Charlottesville (3-1) at Monticello (2-2), Monday 10/3 at 6:30 p.m.
The basics: This one is a measuring stick game for Charlottesville and a chance to bounce back for Monticello. Both could use this win in a big way. The Black Knights have something to prove. They dropped Harrisonburg, William Monroe and Fluvanna in quick succession, but this would be a signature win for the Black Knights, showing they’ve arrived and are ready to compete in the district’s upper echelon this season. Charlottesville was 3-1 a year ago too, and finished with six straight losses. A win here shows that this isn’t last year. Expect leaders like Sadarius Folley and Lorenzo Louderback to make sure the Black Knights understand that fact and won’t allow them to get complacent with a solid start. On the flip side, the last time the Mustangs lost three games in a row was back in 2009, so expect Monticello to come out looking to not be the first since then to drop three straight. There’s no reason to panic about the Mustangs yet, but a win here would go a long way toward getting Monticello back on track. This is the kind of moment where leadership has to take over, where the Mustangs’ players have to take things personally and change course. Monticello has a number of those kind of leaders, they’ll be ready for the Black Knights.
Key matchup: Monticello’s front seven takes on Charlottesville’s option attack. The Mustangs struggled last week to stop a balanced Western Albemarle attack. Charlottesville is going to run right at the Mustangs with a dash of passing from quarterback Sam Neale. You have to play responsibility football against the option and also load up in a big way against Sabias Folley and the dive. That’s a tall task for any defense, and the Mustangs will have to regain their confidence on that side of the ball fast after surrendering more than 400 yards to Western. Look for some significant adjustments from the Mustangs, they won’t rest until they find a solution.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Reid Huffman. If the Mustangs are going to derail a Charlottesville train that’s picking up steam, Huffman could be a key. He was dynamic last week as Kevin Jarrell’s top passing options, hauling in two touchdown catches, including one for more than 70 yards where he was actually interfered with, fought off the penalty and snagged the pass near the sideline. That’s the kind of gutty, resilient play that helps teams win, and it briefly sparked a hope in the Mustangs that they could rally. If Huffman can put together a repeat performance against a talented Charlottesville secondary it would definitely help the Mustangs.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. Expect Monticello to bounce back here and frankly the Mustangs could be an entirely different team this week, but Charlottesville’s ground attack and a stingy defense makes them the sure bet here.
Avalon (0-5) at Woodberry Forest (2-1), 3:15 p.m.
The basics: The Black Knights were shutout last week by Archbishop Spalding. The Tigers got a week to rest after winning an emotional game with Bullis just a few days after coach Clint Alexander and the school announced this year would be his last. Suffice it to say, as talented as this team is, and not like this group wasn’t playing for its coach before, Woodberry is hell-bent on making sure these next few months are as good or better than ever. Considering that the Tigers fell in overtime to this team last year in a game where players and coaches felt as though they were playing against the 12th man, this go round has a different vibe. While this isn’t the same Avalon team from last year, you can bet that Woodberry is not going to take this week lightly as they gear up for Prep League play with a big showdown against a good Collegiate squad next week.
Key matchup: Avalon’s secondary against a rested and prepared Woodberry receiving corps. Lindell Stone is putting together another banner year at quarterback. The talent around is a little different but every bit as good or better as last year and so the Black Knights have to find a way to defend Terrell Jana, Khalid Thomas and Dequence Carter just to name a few in that corps. Not going to be easy. That trio is on fire and so is the quarterback throwing them the ball.
Who to watch: Tigers sophomore tight end Kyle Bildodeau. Staying in the “Air Woodberry” department, Bilodeau is one of five receivers with double-digit receptions in just three games. He has 11 catches for 77 yards. It’s insane to get around how deep this receiving corps has gotten in the last two years. Depth used to be an issue for the Tigers at receiver. Now it’s arguably their greatest strength. With a quarterback capable of making multiple reads, that depth has become an every week struggle for whichever team the Tigers lineup against.
The line: Woodberry by 20. Give Clint Alexander two weeks to prepare his defense? Give Stone two weeks to get locked in on offense? Plus a chance to avenge a loss the Tigers really hated last year? Woodberry won’t be playing around here.
