Trench Wars IV Belongs To James River!
On April 29th Jacob Hodges stepped down as head coach at James River, home of the Rapids. Hodges had coached the previous five seasons with an overall mark of 22-31 with two playoff appearances (2021-2022). Just two days later the Rapids rolled into JR Tucker without a head coach and won Trench Wars IV!
Trench Wars IV is a budding event from the mind of JR Tucker head coach Brice Fritts, a former lineman and line coach. The intention being to highlight the guys that fight it out in the trenches, who get their hands dirty but don’t come away with the stats skill players do. Trench Wars is brought to you by the Touchdown Club of Richmond, the same club that is behind the Big River Rivalry and the All-Metro Banquet annually.
This year Trench Wars was held on a Friday night as opposed to Saturday after conflicts the previous three years with proms, SAT’s, college visits, 7 on 7’s, etc… A night under the lights on a Friday night, yes please! What a scene it was… A DJ spinning the tracks from the press box, warm afternoon that would transform to a breezy evening… much like a typical Friday night during the season. What’s a Friday night without concession food? Oh yeah… you could smell it on the grill and it was enticing but the action on the field, that is what you come for.
2026 marked just the fourth year of this budding event and it was by far the biggest success. Seventeen teams showed up to battle for the championship belt. In the previous three seasons there have been two champions; Mechanicsville (2023-2024) and Midlothian last year.
Participants
As stated, seventeen teams came to the ‘Palace on Parham’ for a battle, they came from far and wide. Midlothian came to defend their title alongside other Dominion District teams such as James River. Both teams brought not just one team of lineman but two. Dominion District brethren Manchester and Clover Hill also showed up and showed out.
Also from the southside of the James came the Dinwiddie Generals (brought 2 teams), Meadowbrook Monarchs and Colonial Heights Colonials.
From north of the river was the home team, JR Tucker, Atlee who returned after missing last year not to mention Hermitage who brought two teams.
Just outside of the scope of the Central Region came the King William Cavaliers (2 teams) and New Kent Trojans.
Winners
James River as mentioned was the champion. The top five featured Midlothian (2nd), Atlee (3rd), King William (4th) and Manchester (5th).
Trench Wars consists of 9 challenges with teams looking for the best time in most. At the end of the night, there is a double elimination tug-of-war that is a challenge in itself.
The Meadowbrook Monarchs won at the Bench Press. The bench press consisted of reps of 185 and/or 225 pounds. The Monarchs finished 2025 with a mark of 6-4 just missing the playoffs. The Monarchs turned a corner last year and a strong showing on the bench press is proof positive this team is built tough and strong. They will have to be in that rough and tumble Central District.
On their way to a second place finish the Midlothian Trojans won two events, the tire flip and the tennis ball relay. The tire flip was just as it sounds, flipping a big old tire 20 yards with one player going one way and another going back. Speed coupled with strength was key for this. Speed and concentration on the other hand was key to the tennis ball relay. This event looked simple but was anything but. A bucket full of tennis balls you had to run to and then place on four cones at each corner of a square around the bucket of balls.
On their way to victory James River won the spud and the prowler. The spud relay saw players lined in 20-yard intervals running a punching bag more or less and passing off to the next player. The prowler on the other hand consisted of pulling a sled tied to a rope to you and then pushing it back.
The 2-Man Sled Obstacle Course consisted of pushing a sled through a course that consisted of two turns covering roughly 20 yards. This victory belonged to a young Clover Hill Cavaliers team. The Cavaliers were winless in 2025 but this is a step in the right direction for the Coach Hutchings led team.
Atlee‘s linemen came out on top in the 5-Man Sled Push that saw the group pushing a sled 30 yards. The strength of the Raiders offense in recent seasons has been the run game. Being able to push opponents around certainly is a benefit to that cause.
Trench Wars is bookended by two big challenges, a truck push and tug-of-war. In previous years the truck push has been a jacked up pickup truck. Ideally the goal has been an activity bus of sorts. This year the truck was a U-Haul truck that saw 4 players from each team pushing 30 yards.
To closeout the night, there is a tug-of-war that is double elimination. This is where it really gets fierce. As the events unfold teams encourage one another but when it comes to the tug-of-war, the teams go at it. The tug-of-war is highlighted by intensity, rivalries and alliances as no one wants to be on the losing end.
The JR Tucker Tigers won both challenges, in fact, they went undefeated in the Tug-of-War to the surprise of some. This is a confidence booster without question for a program that lacks wins and identity.
In The End
In the end, James River did win it all and they will display that title belt proudly. For the coaches in attendance, this was more than just about winning a belt. This was about seeing what you got. This was about building confidence, morale and chemistry. Immeasurable’s that can hold a team back or prove to be a difference maker during a season. The 2026 season kicks off in less than four months.