Photo by Birdie Boblett
The host Bulldogs used a solid rushing attack to control the game in a 28-0 football win over James River last Friday night in Martinsville. River will try to bounce back this week with the annual “Virginia Media Rocking Chair” game at Glenvar.
After a scoreless first quarter Martinsville scored two rushing touchdowns in the second period and never let River get back in the game. The Bulldogs led in time of possession, 31 minutes to 17 for River, as they controlled the clock and the game.
“Martinsville did a good job,” said River coach Jack Baker. “They have a couple kids who are really good football players and we never got close to scoring when it mattered.”
The Bulldogs rolled up 382 yards of rushing on 45 carries to control the tempo of the game. They had 16 rushing first downs and only passed once the whole game.
Meanwhile, the Knights never could threaten on offense when they had the ball. They had 149 yards total for the game, led by Bentley Painter with 140 yards rushing on 40 attempts.
Defensively, Merit Hammons and Eli Baldwin led the Knights with 13 tackles each and Briar Sink had a dozen. Painter had a fumble recovery for River.
The loss dropped the Knights to 3-3 on the season and they’re back on the road this week for a game at Glenvar. The Highlanders are coming off a trip to the state championship game last year but lost a lot of seniors and are 3-3 like James River.
“Last year was a special Glenvar team,” said Baker. “They lost some good football players but they’ve won a lot of games over the years.”
This is the game for the “Virginia Media Rocking Chair.” The winner gets to have the chair, painted in James River and Glenvar colors, until next year’s game. Virginia Media includes The Fincastle Herald and Salem Times-Register newspapers, covering both participants, and it’s been an annual right 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.
Now, both are in the Three Rivers District and it’s a big game both for the chair, district bragging rights, and VHSL points for post-season possibilities. Glenvar has held the chair for the past 11 meetings, and holds a 22-6 edge overall, but the Knights see an opportunity to regain the rocker this year.
“It’s been a while, long before I was here, but the kids know about it and would love to have it back at James River,” said Baker.
