HONAKER, Va. (August 21, 2026) – The only thing that slowed the Tigers on Friday was a storm that delayed the start of the VHSL Benefit game by 25 minutes. Honaker broke in the pristine new turf at Fuller Field at EMATS Stadium with a 40-0 shutout of Lee High.
“We did some good things,” remarked Honaker coach Aaron Lowe. “We’ve been telling our guys it’s about the little things and that we have to take care of ourselves. We came out tonight, flew around, had a lot of energy, and I thought all three phases of the game were good.”
The Tigers had the ball six times when the first units were playing in the first half—the result was six touchdowns.
Honaker took the opening kickoff, and Cole Morrison returned it 27 yards to give them good field position. They moved down the field in six plays, with Parker Lowe connecting with Tyler Hubbard on a 10-yard touchdown.
“This win means a lot,” declared Morrison. “It helps set the standards for us and definitely sets the tone for the regular season. It boosted our team morale and got us ready for Thursday.”
The Tigers’ defense was outstanding. They forced punts on the Generals’ first two possessions. Sophomore Brayden Justus had a “Pick 6,” returning an interception 25 yards for a score. Justus had a second interception and raced into the end zone, but it was called back for holding. Jeremiah Rose had a third pick for Honaker.
“This year is going to be so much better,” Morrison stated. “Everybody’s locked in. It’s going to be a great year. Energy and intensity are the biggest things for us. Last year, that’s what we lacked. This year, we’re picking it up and doing what’s needed to win the game.”
Lowe was 15-of-20 passing for 203 yards and five touchdowns. In addition to Hubbard, he threw two scoring strikes to Rose and connected with Kam Keen and Levi Honaker for scores. The running game was effective, led by Malachi Gilbert, who rushed for 51 yards on only six carries.
“We made mistakes, and we have to clean a few things up,” Coach Lowe noted. “Special teams was good, and defense—we allowed zero points. That’s what we need defensively. Offensively, we were methodical and did a good job with drives, getting the ball to all of our playmakers, and the run game looked good. So, I’m very, very pleased with our guys.”
The junior varsity and eighth-grade teams played the second half without any scoring.
It was a tough outing for the Generals with only 68 yards of total offense and only four first downs.
“Benefit games are, to me, an exceptional tool,” Lee High coach Joey Carroll said. “It’s game-like — everything about it is game-like — so it exposes a lot. Some strengths can be exposed, as can some weaknesses. We had a lot exposed tonight. We have a lot of things we need to work on.”
Class 2 Lee High competes in the challenging Mountain 7 District and anticipates a successful year.
“We’re still expecting a lot,” Carroll said. “We have super high expectations. We’ve got a lot of returning ballplayers on this team — a lot of guys who can make plays. We had some plays that were there to be made. I had no idea Honaker would bring as much pressure as they did. We were not prepared for that. But we still have high expectations, and these guys know it. Like I said, they’re up for it. We’ll get back to work.”
The Generals couldn’t overcome adversity in the contest against Honaker.
“We had some important coaching staff members who didn’t show up, so we’ve got some changes to make schematically, staff-wise, across the board,” noted Carroll. “You can tell we were disorganized. We were in chaos at times. That’s what happens when adults don’t hold up their end of the bargain. We’ll go back to the drawing board. We have to make some moves, but it’ll be all right. These guys are up for it. We’re up for the challenge.”
Honaker appears ready to begin the regular season after a dominating performance.
“I told our guys, that’s what we do,” commented Lowe. “We have to come back Monday, more focused than we’ve been all year, and get ready to go. It’s going to be a short week because we play Thursday night. We have to get a couple of little bumps and bruises taken care of this weekend, come back Monday, focused and ready to go.”
Honaker 40, Lee High 0
Lee High0000—0
Honaker132700—40
First Quarter
HON—Hubbard 10 pass from Lowe (Beavers kick), 9:57.
HON—Rose 30 pass from Lowe (kick blocked), 4:58.
Second Quarter
HON—Rose 10 pass from Lowe (Beavers kick), 11:53.
HON—Justus 25 interception return (Beavers kick), 9:32.
HON—Keen 25 pass from Lowe (Beavers kick), 6:46.
HON—Honaker 21 pass from Lowe (kick failed), 1:43.
LEE HON
First downs414
Total Net Yards68272
Rushes-yards13-2911-73
39 199
Comp-Att-Int4-20-316-22-0
Fumbles-Lost0-00-0
Penalties-Yards9-6510-95
Punts4-36.51-45
