The Shadow
Warm Springs, Va- The Bath County Varsity football team will be in action this Friday night, Aug. 30 against the Stonewall Generals of Mountain View High School.
The Generals are hoping for redemption as their last outing against the Chargers ended in a 54-8 loss on their home field. They’re hoping for a better outcome this time around in Hot Springs. The Generals have generated a lot of excitement around their team this season. They will be fielding their largest team in many years with 42 student athletes gearing up and creating much needed depth. Head coach Kyle Kokkonen believes having depth is crucial to his team’s success as it allows players to focus more on one role or position rather than putting too much pressure on one smaller core group. He’s also excited to have more players because it will allow for more substitutions and less tired athletes for a fourth quarter push if needed.
The Chargers defensive secondary will have to be on their toes all night as the Generals will be returning senior quarterback Shreejee Patel who threw for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Paired with last year’s receiving standout junior, German Salinis Ortiz, who had 12 receptions for over 300 yards last season, the duo will be a threat Bath will have to be prepared for.
On the other side of the ball, the Chargers are looking to start off their season as strong as they ended their last. The 2023 season saw the Chargers end their year with a better record than the previous ten years had allowed. With Coach Jake Phillips at the helm, the Chargers have continued to improve their record each season, and the former William and Mary standout expects the trend to continue. The Chargers will be returning their star quarterback Wyatt Campbell this season. Campbell shredded defenses last season with over 1500 yards rushing and nearly 1000 yards passing which culminated in 50 touchdowns for the now senior. Bath will also be returning a lot of the offensive and defensive line they depended upon heavily in 2023 which was a big reason for the team’s success.
It will all come to a head this Friday night the 30th at 7:00 PM at Bath County High School. Come out and support your Chargers as they begin their season and quest to win the Pioneer District.
