Marty Gordon
The high school football season is coming to a quick conclusion, and three teams are looking to their postseason projections.
Radford, Christiansburg and Blacksburg are trying to finish in the Top Eight of their respective regions. The Top Eight in each will be playing in November.
Staunton River fell out of playoff contention in Region 3D, shifting from No. 5 to No. 9 in the latest Virginia High School League Points, while Christiansburg rose from a potential first-found meeting with a top seeded William Byrd or Abingdon to the number sixth spot from eighth.
William Byrd retained its status as the No. 1 team in Region 3D despite a loss, and will take on new No. 2 Lord Botetourt this week. The Cavaliers climbed from No. 4, pushing Carroll County down.
With a victory over Franklin County, Northside entered into a playoff spot in 3D, moving from No. 9 to No. 7. The Vikings haven’t made the postseason since 2021.
In Region 4D, Jefferson Forest fell out of the top spot despite a win over Liberty, as George Washington moved into No. 1. Salem also fell despite a victory over Pulaski County, shifting from No. 6 to No. 7.
Aided by Gretna’s loss to Magna Vista, Floyd County rose to No. 2 in Region 2C despite being off last week, moving into a seed that guarantees the Buffaloes two home playoff games. Radford climbed from No. 7 to No. 4 moving into a first-round home playoff game position.
In 1C, Narrows not only beat Parry McCluer to slide into a postseason position but moved from No. 6 to No. 4.
Player of week: Blacksburg’s Jaxon Keys continues to be a bright spot for a team struggling to find wins. The sophomore running back rushed for 179 yards on 20 carries in the loss to Pulaski.
Area’s Top Five: 1) Glenvar, 2) William Byrd, 3) Salem, 4) Radford, 5) Christiansburg.
This week’s games:
Radford (5-3) at Floyd (5-2)
Former Christiansburg Coach Tim Cromer continued his winning ways as Floyd rolled over Carroll County. Joe March ran for 196 yards and scored three touchdowns, and Sam Phillips added 63 yards on 10 carries.
In Radford’s Three River’s District win over Patrick County, Luke Gaither was 16 of 21 for 154 yards as he continues to shine from the QB spot. JD Grubb and Luke Woodard both returned interceptions for scores.
Christiansburg (5-3) at Patrick Henry (4-3)
In a win over Cave Spring, Patrick Henry’s Cam Hairston caught two touchdown passes and finished with 92 yards on two receptions. Liam Rooney completed 10 of 11 passes for 90 yards, Dayvion Journiette also rushed for 87 yards and a score on 10 carries, and Damarion Perdue added 70 yards on six carries.
Matt Annis ran for 132 yards and scored two touchdowns on 10 carries in the first half as Christiansburg built a 42-0 lead over Hidden Valley and never looked back. Izaiah Cotto completed all three of his passes for 105 yards, connecting with Donovan Richardson and Jacob Evans for touchdowns.
Blacksburg (3-4) at Hidden Valley (0-7)
Hidden Valley continued to struggle with a loss to Christiansburg. The Titans only managed 17 yards of total offense in the first quarter and never could rebound. HV was shutout for the fifth time this season.
In the loss to Pulaski, Blacksburg’s Jaxon Keys ran for 179 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown for the Bruins. Quarterback Sam Szefc completed eight of 12 passes for 161 yards with two scores, including an 83-yard strike to Nate Means, who notched four catches for 100 yards.
Narrows (3-2) at Eastern Montgomery (0-7)
Cooper Helvey ran for 116 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns for Narrows in a loss to Honaker, Colby Livingston added three scores and 70 yards on eight carries, and Tucker Bryan completed 14 of 27 passes for 201 yards.
Eastern Montgomery continued its losing streak in a 62-0 loss to Bath County, being outscored 254 to 32 this season.
Predictions:
Patrick Henry 38, Christiansburg 24.
Radford 34, Floyd 28
Blacksburg 34, Hidden Valley 14.
Narrows 44, Eastern Montgomery 7.