HONAKER, Va. – To say Galax High School got off to a poor start on Saturday afternoon wouldn’t be doing such words justice.
This opening statement in a state semifinal game – when seizing the momentum is usually a requirement for success – was substandard.
There was 8:31 remaining in the first quarter.
The Maroon Tide trailed by 14 points and the offense had yet to take a snap.
Two touchdowns had been scored in quick order by the highest-scoring squad in the state’s smallest classification. Said team’s fans were making plenty of noise in a venue in which the home team hadn’t lost in its last 12 tries spanning nearly 16 months.
“It’s not the start we need,” Galax coach Shane Allen thought to himself as he stalked up and down the visiting sideline at Fuller Field.
Yet, in a season where nothing has come easy for Galax and the perennial powerhouse was written off time and time again by preseason pundits and postseason prognosticators, this was just another obstacle to overcome and a challenge to meet.
So, with sophomore quarterback Tommy Jones playing like a seasoned veteran, workhorse Tedruhn Tucker taking handoff after handoff in gaining 235 rushing yards and senior leader A.J. Ashworth making pivotal plays, the Tide finished strong in collecting a 49-36 victory over the Honaker Tigers in the VHSL Class 1 state football semifinals.
Galax (10-4) faces the Essex Trojans (14-0) on Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. at Salem Stadium as the Maroon Tide try to win the second state title in program history.
Meanwhile, Honaker (13-1) saw its best season in nine years end in painful fashion.