Stuarts Draft Hosts Rival Waynesboro In Home Opener - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

The NBC 29/Kroger Tailgate Party will be in Stuarts Draft Friday night, as the Cougars will host rival Waynesboro in their first home game of the season.

Draft lost by a touchdown at Fort Defiance in their season opener last week.

The Little Giants are 0-2, after giving up 40+ points to Wilson Memorial and Rockbridge in their first two games.

Stuarts Draft beat Waynesboro 18-7 last season, and the Cougars haven't lost to the Giants since 2005.

Stuarts Draft head coach Rod Bowers says, "It's the Battle for the Ball, and it's always a great rivalry, because we're what, 8 miles apart? These kids, they swim with each other in the summer. They go hang out together, they all know each other, so it's a unique situation when you're this close to somebody else."

Bowers says they try not to build up the rivalry with Waynesboro too much.

"We don't put a whole lot of stock in rivalry," says Bowers. "We want each game to be a rivalry, and all of them to be equally important, but obviously your first home game is exciting. I think the kids are excited about playing at home. We try not to put too much emphasis and make one game more important than the other."