After starting the season 3-0, the Honaker Tigers have hit a two-game losing skid.
The Tigers are indeed into the meat of their schedule and it will not get ant easier when the 3-2 J.I. Burton Raiders travel to Fuller Field for battle.
Honaker is coming off a 41-17 defeat at the hands of the George Wythe Maroons last week at Pendleton Field in Wytheville.
Behind a Cole Simmons and his 166-yard, three-touchdown performance on the ground, the Maroons outgained the Tigers in total offense, 349-218.
Simmons got the Maroons on the board twice in the first half with runs of 51 and 26 yards.
Honaker did not exit the first half quietly. Kicker Matthew Ball put the Tigers on the board with a 34-yard field goal to send things to halftime with the Maroons holding a 13-3 lead.
Ravvon Wells, who finished with 14 carries and 72 yards on the evening, found the end zone two times in the second half for George Wythe.
The Maroons excelled on the special teams front as Trevor Sharitz returned a kickoff for a 90-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
As for Honaker, there were some bright spots in defeat.
Trevor Dye led the Tigers on the ground with 123 yards off 24 carries.
Levi Glymp put the Tigers defense on the board in the third quarter when he recovered a fumble and scampered 18 yards to the crib to cut into a sizable George Wythe advantage.
The last score from the Tigers came on a five-yard pass from Levi Miller to Chandler Hubbard.
After the touchdown strike, the dust settled with the scoreboard in Wytheville showing George Wythe 41, Honaker 17.
The Tigers have shown they can put points on the board behind the strong rushing attack headed up by Dye. However, in the grit of this tough Tigers schedule, we will be able to see what Honaker is made of.
The Raiders of J.I. Burton will make the trek from Norton to Honaker after a nail biter of a competition with the Eastside Spartans a week ago. The story from the Cumberland District matchup was the strong performance from Raiders QB Houston Thacker. The J.I. Burton signal caller was 12-of-20 through the air last week for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Thacker also had three rushing touchdowns, including the game winner with 1:12 remaining in the contest.
Mikey Culbertson had a good night at the office in the district competition. Culbertson carried the ball 15 times for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Jimbo Adams’ team is coming off an emotional victory and look for the emotion to carry over when they come into a hostile environment on Friday in Russell County.
In a series that dates back to 1940, J.I Burton holds a 10-2 advantage in the series. The Raiders have won the last three.
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.
