By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
This football season will be a true fall one after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of last fall’s high school season and replaced it with an abbreviated spring season.
Practice for the upcoming season has started across the region with kickoff set for Aug. 27.
Radford will play George Wythe, Gate City, Galax, Ft. Chiswell, and Christiansburg out-of-district.
Blacksburg will face Giles, Lord Botetourt, Amherst, and Graham as non-River Ridge opponents. For the first time in years, Blacksburg and Christiansburg will not face each other in the final week of the season; instead they will play on Oct. 8.
Christiansburg’s non-district opponents will be Floyd, Abingdon, William Byrd and Radford.
Eastern Montgomery will travel to Holston, then host Rural Retreat and North Cross in back-to-back weeks while facing Auburn in the annual cross-county rival contest.
Besides Eastern Montgomery, Auburn will face Giles, Craig, Narrows, and Floyd.
Radford’s 2021 schedule:
Aug. 27, George Wythe; Sept. 4, at Gate City; Sept. 10, at Fort Chiswell; Sept. 17, Galax; Sept. 24, at Christiansburg; Oct. 1, Alleghany; Oct. 8, Carroll County; Oct. 22, Floyd, Oct. 29, at Glenvar; Nov. 5, at James River.
Blacksburg’s 2021 schedule:
Aug. 27, at Giles; Sept. 2, Lord Botetourt; Sept. 10, Amherst; Sept. 24, Salem; Oct. 1, at Patrick Henry; Oct. 8, at Christiansburg; Oct. 15, Pulaski; Oct. 22, Hidden
Christiansburg’s 2021 schedule:
Aug. 27, at Floyd; Sept. 3, at Abingdon; Sept. 17, William Byard; Sept. 24, Radford; Oct. 1, at Salem; Oct. 8, Blacksburg; Oct. 15, at Hidden Valley; Oct. 22, Patrick Henry; Oct. 29, Cave Spring; Nov. 5, at Pulaski.
Eastern Montgomery’s 2021 schedule:
Aug. 27, at Holston; Sept. 3, Rural Retreat; Sept. 10, North Cross; Sept. 17, at Auburn; Sept. 24, Bland; Oct. 8, at Craig; Oct. 15, Bath County; Oct. 22, at Narrows; Oct. 29, at Covington, Nov. 5, Parry McCluer.
Aug. 27, Narrows; Sept. 3, at Craig; Sept. 10, Floyd; Sept. 17, Eastern Montgomery; Oct. 1, at Fort Chiswell; Oct. 8, Grayson County; Oct. 15, at Bland; Oct. 22, at Galax; Oct. 29, at Giles; Nov. 5. George Wythe.