Is Buckingham County football back?
Appomattox may have a relevant opinion. In the last four years, the Raiders had lost just one regular season game.
They’re starting this season with a defeat thanks to a resurgent Buckingham program that made a huge statement with a 27-6 victory over the Raiders Friday.
Buckingham pulled off the feat with an explosive run game that controlled possession and piled up yards. Three different players had more than 100 yards in the win, led by Walter Edwards’ 165 yards and a touchdown. Tay Toney notched 118 yards and two touchdowns on 16 touches and Delante Woodson had eight carries for 108 yards.
The Knights won the Battle of the Axe, represented by a travelling trophy that celebrates the communities’ shared heritage as logging centers for the state, for the first time since 2014. It’s a clear indication that Buckingham is back in year two of the Seth Wilkerson era after lean seasons in 2016 and 2017.
The Knights led 7-6 at the half, but they took control of the game with a clock-grinding, 12-play, 67-yard drive that took 7:21 to complete and they were up 13-6 at the end of the third. Appomattox never mustered a counter-punch and the Knights tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The Knights will now take a week off before another critical home game, a James River District clash with Goochland September 13.
