle Stadium. After a parade, a king, a queen and a prince and princess, you only need one more thing. Cave Spring comes through. Cave Spring- 23 Alleghany- 19
RICHLANDS at LORD BOTETOURT:
The Blue Tornado visit Daleville where the undefeated Cavaliers will be looking for a signature win over a Richlands team that is typically a fixture in late-season playoff football. Can the Jamie Harless defense keep the high winds under control? Lord Botetourt- 28 Richlands- 25
WILLIAM FLEMING at E.C. GLASS
The Colonels had a week off to prepare for the Hilltoppers with hopes of staying undefeated. Any trip to the Hill City can be tough if you’re trying to shatter glass. E.C. Glass- 27 William Fleming- 13
HIDDEN VALLEY at BASSETT:
The Titans looked impressive and stayed with Northside for three quarters last Friday before dropping their third game. This may be the week that the Jake Smiley air attack gets untracked to compliment the Hidden Valley running game.
Hidden Valley- 24 Bassett- 20
PATRICK HENRY at ALBEMARLE:
The Patriots play their fourth straight road game before returning to Gainer Field for five straight at home. PH passed a big test last Friday with the win in Pulaski. Looks like a 3-1 start should be in the cards. Patrick Henry- 32 Albemarle- 20
GLENVAR at GRAYSON COUNTY:
After a shootout win in week one, Glenvar will be looking to return to .500 with a win in Independence.The Blue Devils may have too much offense for the Highlanders to contain. Grayson County- 30 Glenvar- 15
BLUE RIDGE at NORTH CROSS (SAT):
The Raiders have their offense producing big numbers and the defense looked better in the win against Christchurch last Saturday. North Cross should roll in their home opener. North Cross- 41 Blue Ridge- 9
AUBURN at ROANOKE CATHOLIC:
The Celtics dropped their first game last Friday at Fishburne Military and a revitalized Auburn program comes to town at 2-0. Auburn may be the real deal. Auburn- 26 Roanoke Catholic- 12
– Bill Turner
