The Lord Botetourt football team will open the Class 3, Region D state tournament Friday night with a home game against Tunstall. Game time is 7 p.m. in Daleville.

Botetourt is the second seed and Tunstall is seventh seeded in the eight-team regional. The Cavaliers come in at 8-2 while the Trojans are just 3-7. However, LB coach Jamie Harless says that record may be deceiving.

“They have a lot of athletic kids, and they play a hard schedule,” said Harless. “Some of their losses were to GW-Danville, Franklin County and Magna Vista.”

The Trojans will try to spread you out and run the ball.

“They run a lot of formations,” said Harless. “They run wild cat formations and try to run the ball.”

Tunstall is a member of the Piedmont District. The school has an enrollment of 920, about 100 fewer than Lord Botetourt.

The Tunstall-LB game is one of four opening round Region D games. Top-seeded Staunton River will host Cave Spring Friday night, Alleghany is at number three Magna Vista and fourth seeded Northside will host Abingdon. The LB-Tunstall winner will advance to meet the Magna Vista-Alleghany winner, and that will be in Daleville if the Cavaliers win. That would also be a rematch of the 2015 state championship game, although the players have changed since then.

Botetourt ended the season with a 38-7 win over William Fleming in Daleville last Friday. The Cavaliers led 31-0 at the half and coasted home against the winless Colonels.

Hunter Rice led LB with 114 yards rushing on 19 carries and ran for two touchdowns. Ethan Clower had 50 yards on six attempts and one score.

Preston Martin was five for eight passing for 111 yards, including a 30-yard TD pass to Kyle Coombe in the first quarter and a 19-yard TD pass to Bryce Kelley in the third quarter. Trey Rice had a 22-yard field goal.

“Our kids played well,” said Harless. “I saw a lot of good stuff out there. I think we held them to two first downs all night.”