Alleghany Joins Shenandoah After Stellar 2024 Season
Football
mark pifer
8/21/2025
Head coach: Will Fields (20th season overall, 115 wins, 99 losses; 3rd season with Alleghany Cougars, 20 wins, 3 losses)
2024 season: 11-1 overall, 6-0 Three Rivers District
2024 postseason: defeated Wilson Memorial, 44-14, in Class 3, Region C 1st round; lost to Turner Ashby, 44-20, in Class 3, Region C 2nd round.
Starters returning: 6 offense, 6 defense
Key players to watch: Des Jordan (QB-DB), Carter Nicely (RB-LB), Sarge Persinger (TE-DE), Jay Godfrey (RB-DB), Brady May (RB-LB)
2025 Overview: Since the Covington Cougars and Alleghany Mountaineers consolidated in the fall of 2023, the Alleghany Cougars have put together a 20-3 record on the football field, including a 19-1 mark in regular season games. The only regular season loss came at the hands of Radford, the Class 2 state champions, in ’23. Jordan will be in his fourth season as a starting quarterback, including his freshman year at Covington. Jordan has totaled 1,065 yards rushing and 5,624 yards passing in three years, accounting for 96 touchdowns. Nicely, a senior, rushed for 1,161 yards in his junior season.
“It’s going to be a grind,” said Fields. “We don’t have the depth we’ve had the last couple of years. Guys are going to have to stay healthy. Other guys, that are young, are going to have to step up and play well. The margin for error this year is thinner than it’s been.”
Thoughts on moving into the Shenandoah District: “Our district is tougher,” Fields said. “You have eight district games. District games our tougher because people are trying to win a district title and build rivalries. And although we haven’t built those rivalries, we’re a newcomer trying to come in and take what they’ve built. There are five Class 3 teams as opposed to two (in the TRD). You have a perennial state champion, a nationally recognized football program (Riverheads). Not to denigrate the Three Rivers, it (the Shenandoah) is just deeper. When you’re talking about playing that district schedule, deeper means tougher.”
