While the final and 40th football game has been played between the Alleghany Mountaineers and the Covington Cougars, we have a bunch of past & current players, coaches, teachers, and media’s prospective on the history rival between the crosstown rivals.
“I remember playing my senior year at Covington in 2013 and I recall saying to one of my teammates, look around here, we’re not the enemies, just good old fashioned rivals. I remember playing that year with our first year coach, Gary Burdette. I wouldn’t have wanted my last ride to be with anyone else.”
– Kendall Kessinger
“It might be the most important and scariest game of the rivalry because it is the last one, but in the end it’s Cov week baby, who isn’t excited to bring the cup back.” – Garrett Via
“Just enjoy the entire day and play your hardest when it’s game time. You all will look back one day and be happy you were a part of it and miss it all.”
– Steven Wilkes
“I have been able to have the opportunity to be on both sides of the isle in this great rivalry. This will be the last Brackman Cup, but it will soon be the beginning of something special that the community can be excited about.”
– Ryan Kessinger
“As an AHS alum and former cheerleader, it is sad to see the Mountie era come to an end. But at the same time, it is exciting to know that the best interest of the students is being taken into consideration. Alleghany Cougars has a nice ring to it and it won’t be long before the rest of the state will need to watch out for the navy and Columbia Blue.”
– Monica Quarles Hunter
“We’re looking forward to the last opportunity to compete for the Brackman Cup. Being able to be a part of the game as a player and a coach is two totally different perspectives, but the competitive spirit is there just as it was playing in the game.”
– Seth Bradley
“I think there’s excitement for both schools knowing it’s the last game in the history of the rivalry. There’s been some great games over the years. I’ll never forget seeing my first AHS-CHS game in 1999. We hung on to beat Covington 13-12 in the final seconds.”
– Seth Davis
“What can I say? Throughout my entire football career, I can honestly say that the CHS vs AHS rivalry football game was always the one I was chomping at the bit to get underway. It was just something special to see how this rivalry brought two communities together to support their respective teams whether it be decked out in that blue & gold or rocking that red & baby blue. This rivalry turned friends to foes, even if it was just for one Friday night under them bright lights. It’s sad to see the end of this amazing rivalry, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. This time next year, we’ll all stand as ONE, and I’m all for it. Best of luck to both teams the remainder of the season. One last time for the home team. Sweat blue! Bleed gold!”
– Joe Caul
“I’m excited about the game and excited to compete and play against my future teammates.”
– Desmond Jordan
“Being a former Alleghany student and player, I always get excited about the Covington/Alleghany Brackman Cup Game. The excitement of the crowd size always had me ready to perform at a high level also a stage to show the community your skills. This year is different for me, my son is the starting quarterback for Covington (Desmond), so now I can’t be one sided and are cheering for both teams as they play their last game for the Brackman Cup and also for his future teams. Go Cougars and Mountaineers.”
– Adrian Jordan
“It’s a huge opportunity for student athletes who have worked hard all summer to play in front of the entire community. It’s special because a lot of the competitors are extremely familiar with one another. most of the athletes grew up competing among one another at an early age or even playing together on the same recreation teams. Each side knows that winning the Brackman Cup means earns exclusive bragging rights for an entire year. From a community perspective, it’s an opportunity to bring everybody from every corner of the town together. While looking outside in, people may just see another football game. But locals know it’s certainly more than that. It’s a tradition and rivalry that our fathers and grandfathers, and many generations before us have created. From my own prospective, the rivalry was always something I’ll remember. The game runs deep in my roots. From a young age watching my father coach all the way up playing by the side of my brother. The game becomes a part of your DNA and the outcome sticks with you forever. I’ve played in a lot of football at a high level, but seems to resonate as deep as the Covington vs Alleghany rivalry.”
– Tyler Dressler
“A lot of memories from this rivalry. My favorite was a 100 yard interception return at Covington my junior year that got called back because of clipping. I returned a fumble for a touchdown my senior year.It’s sad to see the rivalry go, but excited for the future. Good luck to both sides. We are now all on the same team like it should have been long ago.” – Bosco Williams
“My junior year was the first year Alleghany County had merged with Clifton Forge. There was a lot of discussion about Covington consolidating with the new school system, but there was considerable opposition from the folks in Covington. I did not get any game action during the game, but remember that we were huge underdogs going into the game. Most of the locals didn’t give us much of a chance to be competitive, but we were able to get the win. We were able to win 14-0 during my senior year (1984) and while I do not recall much about the game, I do remember it as a defensive game where yardage was scarce for both teams. When the news broke that Covington was going to consolidate with Alleghany, I was not surprised. The population in this area continues to decline and the mechanism for state school funding makes it difficult to effectively fund schools that have small classes. I guess it is a bit disheartening when one’s alma mater closes, but the population decline made the decision inevitable. In a couple of generations, the legacy of high school athletes will be forgotten. Time marches on.”
– Alex Kessinger
“In the few years I was able to call the games, it was pretty exciting football honestly. When I attended AHS in the 2000’s the matchups were always lopsided to AHS, but it seemed like every game I got to call for the broadcast between the two was close for the most part and that obviously made it matter more.”
– Austin Bess, former Covington Cougars play by play radio broadcaster
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