We’re back again with another 1st and 10 Friday night—our Game of the Week matchup is between Floyd County and Grayson County.

Meet Winfred Beale, a legendary coach in Southwest Virginia.

February is Black History Month, and all month long, 10 News will be telling the stories and honoring the legacies of notable figures from our region.

February is Black History Month, and all month long, 10 News will be telling the stories and honoring the legacies of notable figures from our region.

Winfred Beale has been the head football coach of the Buffaloes since 1981.

Winfred Beale enters his 43rd season at the helm of the Buffaloes.

We’re getting set for playoffs on the high school gridiron.

Our 1st and 10 Camp Tour rolls on to Floyd County where Winfred Beale is entering his 42nd season as head coach. The Buffaloes went 6-5 in the fall, with the senior class having played 18 weeks of games in 2021. They used a complete offseason to their advantage, and are ready to show that hard work pays off this fall.

"Young people keep you young. You know, I'm getting on up there in age."

Floyd County was recognizing greatness on Friday night and the Buffaloes didn’t disappoint on the gridiron.

That put Virginia prep football players trying to get recruited by colleges in a tough position. “So senior season was going to be a big one.”He’s not alone. William Byrd senior Bryson Lutz was depending on his senior season to seal a chance at the next level. “It’s a mouthpiece that makes for more efficiency for the kids, and me as well.”And as Leftwich says, the Twitter recruiting is an all-day, every day deal. That leaves high school football coaches as the liaison between their players and the next level.

According to Johnson, the average percentage of players the Flames are recruiting in states without fall football is 36%, and 19% of those are in the state of Virginia. “Where it sticks us, we will prioritize over states that are playing football," Johnson said. “The big challenge for us moving forward is the actual 2021 class, their senior film," Adams said. That leaves high school football coaches as the liaison between their players and the next level. That when the spring comes around and you can play, hopefully it all pays off?

FLOYD, Va. – In July, Floyd County’s school board met to honor two longtime coaches at the high school by renaming their respective “offices.”Winfred Beale, the head coach for Floyd County High School’s football team, is entering is 39th year at the school. And what a better way to celebrate nearly four decades at a school than having your home turf named after you? The field will be renamed to Coach Beale Field, which the coach said surprised him. “Humbly happy, surprised, just grateful. The fans, parents, really good peoples well as their businesses, I’m just really glad to be in a place like Floyd, Virginia.”

Head coach for Floyd County football Winfred Beale chats with the 1st and 10 sports team about the upcoming season. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

FLOYD, Va. - The Floyd County Buffaloes are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-8 finish in 2018. But head coach Winfred Beale still has 221 wins at Floyd County, and 2019 marks his 39th season. They return 10 seniors and a lot of offensive output and the motivation to get this year started on the right foot. "We are bringing back a plethora of skill people so we feel very good about the overall balance of our team. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.