Both LB and James River had Roanoke County teams on the schedule for football, volleyball, golf and cross country, sports that did not compete in the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. Volleyball, golf and cross country were due to start preseason practice this week, but the football season is all but upon us and James River was scheduled to open with Glenvar, a Roanoke County team, next Monday. That game has been cancelled and River will now open on Friday, Feb. 26, with a 7 p.m. home game against Alleghany.
Lord Botetourt did not have a football game on Monday, opening on the 27th with George Washington of Danville at 1 p.m. in Daleville. However, the Cavaliers were planning to play the other five Blue Ridge District teams after that, and BRD members William Byrd and Northside are Roanoke County teams.
“Whatever reason they (Roanoke County School Board) had for doing that must have been rational, but I don’t understand it,” said LB football coach Jamie Harless. “We’ll still play our normal amount of games regardless.”
The “new normal” with the pandemic would be six games. Botetourt had Byrd scheduled for March 12 and Northside on April 2. Four teams from Region 3D will advance to the playoffs as decided by the usual VHSL point system, and Harless feels his team will have a strong enough schedule to advance if they’re successful in the abbreviated season.
Unfortunately, the Cavaliers have struggled to find quality practice time. The normal preseason has been shortened to 15 practice dates with no scrimmages against other teams. Due to the inclement weather the LB practice field has often been unusable and the Cavaliers have been forced to practice in the school parking lot.
“Our practice field looks like three or four gold fish ponds,” said a frustrated Harless after a day of rain on Monday.