Paul VI (1-3) at Fork Union (0-4) 7 p.m. At Fluvanna County
The basics: The Panthers picked up their first win of the year in a blowout over Saint John Paul the Great after falling by double digits in their previous three games. The Blue Devils, who’s opponents have been nothing but outstanding so far, fell 25-14 to a very good Trinity Episcopal team last week. This is maybe the best opportunity for Fork Union to build up some confidence before they jump into Prep League play.
Key matchup: The Fork Union pass rush against Paul VI quarterback Jimmy Check. The senior signal caller is 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds is headed to play football at Yale. So he’s good, and he’s smart, a deadly combination at that position. The Blue Devils need to harass him in the back field and not let him make second and third reads and get the ball down field
Who to watch: Fork Union running backs Tassir Scott. The easiest way for the Blue Devils to keep Check in check is to keep him on the sidelines. A running back like Scott has a way of doing that. But that’s going to require decent conditions which remains to be seen after Thursday and solid blocking up front. If FUMA can get Scott going and mix in some touches to Iosefa Pua’auli who is also a key defender for the Blue Devils, this offense could have its best day of the year. The good news for Fork Union is that their first four opponents have been very good and prepared them well for this game.
The line: Fork Union by 3. The Blue Devils lean on their running backs and get Mike Hooper his first win of the year.
Orange County (2-2) at Albemarle (2-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: Orange lost a heartbreaker on the road to Powhatan. Albemarle fell in a blowout to the area’s top-ranked squad in Louisa. Both teams need a win in this one to get some momentum heading into the back half of their schedule. Both teams have some proven playmakers in the mix and they’ve found different ways to showcase them, with Tre Smith catching a touchdown pass last week for Orange while Albemarle has been getting Tyquan Rose the ball in a variety of ways. But the Patriots know for sure now after last week they’ve got some work to do. They’ve got to start better than they did last week and find that ability to close like they did with quarterback J’Quan Anderson orchestrating those two late touchdowns against Patrick Henry for a big win on the road. Orange had a roller coaster start to the year with two blowout wins and a blowout loss to Eastern View sandwiched in between. Now they drop the heartbreaker to Powhatan and they’ve got to rally and get ready for another tough road trip to AHS. Can Orange get locked back in and play up and stay confident against the Patriots?
Key matchup: Orange County quarterback Kenyon Carter takes on the Albemarle secondary. Carter has a big luxury for a first-year starter in the Hornets’ tremendous ground attack, but his efforts through the air (7-for-11 for two touchdowns and 105 yards) can help open things up for power runners like DeAngelo Hunt and Tre Smith. But the Albemarle secondary with safety Kris Anderson leading the way is not easy to pick apart. There are athletes all over the place and a mistake or two can be costly. Carter has been playing with confidence and if he keeps that up he’ll be putting the Hornets in a position to win.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s front seven. This is a gut check for the Patriots’ entire defense. They’ve got to come out against a team that likes to put the ball on the ground and run just a week after surrendering more than 40 points to a team that likes to put the ball on the ground and run. The Patriots had work to do in practice this week and they’ll have their work cut out for them Friday night too.
The line: Albemarle by 1. The Patriots get the edge because they’re at home but this one is really a toss-up.
St. Anne’s-Belfield (1-2) at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (1-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: St. Anne’s-Belfield got a needed bye week last week to re-tool and shore up some things, so this could be the chance for STAB to get back on track on the road. After beating Hargrave, STAB gave up a late game-winning rally to Randolph Macon and then absorbed a 42-6 loss on the road against St. Christopher’s, a Division I foe. It was clear in the early going that STAB might have some growing pains with new faces at a a lot of key spots, but there are clearly some pieces in place that have the ability to get STAB going. NSA, meanwhile, is breaking in a new coach in Mike Biehl, a prep legend at Salem High in Virginia Beach who threw for more than 3,500 yards as a senior in a spread attack. He took over for single wing practitioner Lew Johnston, and NSA is much more balanced than in the past, with a near 50-50 balance between the pass and run versus the run-heavy years in the past. STAB has to prepared to handle that balance and they’ve been tested a number of different ways
Key matchup: STAB’s front seven takes on NSA’s trio of running backs. STAB’s defense has taken a couple of tough results, but with a week off, STAB likely worked some things out and now they’ll get to test it out against an NSA squad that spreads the wealth, with Shaun Faulk, Keshaun Moore and Ehron Knight capable of picking up big yards. That’s going to mean STAB’s playmakers like Isaiah Kilby-Sharp have to step up defensively and stuff the run.
