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Following a rebuilding year under a new coaching staff, the Rockbridge County High School football team hopes to improve on last year’s record and to be more competitive.
That could be a tall task, as the Wildcats graduated 17 seniors from last year’s team, which went 4-6 overall and 2-2 in the Valley District, narrowly missing advancing to the Region 3C playoffs after advancing to the playoffs the previous five seasons.
Looking back on last fall as he enters his second year as the Wildcats’ head coach, Martin Cox said, “I don’t necessarily think we learned anything new. I think what was solidified was the fact that we’re always gonna have a core group of young men that work really hard around here. We just don’t always have numbers or a great deal of skill guys, but we try to overcome that with hard work.”
Key graduates from last year were quarterback Garrett Claytor, running back and linebacker Daronde’ Stores, running back Andreas Poindexter, all-district and allregion defensive back Garrett Stillwell, and five other all-district selections: linebackers Blake Matheny and Nicholas Oyler, wide receiver and kick returner Isaiah Williams and offensive lineman Peyton Matz. Oyler and lineman Braeden Hartbarger, another 2023 RC graduate, will continue their football careers at the Division III college level, with Oyler at Southern Virginia University and Hartbarger at Ferrum College.
This year, the Wildcats have a roster of 32 players, returning 11 members from last year’s team and welcoming 21 first-year varsity players. They have nine seniors, 10 juniors, 11 sophomores and two freshmen.
Cox got to see his players face competition in a jamboree at Northside on Aug. 12, with Fort Chiswell and Liberty (Bedford) also playing, and in a benefit game at William Byrd last Friday.
Reviewing the jamboree, Cox said, “It was good. It was just a chance for us to kind of see where we are. The other three teams there are pretty much in the same boat we are. All of us are kind of young, don’t have a lot of experience, but I think we saw some bright spots. We’ve got a lot to work on, but I think it went well.”
“We had a couple of the young guys probably play a little better than we ex- pected,” added Cox. “We saw a few things that we just weren’t sure about. It looks like a couple of our players might be a little further ahead than where we thought they would be. We still have plenty to work on, on both sides of the ball, but that’s to be expected when you’re as young as we are.”
From last year’s team, the Wildcats return one all-district selection, 6-foot-5-inch, 235pound junior Brady Edwards, who made the all-district second team as a defensive tackle last fall. Edwards is an offensive and defensive lineman.
Cox said that, like last year, the offensive line will be one of the Wildcats’ strengths.
Two of RC’s senior leaders are returning linemen Daniel Grimm (5-9, 230) and Benjamin Pitsenbarger (6-0, 290). Grimm is also a running back Other returning linemen are juniors Andrew Hughes (6-2, 220), Ashtin Taylor (5-8, 250) and Isaiah Woolfrey (5-10, 205).
Joining the line is senior John Lindberg (6-3, 245), who is trying out football after wrestling and serving as the boys soccer team’s goalkeeper. Other linemen new to the varsity level are sophomores Chase Reynolds (5-8, 160), Caleb Robinson (6-1, 215), Marquez Flowers (5-11, 230), Price Lunsford (6-3, 284) and Carlos Yebra (6-0, 245).
At quarterback, following the graduation of Claytor, who started much of last year but battled an injury, the Wildcats will look to Jayden Layman (510, 170) to lead them. Layman started some last year at quarterback, making steady progress as primarily a passing quarterback. “Right now, it looks like Layman’s job to lose,” said Cox of the starting spot.
Likely backup quarterbacks for Layman will be freshman Elijah Watkins (5-8, 175) and junior Devin D’Antonio (5-10, 170).
The Wildcats return five running backs: seniors Grimm, Caden Culp (5-8, 125) and Ryan Maxwell (5-7, 150) and juniors Gabriel Wade (5-10, 230) and Elijah Fox (5-8, 167), who also got experience at quarterback last year and is a defensive back. Joining the team as running backs and defensive backs are senior Caiden Cavazos (5-8, 150) sophomores Marshall Earhart (5-8, 140), Keven Jones (5-7, 140) and Aiden Meyers (5-7, 150) and freshman Elijah Sorrells (6-0, 165). Wade and Culp are both running backs and linebackers, as are two first-year varsity players, senior Josiah Saunders (5-7, 220) and Cruz Apodaca (5-7, 205).
Two players are competing for the starting kicker spot, and all of the two main wide receivers are new to the varsity level. The receivers, who will also be defensive backs, are senior Simon Emore (5-10, 145) and junior JP Welsh (5-10, 145).
Three first-year varsity players will rotate as tight ends and linebackers: senior Stephen Wells (6-2, 185), junior Kyle Knick (6-2, 185) and sophomore Tyler Woods (5-10, 175).
Sophomore Avan Edwards (6-0, 265) joins the team as a tight end and defensive lineman.
With a small roster, a lot of players will play both offense and defense, and some of the younger varsity players will also play on the junior varsity team.
After good spring and summer workouts and having his players spend a lot of time in the weight room, Cox said the team’s goals are the same as usual. “The lofty goal is to try to go out and win a championship, but you have to be realistic, so this year our goal is just to improve on what we did last year and to make sure we are competitive at all times in the game,” he said.
In addition to his head coaching duties, Cox is the offensive coordinator and will work with the quarterbacks. The Wildcats return four assistant coaches. Ben Kabzinski will coach the offensive line and will serve as the head JV coach, Pete Lampman is the defensive coordinator. Joey Jones is in charge of linebackers, while Dan Taylor will coach running backs. Joining the coaching staff are Conner Christoffersen, who will coach tight ends and wide receivers, and defensive line coach Austin Taylor.
In the Valley District, the Wildcats will look to be competitive, knowing their top rivals will likely be two-time defending Valley District champion Turner Ashby and Spotswood. The district has added two new teams, East Rockingham and William Monroe. The Wildcats got their two district wins over Broadway and Harrisonburg last year, but they know not to overlook those teams.
Before district competition begins at home against Broadway on Friday, Sept. 22, RC will have four nondistrict games: at Parry McCluer, at home against Staunton and Alleghany, and at Blacksburg.
The Wildcats will open the season on Friday at 7 p.m. with a matchup against rival Parry McCluer at the Fighting Blues’ Bobby Williams Field in Buena Vista. After last year’s 32-29 home win by the Wildcats, Cox expects this opener to be another fierce showdown, as both teams try to set the tone for the season. “It’s no secret around here that the PM game is the biggest game on the schedule, no matter what the record is for either team, and that’s a good thing,” said Cox. “It’s good for the community. It’s good for the kids. It’s good for the schools. We just want to make sure we do everything we can to have a good showing.”
