Honaker (4-4) at Northwood (1-7)
Date: Friday, October 26, 2018.
Where: Northwood High School—Saltville, VA.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Last meeting: 10/26/2017 Honaker 40 – Northwood 33
All-time record: Honaker leads 4-3
Players to watch:
Honaker—RB Trevor Dye, QB Levi Miller, WR/DB Chandler Hubbard
Northwood– QB Gage Hogston, WR Zach DeBusk, OL/LB AJ Johnson
What to watch for:
Honaker: The Tigers came out of the gate strong in 2018 with a 3-0 record. However, the tide has turned for Doug Hubbard’s gang, as the Tigers have went 1-4 since. Honaker has been tested over that five game span, with the losses coming to Grundy, George Wythe, J.I. Burton and Patrick Henry. The Tigers have one of the tougher schedules in 1A. Honaker looks to bounce back after taking a “old-fashioned whipping” at the hands of the Patrick Henry Rebels. Zach Brown and Cody Smith guided Mark Palmer’s crew to a 46-15 victory over Honaker in a very underwhelming crowd at Fuller Field. Trevor Dye rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown for Honaker in last week’s bout. Chandler Hubbard added 75 yards on the ground for his father while reeling in 32 yards and a touchdown on the receiving end for Honaker. Dye only needs 24 yards against Northwood to push him over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive year. Levi Miller only needs 199 yards through the air to reach the 1,000 passing mark himself. The odds are promising on Friday against Northwood.
Northwood:
Speaking of Mark Palmer, Honaker will face a Mark Palmer pupil in Chris Duble on Friday. 2018 has been a season to forget for Duble and the Panthers. After knocking off Twin Springs on the road in week one, the Panthers have dropped seven straight. It has been a defensive struggle for the Panthers in a season in which the defense is allowing 43.6 points per contest. The offense has had some of the same woes, only averaging 14.3 points per contest. Take away the win against Twin Springs and losses to Marion and Twin Valley and Northwood has only hung single digits on the board. Freshman Gage Hogston has shown promise for the Panthers with all the growing pains that come with it. It is senior night in Saltville. Expect emotions to be high, however that may not be enough for the Panthers.
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.
