BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

NAUGATUCK, W.Va. — Tug Valley’s 2025 football schedule has changed due to Huntington St. Joe not being able to field a team.

St. Joe has tried the last couple of years to restart a football program after it was dormant for several years. But before the season or practice even starts, officials at the school decided to fold.

This helped teams that had them on the schedule scramble to find a replacement. That also means that some other dates needed to be switched, according to assistant coach Gideon Jarvis.

Jarvis, along with head coach Hady Ford and others on the staff work together to fill out the gridiron schedule.

Tug Valley was originally scheduled to host the St. Joe Irish in week No. 11.

“Our coaches work as a collective unit in completing the schedule, especially this year with the recent changes and cancellations,” Jarvis stressed.

“The change was a monumental task, given we are a little over one month away from week one and most teams have a full schedule at this point,” Jarvis stated. “That said, we were able to work out a deal with Wyoming East allowing us to welcome them to Naugatuck for the first time. This move was not a simple pickup but involved multiple teams who were gracious enough to work with us to ensure our kids were able to play 10 games this season.”

Luckily, a team that usually is on the Panthers regular season slate, Van High School, was not on the schedule this year. That Boone County school recently announced that it would not field a team this year too.

Tug Valley plays in Class A and has been ranked as one of the top schools in West Virginia in that classification the last few years.

Wyoming East is the third new opponent for Tug Valley this fall with James Monroe and Wayne being the others. TVHS will now play its first four games at home. Five out of the last six will be away.

The Panthers will have six Class AA schools on the schedule and four in Single A.

The first official day of practice for Mountain State schools is Monday, Aug. 4.

2025 Tug Valley High School Football Schedule:

• Aug. 28: Mingo Central, 7:30 p.m.
• Sept. 5: Sherman (Hall of Fame Game), 7:30 p.m.
• Sept. 12: Logan, 7:30 p.m.
• Sept. 19: Wyoming East (Homecoming), 7:30 p.m.
• Sept. 26: BYE WEEK
• Oct. 3: at River View, 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 10: at Wayne, 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 17: at Mount View, 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 24: Tolsia, 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 31: at Man, 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 7: at James Monroe, 7:30 p.m.