By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The dust has barely cleared on high school football, and area teams are already thinking about next season. While weightlifting programs have started in Radford, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Eastern Montgomery and Auburn, athletic directors have finalized the 2019 football schedules.
Blacksburg High School has dropped Richlands, but the Blue Tornadoes will still face some from our area as Radford has picked up a trip to deep southwest Virginia.
Blacksburg, who is coming off an undefeated regular season this past year, will continue to face Amherst County but has added Staunton River. Lord Botetourt remains on the Bruin schedule.
Radford picks up Richlands and will again face Gretna. A benefit game against Pulaski highlights the Bobcats schedule on August 23.
Liberty and Abingdon are out for Christiansburg High School. In are Patrick County and Rockbridge. Giles remains as the number three out-of-district opponent. The Blue Demons will also face Northside in a benefit game in Roanoke.
Eastern Montgomery has dropped Roanoke Catholic and picked up a home match with North Cross. They will host a stubborn Holston team on August 30 to jumpstart the season. Cross-county rival Auburn remains as the team’s other out-of-district opponent.
Auburn shows Narrows, Hurley, Craig and Eastern Montgomery as out-of-district opponents in 2019.
Full schedules:
Radford
August 16- scrimmage vs. Grayson County
August 23- Benefit game at Pulaski
August 30- George Wythe
September 6- Open
September 13- at Fort Chiswell
September 20- Gretna
September 27- at Giles
October 4- at Richlands
October 11- James River
October 18- Alleghany
October 25- at Glenvar
November 1- at Floyd
November 8- Carroll County
Christiansburg
August 16- scrimmage at Auburn
August 23- Benefit game at Northside
August 30- at Floyd
September 6- Giles
September 13- Patrick County
September 20- at Rockbridge
September 27- Open
October 4- at Salem
October 11- at Pulaski
October 18- Hidden Valley
October 25- Patrick Henry
November 1- at Cave Spring
November 8- Blacksburg
Blacksburg
August 16- scrimmage at Northside
August 23- Benefit game vs. Northside
August 30- at Giles
September 6- Lord Botetourt
September 13- Amherst
September 20- Staunton River
September 27- Salem
October 4- at Patrick Henry
October 11- Cave Spring
October 18- Pulaski
October 25- at Hidden Valley
November 1- Open
November 8 – at Christiansburg
Eastern Montgomery
August 23- Benefit game vs. Tazewell
August 30- at Holston
September 6- Rural Retreat
September 13- North Cross
September 20- at Auburn
September 27- Bland
October 4- Open
October 11- Bath County
October 18- at Narrows
October 25- at Covington
November 1- Parry McCluer
November 8- at Craig County
Auburn
August 10- Scrimmage vs. Christiansburg
August 17- Benefit game at James River
August 30- Narrows
September 6- at Craig County
September 13- Floyd
September 20- Eastern Montgomery
September 27- George Wythe
October 4- at Fort Chiswell
October 11- Grayson County
October 18- at Bland
October 25- at Galax
Nov ember 1- at Hurley
November – Open
