FAIRLEA- For our third and final schedule preview for the Greenbrier East Spartans football team, East will close out the regular season with a four-game stretch that includes three home games and just one road contest.
On October 18, and after a six-week home hiatus, the Spartans return to Spartan Stadium after four consecutive road contests with a bye week mixed in as well, to host the Nicholas County Grizzlies. Nicholas County went 5-5 a year ago and fielded a relatively talented squad. They played James Monroe–who made it to the Class A state semifinals—tough and lost by just two scores. The Grizzlies will have some new faces that must step up this year but return enough talent to pose an issue for East.
However, the Spartans should be thrilled to be back in their friendly confines to play a football game. How they play and the energy they show will depend on how those previous four road games went. If East is battling for a playoff spot, then they will be fired up in front of a wild and rowdy crowd. If they struggled in those games, it could turn into a sleepwalking battle just trying to get to the finish line. That said, Nicholas Co. is a beatable football team and look for the Spartans to play well.
The following week, October 25, the Spartans will get on the bus and go to their final road destination of the season, Hinton, to face the Summers County Bobcats. Summers is coming off a 6-5 campaign in Class A and advanced to the state tournament where their season ended against Wahama. The Bobcats also have a loyal fan following and their stands are typically packed and rowdy and that will be the case when the Spartans come to town. East scrimmaged on the Summers County field last year before the season got underway so the familiarity will at least be there a little bit for the green and gold. Still, the Spartans will have to play sound, fundamental football to overcome a loyal fan base and a decent opponent on the field.
East will close out the regular season at home with two games, the first being against the Princeton Tigers. Last season, the Tigers and Spartans met twice in the regular season, and it was Princeton who scored two easy wins. The Tigers made a run all the way to the state championship game in Class AAAA and were one of the top offensive teams in the state. Chase Barker quarterbacks the Tigers and on defense, fans will quickly get to the know the name Daniel Jennings, a defensive end. Rumor has it that Jennings will soon decide his college choice between WVU and Penn State with the Nittany Lions being the favorite to land the athletic player. Princeton will be right in the mix again this year with the skill they bring back. They have enjoyed a string of success lately and if the Spartans could find a way to steal this this one on November 1, then East’s season will be extended until mid-November.
East will close out the regular season on Nov. 8 against Nitro on senior night, another state playoff team from 2023. Nitro brings back some experience and lost some as well, much like the Spartans. They finished 7-4 overall last year and have a high-powered offensive attack that scored 41.2 points per game a year ago. They like to run the ball and throw it deep occasionally which will solidify that the final game of 2024 is surely to be entertaining.
This year’s schedule is tougher than I initially thought only because of the four consecutive road games. The Spartans will play a home game on Sept. 6 and not step foot on that field on a Friday night again until October 18. However, during that road stretch, there are some winnable games. It is the most important part of the schedule in my opinion as it will test the Spartans stamina and will to win. Traveling multiple weeks in a row can take some swagger out of a team and hopefully that will not be the case with the 2024 Spartans who do return some talent and have a chance to win several football games. We will have a full team preview, break down positions on offense and defense, and offer some predictions over the next few weeks.
East begins fall practice on Monday, August 5.
