The Salem High football team will have a bye this week after defeating Cave Spring in their Homecoming game at Salem Stadium last Friday. The Spartans rolled to a 35-7 win over the Knights to improve to 6-1 on the season.
You’d think, with a 6-1 record that includes a win over Dinwiddie and two Class 5 schools, the Spartans would be sitting pretty in the Region 4D standings. Well, think again.
Despite all that success, the Spartans are only in fifth place in the Region 4D rankings. They trail three undefeated teams, Sherando, GW-Danville and Jefferson Forest, and 6-1 James Wood in the region rankings, and Handley is right behind the Spartans at 5-1. There’s a long way to go until the playoffs, but if they were to open today Salem would be on the road against James Wood with a three-hour drive to Winchester.
Things could change in the meantime, but the Spartans are going to have to hope some of those top teams lose some games. Salem has three games left with winless Pulaski County, winless Hidden Valley and 2-4 Christiansburg. You don’t need a degree in calculus to figure Salem won’t pick up many “rider points” from those schools.
There’s a good chance a 9-1 record could put the Spartans on the road for the first round of the playoffs, and that’s in a region that goes from the north to south borders of the state of Virginia.
“We’re in a pretty doggone strong region,” said Salem coach Don Holter.
With a week off the Spartans can prepare for what’s ahead. They’re a shoo-in to make the playoffs after missing out last year, and the bye week is a good time to get some banged up players healthy. One of those won’t be quarterback Tanner Overstreet, who is out for the season with a knee injury, but a couple linemen who sat out the Cave Spring game hope to be back when Salem goes to Pulaski next week.
“They’ll have two full weeks to heal up,” said Holter. “We’ll use our time to evaluate film and make a list of things to be better, like fundamentals and footwork. It’s a good time to have a week off.”
Last Friday the Spartans had little trouble dispatching of an improving Cave Spring team. Salem had four rushing TDs, including two by Nick Baxley, and Pearce Oliver was 9 for 12 passing with a TD strike to Jaidyn Rudisell. Baxley had a 62-yard punt return and Liam Munoz was 5 for 5 on extra points.
“We were clean and efficient,” said Holter. “Our special teams gave us a couple great returns to set up short fields and we took advantage.”
On defense Parker Woolwine had six solo tackles, an assist and a sack to lead the Spartans while Jamalachi Law, Jayden Wood and Tristan Noel had six solos each. Rudisell and Braylen Smith had interceptions.
With the win Salem is now 2-1 in River Ridge District games. The jayvees are also off after falling to Cave Spring last week, 58-36.
