The high school football season officially begins this week with Salem and Glenvar both playing archrival opponents Friday night.
The Spartans will play host to Amherst County while Glenvar travels to Galax. The Salem game is scheduled for 7 pm Friday at Salem Stadium and this has been a good rivalry. This is the fourth year in a row the Spartans have opened with the Lancers and they’ve won two of the first three, losing 42-40 in Salem in 2016 around two wins in Amherst, 45-12 in 2015 and 38-24 last year.
The two schools are both Class 4 and they’ve had quite a few playoff games over the years. Amherst has knocked the Spartans out of the playoffs four different times, the last two times in 2006 and ’07. They didn’t play in the post-season again until 2015, when Salem won 35-7. “They have a lot of quickness and some good skill kids,” said Salem coach Stephen Magenbauer of this year’s Amherst team. “They have a real good runningback(Frank Ross). He had close to 3,000 yards last year.” Amherst has had some dissention among the ranks this summer.
Coach Trevor Porter resigned without coaching a single game at the school. He was hired in June to replace Cecil Phillips, who left after 10 years with the Lancers, but Porter resigned two weeks ago amidst turmoil among the staff and was replaced by an assistant as interim coach. The Spartans had a benefit game against Magna Vista last Friday night at Salem Stadium and outscored the Warriors, 28-7.
Magenbauer was pleased with the progress in a week’s time. “For a scrimmage, it was a big improvement over week one,” he said. “We still have a lot to do to get better, but it helped prepare us for the first game.” Glenvar scrimmaged Blacksburg at Highlander Stadium last Friday. The varsity players went head-to-head in the first half and the Highlanders outscored the Bruins, 7-3. The jayvees played in the second half. “It started out pretty sloppy but it got better,” said Glenvar coach Kevin Clifford. The Highlanders also have a traditional rival to open with, as they go to Galax Friday night to start the season. The Maroon Tide has won 21 playoff games in the past nine years, including a state championship and a runnerup finish.
Clifford expects them to be good again. “They’re a typical Galax team, good, tough and well coached,” he said. The Highlanders have opened with Galax for the past seven years and have a 4-3 record in those games. However, they’ve won four of the past five, including a 34-14 win last year. They’re 1-2 in Galax. “It will be a challenge,” said Clifford. “It’s a big game for both teams early in the season.” The Glenvar junior varsity will play a rare game against Salem on Monday, August 27, at 6:30 pm at Salem Stadium. The Salem jayvees are at Amherst today and Glenvar’s jayvees are home to Galax in season openers for both. In middle school action Andrew Lewis’ eighth graders are at William Byrd today and Glenvar is at Cave Spring.
Next Monday Lewis’s eighthgraders go to Blacksburg and the seventh graders are at Read Mountain. The Lewis eighth graders opened Monday with a 42-18 loss to Franklin County and the seventh graders won at Byrd Monday, 34-8. Recreation games also begin this week. Stay abreast of all the football in the Salem area every week in the Salem Times-Register, and don’t miss the special section, “TOUCHDOWN XLII,” included in this week’s edition.
