Amherst to host LCA for benefit game in preseason clash of titans

AMHERST - High school football fanatics are expected to turn out en masse tonight at Amherst County for a Virginia High School League benefit game against Liberty Christian Academy.

The exhibition contest pits two state finalists from last year, with Amherst playing at the Group AA, Division 4, level and LCA competing in Division I of the Virginia Independent Schools Football Association.

“It’s kind of a kickoff to the season, two quality teams playing this early,” Bulldogs coach Frank Rocco said. “It’s a win-win for both programs and we’re very thankful Amherst is willing to do this.”

The VHSL allows its schools to add an 11th game to its schedule if it is a benefit, with the league receiving one-third of the proceeds and the athletic programs at Amherst and LCA splitting the remaining two-thirds. Tickets are $5.

“It doesn’t count as a game, but it’s a game,” said Rocco, whose Bulldogs open their season next Friday at Gretna, a team they beat 15-7 in last year’s opener at Liberty University’s Williams Stadium when the Hawks were coming off back-to-back Group A, Div. 2, state championships.

LCA could be in store for blizzard-like conditions in their last tune-up of the summer as Amherst fans are calling for a “White-Out” on the home side of Lancer Stadium.

“From the sounds of things, it will be packed,” Amherst athletic director William “Goldie” Gouldthorpe said. “The stage is set for a great atmosphere and a great game.”

“It’s a great opportunity for both programs,” Lancers coach Cecil Phillips added. “In order to play at the level we expect our kids to play at, we want to schedule as tough as scrimmages as we can to get a good gauge of where we are in the preseason. As young as we are this year, it’s great for evaluation of personnel. We can make any adjustments we need to make after we review film and start to prepare for Tabb (on Sept. 3).”

Rocco and the Bulldogs have the utmost respect for Amherst, which won back-to-back state titles in 2006 and 2007 after LCA captured VISFA crowns from 2004, 2005 and 2007.

The Bulldogs are playing with heavy hearts after an automobile accident took the life of former player Nicholas Jones, younger brother of team captain Ray Jones, and their mom, Jill, an LU professor on Aug. 8.

“Amherst’s senior football players actually came to the funeral,” Rocco said. “They’re a classy group of guys. We are honored to be able to strap it up and play against them in a game like this that’s going to make both programs better.”

He doesn’t know what to expect as both teams experienced heavy losses to graduation. They do return quarterbacks who started as juniors — Amherst’s Kirby Anderson, who has committed to LU, and LCA’s Seth Good, who played the first several games in place of an injured Mike Rocco, now involved in a quarterback competition at Virginia.

“We’re very young,” Rocco said, noting his team could give the Lancers a competitive battle, or be blown out. “It really could go either way. The good in it is we’re playing a great quality team in a real game situation. We’ll learn a lot of things from it, so when we do play next week against Gretna, we should be able to correct some mistakes.”

Phillips and the Lancers are approaching the game as a dress rehearsal before their first official contest.

“Both teams are going to be thrown into the fire,” he said. “It’ll be great, a tremendous playoff game atmosphere with definitely enthusiastic fans on both sides. We will get to adjust to game-time pressure and see how we handle those types of situations.”

Rocco anticipates establishing a pre-season rivalry with the public school located just across the James River from Lynchburg.

“Hopefully, next year, we can get Amherst to come over to Williams Stadium and we can make this an annual thing,” he said. “We could do it at LU next year and even pack it out more, make it even a bigger fundraiser.”