Reidsville shook off the sting of last week’s season-opening loss to Northern Guilford with a dominant 42-14 win over Danville George Washington on Friday night at Community Stadium.

The Rams looked like a different team from the self-inflicted penalty-plagued 47-38 home loss to the Nighthawks on Aug. 22. From the moment Reidsville took the field, it was obvious they were eager to make a statement in the much-anticipated matchup against historic Virginia rival George Washington.

On the opening drive of the game, the Rams mounted a seven-play, 70-yard march down the field, culminating with a 12-yard run around the left edge for a touchdown by senior running back Michael Smith. Dionte Neal followed up with a throw for the 2-point conversion to Kadence Pruitt with 9:06 remaining in the first quarter, and the 8-0 lead.

The Rams defense then went to work, pinning GW at their own 5-yard line and forcing a short punt.

People are also reading…

Reidsville took over at the George Washington 37-yard line, and sophomore quarterback Braxton Johnson took advantage throwing a perfect 23-yard over-the-shoulder TD pass to a streaking Neal on the sideline for a 16-0 lead after the 2-point conversion with 4:47 to go in the opening frame.

The Eagles were dazed from the opening onslaught and never recovered.

The second quarter was more of the same, with Reidsville’s special teams playing a crucial role in establishing good field position over the course of the night.

In last week’s loss to Northern Guilford, special teams and penalties basically cost the Rams the game.

“The guys came out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ready to work,” said Reidsville head coach Erik Teague. “Starting out the season at 0-1 is not what we are used to at Reidsville, so they did not want to be 0-2. We learned Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and in the walk-through on Thursday, what it takes to be ready to play on Friday night.”

Rams senior tight end Kendre Harrison said for him, this game was personal. His intent on making a statement was on full display from the get-go, especially after hauling in a circus catch with one hand, falling backwards in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, negating defender Antonio Matos’ nearly perfect blanket coverage.

“Like I’ve been telling everybody, I’ve been waiting 15 years for this game,” Harrison said. “My mom graduated from GW. My granddad, my sister, and my whole family are basically from Danville, so just being able to play against those boys and give them some real competition against my mom’s old school, it’s just a blessing. I knew I had to go crazy.”

Reidsville and GW have a rich and heated history separated by less than 25 miles and the North Carolina-Virginia line. Reidsville holds a slight all-time edge with 22 wins, 18 losses, and two ties since the very first matchup in 1910 when Reidsville, then known as the Golden Tornadoes, played their first recorded football game, losing 6-0 to Danville, now known as George Washington.

Flash forward to Aug. 29, 2025, Harrison’s one-handed grab from 20 yards out in the opening seconds of the second period erased all hope that the Eagles would make a game of it.

By halftime, it was 36-0, which set up the running clock in the second half and speeding up the inevitable loss for George Washington.

Johnson threw four touchdowns on the night. Success running the football, spearheaded by Smith, helped to open up the passing attack. The Rams’ offensive line opened the gaps on the rush and gave Johnson the time he needed to consistently find his receivers.

Teague said Johnson’s hard work is beginning to pay off and his future looks bright.

“We’ve seen him develop all summer through the 7-on-7’s. With the looks he was getting tonight with Dionte and Kendre, he had to put the ball in places where those guys could make a play. Those guys are pretty good when the ball is in the air, so he did a good job of finding those guys tonight,” Teague said.

Johnson said he and his teammates were intent on getting the Rams back on track after the loss to Northern Guilford.

“The first game, my first varsity start, I was a little nervous at first coming from JV, but now that we’ve got that over with. We got that in the books, and we came out and got the W and made up for it. I’m more confident and I feel a lot more comfortable in the pocket. This is just the start,” the sophomore said.

The Eagles managed to avoid the shutout with a pair of fourth-quarter scores, but it’s worth noting that those trips to the end zone took place while Reidsville’s starters had retired to the sideline for the night after putting the game out of reach.

UP NEXT: Reidsville (1-1) hits the road to take on Reagan. The Raiders (2-0) are coming off a 7-6 grinder of a win over Oak Grove Aug. 29. George Washington (0-1) travels to Amherst County (0-1) on Sept. 5.