EMORY, Va. - College football fans across Southwest Virginia love to debate who has the best team in the region. On Saturday night, fans will be closer to a final answer as Emory & Henry College takes on Bluefield College at 6 p.m.
Saturday's contest will be the first between the regional rivals. The Bristol Herald Courier has dubbed the game "The Southwest Virginia Bowl."
The Basics
WHAT – Emory & Henry vs. Bluefield
WHEN – Saturday, 6 p.m.
WHERE – Mitchell Stadium - Bluefield, West Virginia
LISTEN – 90.7 FM WEHC | https://www.ehc.edu/wehc
WATCH – https://www.youtube.com/user/BluefieldCollegeRams
No matter what you call it, fans from both institutions will be packing the stands at Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield for Saturday's showdown. Both teams are currently still searching for their first win of the season, as Bluefield has dropped its first four games. The Wasps have collected two narrow defeats in the early portion of their schedule. Bluefield College competes as a member of the NAIA Mid-South Conference.
A familiar face to E&H fans coaches the Rams. Head Coach Dewey Lusk is a former player for the Wasps and was offensive coordinator from 1991-2005 and from 1992-2004 he was also head baseball coach at E&H. He was also on the opposite sideline in another battle of Southwest Virginia teams when the Wasps faced UVa-Wise in 2010 and 2011.
Ticket Information
GENERAL ADMISSION - $10
COLLEGE STUDENTS (With ID) - $5
YOUTH (Ages 3-18) - $5CHILDREN UNDER THREE - Free
"I graduated just before Dewey's arrival on campus, but we have known each other for years," said E&H Head Coach Curt Newsome. "This is a great opportunity for our kids to take on a school that gives scholarships, and I know we are excited to play this game."
Currently, there is only a contract for one regular-season game. The Wasps have scrimmaged with Bluefield on numerous occasions over the years before the start of the season.
"I'm glad that we're at least playing this one time because Southwest Virginia is football crazy and a lot of these kids have played together and know one another. We're only an hour and fifteen minutes apart," Lusk told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. "It's going to be a social event. I think it's going to be good for small college football in Southwest Virginia."
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