Last Week:
Abingdon def. Wise-Central, 50-21
Chilhowie def. Virginia High, 37-7
Last Meeting:
Virginia High def. Abingdon, 20-19
The Abingdon Falcons are back on the road this week to Bristol for a road game with the Virginia High Bearcats. Falcons head coach Garrett Amburgey is returning to the school where he was the offensive coordinator for just a season ago. Coach Amburgey brings the Falcons high flying attack into Devault Stadium with Abingdon (4-2) looking to avenge last season’s loss to the Bearcats. While Virginia High (3-2) comes off a big loss to 1A powerhouse Chilhowie. A team that is putting up some big numbers and is the odds on favorite to return to the 1A state championship game. This game will be a non-district match up but has the feel of an old school rivalry between neighbors. Neither of these teams can afford to drop another game midway through the season. The Bearcats snuck out a victory in their previous meeting 20-19 at Abingdon. However, this time they will face the Falcons in Bristol. This will be a test for both teams moving forward to see who can come ready for the challenge at hand. The atmosphere is sure to be electric as these two teams take the field in this long standing rivalry.
Players to Watch
Virginia High RB #2 Aaron Rose
The senior running back only had 11 carries for 41 yards last week, but he is the workhorse of the Bearcat offense. No defense should be fooled by those numbers. Rose does most of his damage on the ground between the tackles with a pounding style of running that wears down the defense. The Bearcat running back has gotten several looks by college scouts and will try to attack the interior of Falcon defense with his pounding style of running. Rose also is the heart of the Bearcat defense from his linebacker postion.
Abingdon LB #41 William Seymore
Senior William Seymore looks to continue his performance from last week against Wise-Central. He is a hard-hitting machine at middle linebacker that many running backs would prefer to avoid. Seymore patrols the middle of the Falcon defense from his linebacker position looking for opposing running backs and quarterbacks. The senior also provides the Falcons with a pounding short yardage back inside the red zone with his downhill approach. He has scored six times and is averaging four yards a carry through six games this year. If he can get to the second level of the defense, he can be a load for defensive back to bring down.
Keys to the Game:
Virginia High:
Avoid the big plays- Abingdon has shown it has big play ability and the Bearcats need to avoid allowing the Falcons to strike quick and often
Keep the emotions in check- This could be their biggest key. Facing their previous coach can cause teams to lose focus and that when the thread can unravel. The Bearcats need to focus
Shorten the game- The Bearcats will need to limit the number of offensive plays the Falcons have. Abingdon can strike quick and often if given the chance to score. The best defense for Virginia High will be long sustained drives by their offense.
Abingdon:
All three phases of the game- Abingdon will need to play solid in all three phases of the game. Offense, defense, and special teams.
Win at the line of scrimmage- If Abingdon can control the line of scrimmage; they will be able to dictate the flow of the game. Likewise, the defense will need to step it up this week and find another gear to shut down the Bearcats ground game down. Most importantly, find #2 and keep his gains to a minimum.
Turnover Battle- Abingdon must win the turnover battle to get their offense rolling and give them extra opportunities to score. If the defense can create turnovers Boothe and Co. should be able to put up some big plays.