Who to watch: STAB’s Myles Ward. After picking up less than 100 yards against St. Christopher’s, STAB needs a spark on offense and Ward is the most likely candidate. He scored the lone touchdown against St. Chris and he’s an athletic threat who can score a number of different ways. Look for STAB to try and get the ball in his hands.
The line: STAB by 1. Coming out of a bye, STAB should be ready for NSA.
Altavista (3-1) at Nelson County (0-5), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County is halfway through the regular season now and it appears that despite some lopsided scores that the Governors are starting to make some improvements. For the second straight week, running back Drai Taylor rushed for more than 100 yards and Devante Rose also got in the end zone on the ground. If the Governors can keep building on that progress, it’ll pay dividends down the road. Another tough matchup Friday though as Altavista comes to town. The Dogwood gauntlet is no joke.
Key matchup: Nelson’s offense takes on an opportunistic Altavista defense. The Colonels’ defense is explosive as they showed earlier this month with three defensive touchdowns in a 24-0 win over Prince Edward. Nelson and specifically Rose at quarterback will have to limit turnovers, or Altavista is going to take advantage.
Who to watch: Nelson’s Bryce Adkins. The Governors are moving their big lineman around now and utilizing as a kind of fullback in a single wing set. Nelson coach Matt Hicks isn’t going to sit back, he’s going to keep trying to find some sparks for Nelson, and perhaps Adkins can be one of them.
The line: Altavista by 21. Nelson has to stay locked in on just trying to improve because the road isn’t getting any easier.
Western Albemarle (2-2) at Powhatan (4-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Western Albemarle’s football team made about as dramatic of a re-emergence from a bye week as we’ve seen in awhile. The Warriors jumped on Monticello early and leaned on them late to pull away for a sizable, 29-14 win. Western’s defense was on the attack, the offense had a rhythm and balance. That’s an incredible about face and bodes well for the Warriors going forward. Derek Domecq settled in at quarterback and found a connection with Victor Becerra and Jack Weyher. Western did a great job of getting Domecq outside the tackle box where he can really do some damage with his legs or his arm. Powhatan, on the flip side, won a hard fought victory over Orange County by holding on late with a stop on a two-point conversion. Powhatan traditionally runs the ball well and plays solid defense and this year appears to be no exception. This should be a good litmus test for both squads.
Key matchup: Western’s front seven takes on Powhatan’s ground game led by Justin DeLeon. DeLeon rushed for 115 yards last week in the Indians’ narrow win over Orange County. Power rushing attacks have given the Warriors some problems over the last couple of years. The Western defense proved it could clamp down on a balanced offense last week with a six-sack performance against Monticello. Can they step up again and stop a different style of attack?
Who to watch: Western’s James Buetow. Western linebacker Jarrett Smith had a monster night, but one other player in his position group also put together a big performance. Buetow had five stops to lead the Warriors. Western needs Buetow and Smith to both step up against the Indians’ power attack.
The line: Western by 1. If the Warriors’ squad that showed up last week shows up in Powhatan, the Indians are going to have their hands full.
Prince Edward (2-3) at Goochland (5-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The body of work from Goochland through the first half of this season is truly impressive. Hard-fought wins over Essex, Fork Union and Amelia opened the year and then the Bulldogs made short work of R.E. Lee and Randolph-Henry. They’re clicking, they’re picking up wins and they’re taking care of business. If Goochland can maintain focus every week there’s no reason why their ride through the regular season can’t continue.
Key matchup: Goochland’s rushing attack goes after a Prince Edward defense that has given up a couple of 40-point games. Nine different players carried the rock for Goochland last week in a blowout win over Randolph-Henry, and it’s clear that the Bulldogs have options in the ground attack with Jasper Carter coming on strong to join Marcus Burton, Calvin Martin and Cordell Mattox who were known entities coming into the year.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Jamal Carter. Carter is just a freshman but he’s emerging as a consistent performer in the interior on the defensive line for the Bulldogs. He’s fourth on the team in total tackles and second on the team in solo stops with 13. At 5-foot-11 and 242 pounds he’s not easy to move, and that’s helping the Bulldogs shut down opposing offenses while answering one of the only questions anyone had about the Goochland defense going into the year, whether they had the interior covered.
