WISE – The UVA Wise football team will play their last home game of the season Saturday when they host Tusculum in a South Atlantic Conference game on the Beaty-Richmond Field.

It will not only be Senior Day, but also Military Appreciation Day.

ABOUT UVA WISE
- The Cavs are now 2-5 overall and 1-4 in South Atlantic Conference play following their 31-17 loss to Mars Hill last Saturday,
- Tusculum is literally the oldest rivalry for the Highland Cavalier football team as the Pioneers were the first opponent for Clinch Valley College when the two met at Carroll Dale Field in Wise on September 7, 1991. Technically, it was the first game for both programs as it was CVC's inaugural season of football and Tusculum was bringing back football after a 40 year absence. The Pioneers had a program from 1901-1950 but had ended football for various reasons after the 1950 season.
- In that game, Earl Wilson got the Cavs on the board first with a two yard touchdown run with 13:29 left in the second quarter. They scored again just before the half on a three-yard touchdown run by Jamie Bryant. The snap on the extra-point went wild and Tusculum returned it 92 yards for the 2-point conversion, putting the score at 13-2 at the half. With nine seconds left in the third quarter the Pioneers blocked a Cavalier punt attempt and took it in the endzone for the score. The 2-point conversion was stopped, so the score stood at 13-8. Tusculum later had the ball at fourth and goal from the eight with ten seconds remaining, but CVC's Matt Hamilton batted down the pass attempt in the endzone and sealed the 13-8 CVC win.
- Since then, the series has gone back and forth with the Pioneers currently holding an 8-6 advantage overall and a 4-4 record on the Cavalier home field. They also are currently riding a four-game winning streak over the Cavs.
- The Cavs enter the game with 2,110 total yards of offense on the season (301.4 yards a game), compared to 2,983 (426.1 ypg) by their opponents.
- Cooper Wick made his first start last week and went 17-32-4 for 166 yards.
- Dejauvis Dozier has 73 carries on the season for 333 yards to lead the Cavs, while Ian Scammel has 71 for 303 yards.
- Dorien Goddard has 288 yards on 35 catches with three touchdowns following the Carson-Newman game. Seth Fischbach has is averaging 11.7 yards a catch this season as he has 28 catches for 328 yards and two touchdowns. DJ Powell also has 23 receptions for 257 yards.
- Powell leads the team in kick returns with 352 yards on fourteen returns, including a 56 yarder vs. Catawba.
- Brub Hines III leads the team with 46 total tackles (29 solo). He also has 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Jalen Pickens also has 1.5 tackles for loss to go along with 38 tackles (20 solo). Other players with 29 or more tackles are AJ Stewart (31), Matthew Strong (29), and Emmanuel Scott (29).
- Scott and Kenneth Long have two sacks apiece to lead the team. Spruill, Jimmie Simmons, Davion Jackson, Quentis Adams, and Raaphell Mayes II all have a sack each.
 
ABOUT TUSCULUM
- The Pioneers enter the game with a 1-6 overall and a 1-5 SAC record under first-year head coach Billy Taylor. Taylor has been around the area as a coach at ETSU and Tusculum for many years and took over the sidelines after former coach Jerry Odom left to take a coordinator position at Western Carolina.
- The team has apparently had a long adjustment period to the new system, but looking at their scores they have shown steady improvement throughout the season, capped off by their 30-28 win over Anderson last week.
- Part of that adjustment is tinkering with the lineups, and they have had six different quarterbacks, 22 different rushers, and 15 different receivers.
- The main QB has been Matthew Palazzo, who is 41-71-4 for 598 yards and four TDs. Kamden Wellington has also seen a lot of time, going 21-45-1 for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
- Four Pioneers have rushed for over 100 yards this season, with Jalen Hunt leading the way as he has 48 carries for 242 yards and a touchdown. Otasowie Dion has 23 carries for 142 yards and a touchdown, while Jojo Restall has three touchdowns via 40 carries for 142 yards. John Celestin has 36 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown.
- Three TU players lead the team with 10 receptions apiece. Zaron Collins has 22.8 yards a catch, while Corey Moraux has 15.3 yards per catch with a TD. Kemani Brown also has a touchdown and is averaging 13.6 yards a catch.
- Rashad Watson leads the team in tackles with 45 (26 solo), a sack and an interception. Daryl Smith has 43 tackles (30 solo), while Earnest Johnson has 38 tackles (20 solo) and a sack.
- The Pioneers are averaging 292.1 yards per game of total offense, compared to 421.1 yards per game by their opponents.

UP NEXT
Next Saturday is the game that has been talked about for months – UVA Wise vs. Emory & Henry in the Southwest Virginia Bowl VII. This year has some added notability as the Wasps enter this weekend playing at Mars Hill leading the SAC Mountain Division and nationally ranked for the first time since joining the NCAA Division II, and should the Wasps beat MHU the Cavs will be going into the Fred Selfe Stadium seeking to swat the Wasps' title hopes.  Another feature of that game will be that the teams will also be playing for the newly created SWVA Bowl Trophy, sponsored by Powell Valley National Bank, which will go to the winner.