Ask Fork Union coach Micky Sullivan about his team's early schedule road tests and the longtime Blue Devils coach just laughs.

"That's the thing when you come to Fork Union, you're going to play great teams. I mean as everybody knows we play a great schedule, we play great football teams."

Fork Union opened the season in a nationally televised game against perennial powerhouse Hermitage on ESPNU.

The Blue Devils were stymied, 38-0, and senior quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked six times.

They bounced back in a big way last week, however, as senior safety Malcom Cook returned two interceptions for scores and Hackenberg had a pair of touchdowns in a 32-24 victory.

"Yeah I mean I really like how we bounced back last week," Cook said. "We improved a lot, the defense stepped up and played hard and the offense moved the ball a lot."

Up next for the Blue Devils is a trip to Goochland. The Bulldogs won last season's matchup 40-14. After that the Blue Devils face another strong public school power in Powhatan, the 2011 Jefferson District champs. Fork Union won last season's battle with the Indians, 41-20.

"We've got some talent we just have to get all the pieces of the puzzle put together and have them understand how to play together," Sullivan explained. "Probably we won't be there until the fifth game maybe. Fourth or fifth game of the season. It just takes us a while."

"You know it's a grind but here at Fork Union it's sort of expected," Hackenberg added. "It's sort of an us against the world mentality that I think a lot of these guys have in here.