Pioneers – Bobcats to tangle

Max Meadows… Both teams are coming off emotional games from last week. The Pioneers played their arch-rivals, George Wythe, and lead 14-0 in the opening quarter, but Fort lost 61-20. They lost four players to injuries, of which three went to hospital in an ambulance. They were already missing four players before the game started.

Radford won an emotional game against Galax 33-26 in overtime on Saturday after lightning postponed the game from Friday. The Bobcats were led by a couple of seniors, running back Heth Grant and quarterback Marcus Finley. Grant accounted for seven touchdowns, while Finley threw five touchdown passes and rushed for two more.

Fort Chiswell head coach Todd Tiller had to find players to finish out the George Wythe game after all the Injuries. Coach Tilller remarked, “We are without 10 players or so at the end of the George Wythe game. We will be without at least seven players this Friday. All of them are key players, and we may have to make a couple position changes for this game.”

Coach then said, “Radford will present lots of problems come Friday night. They will run the jet, bubble screen and option. They will and can throw the ball to some talented receivers. Finley and Grant are very good athletes. They have a lot of weapons and will throw the kitchen sink at you.” He then added, “Defensively Radford will use a 3-3 stack and bring pressure. They like to slant and bring linebackers from different positions. They are easily the quickest team we will face all year. A number of their players can take it all the way on you. We need to eliminate their big plays. Coach Tiller finished by saying, “They not only have speed on the offense, they have it on defense as well. They are well coached and probably are the best team we will face.”

The two teams have gone in opposite directions in their first two contests. The Bobcats are 2-0, while the Pioneers are 0-2. Offensively Radford is averaging 44 points a game, and the Pioneers are averaging just 10. Defensively the Cats are giving up 26.5 a game, while the Pioneers are giving up 44 a game.

These two teams played a thriller last year at Radford, with the Pioneers winning 41-40 in two overtimes.

Kick off is slated for 7pm at Fort Chiswell High School.

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