LYNCHBURG, Va. – The 2023 1st and 10 Trophy Tour is off and running--kicking off with one of the premiere student-athletes in central and southwest Virginia in Gideon Davidson.
The electrifying running back earned 1st and 10 Player of the Week honors for his outstanding effort to start the season. Liberty Christian Academy opened at perennial Class 4 power Salem, pulling out a big 21-14 road victory. In that season opener, Davidson rushed for 133 yards and one touchdown. He also caught two passes for 13 yards and another score. And if his offensive output wasn’t enough, he racked up 25 tackles on defense as well.
“It was very big, we were talking about it all summer and preparing for it the entire summer. I was just excited,” Davidson said after recently being presented his award.
That win sparked the start of a very special season for the Bulldogs--one in which they went undefeated and earned their first ever VHSL Class 3 State Championship.
“Salem has been largely used as a measuring stick for all programs and for us to be able to beat them early in the year at their place was really a monumental win for our program,” said LCA head football coach and athletics director Frank Rocco. “Then to go undefeated and win the state championship--we’ve been close about four years now and finally being able to put it all together and finish it off has been really rewarding.”
Rewarding for the Bulldogs and Davidson. He earned VHSL Class 3 Player of the Year after charting spectacular numbers: 2,795 rushing yards on 217 carries and 43 rushing touchdowns. Davidson hauled in 12 catches for another 118 yards and two scores. On defense, he had 63 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions.
The junior Clemson commit looks forward to a great senior season in the fall of 2024.