Native Richmonder Kermit Blount would love to rain on Virginia Union University’s football parade Saturday at Hovey Field.

At the same time, Mark James will do everything in his power to spoil Blount’s return to his hometown.

Here’s the deal:

Blount, an Armstrong High School graduate, is a first-year coach for Johnson C. Smith University of Charlotte.

James is in his second year coaching a resurgent VUU.

The CIAA rival Panthers, 2-1, and Golden Bulls, 1-2, will kick off 1 p.m. Saturday in the annual Lucille Brown Community Youth Bowl at Hovey Field on Lombardy Street.

“I’m sure Coach Blount isn’t coming to Richmond to lose,” said Coach James. “Meanwhile, we’re studying film and doing everything we can to win.”

VUU is coming off a 13-9 loss to Gardner-Webb University of North Carolina, despite dominating the FCS program in most statistical areas.

“We’re trying to look at the bright side,” Coach James said of the Gardner-Webb loss Sept. 19.

“Certainly, it was a moral victory. And we feel like we have momentum going into the conference schedule.”

VUU outgained Gardner-Webb 309 yards to 138 yards.

VUU Freshman Hakeem Holland rushed for 85 yards on 16 carries and will enter the game against Johnson C. Smith University with 348 yards and an 8.3 yards-per-carry norm in three outings.

Quarterback Shawheem Dowdy left the game with a twisted ankle, but is expected back for Saturday’s match.

Dowdy was replaced by Andre Coble, who had the Panthers inside the GWU 5-yard line in the final minute of the game. Coble is normally a wide receiver.

Receiver Donte Gross suffered a concussion at GWU and likely will sit out one or two weeks.

Last season, VUU defeated Johnson C. Smith 27-26 when Kenny Graham connected with Jussie York on a 50-yard touchdown with .9 seconds left on the scoreboard.

Johnson C. Smith went 3-7 in 2014 and has made a coaching change. VUU finished 7-3 in Coach James’ first campaign.

Coach Blount starred at quarterback under the late Coach Angier “Angie” Lawrence at Armstrong High School and then under Coach Bill Hayes at Winston-Salem State University.

Following his playing career, Blount coached 18 seasons at Winston-Salem State, winning two CIAA titles. For the past five years, he has been coaching at Delaware State University.

Coach Blount’s freshman quarterback at Johnson C. Smith is Harold Herbin, who completed 22 of 40 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns in the Bulls’ 37-35 loss last week at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

VUU’s top defensive stopper is Joseph Blanks, an ASA College transfer, who Coach James ranks with the best linebackers he has ever coached.

“Joe is special,” said Coach James. “You won’t find many in Division II like him. I’m sure the teams we’re playing are basing their games plans around staying away from Joe.”

Blanks had 11 tackles, including a sack, against Gardner-Webb University.

Coach James goes so far as to compare Blanks with Josh Bynes, who he coached at Boyd Anderson High School in South Florida.

Bynes went on to star at Auburn University and now plays linebacker for the NFL’s Detroit Lions.