Football Preview: Strasburg at James Wood

When: Today, 7 p.m.

Where: James Wood’s Kelican Stadium, Winchester

Records: Strasburg (1-1); James Wood (0-3)

Last week: Strasburg did not play; James Wood lost to Warren County 41-20

Last year: Did not play

Preview: One team is coming off a bye, the other probably wishes it was as well.

Neither James Wood or Strasburg can feel very good about how they performed the last time out on the football field, and both are hoping to get back on track quickly.

Although winless on the season, the Colonels have to feel good about the way their rushing attack came alive against Warren County last week.

After being shut out by Loudoun Valley a week earlier, James Wood rushed for 196 yards on 44 carries and scored 20 points against the Wildcats.

Coach Mark McHale has stressed the need to develop toughness on a squad that has lacked it early in the season, and they’ll get another chance to lean on the running game against a smaller Strasburg team.

“[James Wood’s] big, their size is what’s going to really stick out when we go up against them,” said Strasburg coach Mark Roller. “When a team wants to run like they do, you first have to game plan to stop that run.”

The Strasburg defense, which is led by three-year starters Jonathan Kloosterman and Trenton Davis, will be keyed on stopping running backs Logan Rutherford and Tyler Bishop (game-high 136 yards and two TDs against Warren County).

On offense the Rams are relying on a pair of juniors this year in quarterback Mark Smoot and running back Colton Funk.

Smoot and Funk struggled in Strasburg’s 21-0 loss to East Rockingham two weeks ago, but Roller is hoping that the bye week has helped give them extra time to correct some of their early mistakes.

“Neither one of them got a whole lot of playing time last year, so they’re still learning,” Roller said.

The Rams like to operate out of a spread-style offense, but Roller said establishing the run is always a priority.

James Wood has struggled to slow down opponents’ rushing attacks this season (Warren County ran for 278 yards) and it will be tested once again.