The Craig County football team recently completed their best football season in 14 years, finishing with a 6-5 record and making the playoffs. Coach Jim Fisher reflected on the season as he prepares for an even better season next year.
GRAYSON COUNTY PLAYOFF GAME
“Had a rough week of practice for the playoffs. There was a stomach bug going around. Missing eight or nine kids every day.
“We knew going into the season that Grayson County and George Wythe would be tough playoff draws. Grayson won the toss and deferred, giving us the ball first and we moved the ball a little. We picked up a first down, and were fighting to keep the drive alive and Isaac Lucas got injured. It was a big loss for us. He is a huge part of our blocking scheme and we really didn’t have a replacement for him.
“We had to move several kids around and the offense just wasn’t as effective when he went out. Isaac is also a starting defensive lineman and with the all the kids out of practice all week, the reserves did not get many reps at practice. We had changed the front and Isaac’s replacement(s) had to settle in and we had to adjust their alignment as the game progressed.
“It took us a couple of drives, and Grayson scores, to settle in. We struggled to stop them but did get some stops. We also struggled offensively to move the ball. Our game plan was 3 yards and a cloud of dust, to try and keep their high-powered offense off the field. We wanted to run the ball and shorten the game but after losing Isaac, it really hurt our run game. We may not have been able to do it anyway but we’ll never know now.”
THE TRIP TO GRAYSON
“The trip to Grayson was great. We stopped and ate at Fiddlers in Hillsville. The food and the service were great. Grayson County High School treated us first class. They were fantastic hosts and fed us well after the game.
“It was a great night except for the scoreboard. Our kids played extremely hard the entire game and I am very proud of the effort by the hometown team. Both teams acted first class and it was the cleanest played game of the year in my opinion.”
ROCKET SENIORS
“Josh Craft, Jaycob Wolfe, and Blake Wright have been with me all four years that I have been back, and have worked their tails off. Isaac Lucas came on three years ago and turned himself into a dude his season year.
“Coach Corey Smith got Cameron Huffman coming to the weight room during the spring and we were finally able to talk him into playing. He was a great asset, a great kid, and a super positive influence.
“Big Joseph Lee came on, from Cave Spring High School for his senior year and added size and strength to our defensive line. He was a huge addition for us, literally and figuratively. Lol.
“These six seniors have been fantastic in every way. They will be missed tremendously.”
NEXT YEAR
“Our goals going into the season were to have a winning record and make the playoffs. We had an amazing off-season and our young men worked extremely hard. We accomplished those two goals we set.
“The 2025 season SHOULD be better than the 2024 season. There are a lot of pieces coming back and if we can couple it with another great off-season we should have another winning season and a better playoff seeding.”
FUNDRAISING
“The one area in which we have underperformed is our fundraising goals. Everything is so expensive, so it’s a really bad time to underperform in that area.
“Please contact me or any Rocket football player before December 6th if you want to buy a ticket on our four-wheeler raffle drawing on December 7th, or contact me if you want to help us out with a donation. Call Jimmy Fisher at 540-598-6706.”
