Six away games and only four at home
BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
NAUGATUCK, W.Va. — The Tug Valley Panthers football squad will be road warriors in the 2024 season due to some schedule changes this summer.
A couple of schools dropped the Panthers during the summer, forcing the coaching staff to have six away games and only four home games.
In fact, Tug Valley’s first five games will be on the road. Throw in a bye week Sept. 20 and the first home game will not be until Oct. 11.
“It didn’t turn out the way we wanted,” Coach Hady Ford said. “We had a couple of teams fold on us. The only way we could get games is to be away. So we don’t get a home game until week seven.”
“That is not the way we wanted it or planned it, but it is what it is,” Ford said. “If we can come out of those first five games and be 3-2 or 4-1 that would be great.”
“It would be great if we can go 5-0,” Ford added. “Then you get four out of those last five games at the house and you are sitting right where you want to be. If we can come out with a winning record in those five games – then you are looking to be in a good position before the playoff time.”
They will have four straight home games at that point before ending the regular season on Nov. 8 at Van High School in Boone County.
Tug Valley opens the season with county rival Mingo Central on Thursday, Aug. 29. The rare Thursday night game should draw a huge crowd at Harless Stadium high atop Miner Mountain, not only from fans from the two schools but other interested parties from other schools and communities.
Then Coach Ford’s team will travel to Sherman on Sept. 6, Logan on Sept. 13, before the bye week on Sept. 20. Following that they travel to Morgan County (KY) on Sept. 27 and regional rival Tolsia on Oct. 4.
The first home game will see the Panthers hosting River View which will be the Hall of Fame game on Oct. 11, then they host Mount View, Westside and Man on consecutive weeks and wind up the regular season on the road against Class A rival Van on Nov. 8.
Tug Valley strives to make the playoffs every season. This year the players and staff hope they can make it farther than any team in the history of the school.
The Mountain State now has four classifications with the addition of Class 4A and a realignment of schools via enrollment numbers.
The Panthers will load up on those yellow school buses and put some miles on the roadways this season, once again playing a tough schedule on top of all of the away games. Tug Valley’s coaches anticipate it will pay off come playoff time. Hopefully they will get a couple of those postseason games on their home field.
2024 Tug Valley High Panthers Football Schedule:
- Aug. 29: at Mingo Central, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 6: at Sherman, 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 13: at Logan, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 20: BYE
- Sept. 27: at Morgan County (KY), 7 p.m
- Oct. 4: at Tolsia, 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 11: River View (Hall of Fame Game), 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 18: Mount View, 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 25: Westside, 7:30 p.m.
- Nov. 1: Man, 7:30 p.m.
- Nov. 8: at Van, 7:30 p.m.