The Gate City Blue Devils finished the 2018 football season Thursday night with a disappointing loss to the Wise Central Warriors in overtime. As it turns out, the contest was the last for Chris Akers as the head coach for the Blue Devils. Akers resigned his post officially on Monday, finishing his tenure at the helm of the Devils with a 7-24 record, which includes back to back 1-9 seasons.
The 2016 season was respectable for Gate City with Akers leading the charge. The Devils finished 5-6 that season after starting the campaign 0-5. The Blue Devils made the Region 2A West playoffs losing 34-27 against Glenvar on the road.
In 2017, Akers’ Devils started off the campaign playing tough against a murderer’s row of opponents and faltered down the stretch. The Devils would not pick up a win in 2017 until the final game of the season in week 10 against Wise Central, 14-12.
In 2018, the Blue Devils showed signs of life under Coach Akers. The Devils showed incredible heart and fight in a loss to Ridgeview (35-7) in week 6. The Devils desire to win and never give up was prevalent in week 7. With the Devils trailing 30-0 to the Marion Scarlet Hurricanes, what happened in the second half was nothing short of remarkable. The Blue Devils would fight back miraculously to stake claim to a 39-36 lead in the waning moments of the contest only to see heartbreak once again. The Scarlet Hurricanes would score on a long pass play in the final minute breaking the hearts of Blue Devil Nation 44-39. The Blue Devils picked up a win on the road at Five Star Stadium in week 8, defeating the Lee High Generals, 23-20 on a field goal as time expired. The win would be the last for coach Akers as head coach of the Blue Devils. The Devils closed out the season with tough losses to John Battle (26-21) and Wise Central (22-21, OT).
The Devils are already in the process of finding the next head coach, as a quick glance at the Scott County Schools website showed the position advertised as of Monday afternoon.
I was born a Haysi Tiger but unfortunately succumbed to a broken heart on a cold rainy afternoon in King William, Virginia on December 6, 2014.
However, I was reincarnated as a Wolf, and became a runner of the Ridgeview Wolfpack on August 28, 2015. You now hear me howling most autumn Friday nights high atop Rose Ridge in Dickenson County or anywhere else my Pack of hungry Wolves may be, from Grundy to Falcon Hill or from Ben Hur to Pikeville, Kentucky.
I never wolfed down (pun very intended) a Tiger Taco like Mr. Brady Hess, but I was and still am known to devour a pizza from Pizza Factory on Main Street in Haysi.
I have always wanted to write about sports and now I have the opportunity to thanks to those who have built this wonderful place on the world wide web. Hope y’all enjoy.
