The Lord Botetourt football team has the best record in the Roanoke Valley. The Cavs are undefeated at 1-0 after opening the season with a 49-12 win over Rye Cove at Emory & Henry University last Saturday night.
The Cavs got the jump on the Virginia High School League season, playing an early game after struggling to fill out their 2025 schedule. Everyone else in the valley is opening this Friday when Botetourt is back on the road at Rustburg for their second game of the season.
Rye Cove is a Class 1 school, the smallest classification in the VHSL, but it has a strong tradition in football. The Eagles were 13-0 last year before losing to Grayson County in the Class 1 state semifinal.
“They were massive on the line,” said LB coach Jamie Harless. “They have a bunch of D-1 prospects, and a kid that’s 6’6” and 340 pounds. They came out for blood and played hard all four quarters. I think they have a shot to play in the state.”
Rye Cove drew first blood, taking a 6-0 lead with a failed extra point. However, LB bounced back with a two-yard TD run by Quinten Jones and a 25-yard TD pass from Angel Rigney to Garrett Lonker to take a 14-6 lead after one quarter.
Botetourt made it 21-6 on a nine-yard run by Jones early in the second period. The Eagles scored on an 80-yard run to cut the lead to 21-12, but Botetourt put another score on the board before the half, on a Rigney to Eric Irons 48-yard TD pass, to go up 28-12 at intermission.
Photos by Sarah Quesenberry
Botetourt shut out the Eagles after halftime to put the game away with some long distance TDs. Jones scored two more times, on runs of 57 and 37 yards, and Rigney hooked up with Irons again for a 70-yard TD catch and carry. Hudson Cummings was perfect on seven extra point kicks.
Jones finished with 148 yards rushing while Rigney had 144. Rigney completed seven of 13 passes for 198 yards, including two to Irons for 81 yards, two to Jones for 57 and two to Lonker for 33. Jerry Smith had one catch for 27 yards.
This week the Cavs are back on the road at Rustburg for a 7 p.m. Friday game. The Red Devils are coming off a 7-4 season in which they lost to Heritage twice, Liberty Christian Academy and Jefferson Forest, all very tough opponents. They have a new coach in Trey Ross, who played at Appalachian State.
“They have a good football team,” said Harless. “It will be a tough game.”
The Rustburg junior varsity team will be in Daleville Thursday for a 6 p.m. game.
