Prediction

Rockbridge County (0-4) at Broadway (2-2)

WHEN: 7 p.m. on Friday WHERE: Broadway High School in Broadway LASTYEAR: The Wildcats suffered a 50-6 home loss in the Valley District opener against Broadway. RC’s defense struggled to stop Broadway senior running back Herschel Hoffeditz, and Gobbler quarterback Uriah Rutan ran and threw the ball well. Scoring the Wildcats’ lone touchdown was senior running back Ryan Maxwell on a 6-yard run with just under three minutes left. RC head coach Martin Cox gave credit to Caden Culp and Caiden Cavazos for playing well defensively.

THESCOOP: The Wildcats are in the same position as they were when these two teams met last year: seeking their first win. Broadway is coming off a 19-14 road loss last Friday to a strong Fort Defiance team. A week earlier, the Gobblers cruised to a 47-7 win over Waynesboro, and they beat Strasburg 20-7 in their season opener before falling to Strasburg 22-0 the following week.

There were some glimmers of hope in the Wildcats’ 44-20 home loss to Blacksburg last Friday, with sophomore quarterback passing for 133 yards and a TD and senior Jayden Layman scoring two TDs and leading the Wildcats with 74 rushing yards. However, they struggled defensively, and they’ll have to step up to stop Rutan, now a senior, and the rest of the Gobblers’ attack. Big first-half deficits have been a problem for the Wildcats all season, and a key to compete will be to get out to a strong start in the district opener.

THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: The Wildcats will have a hard week of practice to prepare for this road trip, and we think they’ll continue to make progress. However, Broadway’s offense will be too tough to stop, and the Gobblers will deal RC a 42-23 loss.