Patrick Henry looks to stay unbeated vs. John Battle

For the 60th time in this storied rivalry, the John Battle Trojans will take on  their Washington County foes — the Patrick Henry Rebels.

Just a short few weeks ago this was looked to be a very intriguing matchup between two teams with high aspirations. However, John Battle has since had some major setbacks. On top of the disappointing 1-3 record, the Trojans have been dismantled by injuries.

Coach Bradley Ricker & his Trojans started their season by losing defensive leader Bryson Denton for the year. Zane Poe, a starting wingback and safety, has been limited with a high ankle sprain. To make things worse, they have also lost their leading rusher and middle linebacker, Dylan Cunningham, for the season to a leg injury.

Stepping up on offense for the injured players have been emerging juniors, Gabe Blaylock and quarterback Jacob Hutton. On defense Tyler McCloud and Eddie Rodriguez have found themselves in the opposing team’s back field, and linebacker Seth Scarborough stands strong behind them. Safeties Jackie Thurston and Logan Fleenor work well together guarding the secondary for the Trojans.

Led by tenured head coach Mark Palmer, the Patrick Henry Rebels are undefeated and rising in the 1A rankings in Virginia. Behind senior running backs Zac Brown and Cody Smith, who have already combined for over 1350 yards, the rebels are averaging 48 point per game through their first four. Quarterback Dakota Rector is a more than capable passer, completing 55 percent of his passes on the season.

This will be the 60th matchup between the two schools who sit just 20 miles apart. Patrick Henry leads the all time series 30-27-2.

If you can’t make it, WCYB will be broadcasting the game.

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