Cougar Football Head Coach Cam Akers has released the full varsity schedule for the upcoming 2023 season, and a few notable changes stand out immediately.
The season will start with two preseason matchups. First, the Cougars will host Franklin County August 11. This will be a controlled scrimmage with coaches working with players on the field. The following week, Pulaski County will welcome the Radford Bobcats for a benefit game. This will be closer to a game situation.
The regular season will begin Friday, August 25, when the Cougars travel to Northside High School to face the Vikings. That will immediately be followed by an open week September 1.
The road trip to start the season will continue September 8 when the Cougars go to Daleville to take on the Lord Botetourt Cavaliers. Pulaski County will travel to Princeton, WV, September 15 to take on former Cougar assistant coach Keith Taylor, who is now the Tiger Head Coach.
Pulaski County returns home September 22 for a matchup with the Christiansburg Blue Demons. The following week the Cougars will be in Roanoke to play Patrick Henry.
Salem will visit Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium October 6. That game will be followed by a road trip to Montgomery County to face the Blacksburg Bruins October 13. The Cougars will host the Graham G-Men October 20.
The final two games of the regular season will feature an away game against Hidden Valley October 27 and a home game with Cave Spring November 3.
“We think this is a very competitive schedule and should give us a great chance to see just where we stand,” Coach Akers said. “It’s unfortunate that we’ll only have four regular season home games this season, but that means next year we’ll have six, so it all works out in the end. With the move to Class 3, there will be some new challenges. We’ll be in the same region as some familiar faces and a few we haven’t played in a while. Our guys have been working hard in the weight room and we’re excited to see how our upcoming season plays out.”
The new realignment plan will move Pulaski County from Class 4, Region D, to the newly restructured Class 3, Region D with 13 total teams. Those teams include Abingdon, Bassett, Carroll County, Cave Spring, Christiansburg, Hidden Valley, Lord Botetourt, Magna Vista, Northside, Pulaski County, Staunton River, Tunstall, and William Byrd.
Schedules for the junior varsity and middle school football teams will not be released until closer to the start of the season.