The Lebanon Pioneers (1-7) travel to Ernie Hicks Stadium in Richlands to face the Blue Tornado (4-4). Kickoff tonight is scheduled for 7 p.m.. No strangers to one another, the two faced for the first time in 1962 with Richlands leading the series 23-7. Last year’s meeting ended in a 52-7 win for the Blue Tornado.
Lebanon QB Casey White
Lebanon is looking to rebound as they come off a 41-0 home loss to Virginia High. Still a young team with plenty of room for improvement, the Pioneers have had their share of struggles this season. Players to watch for the Lebanon offense are QB Casey White, RB Seth Stanley, WR Cole Stoots and WR Casey Martin. Stanley has accounted for over 1,100 yards this season. Defensively, the Pioneers are led by LB Brady Waugh, DE Kent Musick, DT Jeremy Rosenbaum, LB Seth Stanley and S Cole Stoots. They have been further supported by Fisher Martin who has played multiple roles on offense and defense.
Richlands QB Race Moir
Richlands is coming off a tough week as well with a 45-0 loss on the road to Graham and look to get back on track. The Blue Tornado offense is led by senior QB Race Moir while RB Trey Brown is their main threat on the ground. WR Taylor Horn is Moir’s “Go To Guy” and is a dangerous playmaker. Other players to watch on the Richlands offense are WR Logan Altizer, WR Sage Webb and WR Jakob Cole. Defensively, the Blue Tornado are led by LB Sean Toney, LB Ian Wade, DB Will Tarter, DB Logan Altizer and DB Taylor Horn.
Unfortunately, many teams in Southwest Virginia struggle to find kickers. That is not the case for either of these teams. Richlands K Levi Forrest has rewritten the team record books this season. His longest successful FG coming from 52 yards out. On the Pioneer side of the field, Gabe Figueroa handles the kicking & punting duties and has proven himself a reliable option. His Kick Out Hunger campaign continues. Anyone interested in getting involved, just leave a comment below and we’ll put you in contact with the right people.
A 1992 graduate of Castlewood High School, I left the mountains of Southwest Va to spend over a decade in the Army. During that time I was blessed to play & coach football at various levels in South Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, and then over in Germany. I ended up with over 15 years of coaching and playing experience. These days I enjoy watching my son play. The athletes in Southwest Virginia are just as talented and gifted as those from other regions, but often they don’t get the coverage and exposure that others do. It’s my pleasure to help cover their games and hopefully assist them in getting the exposure they need to continue playing.
