The James River football team will play for the Virginia Media Rocking Chair this Friday a week after beating Martinsville in a game where the Springwood fans couldn’t sit down. River beat Martinsville, 35-34, to make for a happy Homecoming.
This Friday is Hall of Fame night in Springwood as 6-0 Glenvar visits to play for the Virginia Media Rocking Chair. Virginia Media includes The Fincastle Herald and Salem Times-Register newspapers, covering both participants, and it’s been an annual rite since Glenvar left the Pioneer District for the Three Rivers in 1996. The two teams had been big rivals in the Pioneer and it added a little incentive to the game, even though the two teams were no longer district rivals.
The two teams became district rivals again when River joined Glenvar in the tough Three Rivers. Now the chair has even more meaning, as the game counts in the district record and is often a key source for points in the Virginia High School League playoff system.
The Knights haven’t had the chair since 2013, when they beat Glenvar 27-20. The Highlanders have an overall edge of 21-7 in the 28 previous years the rocker has been on the line. There have been several chairs since the initial rocker, and Glenvar bought a very sturdy chair and put a new paint scheme on it prior to the 2019 season, with all the scores from the past 28 years painted on the chair. It’s painted red, black, green and gold to represent both schools.
“I know a little bit about the story of the rocking chair but I haven’t heard much talk about it,” said first year River coach Jack Baker. “I wasn’t sure if it was still a thing.”
It is, and the Knights would like to have it back as they’re off to their best start since 2021, when River was 4-1 before losing to Glenvar in Springwood, 24-21. This year’s River team is off to a 4-2 start after winning a thriller over Martinsville last Friday. It was Homecoming in Springwood and the Knights were dancing after pulling out the win.
“A win like that is tremendous for the kids’ confidence,” said Baker.
This one was a nail-biter until the end. River jumped to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter. Gavin Binns ran an eight-yard TD and Merit Hammons went in from 22 for a 14-0 edge. The Bulldogs countered with a 56-yard TD run by Camarion Plunkett, but Binns then broke off a 74-yard run with 1:26 left in the first quarter.
Martinsville outscored River 20-0 in the second period to take a 27-21 halftime lead as Plunkett ran for a score and had a 44-yard “pick six.” However, after that TD a bad snap resulted in a failed PAT and that would come back to bite the Dogs.
Martinsville made it 34-21 on their first possession of the second half as Plunkett scored for the fourth time, this time on a 22-yard run. River would then answer with two touchdown runs by Binns, of 11 and 35 yards, to take a 35-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
This one wasn’t over until it was over. Both teams had scoring opportunities in the final period but no one found the end zone and River held on for the win. Ryan Daniels forced a fumble after a pass completion in the last two minutes and Sam Wilson recovered to seal the deal for the Knights.
Binns finished with 301 yards rushing on 40 attempts with four TDs, accounting for all but 39 yards of the Knights’ 340 yards rushing total. Hammons carried five times for 24 yards.
“Gavin has a lot of ability,” said Baker. “He’s been running with more authority and he can make you miss. Of course, we also have a lot of kids blocking for him.”
Hammons was six for 13 passing for 76 yards, including three receptions each by Wyatt DeWhirst and Ryder Ward. Knox Taylor made all five extra point kicks and that proved to be the difference, including one on a bad snap that holder Maddox Woodyard was able to get down in time.
On defense, Daniels had 11 total tackles, Wilson had 10 and Jack Beheler had nine. Eli Baldwin and Briar Sink had seven each and Jayden Alston had five and a fumble recovery.
Now the Knights will host Glenvar in their last game before their bye. The Highlanders lead the Region 2C rankings at 6-0, followed by Gretna and Floyd County and the Knights are fourth. A win would not only put the rocking chair back in the James River office but add a wealth of points for the Knights in the VHSL point system.
“They’re a good team,” said Baker of the Highlanders. “They’re weight roomed up and execute well and have a very good quarterback.”
Seniors win James River Powder Puff game
During last week’s Homecoming festivities at James River the annual Powder Puff football game took place. The Seniors came out in a spirited affair last Thursday. Pictured are seniors, left to right; Audrey Benson, Carli Edwards, Caitlyn Downey, Kaia Binns, Keira Crawford, Ella Hutchens and Jaylen Thompson. Makenna Saville and Sydnee Breeding were on the team but not pictured. In action shots, Binns runs for a touchdown, Crawford looks for a receiver, and Downey and Benson break up a pass.