The line: Goochland by 21. The Bulldogs are steamrolling teams right now. They’ve had it all year on defense and now they have it going on offense. Watch out.
Fluvanna County (1-3) at Louisa County (4-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Flucos had a rough go of it last week against a physical Charlottesville team. The Lions handled their first big test in the Jefferson District by putting together a tremendous first half against Albemarle. The scheduling Gods can be cruel and the Flucos have their hands full trying to stop this physical Lions ground game that nobody has been able to solve so far.
Key matchup: The Flucos’ offensive line against Lions defensive linemen Quinton Ragland and Tony Thurston. The Louisa duo are both enormous and have lots of playmakers behind them. Fluvanna has to be able to keep these two from dominating the gaps like they have these first four games. That is a tall, tall task.
Who to watch: Louisa County quarterback Malik Bell. If he wants to and Louisa decides to, Bell could put up a big game on the ground. But don’t be surprised if the Lions try and get him involved more in passing down field. It’s something we’ve seen more and more of the last two weeks from Louisa. It’s something they’ll be looking to test out before facing a strong Powhatan team the following week. But the Lions can’t get caught looking too far ahead. Three years ago the Flucos came up with a 23-6 win at Louisa.
The line: Louisa by 27. The Lions are on a roll and the Flucos greatly miss their top playmaker Mark Grooms. This is a tough matchup.
Bluestone (2-2) at Buckingham County (1-4), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Barons fell to Prince Edward 14-6 in a sloppy game last week after back-to-back wins over a pair of struggling Randolph-Henry and Cumberland squads. The Knights fell on the road to a very good Central Lunenburg team after picking up their first win over Nottoway the week before. The Knights have a great opportunity to build a home winning streak. They have been tested in a way that Bluestone has not thanks to their respective out-of-district schedules. But Buckingham’s defense has to play like it did two weeks ago and avoid getting into the kind of shootout games they’ve lost.
Key matchup: The Knights rushing defense against Bluestone. Last week this unit gave up 422 yards on the ground. It’s nearly impossible to win games when the opposition puts up those kind of numbers. Buckingham has some tools on offense to put up some crooked numbers on the scoreboard but it needs to step on defense and avoid giving up the big plays on the ground that happened last week against the Chargers.
Who to watch: Buckingham’s Brycen Newby. The big man up front is key defensively. They not only need a push up front from him, but they need the linebacking corps behind him to wrap up and make sure that Bluestone’s rushers don’t get open daylight. Going into this season rebuilding the line was obviously one of the biggest challenges. The Knights have an opportunity to try some different things up front here against a team that isn’t Central Lunenburg, isn’t Appomattox.
The line: Buckingham by 3. The Knights have played hard so far and they’re doing some nice things on offense. Behind the Buckingham faithful this team always plays at a different level.
Madison County (3-1) at Riverside (1-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Mountaineers are way out in front of the rest of Central Virginia when it comes to playing in close games — their last three have been decided by six or fewer points and last week’s 26-20 win in overtime against Warren County kept that streak alive. The Rams fell to Brentsville 52-7 last week and have yet to beat a public school opponent. Riverside, while hosting, has its hands full against a prolific offense, a defense that’s improving and team that is simply winning the close games they weren’t last year. Big opportunity here for Madison to get on a roll and win its third straight heading into its big rivalry game with William Monroe next week.
Key matchup: The Rams linebacking corps takes on Mountaineers running back Isiah Smith. If you don’t get a hand on him, it’s over. Smith, if he has the kind of game like he did in the first three weeks, could break the 1,000 yard rushing mark here. With that said, Warren County got the message last week and held the elusive senior to under 100 yards, but still couldn’t keep him from having a big impact in the passing game. So it’s pretty simple. Riverside has to keep an eye on Smith on the ground game first and foremost but also be mindful that it’s not that hard for quarterback Chris Smith to find Madison’s primary playmaker with a simple screen, wheel route, etc. And then there’s the issue of getting your hands on him.
