Built for November: Graham & Princeton Preparing for Title Runs

By Cody Hatfield, Fresh Off the Clock

BLUEFIELD, VA & PRINCETON, WV – Just a few miles apart, two football juggernauts are entering the 2025 season with one mission: Championship. The Graham G-Men and Princeton Tigers each dominated their respective states in 2024—both finishing their regular seasons undefeated. Both making deep playoff runs, and one winning a championship.

Now, as summer workouts heat up and community buzz builds, both programs are reloaded, realigned, and locked in for another title push. Because come November, they don’t want just to be contenders—they want to be champions.

Graham G-Men: Hungry for Another Perfect Run

Under the leadership of Head Coach Tony Palmer, Graham football has set the standard in Virginia. Palmer’s 113-18 record over the past decade is proof of a culture built on defense, discipline, and dominant performances. When asked how the offseason training has been, he said:

“Working very hard… The intensity has been turned up in the weight room and the kids have responded very well.”

The G-Men defense allowed just 7.1 points per game in 2024, with six shutouts along the way. The offense, averaging 34.4 points per game, was led by a balanced attack featuring Dalton Roberts, Gabe Lilly, Blake Graham, and Gage Palmer.

That last name isn’t just a stat-sheet stuffer—it’s the team’s emotional compass. Here’s what junior Gage Palmer had to say about offseason workouts:

“Off season has been going great for us. We have gotten stronger and faster. And we are trying to chase back to back perfect seasons. We are all buying into the program and the plan. Our seniors have stepped up and have been showing great leadership heading into the season and we are prepared to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to reach our goal.”

With another challenging schedule expected, Graham will have to earn everything. But if offseason effort is any measure, the G-Men are built to do just that.

Princeton Tigers: Roaring Back with Bigger Goals

Across the border in West Virginia, the Princeton Tigers are preparing to finish their own story. After a 12-1 (First Undefeated Regular Season in School History) season that ended in playoff heartbreak against Herbert Hoover, Princeton has reloaded with a new head coach and high expectations.

“We have hit the ground running since I got hired. Kids have really bought in to the process and have been working very hard,” said Head Coach Nathan Tanner. “We’ve had 9 weeks of strength and conditioning and five flex practices so far. We’re looking forward to building even more this summer.”

That energy has clearly resonated in the locker room—just ask WR Brad Mossor, one of the Tigers’ top returning players and top WR in the state:

“Great things are never done by one person. They're done by a team working together, grinding hard even in the offseason to build something UNSTOPPABLE and we will be unstoppable mark my words!”

Princeton’s 2025 schedule includes some of the toughest teams in the Mountain State:

• Aug. 29: at Capital

• Sep. 5: vs. Bluefield

• Sep. 12: vs. Oak Hill

• Sep. 26: vs. Graham (VA)

• Oct. 3: vs. Winfield

• Oct. 10: vs. Greenbrier East

• Oct. 17: at Woodrow Wilson

• Oct. 24: vs. Independence

• Oct. 31: at Hurricane

• Nov. 7: at South Charleston

The September 26 matchup against Graham is shaping up to be the most anticipated game of the year for both communities — a clash of titans, pride, and bragging rights.

Built Different for November

Two schools. Two communities. Two championship-caliber programs.

Graham and Princeton are more than rivals—they’re reflections of everything that makes Appalachian high school football great: blue-collar toughness, electric atmospheres, and young men chasing something bigger than themselves.

With veterans stepping up, coaching staffs locked in, and the season in sight, both teams aren’t just ready for Friday nights—they’re built for November and Saturdays in December.”

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