The countdown starts today for the Halifax County High School football teams first test under fire. Comets Head Coach Grayson Throckmorton and his varsity team have four days left to prepare for the teams first test the annual Virginia High School League Benefit Game against Buckingham County High School to be held Friday at 7 p.m. at Tuck Dillard Memorial Stadium.

The Comets JV team also faces its first test Friday with a scrimmage against the Buckingham County High School JV squad at 6 p.m. at Halifax County High School.

As far as past pre-season preparations have gone, the norm had been a scrimmage with the benefit game set a week later. However, with a twist in this seasons schedule that has the Comets getting their open date on the first play week of the regular season, the Comets will face the benefit game as their first pre-season test.

Throckmorton said the way things have worked out make Friday nights benefit game a tough task for his team to face.

Its going to be a formidable task because its a benefit game, which is not optimal for your first scrimmage because you have to have some special teams things in as well as other things, Throckmorton pointed out.

Normally, youd like to have a regular scrimmage first, and then the benefit game.

With Friday nights benefit game being his teams first live test against an outside opponent, Throckmorton said he and his coaching staff are going to keep things as simple as possible for the players.

Its a benefit game, and yes, we want to win all of our games, but were going to stick to our guns, Throckmorton pointed out.

Its a glorified practice. Even though we want to win it, its really our first glorified practice where we can get a measure of exactly where we are.

Throckmorton said he and the coaching staff are going to stick with the installation process they have outlined throughout this week and in Friday nights benefit game.

Were going to be running our base stuff offensively and defensively, he noted.

Were not going to game-plan or anything. Its just going to be basic things.

Friday nights benefit game will serve chiefly as an evaluation tool for Throckmorton and his coaching staff, a tool to help define the areas that need the most work.

Its part of a growing and learning process, Throckmorton said of the benefit game.

Were going to evaluate personnel and see what we do well and what we dont do so well. If we can hold onto the ball and play some decent defense, we will be okay. Thats what were going to work on doing right off the bat.

After Friday nights benefit game, the Comets will have the following week to prepare for their final pre-season test, a scrimmage against Colonial Heights on Thursday, Aug. 23.

We will go into more of a game situation against Colonial Heights to prepare ourselves for the ultimate test, our first real game against E.C. Glass on Sept. 1, Throckmorton concluded.

Excerpt from:

Blue Comets gridders gearing up for Friday VHSL Benefit Game - YourGV.com