Marty Gordon
Radford High School’s football team didn’t finish the 2024 season like they did in 2023, with a state championship, but they did make another run in the state playoffs.
QB Luke Gaither was a big part of the success. For his effort, Gaither is the all-county/all-city football team’s player of the year.
The 6-3, 165-pound sophomore finished the season with 208 completions on 360 attempts for 2,472 yards with a 57.8 percent completion rate, 20 passing touchdowns and another on the ground. Gaither had 10 interceptions.
Gaither’s teammate Pace Prioleau is the all-county/all-city defensive player of the year. Prioleau, just a freshman, finished the season with 41 solos, 68 assisted tackles, four for loss, four interceptions with three returned for touchdowns and four blocked punts. He was named first team all Three Rivers District and first team all-region.
The squad’s offensive player of year continued the domination by underclassman. Sophomore Blacksburg running back Jaxon Keys picked up the honor. He rushed 154 times for 1,093 yards with 11 touchdowns and an amazing 7.1 yards per carry average.
This year’s all-county/all-city lineman of the year is Christiansburg’s Carter Stallard.
At 6-8. 315, Stallard is ready to take the next step from high school to the college ranks, signing last month with Virginia Tech. He had offers from 17 total Division I schools. Stallard was named all-River Ridge District. He did not allow a sack on assignment spanning the duration of his three varsity seasons at Christiansburg.
Radford Coach Michael Crist is back-to-back all-county/all-city coach of the year after an eight-win season.
The all-county/all-city offensive unit included the following:
Running backs: Keys of Blacksburg, Matt Annis from Christiansburg, JD Grubb of Radford and Marshall Tate of Eastern Montgomery.
Receivers: Luke Woodard of Radford, Nate Means of Blacksburg, Jacob Evans of Christiansburg and Sincere Taylor of Radford.
This year’s all-county/all-city tight end was Donovan Richardson of Christiansburg.
The offensive line included Stallard Tristan Sutphin and Stallard of Christiansburg, Blacksburg’s Conner McRoberts and Owen Castleberry, and Radford’s Nolan Dalton and Reece Honaker.
The kicker was Louis Webster of Radford, and punter Matt Annis of Christiansburg.
The team’s 2024 all-purpose offensive slot was given to Izaiah Cotto of Christiansburg.
Flip to the defensive side of the ball where Prioleau is honored as defensive back. The defensive backfield also included Christiansburg’s Cotto and Jacob Evans, Blacksburg’s Nate Means, and Radford’s Colton Garner-Rollins and Bryant Weaver.
The team’s linebacking corps is a bunch of good ones: Luke Mann and Kadin Deeb from Blacksburg, Cole Martin from Radford, and Josiah Ratley from Christiansburg.
The defensive line had its share of beef with Christiansburg’s Stallard and Sutphin, Radford’s Sam Khandan-Barani and Reece Honaker.
The defensive ends were Christiansburg’s Donovan Richardson and Eastern Montgomery’s Austin Tate.
Radford’s Gardner-Rollins was the squad’s kick returner and, the defensive all-purpose was Christiansburg’s Ethan Dunlea, who had his outstanding season end early because of a knee injury.
Radford’s Colton-Gardner Rollins was this year’s team kick returner.
