by Brian Hoffman
The Glenvar football team will have two weeks and a day to prepare for what is shaping up to be their biggest game of the year. The Highlanders are on break this week after defeating Alleghany last Thursday, 31-6, and they’ll next take the field at Radford on October 28.
The game with Radford is big in a couple ways. The Bobcats play Floyd this week and, if they win, Glenvar can tie for the Three Rivers District championship by beating Radford. That would give Glenvar, Radford and Floyd all one loss, and GHS coach Kevin Clifford makes winning the district a high priority. The Highlanders have lost just five district games in the past nine years.The game with Radford will also be important for both teams as far as the Region 2C playoffs are concerned. As of this week Radford is atop the Virginia High School League Region 2C rankings with a 7-0 record and a 26.0 ranking. The Bobcats are followed by 6-1 Martinsville, 6-1 Floyd, 5-3 Glenvar and 5-3 Appomattox in the fifth spot. The top eight teams make the playoffs with the top four getting first round home games.
“We really want to get that first round home game,” said Clifford. “And I’d like to see us in the opposite bracket from Radford and Floyd.”
Glenvar has a chance to climb up the rankings with a win over Radford on October 29. That will be the last district game of the regular season and the Highlanders finish with a home non-district game with Giles. That won’t be a big point game as the Spartans are now in Class 1 and they’re struggling along with just two wins, meaning fewer “rider points” for the Highlanders if they beat them.
This week’s bye comes at a perfect time for Glenvar. In addition to allowing the Highlanders an extra week to prepare for a huge game it also gives the players some time to get better. The Highlanders have been beset by injuries this year.
“It’s the best situation for us,” said Clifford. “We have to get healthy, and I expect just about everyone will be able to go against Radford. We’ll still be without Will Johnson, and that hurts, but it looks like everyone else should be good to go.”
The Highlanders played Alleghany on Thursday last week due to a shortage of Friday night officials and they ran away with the game after a close first half. Glenvar led just 3-0 after the first quarter on a Tyler Pierce field goal. They upped the lead to 10-0 at the half when Brody Dawyot found Nick Woodson in the end zone with 3:09 to go until the half, and Woodson outfought a Mountaineer defender for the ball.
In the third quarter the Highlanders increased their lead to 17-0 when Dawyot found Jackson Swanson in the flat and he danced by several defenders through 16 yards to score. Then, with just under two minutes left in the quarter, it was Dawyot to Woodson again, but this time Nick was wide open for a score that made it 24-0.Alleghany avoided a shutout by scoring early in the fourth quarter, only to have Glenvar answer with a short TD run by Jack Camper for the 31-6 final.
“I’m proud of our kids, they played hard,” said Clifford. “They played hard for 48 minutes.”
Dawyot completed 15 of 23 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns, two to Woodson and one to Swanson. Brody also gained 48 yards on 11 rushing attempts while Swanson ran four times for 44 yards and Camper had six carries for 24 yards. Woodson finished with four receptions for 53 yards and Swanson had six catches for 125 yards.
On defense Avone Noel had seven tackles and an interception. Camper and Caleb Crowder had nine tackles each and Dawson Anderson had an interception.
Glenvar’s junior varsity also won, 14-8. The jayvees are off this week as well, hosting Radford on October 27 at Highlander Stadium.