BRISTOL, Va. — On the Virginia side of Bristol, the G-Men leave their lightless home field behind this week for a Friday night Southwest District kickoff against the Bearcats at Gene Malcolm Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Graham could not host under the lights last week because its campus stadium still has no lighting package, so the team played Pulaski County in daylight Saturday and rolled to a 51-13 victory that pushed the G-Men to 5-1.
Virginia High sits at 4-3 after an 11-0 setback at Tazewell on Oct. 2. The Bearcats will try to snap that slide in front of a home crowd while Graham looks to keep its early-season surge intact.
For fans along the state line, the game restores a familiar Friday rhythm the G-Men cannot offer at home until lights arrive on campus. Gene Malcolm Stadium supplies the night setting both programs expect in October.
Elsewhere on the regional slate, Bluefield visits Fairmont Senior and Princeton visits Woodrow Wilson in other 7 p.m. contests, but the Graham-Virginia High meeting is the local focus for Bristol listeners.
Graham will lean on the momentum from the Pulaski County blowout. Virginia High will lean on home-field energy after the Tazewell shutout.
Gates open ahead of the 7 p.m. kick at Gene Malcolm Stadium. Families should confirm parking and ticket details with Virginia High before making the short trip across the line.
Southwest District standings could tighten quickly if the Bearcats spring an upset, while another Graham win would keep the G-Men among the district’s early pace-setters heading into the heart of the schedule.
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