Devils get pumped for tonight’s rivalry game

Neither team will need a nurse or paramedic to check its vital signs.

Emotions will be pulsating when cross-town rivals, Eastern View and Culpeper County, collide tonight at Broman Field.

“If you can’t get fired up for this game,” said Culpeper head Coach Mike Williams, “you don’t have a pulse.”

The Cylcones (4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Battlefield District) meet the Blue Devils (3-5, 3-2) for the second time this season and tonight’s game, unlike the first meeting, counts in the district standings.

Back on Aug. 29, the Cyclones defeated the Blue Devils 26-12 at Cyclones Stadium.

Tonight the Cyclones, who have played the Blue Devils three times in the early stage of the rivalry, come to Broman Field for the first time.

Just how important is tonight’s game to the players?

“All these kids grew up together,” said Williams. “They’ve only been apart for two years. It’s bragging rights for the year, and this is the district game.”

Both teams are coming into tonight’s game following huge deficits in the outcome of their games played last week, but in opposite ways.

Eastern View was an easy, 42-0 winner over Caroline, which kept the Cavaliers winless in eight games, while Culpeper fell hard to Courtland, 50-13, but the Blue Devils accomplished something no other district team has this season: score points against the Cougars.

Culpeper scored through the air and on the ground. Quarterback Donald Downs hooked up with tight end Colin Huntt for an 18-yard touchdown reception and running back Cortez Rollins switched to quarterback late in the game and scampered into the end zone from ten yards out.

Courtland quarterback Ryan McBroom proved to be everything Williams thought him to be: strong-armed and accurate.

McBroom, despite playing in a rainy mist, threw for nearly 160 yards and three touchdowns in the second half alone.

“We just couldn’t get to him,” said Williams.

Tonight, the Blue Devils must get to Cyclones quarterback Simon Pendleton to disrupt the spread attack.

“We have to keep pressure on Pendleton,” said Williams. “Penetration and pressure on him are the keys to our success on defense. We have to keep someone in his face.”

Pendleton leads a spread attack that features as many as five wideouts.

“We use four defensive backs any way,” said Williams referring to John Lezcano, Matt Wince, Robbie Mayes and Matt Nerkowski. Downs has also played in the secondary.

“We’ll move the defensive end to stop the slant and bubble screen,” said Williams.

Despite last week’s lopsided loss to the Cougars, the Culpeper defense actually played well in spots but it has a tendency to give up the big play like the proverbial dagger to the heart.

Can the defense rise to the occasion tonight?

The players think so.

“Our defense can hold them,” said Rollins a mainstay on defense at linebacker. “If we run the ball the way we have the last couple of weeks we can come out with the win.”

Teammate Larry Williams, a workhorse on offense and fellow hard-hitting linebacker on defense, combined with Rollins a week ago to make numerous tackles.

If Pendleton tries to run up the middle surely he will meet Rollins and Williams who will be waiting for him.

But what if Pendleton is successful going to the air? The Blue Devils have had problems stopping the pass.

Wince thinks the team will be okay.

“If our defense is on point then we’ve got this,” said the senior safety. “Our offense has to keep moving the ball.”

Like they did last week, the Blue Devils will be playing without center Chris Woodward.

“He’s out but we’re okay,” said Coach Williams. “We’ve had a good week of practice. Everybody else is healthy and everybody is happy.”

The Blue Devils will feature more of a double tight end set tonight with Joe Hoffman doubling up with Huntt. Downs, who recently became the full-time quarterback, will likely go the distance tonight.

Williams is quick to bottom line matters for both teams.

“Eastern View hasn’t been able to stop the run and we haven’t been able to stop the pass. We run the ball and they pass it.”

The first-year coach at CCHS, who was an assistant coach at William Monroe High School last year, the head coach at Holston and more recently at Rappahannock, is coaching in the biggest game of his career in Culpeper tonight.

“I’m looking forward to this game,” he said. “I started getting nervous (yesterday) morning. Coaching our homecoming game was great but even then the kids were looking ahead to tonight’s game. They’ve been thinking about it since game one.”

Going into tonight’s game the Cyclones hold a 2-0 advantage against the Blue Devils.

Their first meeting was a year ago in the benefit game that Eastern View won handily, 41-7. As mentioned, they won this year’s season opener at home, 26-12.

“Any time you get to play somebody twice in a season it cuts down on your prep time,” said Williams. “I’ve seen Eastern View on film five or six times. We know what they’re going to do and they know what we’re going to do.”

Tonight’s kickoff at Broman Field is set for 7:30 p.m.