Change comes just in time for Blacksburg

BLACKSBURG, Va., - Coming into the 2016 season, the Blacksburg Bruins had high expectations. In only the second year of Thad Wells’ tenure as the head coach of the Bruins, Blacksburg found themselves in the Timesland Top 10. The Bruins began their year with wins over Carroll County and Bassett, while dropping contests against Giles, Abingdon, Hidden Valley and Salem. The team that was expected to be one of the toughest in the region was sitting at 2-4. The bright hopes at making a run into the VHSL 3A West playoffs looked dimmer each week. The pressure surrounding the program was building. After some devastating losses, Wells knew it was time for a change. The Bruins had to face a familiar rival in the Pulaski County Cougars, a team who was at the top of the 4A ranks. To beat the Cougars, Blacksburg had to make some adjustments to help out their defense. The most notable one: Limit the use of the onside kick. In the first six games, Blacksburg would onside kick every time they would kick the ball off, resulting in a short field for the defense to work with. The Bruins came into the game with Pulaski with their backs against the wall. A win was necessary to keep their postseason chances alive. That night, the struggling Blacksburg Bruins topped the Pulaski County Cougars. This win was not only the biggest of Wells’ short career but a turning point in the season. The Bruins would follow their strong performance the next week in Roanoke with a win over the Cave Spring Knights. All of a sudden the boys from Blacksburg are back in the playoff hunt. With wins over Patrick Henry and Christiansburg to round out the regular season, they could possibly host a playoff game, something a Blacksburg team has not done since 2003