The first domino on the goal sheet for the Grundy Golden Wave could fall at the Cliff on Friday when it travels to Hurley to take on the Rebels.
With a win over their archrival, Grundy will claim the Black Diamond District Championship.
With the recent string of success that the Wave has rattled off as of late, the odds are in Craig Plymal and Grundy’s favor.
Grundy and Hurley are both coming off completely different outcomes in week six.
The talk throughout Buchanan County this season has been about the massive amount of yards that Gabe Fiser has racked up.
Grundy’s matchup with Twin Valley would not be any different.
The senior tailback broke the school record for rushing yards in a game for the third time in 2018 on his way to 368 yards and six touchdowns on the way to Grundy’s 50-16 victory.
Fiser amounted 266 yards in the first half as Grundy built a 32-8 lead. In the second half, the Golden Wave tailback got five more carries for 102 yards.
What can’t Gabe Fiser do?
After his 368-yard performance, Fiser’s season total comes out to 1,328 at the midway point.
Fiser’s success is in large the reason why the Wave has rattled off four consecutive wins.
Grundy quarterback Derrick Endicott had 142 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Jake McCoy and Peyton McComas were on the receiving ends of the touchdown darts.
Fiser has gotten the nod as the WCYB Player of the Week for his most recent performance. He has to be considered the favorite for numerous awards throughout the coalfields.
One thing has been for certain in Grundy this season, do not let the ink get to dry before Fiser needs to lay new ink down in the record book.
The Hurley Rebels are coming off a 52-0 blanking at the hands of the Tazewell Bulldogs. The Rebels faced a 22-0 deficit in the first quarter before going into halftime down 38-0. The Bulldogs added a score in both the third and fourth quarters to extend the lead to 52-0, which would be the final.
Hurley allowed Tazewell running back Mike Jones 151 yards on six carries. Jones found the end zone three times on runs of 7, 26 and 37, respectively.
Tazewell running back Chancellor Harris also had a big night at The Cliff. Harris ended his night with 123 yards on 13 carries. The Bulldogs leading rusher on the season finished with three touchdowns as well.
The Rebels continuously shot themselves in the foot. Hurley turned the ball over five times on the afternoon, with three interceptions and two fumbles.
The lone bright spot for the Rebels came with Jonathan Hurley, who gained 56 yards on the ground and completed a 31-yard strike to Taylor Justus.
Hurley also added eight tackles on defense for the Rebels.
A win will give Grundy its second consecutive sweep of the BDD. The Golden Wave have found a rhythm after their week one loss to Ridgeview and hasn’t looked back. Hurley has found success in spurts on its way to a 3-3 record.
In a series that dates back to 1952, Grundy holds a 22-6 advantage. The Golden Wave crashed hard on the Rebels a season ago. Grundy shutout Hurley, 42-0.
I am a graduate of Richlands High School—class of 2014. In May 2018, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Journalism and History with a minor in war and Society from Virginia Tech.
My passions in life are numerous. We don’t have all day. This is not the place to divulge into Hokie Football, so I will shed some light on one of my other favorites.
I was born and raised in the coalfields of southwest Virginia—Richlands to be exact. I remember the first time I ever went to a high school football game (Richlands-Tazewell ’02). Since then, a passion has grown that is stronger than the current in the Clinch River. As a football player in this region, I was able to witness the passion oozing out of the hills firsthand. It was something that when I began college, people had a hard time believing the spectacle that is high school football in the coalfields. Luckily, I was able to go 42-8 in between the white lines on Fridays and Saturdays from 2010-2013. I look forward to having another platform to tell you my stories, your stories and their stories. Here’s to the good times and hoping I don’t leave you like I did Coach Greg Mance numerous times—by saying, “Gosh Durn It!”
Let’s talk, SWVA sports, Hokies, history or maybe even barbecue.
