Graham begins new era at Grayson

By BRIAN WOODSON

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD, Va. — For the past 50-plus years, the Graham G-Men have played their football in the Southwest District.

That all changes tonight, as the G-Men make their debut in the Group A Mountain Empire District at Grayson County.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

“Playing district games give you a chance at a championship, you can win your district and you are champions and that feels real good,” Graham head coach Mike Williams said. “As it stands the championship is going to go through Grayson so we are all excited about the chance to get into district play and see how we match up.”

There will be nothing easy about the beginning. The G-Men (2-3) will face the 5-0 Blue Devils, who are the top-ranked Group A team in Virginia. That will be followed next Friday by Graham’s first MED home game with 5-0 Galax, the fifth ranked team in Group A.

“These are legit, great football teams so our openers are against teams with a combined record of 10-0,” Williams said. “No matter who you play, winning is winning and they are 10-0 and there is a reason you are there.

“They will be a tough task too and (Fort) Chiswell is rolling pretty good too so we’ll have a dogfight each week, probably like we have had in the front end of the schedule.”

Graham survived a five-game non-conference slate at 2-3, including wins over Tazewell and Marion.

“If you break it down we are 2-2 against double A team, which is pretty good, and we are 0-1 against the triple A,” Williams said. “We would liked to have been a little better, but 2-3, all things considered, is a pretty good position to be in heading into the district run.”

The G-Men dropped a 41-7 decision to Class AAA Princeton last week, having been victimized by a blocked punt and three possessions inside the red zone that resulted in no points.

“That’s a tough one, anytime you line a single A up against a triple A, there is a reason why they do the divisions the way that they do,” Williams said. “We had a chance in that game, it is just like when the FCS schools play the FBS schools, it is a tall task, but they pluck a few off every year.

“That is a tall task for us, that is a game I thought we had a chance of winning. I think we could have coached it a little better, I think we could have played it a little better.”

Grayson County, which has won a league-high five district titles in the last 10 years, have averaged 46.8 points in five games, reaching as high as 61, 55 and 52. Their closest decision was a 26-19 win over Group AA Carroll County last week.

The Blue Devils are paced by quarterback Max Rodgers, who threw four touchdown passes in a season-opening win over Alleghany, N.C., including three to 6-foot-1 Michael Rodgers. Xavier Rodriguez and Darren Anderson are mainstays in the backfield, with both having gone over the 100-yard mark at times this season, while Williams calls Jarel Smith ‘a terror’ at defensive end.

Williams said the Blue Devils are smaller than the teams the G-Men have played, but they make up for that deficiency by being lightning-quick, especially on defense.

“Their defense is incredibly fast, they operate similar to what Marion did, only they seem faster at what they do,” Williams said. “They have got a lot of speed on defense and a fullback dive and their fullback (Anderson) is fast, and hits the holes hard. They have a receiver (who) appears to be a helmet taller than guys on film and he is really good.

“You can see why they are 5-0. There is no question they are a tall task as well. Opening up the single A schedule and you have got the number one team, which is fine by us.”

Graham has begun to establish a running attack in recent weeks, with Spencer Sheets doing the honors with 134 yards in the win over Marion, while Cody Hatfield dashed for 103 yards last week in the loss to Princeton.

“He run the ball hard, running back is his natural position, we split him out at receiver because of his speed and height that he has got, but he had a great game at running back, he ripped off a big one at the end,” Williams said. “He has been playing solid defense for us all year, he’s leading us in interceptions as well.”

Sheets leads the G-Men with 235 yards rushing and 207 through the air. Cory Coppola (199 yards) and Hatfield (189) can also lug the pigskin, while Aderrius Jackson — who missed last week’s game with Princeton, but will play tonight — has three receptions for 123 yards.

Lamont Edwards leads Graham’s defense with 53 tackles, six for loss, and three sacks. Hunter Cook, (42 tackles), Michael Thompson (5 tfl) and Hatfield (40 tackles, 2 int) will have to play disciplined football tonight to slow down the potent Blue Devils.

“We have to do gap control, you will see it on film. If any one person is not in their gap or loses their gap, you get gashed,” Williams said. “If we can win our gaps on defense across the board, there is really no where for them to run at that point. Any one weakness in that front opens up the run game for them.”

To contend with the state’s top team, Williams said it’s vital that Graham do like it must in every game, limit turnovers and penalties, and eliminate the special teams mistakes that have been an issue.

“We have got to get the total package,” Williams said. “I think if we can win rushing yards, they are going to run the football and that is what we are going to try and do. I think if we come out on the bigger side of that number we’ll certainly have a good shot.”

The MED hasn’t always been as strong as it is this season, but currently four teams would be playoff bound if the postseason was ready to begin. That would include Graham, although the prize — as the 16th and final Division 2 team to qualify — would be another trip to Independence.

“It does cycle, it is hard to see how the season will shape out, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Empire put 2, 3 or 4 teams in the playoffs and that is a pretty good for a district,” Williams said. “If we go in at 16 our first game would be at Grayson. If we are going to be a playoff contender, this is where it is all going to start.”

Graham begins a voyage into the unknown tonight. Five weeks of football with opponents as foreign to them as they are to their foes, starting with the Blue Devils.

Let the fun — MED style — begin.

“I think it is fun for the kids,” Williams said. “If you get locked into a schedule and you play the same 10 teams every year of your life (that can get a little old). Going into an unknown like this is kind of fun for everybody.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com