VS.
A week removed from a 40-12 interstate victory over the RiverView (WV) Raiders, Grundy travels to take on former Southwest District rival Lebanon.
Lebanon stands at 0-2 after falling in the Coal Bowl to Honaker, 35-28, in week one and taking a 48-8 thumping by the Lee Generals in week two.
Seth Stanley has run like a mad man for the Pioneers in the early onset of the season.
The senior tailback amassed 214 yards and three touchdowns during the Pioneers’ week one loss to Russell County rival Honaker. Against Lee, Stanley added 134 yards to his total with a 91-yard touchdown dash for Lebanon’s only score.
Stanley’s father, Chuck, is a former Grundy High School standout.
The Lee Generals provided a much tougher task for the Lebanon defense than Honaker did in week one. Lee scored on four plays from scrimmage in plays that resulted in 35 yards or more.
Lebanon gained 340 yards of total offense in the Coal Bowl against Doug Hubbard’s Tigers.
Look for the Pioneers to get the ball in the hands of Seth Stanley early and often in Friday’s matchup. Cole Stoots has been a big factor for Lebanon in the early going.
Both teams have been battled tested in the early going.
Grundy rebounded from a week one thumping at the hands of the Ridgeview Wolfpack in an impressive way.
Behind the record setting performance from tailback Gabe Fiser, Grundy drowned the Raiders from RiverView (WV) by a score of 40-12.
Fiser broke Tyler Berglowe’s school record for rushing yards in a contest with 336 yards on last Friday. Berglowe had held the record at 333 yards during a 41-28 win over Tazewell in 2010. Fiser’s 336-yard mark in Bradshaw has since been written a top the record book on Slate Creek.
Look for Derrick Endicott to make a few plays in this one after Gabe Fiser has been the topic of film study at Lebanon.
Both of these teams will eat up a lot of clock with the talent each possesses in their backfield with Stanley and Fiser, respectively.
Friday’s contest in Lebanon will be a tight one, just like last season’s 14-0 Golden Wave win.
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.
