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Graham High School from Tazewell County finished its first undefeated football season by winning the Class 2 state championship Saturday, defeating Central High School from Shenandoah County 34-7. (See our background story on Graham football.) This is the fifth state title for Graham.
Riverheads High School from Augusta County won its seventh straight Class 1 state championship, defeating George Wythe High School from Wythe County 49-27. (See our background story on Riverheads and George Wythe.) Cayden Cook-Cash rushed for 282 yards and five touchdowns for the Gladiators.
Both games were played in Salem.
Meanwhile, Heritage High School from Lynchburg came up short in its Class 3 championship game, falling to Phoebus High School from Hampton 48-7. This is the ninth state title in 21 years for Phoebus. (See our background story on Heritage.)
In other VHSL state football championships:
Classs 6: Freedom 48, James Madison 14
Class 5: Highland Springs 33, Maury 19. Highland Springs also finished the year undefeated; this is the school’s fifth state title since 2015.
Class 4: Dinwiddie 65, Kettle Run 20. Of note: Dinwiddie’s coach is Billy Mills, a graduate of Chilhowie High School in Smyth County.