ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Week 8 — time to separate the good from the great. Lord Botetourt and William Byrd have done a lot of good things, but Friday night will prove who’s ready to take flight and who’s simply falling with style in the Blue Ridge District, as the great Sheriff Woody from Toy Story put it.
Lord Botetourt and William Byrd — two of the three teams at the top of the Blue Ridge District. Familiar territory for the Cavaliers but for William Byrd, it’s been like a home build...years in the making.
“We finally have an older team, one that actually looks like a varsity football team,” said William Byrd Head Coach Brad Lutz.
Coach Brad Lutz and staff took over at William Byrd in 2018 after legendary coach Jeff Highfill retired. While the Terriers experienced deep playoff runs...much of that success had passed. Lutz was left with a new foundation to build on with just 17 players in the football program.
But after years of grinding and getting all the necessary tools...this once bare foundation has glimpses of a successful build.
“Every single season we’ve stuck together, and we’ve worked hard and overcame everything we went through. I think it was the brotherhood we built realistically,” said John Kiker, Terriers LB/RB.
That brotherhood, full of dynamic, battle-tested players that have the Terriers sitting at 5-1, their best start since the Highfill era.
“The young men in this senior class and really our locker room period are kids that love the game of football and that goes a long way,’ said Coach Lutz.
While William Byrd continues to lay the bricks of success, Lord Botetourt has been a solid house for just over a decade under Jamie Harless.
“We are who we are and it’s no secret and I’m not going to hide it,” said Lord Botetourt Head Coach Jamie Harless.
“If you treat every week like you’re playing Alabama I don’t care who it is. If you want to be ready to roll then there has to be a sense of urgency with everything you do,” Coach Harless said.
Their approach — simple, yet effective. See ball, get ball. Master the small things and the big things take care of themselves. Add in the smashmouth element and you have Lord Botetourt football — known for telling its opponents “sweet dreams” after a long Friday night.
“We’ve basically been running the same stuff since middle school so it’s just work in progress, just keep fixing it,” said Chase Mitchell, Cavaliers RG/NG.
The Cavaliers have been the perfect “fixer-uppers,” having scored 250 points in four games since an opening season loss.
“We’re just really, really physical. Just smashmouth football,” said Jakari Nicely, Cavaliers QB/Safety.
It’s the Cavaliers brand that hasn’t waivered and it’s coming to Vinton on homecoming night.
“We just want to prove ourselves not really focusing on anyone else but really just proving to ourselves that we got this, and we can do it,” said Israel Hairston, Terriers QB/S.
William Byrd has lost the last five matchups dating back to 2017...but they come in just as confident as the Cavaliers with a stout senior class and dynamic playmakers like transfer Walter Barrows.
“We’ve surrounded him with really good guys and guys that have really helped him grow within the program,” Coach Lutz said.
“We all take pride in us all doing our job so the success of the team can be glorified,” said Hairston.
While familiarity is a factor, they won’t be saying, “You’ve got a friend in me” on the field tonight.
“I’ve grown up with a lot of them. I’ve been playing against them since I was like 5 years old,” said Nicely.
“It doesn’t have to be said. There’s a little bit of extra emotion added into this week,” said Kiker.