It wasn’t long ago that most any school was happy to play Craig County in football. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore as coach Jimmy Fisher is having a hard time finding schools willing to play his 2-0 Rockets.
Craig County has struggled to fill out a schedule in the past couple years. Two teams from last year’s schedule bailed on the Rockets this season and one of the replacements, Greater Beckley Christian, pulled out of last Friday’s game saying they did not have enough healthy players to play.
Last Friday was Week 3 of the schedule and that was originally expected to be a trip to Montcalm, West Virginia, a team Craig had played every season since 2017 except for the 2020 COVID year.
The Rockets had lost three in a row to Montcalm before last fall, when Craig gave them a 48-0 thumping at New Castle’s Mitchell Field in a very physical affair. This was to be the second year of the two-year scheduling cycle.
“Week Three was supposed to be Montcalm, but they told us after last year’s game they weren’t playing us, and it was a home game for them,” said Craig coach Jimmy Fisher.
Craig was able to get Galax to replace Montcalm on the schedule when the Maroon Tide bailed out of their scheduled game with Glenvar. The Rockets beat Galax 48-0 on opening night in Galax.
Craig beat Bland County, 68-0, in Week Two and this week Fisher had Van High School of West Virginia agreeing to a game back in the spring to replace Montcalm.
“We were full in March but Van High School, who we were supposed to play this coming week, had double booked a game and then we were left searching,” said Fisher. “What’s disappointing is that they begged us, after they couldn’t field a team last season, to leave them on the schedule.”
Craig substituted Mount View High of West Virginia for Van last year but were planning to play Van this season. When that didn’t work out Fisher called Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy for a possible game.
“We were then supposed to play Smith Mountain Lake in a zero week game, but the proverbial ball was dropped on the paperwork by the revolving door of administrators at Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy,” said Fisher. “When the Virginia High School League Master Schedule came out our zero week game wasn’t on there. Smith Mountain Lake didn’t really want it anymore with their new AD, and then we were stuck with nine games again. Then we found Beckley and thought we were good again but now we are back to nine.”
Fisher is still looking but not expecting to find a 10th game on the schedule.
“We aren’t going to find anyone now,” he said. “There was a bad 4A school advertising that they needed a game this coming Friday. We offered to play them at their field, but they said no. There are costs associated with going 10-2 the previous season and then being 2-0 with two shutouts. It’s harder to find games. Teams also don’t like playing the Single Wing offense. It is what it is.”
So, it looks like the Rockets will be playing just nine games during the regular season. However, this year’s team is hoping to make up that void by playing more games in the post-season. After all, that’s the goal to begin with.
“I don’t think nine games will affect our playoff position,” said Fisher. “I think we just divide our total points by nine games and move on.”
