Class 1 Top Ten - #10 Grundy

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As part of our comprehensive coverage, we count down the Top Ten Rankings for each classification. It's found exclusively on this web site with updates weekly during the season.

What to Know: A 6-5 mark in 2021 might not seem like much. In any event, for a team that was winless as recent as 2014, suffered a six-game losing streak to end the 2019 campaign and last year got off to a 1-3 start, it's rather noteworthy improvement. Coach Craig Plymal's Golden Wave re-grouped from the consecutive losses to Ridgeview, Honaker and Tazewell to win four in a row. The highlight was a 26-8 non-district triumph over the Patrick Henry-Glade Spring Rebels.

West of reigning six-time Class 1 State Champ Riverheads, there isn't a more accomplished rusher at this level of football than Ian Scammell (5-10, 185), the odds-on favorite for not just Black Diamond District Player of the Year, but probably Region 1D Player of the Year. In the opening round of the playoffs, Scammell ran the ball 32 times for 295 yards and 4 TD's in a 56-37 win over Chilhowie. On the season, the Grundy workhorse rushed for 2261 yards - upping his career total to 4768 - and 21 TD's,

What Scammell will benefit from most of all is a hard-nosed, veteran offensive line that will clear holes for him with senior Logan Looney (6-4, 285), senior center Cameron Keene (5-11, 185) and senior Jacob Deel (5-9, 310). Throw in junior tight end Jonah Looney (6-5, 220), a large enough target to throw a fade pattern in the corner of the end zone, and the Golden Wave have the necessary components up front to continue punishing foes with a dominant ground attack.

Logan Looney is a 1st Team All-Region performer on both offense and defense. When they need to give Scammell a breather, junior Ethan Roberts can give them another dimension in the running game. The blocking scheme and concentration of defenses on Scammell could allow for Roberts to sneak through with the occasional long scamper.

For Grundy to advance further in the postseason though, they will certainly need to establish more of a threat through the air. In their 42-8 regional semifinal loss to Holston in Damascus, the Golden Wave managed just one completion for 11 yards.

Senior Isaiah Boyd (5-11, 215), who transferred in last year from Twin Valley, is back at quarterback and figures to have an even better grasp of the system with a full off-season under his belt. Look for junior Jonathan Thompson (5-7, 150) to be one of the featured receivers when Grundy does go to throw.

If not careful, Grundy can easily stumble a time or two out of the gate with their opener on August 26th at a PH-Glade Spring team wanting revenge from last season, followed by a home opener on September 2nd vs. Ridgeview, one of the Region 2D favorites. Consecutive home games to close out September with Honaker and Tazewell will surely test them as well. So in essence, keeping their head above water by the time October rolls around is going to be one of the prime objectives.

Final Class 1 Rankings from 2021:

#1 - Riverheads (14-0)

#2 - Galax (11-3)

#3 - Holston (13-1)

#4 - Essex (8-2)

#5 - King & Queen (10-2)

#6 - Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (9-4)

#7 -Twin Springs (9-2)

#8 - Buffalo Gap (9-4)

#9 - Parry McCluer (9-4)

#10 - Northumberland (7-3)

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