WISE - - After an 11-year hiatus, the Southwest Virginia Bowl returns for its fifth edition Saturday when UVA Wise visits Emory & Henry in a 1 p.m. kickoff. Despite the two schools being separated by a mere 59 miles, the two have not met on the gridiron since 2011.
UVA Wise claimed a 33-30 win on Sept. 17, 2011. Much to the delight of local football fans, the rivalry has been renewed with Emory & Henry joining the South Atlantic Conference.
If previous meetings are any indication, fans may want to arrive early as crowds in excess of 7,500 have turned out for these games that have left lasting memories.
The Wasps dealt the Cavaliers their only regular season loss in 1995 with a 29-20 triumph before the schools went 15 years without playing. When the series renewed, Emory & Henry scored a 20-10 win at home in 2010 before UVA Wise put its mark on the rivalry a year later.
The Cavs won the 2011 affair on a game-winning punt return that featured a lateral and earned UVA Wise National Play of the Year by CBS and Geico. Despite "The Play" being viewed hundreds of thousands of times online and being talked about ad nauseam for more than a decade, the series was halted as UVA Wise moved to NCAA Division II and then Emory & Henry Head Coach Don Montgomery publicly expressed a desire not to play.
The wait is officially over as the Wasps are off to a 3-2 start behind a defense that is holding teams to 97.2 rushing yards per game. Emory & Henry also has the league leader in touchdown passes (9) in Kyle Short and a talented running back in University of Richmond transfer Grayson Overstreet.
UVA Wise will look to halt a four-game losing skid as the team has battled poor second-half performances and injuries throughout the first half of the season.
A bright spot has been the play of defensive back
Robert Carter. Carter leads the league with four interceptions and has tallied 18 tackles, two tackles for loss and a pair of pass deflections from the secondary. His play has helped lead the Cavaliers to a number seven national ranking in pass defense with the unit holding teams to 133.8 yards per contest.
On offense,
Markel Harrison has had a breakout season. The redshirt senior leads the conference at 5.4 catches per game. A week ago, Harrison hauled the fifth touchdown catch of his career.
Saturday's game will mark the start of divisional play in the SAC. Each school in the league will play five consecutive divisional contests before the league will hold a conference championship game on Nov. 12.
Next week, UVA Wise is back home to face Tusculum while Emory & Henry hits the road to face Mars Hill.
