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Brookville quarterback Drake McDaniel runs with the ball during a game against Rockbridge County on Nov. 12, 2021.
E.C. Glass quarterback George White looks to pass against Amherst on Oct. 8, 2021, at City Stadium.
Liberty Christian running back Gideon Davidson carries the ball against E.C. Glass at Williams Stadium on Nov. 5, 2021.
A humid August night. Late summer hanging in the air. The promise of fall somewhere off in the mist. And through that scene cuts the thundering of pads, cheers and claps and cowbell from the stands, shouts of coaches on the sideline, crisp whistles and the thrill of a touchdown.
Friday night football is back. Thirteen teams from this newspaper's coverage area will be in action tonight as play in the Virginia High School League gets underway.
It's the first official night for fans to get a look at the product their school will field, and it's the end to what can be a brutal preseason. Teams officially began practicing in late July, but workouts have been ongoing, with a few down periods, since the last season began.
"It's been a hard offseason," Heritage coach Brad Bradley said this week. "We've worked their ass off to find out who's tough enough to be out there. After COVID, they got complacent. They didn't care about being above average. Now we've got kids who work hard and who want to be out there. I feel good about the kids in the program right now."
Heritage is one of six teams at home Friday night. The Pioneers host William Fleming at 7 p.m. at Lynchburg City Stadium. Other teams at home are Liberty, Gretna, Appomattox, Altavista and William Campbell. On the road are E.C. Glass, Rustburg, Jefferson Forest, Nelson, Liberty Christian and Staunton River. Amherst takes its bye in Week 1 and will play 10 straight regular-season games.
Bradley's Pioneers will battle a Fleming team coached by Jamar Lovelace, the former Brookville and E.C. Glass assistant under Jeff Woody. Lovelace has what, even for the Colonels, might be a special team in the speed department.
"I think they're a lot better than they were last year," Bradley said. The Colonels went 3-7 last season and missed the playoffs after going 6-3 and advancing to a region championship during the COVID-altered spring slate. "They've probably got the best speed of any Fleming team I've faced.
Heritage, which is fresh off a 9-3 season and a trip to the second round of the playoffs, is led by the one-two punch of senior running backs Rajan Booker and Zach Steele. The duo combined for more than 1,700 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns last season.
Another player with mammoth output is also preparing for his senior season. E.C. Glass' George White, who threw for 2,379 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, will command the visiting Hilltoppers against Lord Botetourt. White started his final high school season off right Tuesday night when he was named the recipient of the Titan Trophy, given annually to one of the area's dynamic players.
Top-notch standouts from all across the area will be in action. Sophomore phenom Gideon Davidson and his brother, Caleb, will power LCA at Magna Vista. Brookville will feature versatile quarterback Drake McDaniel, two receivers that are among the area best in Steve Preston and Ethan Robey, and tough running back Jor'Dyn Whitelaw, a junior Amherst transfer.
"This team has an unbelievable amount of potential, but this team is also its own worst enemy," Brookville coach Jon Meeks said after the Bees scrimmage last Friday night against Albemarle. "We do the big things right, we're great kids, we work hard. But then we get in the heat of the moment, mental mistakes, holding, false starts, lining up wrong, putting the ball on the ground."
The Bees busted away for a few touchdowns during that scrimmage, but were hampered by penalties, much as they were during an otherwise successful 2021, when they went 8-4 and played for a region title.
"I would say our biggest issue right now — we're physically tough as crap; they'll fly around and hit you in the mouth — we're mentally immature," Meeks added. "If they get more mentally tough, this team has a tremendous amount of potential. But if you're not mentally tough and you don't know how to respond to adversity, in my experience doing this 21 years, you're not gonna go very far. So to me it's all mental right now. Physically, effort-wise, attendance, attitude, give 'em an A-plus. We've got to be able to respond to mistakes and adversity better."
NOTE: Fans attending Heritage and E.C. Glass games at City Stadium this season will be subject to increased security measures upon entry.
Lynchburg City Schools, for these events, will continue a policy implemented last year of prohibiting bags (including purses, backpacks or similar items). New for this year: all attendees will required to pass through a security checkpoint before entering the stadium. LCS emphasized in a news release issued this week that no weapons are permitted at school events.
Additionally, LCS said it has contracted with a private security firm to staff the security checkpoint and provide additional safety and security throughout the stadium in coordination with LCS staff and Lynchburg Police Department.
"While there is no reason to believe at this point that there will be any security issues at any of our events, we are proactively working to ensure everyone at our events feels welcome and safe," the division said in its release.
A statement from Heritage High noted that medical supply bags and diaper bags are allowed but must be searched upon to entry.
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Brookville quarterback Drake McDaniel runs with the ball during a game against Rockbridge County on Nov. 12, 2021.
E.C. Glass quarterback George White looks to pass against Amherst on Oct. 8, 2021, at City Stadium.
Liberty Christian running back Gideon Davidson carries the ball against E.C. Glass at Williams Stadium on Nov. 5, 2021.
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