Who to watch: Madison’s Isaiah Breckenridge. He’s got 32 tackles on defense, seven rushes for 52 yards and a touchdown and seven catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns there. He’s the swiss army knife of this team right now. He can do a lot of different things and he’s been impressively reliable these first four weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how Madison uses him here against a Riverside team that must key in on dual threat quarterback Chris Smith, Isiah Smith and receiver Dre Twyman.
The line: Madison by 9. The Mountaineers decide to allow their coaching to leave their heart medication at home and leave the drama behind for a week, especially so if they don’t turn the ball over.
William Monroe (2-2) at Clarke County (2-2), 7:30 p.m. at Woodgrove High
The basics: This could well be the most even meeting between these two as both teams have been a bit inconsistent. The Dragons are coming off a bounce-back win over George Mason 23-15 after a tough showing against Charlottesville. The Eagles fell 22-21 to Central Woodstock, their only close game of the year after being on the right and wrong side of double-digit games to open the year. This one is going to be quick as both teams are poised to lineup and put together lengthy drives and control the clock.
Key matchup: The Monroe defensive line against Clarke running back Hunter Rogers. With 98 attempts and 798 yards and nine touchdowns, he is the bellcow running back for a team that’s always run behind tight splits and a disciplined offensive line. The experience from Charlottesville is important here. Monroe has to be better. The Eagles don’t have the same depth of threats that the Black Knights had, nor quite the same misdirection approach. But this offensive line is always good. While the Eagles aren’t the dominant team they’ve been in the past, there’s an easy way to hide that and it’s behind Rogers who is more than capable of carrying the team on his back if his line blocks well. The Dragons have to get penetration up front might have to be creative to do so.
Who to watch: Monroe running back Greg Sizemore. Point, counterpoint. Sizemore touched the ball 19 times and had 118 yards and three touchdowns last week. If he can match Rogers, quarterback Malique Shackelford is going to have a big game too. The fact that Monroe had 226 second half yards, it’s clear they found something last week against Mason. Sizemore is a big part of that.
The line: Clarke by 3. The Eagles have and continue to be the team to beat in the Bull Run District. But if ever there was a chance for a big road upset for the Dragons against a perennial state-title contender, this is it.
Blue Ridge (1-2) at Covenant (2-2), Thursday 4 p.m.
The basics: The Barons will look to bounce back from a 42-34 loss to North Cross while the Eagles will to do the same after they fell to Hargrave 38-13 two weeks ago and had a bye last week. Blue Ridge has had its flashes despite back-to-back losses and Covenant has managed to weather the storm after getting snake bitten hard by the injury bug to start the year. This is a crucial game for the Barons as they look to build a VISAA Division 2 playoff profile and can ill afford a loss to the Eagles who are also in the mix for a D2 playoff spot. This would be a huge victory for the Eagles as they look to do the same and the two weeks of preparation is a huge help.
Key matchup: The turnover battle. The Eagles defense has played well with the lone hiccup coming on the road against Hargrave. In the last two weeks, the Barons have lost by double digits directly because of fumbles and interceptions. With the weather conditions being ugly, there’s a reasonable chance this game gets moved to a different site or even postponed. But if it gets played at Covenant, footing and handling of the ball will paramount. Blue Ridge needs to be more careful with the ball and Covenant can’t allow a Barons offense that has some explosivity to it get extra possessions. Weather conditions can even up a playing field or exaggerate it the other way, particularly in the turnover department.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge quarterback Xavier Kane and Covenant quarterback Nic Sanker. These two are going to deal with the elements the most. Passing in the rain is tough. So many things can go wrong between handling the snap, getting a decent grip and then predicting where a receiver is going to be as they’ll be struggling with footing and coming down with the ball cleanly. If either of these two get things done in the air it’s going to give their respective teams a decided advantage in a game that has ground-and-pound written all over it. So while Blue Ridge running back Jamison Harrison and Covenant running back Donovan Jackson look like they’ll have a heavy work load, don’t be surprised if quarterback play winds up being a really big factor in one way or another.
The line: Blue Ridge by 9. The Barons are big, athletic and narrowly lost to a very good Division 1 opponent and another squad that may be the team to beat in Division 2. Covenant is still short staffed, but can win this in a close game if they control the clock.
