Marty Gordon
Blacksburg High School is in the final four of the state Class 4 football playoffs after beating E.C. Glass Friday night. The team is exciting to watch, and you don’t have to be a Blacksburg fan to enjoy what you’re seeing on the field.
But a lot of people are missing what the Bruins this season. The past two playoff games have been dismal in the amount of fans sitting in the stands. Yes, this past week, the game competed against the Virginia Tech-UVA game, but I have been disappointed with the support in the stands.
Two weeks ago, there wasn’t even a BHS band at the game. Pulaski County’s marching band performed a halftime show for the sparse crowd. This past Friday night, there was a band if you can call it that as only a dozen or so musicians dressed in street clothes performed the national anthem from the stands.
I’m sorry, but when it comes to high school football playoffs, I am used to crowds like the ones in Giles County where you typically see standing room only with plenty of red bandanas.
The support being shown for the Bruins is shameful. The crowd seems to be heavy on the parent and grandparent side of things. I just wish more community members would come out and support them.
But this has become a trend not only here locally but throughout southwest Virginia.
Communities used to rally behind their high school football teams, but times have changed. No longer do we see signage and billboards at local businesses wishing the teams luck on a Friday night.
I just wish more people would show more support to players, coaches and staff that have put forth a great effort this season. Come on local community, this is a pretty good football team.
A special note on Blacksburg’s outstanding football season. The team has rallied around a bull rope that head coach Eddie Sloss brings to every game.
“Assistant Coach Watkins gave a pre-game talk about the use of rope in history and how it has been reliable tool in building many significant buildings and accomplishing many difficult tasks. The rope over the years in history has brought unity, trust and hope. It’s a reminder for us to not give up in difficult times but to ‘Hold the Rope’ with your teammates and push through as a team and family with love,” Sloss said.
The team held up the rope during group photos after Friday’s win over E.C. Glass.
Other news
Pebblecreek (Ga.) Coach Kevin Saunders has been named the head coach of the 2018 Senior Georgia Elite Classic, an all-star game for football players around the state. Saunders is a Radford High School graduate and former football player at the school. He recently led his Georgia high school to another playoff berth.
