After a record-breaking performance last Friday night, the Twin Valley Panthers are happy to be back in Oakwood tonight.
Much to the dismay of the Panthers, they were on the wrong end of a record-breaking performance.
In last week’s 50-16 loss to Grundy, the Panthers allowed Golden Wave tailback Gabe Fiser rush for 368 yards and six touchdowns.
At the end of the day, the Wave outmanned the Panthers. However, there were bright spots for Twin Valley.
Brandon Lester and Tylor Keen each scored a touchdown in the losing effort. Keen amassed for 140 yards through the air.
Keen orchestrated a 14-play, 73-yard scoring drive in which he completed all six of his passes on the drive. This set up a six-yard touchdown plunge by Lester in the second quarter.
The next scoring drive for Twin Valley chewed up 65 yards on the way to pay dirt. Keen completed three more passes before falling into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown run of his own.
The loss marked the second consecutive loss for the Panthers after starting the season 3-1.
Twin Valley (3-3) sits in ninth in the first edition of the VHSL Power Points, which means they are the first team out of the playoffs for the time being.
That will be on the Panthers mind tonight when they welcome the East Ridge Warriors into Oakwood for Homecoming.
The Kentucky based Warriors have had a rough season in the early going. Quentin Morgan resigned as East Ridge’s head coach after a 1-4 start. Interim coach Ben Runyon has assumed the position and has had success so far. In his debut last week against Betsy Layne, the Warriors took home a 32-30 overtime victory. Warriors’ tailback Kane Taylor rushed for 166 yards last week on his way to three touchdowns.
East Ridge’s losses have all been ugly. Phelps, Magoffin County and Sheldon Clark have shut out the Warriors, while Leslie County held the Warriors to only six points.
Aside from last week’s victory over Betsy Lane, East Ridge defeated Jenkins, 34-14, on September 7.
Twin Valley needs a win on homecoming in the worst kind of way. After being upset by Craig County and whallopped by their arch-rival, Grundy, the Panthers will be looking for blood when they take the field Thursday night. A win will push Jeremy Ward’s team back over the .500 mark and give the Panthers momentum as they make a playoff push.
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.
