Football Game Preview: Poca Dots vs. Roane County Raiders

The Poca Dots will head out on the road to take on the Roane County Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Poca has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while Roane County will arrive with five straight victories.

Poca had taken Sissonville down for three straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Friday. The Dots fell 22-18 to the Indians.

Meanwhile, Roane County got the win against Nicholas County on Friday by a conclusive 38-12. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won six contests by 26 points or more so far this season.

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Javon Letourneau and Koltyn Starcher. Letourneau gained 158 total yards and two touchdowns while Starcher rushed for 137 yards and one TD on only 13 carries. Letourneau's longest rush was for an impressive 69 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.

Roane County's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Nicholas County's QB won't forget Garrett Brabham anytime soon given he sacked him 2.5 times. Roane County received some extra help from Braxton Browning, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Poca's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Roane County, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.

Poca suffered a grim 45-19 defeat to Roane County in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Dots, Lane Watson (who rushed for 161 yards and one score on only ten carries, and also picked up 78 receiving yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.