The undefeated Salem High football team will have another big test this week when they head to Merrill Gainer Field in Roanoke to take on Patrick Henry.
This is a River Ridge District game, but more importantly it’s a big game for VHSL points and seeding in the post-season. Salem is undefeated with a big win over Dinwiddie and PH is a Class 5 school with a 4-1 record. Friday’s winner will reap a bunch of points, and both could use them with weak district teams like Hidden Valley and Pulaski County on the schedule who will not bring a lot of points.
PH has won its last four games after opening the season with a 30-28 loss to Southern Alamance High of North Carolina. The Patriots have beaten three schools who Salem has also beaten, E.C. Glass (48-10), Franklin County (35-9) and William Fleming (42-7). Their other win was a 56-0 rout of hapless Hidden Valley last week.
“All the games are big, this is just the next one,” said Salem coach Don Holter. “They (PH) execute well and have good kids in the skill positions. They like to get you in space.”
One of their skill position players is senior Kyshead Arrington, who transferred from Salem in the off-season. Kyshead ran for almost 1,000 yards as a sophomore for the Spartans in 2024. Last year he played three games, went out with an illness and never returned. He surfaced at PH and has had a strong start to the season, adding another wrinkle to what promises to already be a very interesting game.
Salem will be without senior captain and quarterback Tanner Overstreet, and he’s most likely lost for the season with a knee injury. Tanner was banged up in week three against Fleming and was originally expected to miss a couple games. However, an MRI indicated surgery would be needed and freshman Pearce Oliver is now fully in charge of the Salem offense. Holter feels Pearce is capable and ready.
“I have complete confidence in him,” he said. “Pearce is humble and hungry, and he’s very coachable. He’s like a sponge.”
While losing a talent like Overstreet would devastate most teams, Tanner is dedicated to helping the team however he can.
“Tanner has taken Pearce under his wing,” said Holter. “They have a great relationship and it keeps getting better.
“I really feel for Tanner,” Holter continued. “I know his heart is broken but he’s dedicated to supporting Pearce and coaching him up. Tanner is unselfish and he’s what leadership is all about.”
Oliver won the backup position this summer. He wasn’t even on the preseason roster and was expected to be the jayvee quarterback. However, as summer practice progressed it became apparent he was the second best quarterback in the program, so Holter made him a strictly varsity player. He has good size at 6’2″, is mature for a freshman and is coming off a middle school season where he led Andrew Lewis to a 7-1-1 record.
He has a strong arm, and in his varsity starts the past two weeks he’s completed seven of 11 passes for 156 yards and four touchdowns. He hasn’t looked at all overmatched on the varsity, in fact quite the opposite.
With Oliver firmly entrenched as the starter the question now asked is who the backup will be. Last year when Overstreet injured his shoulder Jaidyn Rudisell and Grayson MacBrien took turns behind center until Tanner returned from his injury. Both had played some quarterback in middle school but are now juniors and filling needs in other important positions.
“We’re working on that,” said Holter.
Salem comes into the Patrick Henry game off a 49-13 win over the Bruins in Blacksburg last week. As mentioned Oliver threw for two scores with Rudisell on the receiving end.
Jordan McCadden rushed for over 200 yards for the fifth straight game, rolling up 209 yards on 14 carries with two scores, one a 75-yarder. At the midway point of the regular season McCadden has rushed for 1,344 yards. Gabe Johnson, who has embraced the fullback position, ran for 53 yards and two TDs and Joe Henderson also ran for a score and 65 yards.
The Salem defense shut out Blacksburg after allowing 14 first-half points. The Spartans have yet to record a shutout, but in four of the five games they have not been scored upon in the second half.
“Our defense keeps getting better,” said Holter. “We’ve had some mental errors that have been corrected at halftime, and one mental error is too many.”
DaVon Jones led the defense with eight tackles, seven of which were solos. Jayden Wood and Henderson had six solos each while Jake James and Parker Woolwine had blocked kicks.
The Salem jayvees also won last week, defeating Blacksburg 30-21. The jayvees will host PH at Salem Stadium tonight.
