James River broke a 6-6 tie with 15 fourth quarter points to pull out a 21-6 win over Parry McCluer in Buena Vista last Friday. The Knights are now 2-1 after getting a win in their first road game of the season.
“It was a hard fought football game that wasn’t decided until the fourth quarter,” said River coach Jack Baker. “We had to overcome some adversity, but it just shows you have to play the entire game.”
The Knights led 6-0 at the half. Sam Wilson got loose for a 49-yard touchdown run with 2:15 left in the half but River missed the extra point.
The Blues tied the game with 1:41 remaining in the third period on a one yard run, but they also missed the extra point and the game was tied at 6-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
River regained the lead with 5:16 remaining on a big play. Quarterback Merit Hammons found Wilson for a 61-yard pass play and Bentley Painter ran in for a two-point conversion, giving River a 14-6 lead. The Knights then scored an insurance TD with 1:10 to go on a three-yard run by Hammons, and Knox Taylor drilled the extra point.
River finished with 255 yards of offense. Wilson had a big game with 72 yards rushing on just five carries and the 61-yard reception, the only pass completion of the game on four attempts by Hammons. Merit had 44 yards rushing, Ashton Orange had 47 and Ryan Daniels had 28.
Photos by Morgan Wilson
“We had our moments on offense,” said Baker.
On defense Briar Sink had 21 tackles to lead the team. Eli Baldwin had 17 and Orange had a baker’s dozen.
“I thought we played pretty solid on defense,” said coach Baker. “For most of the game the defense held them in check.”
Baker always likes to beat Parry McCluer, something he never did when he was a student athlete at James River. The two played 25 times before James River beat the Blues in 1995, then River lost the next five meetings. The worm has turned since then, as River has won 20 of the last 24 games since 2001.
This week the Knights are back on the road to play Hidden Valley at Bogle Stadium in Roanoke County. The Titans have fallen on tough times, coming into the game on a 25-game losing streak going back to the 2023 season. They’re 1-33 in the past four seasons, including a 50-0 loss to James River in Springwood last fall. With that said, River coach Baker is making sure the Knights don’t take them lightly this Friday.
“They’ve improved,” said Baker. “We’re different and they’re different, and size-wise they’re going to have an advantage so there’s no reason to think this is going to be an easy game.”
