The Buckingham County High School varsity football team and its new head coach, Seth Wilkerson, could hardly have opened up the year with a bigger challenge, and host Appomattox County High School was anything but complacent Friday in its first game since winning the 2017 Virginia High School League Class 2 state championship. The Raiders prevailed 44-7.

“They’re a team that’s got a lot of tradition and coming off three state championships, and they look like they’re in midseason form already,” Wilkerson said. “They had a lot of guys returning up front, and I think we got physically worn down.”

In his analysis of the game, the coach alluded to the way forward for his team that will help level the playing field in the future.

“They beat us in the weight room,” Wilkerson said. “I don’t know a real good way to say it, but right now, they’re just bigger and stronger than we are.”

The Knights’ got on the scoreboard in the second half when sophomore Xavier Copeland ran for a touchdown.

Buckingham junior running back Walter Edwards drew praise from Wilkerson despite the loss.

“He ran the ball well,” the coach said, also complimenting Copeland for his outstanding play.

The Knights (0-1) visit Chatham High School on Friday at 7 p.m.