Varsity football looks to avenge their 28-14 loss to the James River Rapids in the annual Coal Bowl this Friday.  The Trojans look for their third straight win after after beating Powhatan Indians 23-6 on the road.  James River enters Friday night’s contest with a record of 4-5 after being George Wythe last week 45-0.

Unlike previous seasons, the game carries playoff implications for both teams.  The Trojans, ranked seventh in the Richmond area, need to win to hold on to their second seed in the Region 5C playoffs.  The Rapids need to win to hold on to the final Region 6A playoff spot.

Outside of the playoff implications, the rivalry matchup comes with bragging rights and the Coal Bowl trophy for the winner.

“This is an important rivalry, we have to focus on the small details if we want to get a victory against this Rapids team,” Coach Matt Hutchings said.

The Trojans plan to use a run-heavy approach with their senior running back Ashby Berry. On top of that, the defense will seek to limit the Rapids offense from scoring  by forcing multiple takeaways.

“One thing that I have been impressed with from this team is their resilience and how they feed off of each other; pushing each other to make plays at all times,” Coach Matt Hutchings said.

The Trojans will use  F.W Poates Stadium to their advantage as they are 5-0 at home, only allowing 19 points.

Despite having a 4-5 record, the James River Rapids hold a 3-1 record on the road and a and have a +91 point differential.

“This is the last game of the regular season, we have to keep playing as a team while trying to get better every week heading into the playoff,” Coach Matt Hutchings said.