Patrick Henry Rebels (11-1) @ Chilhowie Warriors (12-0)
Date: Saturday, November 24, 2018.
Where: Chilhowie High School—Chilhowie, VA
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Last meeting: 10/25/2018 Chilhowie 46 – Patrick Henry 23
All-time record: 53rdmeeting: Chilhowie leads 33-20. The series dates back to 1959.
Players to watch:
Patrick Henry– RB Cody Smith, RB Zach Brown, QB Dakota Rector
Chilhowie– RB Greg Sanchez, QB Zack Cale, LB Logan Branson
What to watch for:
Patrick Henry: The Rebels are coming off a 61-36 victory over J.I. Burton last week at Emory and Henry’s Fred Selfe Stadium. The contest watched Cody Smith rush for 158 yards and a touchdown. The speedster also intercepted a pass and cashed it in to pay dirt last Saturday. Zach Brown ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Patrick Henry junior also housed an 80-yard kick return. It is no secret what the Rebels will do. Mark Palmer’s gang will run right at you. In last week’s win over Jim Adams and the J.I. Burton Raiders, the Rebels amassed 348 rushing yards to 49 passing yards. This is only the third time in program history that the Rebels have played for a region championship. The last time Patrick Henry played for the region crown was in 1997 under the direction of Ritchie Thomas. 1997 also marked the only other time the Rebels eclipsed the 11 win mark. A win on Saturday will mark the most in a season in the history of the program. Patrick Henry has not defeated Chilhowie since 2015. Last week, Mark Palmer knocked off Jim Adams for the first time in nine tries. Palmer searches for his first region crown in a head-coaching career that dates back three decades.
Chilhowie: The Warriors rolled up 610 yards a week ago in a 63-14 victory over Grundy. The 63-point total is the highest number put up by Chilhowie this season. The Warriors are 12-0. Chilhowie completed its first 10-0 regular season since 1971. The 12-win mark is the best in school history. Tailback Greg Sanchez finished the contest with 201 yards on the ground and three total touchdowns. The senior tailback now sits at 1,621 yards for the season and 5,245 yards in his career. Quarterback Zack Cale tossed two touchdown passes last week against Grundy. The senior gunslinger also accounted for two rushing touchdowns on the afternoon. The Chilhowie defense, led by Logan Branson, has only allowed three passing touchdowns all season. Two of those came last week against Grundy. The Warriors limited Grundy standout Gabe Fiser to 96 yards on the ground—his lowest total of the season a week ago. Patrick Henry’s 23 points were the most the Warriors have given up all season. Jeff Robinson’s defense is allowing 6.7 points a contest. The Warriors are the best team in southwest Virginia and have not shown a weakness to this point. The regional championship matchup will feature two Hogoheegee District teams for the first time since 1990. 28 years ago, Lebanon defeated Patrick Henry 34-12.
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.
