The Glenvar football team is hoping to make it a dozen straight years of rocking this Friday when James River comes to town for a Three Rivers District football game. This one is for the “Virginia Media Rocking Chair,” with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at Highlander Stadium.
The Highlanders will have the chair on the sidelines for the victor to take home after the game as the winner gets to keep the rocker, painted in James River and Glenvar colors, until next year’s game. Virginia Media publishes both the Fincastle Herald and Salem Times-Register newspapers, covering both participants, and it’s been an annual rite since Glenvar left the Pioneer District for the Three Rivers in 1996. The two teams had been big rivals in the
Pioneer and it added a little incentive to the game, even though the two teams were no longer district rivals.
Now, both are in the Three Rivers District and it’s a big game both for the chair, district bragging rights, and VHSL points for post-season possibilities. Glenvar has held the chair for the past 11 meetings, and holds a 22-6 edge overall, but the Knights see an opportunity to regain the rocker this year.
“It’s been awhile, long before I was here, but the kids know about it and would love to have it back at James River,” said Knights coach Jack Baker, a James River graduate who is in his second year as head coach.
The Highlanders are determined not to let that happen. Coach Kevin Clifford has been the keeper of the chair, painting it and repairing it when needed. In the past 11 years it’s been in the library or the locker room, but if Glenvar can make it a dozen years in a row Kevin wants to put it in the front office where everyone can see it.
“This is a big deal for us and it’s a big game for them,” said Clifford. “They’re well coached and they have tough kids.”
The Highlanders have won this game 11 years in a row but they know streaks can be broken. Last week in Hillsville the Carroll County team defeated Glenvar, 38-21, for their first win over the Highlanders in school history. The rivalry started in 2017 and Glenvar had won all eight meetings prior to last Friday.
“We let them convert too many fourth downs,” said Clifford. “They played keep-away with 70 plays to our 34.”
Glenvar took an early lead when Kiptyn Jones scored on a six-yard run. The Cavaliers answered with a score and a two-point conversion, but Glenvar regained the lead at 13-8 on a 28-yard TD pass from Jones to Grayson Harris. Carroll then scored again, adding another two, and led 16-13 at the half.
Carroll outscored the Highlanders 22-8 in the second half. Ben Brown scored on a 69-yard TD pass from Jones and it was still a close game after three quarters, with Carroll leading 24-21. However, Carroll continued to control the game as Glenvar had just four offensive plays in the fourth quarter and the Cavs held on for the win to remain undefeated after six games.
Glenvar fell to 3-3 with the loss, the first time they haven’t had a winning record after six games since they started 3-3 in 2019. The Highlanders won six of their last eight games that year and Clifford is hoping his team makes a similar run this season.
The Highlanders beat Carroll in last week’s jayvee game, 26-16. The jayvees are in Buchanan tonight to take on James River, but no chairs are on the line for that one.
