Perhaps the year’s most loaded week of fantastic matchups is here. It’s rivalry week and tons of squads are getting in on the action.
Fork Union (2-5) at Collegiate (3-3), 3 p.m.
The basics: The Blue Devils just came up short of a major upset last week, falling 15-13 to defending VISAA Division 1 champion Liberty Christian. The Cougars bounced back from a loss to Woodberry with a win 48-21 over Washington (Norfolk). This is crunch time for both teams. FUMA needs this one badly to try and slip into the playoffs. Collegiate sits on the outside of the playoffs too. So one of these teams is going to pick up a much needed win here. What’s interesting here is that Fork Union might be the best 2-5 team in the history of 2-5 teams that Scrimmage Play’s ever seen. The Blue Devils schedule is absurd and last week they fought and clawed but just missed against LCA. With Benedictine the top ranked team in the state and Woodberry Forest (the team that would be the top ranked team in the state if they participated in the playoffs) left on FUMA’s schedule, this is must win territory.
Key matchup: The Fork Union linebacking corps takes on Collegiate quarterback Will Allocca. He’s not big, he’s not tall, but he is slippery. And While the Cougars like to whip the ball around the field, Collegiate is most dangerous when Allocca is on the move. We saw it against Woodberry and the Tigers played the Cougars tough and still saw Allocca make big plays. The Blue Devils have to know when to drop back in coverage and when to step up and put a hit on Allocca. If FUMA does the job, it has the offense to beat the Cougars.
Who to watch: FUMA’s Adam Hackenberg. He’s becoming a force at linebacker and he and the defense were awfully physical against a massive offensive line from LCA. Collegiate doesn’t have nearly the same size. It’ll be interesting to see if Hackenberg and this defense can channel the same performance as they did last week.
The line: Fork Union by 3. The Blue Devils are a lot better than their record suggests. And offensively they’re much more explosive than Collegiate, especially if they don’t turn the ball over.
Liberty (Bedford) (5-1) at Buckingham (5-1), 7p.m.
The basics: The Minutemen beat E.C. Glass 56-20 for a third straight win. The Knights edged Central Lunenburg in a critical game, 33-28 to solidify it’s playoff positioning. Here, Buckingham gets its best test before the playoffs begin. By playing a Group 3A team, and a really good one at that, the Knights will get another atmosphere where they’ll have to be on top of their game to hope to come out with a win. Liberty’s offense has been on a roll and while the Buckingham offense has been exceptional so far, the defense has struggled a bit against the two high powered offenses its seen so far between Central Lunenburg and Goochland. But in the grand scheme of things, this out-of-district game is really just a chance for Buckingham to iron out the kinks against the kind of opponent it would see deep in the postseason if the Knights are able to get as far as they did last year.
Key matchup: Buckingham’s defensive backs against the run. That sounds strange to say, but the Knights have been hurt most on the edge, whether with missed tackles or being unable to shed blocks and put a hit on the runner as they turn the corner. Against Liberty, if the secondary does its job, the damage should be controlled enough that this vaunted offense can turn this game into a barn burner.
Who to watch: Buckingham’s Jacob Snoddy. He’s impressive at right guard, piling up the pancakes. But last week he played at defensive tackle too and showed quite well when the Knights needed him in short yardage situations. The Knights like to platoon their front lines, but Snoddy’s playing so well right now it’s hard not to use him all the time. It’s easy to watch Leon Ragland and Tariq Gough run the ball, but if you get the chance to watch number 76, do so, because it’s quite impressive how he lays the ground work.
The line: Liberty by 3. Offensively it’s a push, but the Minutemen have a loss to Brookville and nothing but double-digit wins to their name on a really good schedule. Great learning opportunity here though for Buckingham.
Goochland (5-1) at Nottoway (5-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Bulldogs come off their bye while the Cougars put away Bluestone 19-0 for a fifth straight win. If there is one unknown in the James River District right now it’s Nottoway, and in all reality it’s because neither Goochland, Buckingham nor Central Lunenburg have faced the Cougars yet. The former three are most certainly the class of the JRD and they’ve all played each other with all three game being tight and Goochland getting the edge against Buckingham and Central. Nottoway gets all three of them in a row, so 5-1 could quickly become 5-4. But With the Cougars posting back-to-back shutouts of Amelia and Bluestone, the Bulldogs should hardly take this team lightly.
Key matchup: The Nottoway front seven against Goochland’s backfield. When the Bulldogs have two weeks to prepare a couple of things happen, first everyone comes back healthy. Second, this team always seems to get right back to its roots. This Bulldogs team really ran the ball well against Buckingham and Goochland. There are so many running backs to keep track of and each brings a different quality. The Cougars have to be ready for Jordan Jefferson when he hits the edge, Isaiah Minor and Kavonte Crosby up the middle. It’s not easy with so much misdirection involved.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Reid Chenault. The Bulldogs’ quarterback has the ability to change the script when he decides to go to the air and find Jayrell Myles or Jefferson. It’s getting to that point of the year where Goochland might start working on the throat slashing kind of plays it’s made in the postseason in previous years here. The Bulldogs are definitely going to want Chenault to go into the playoffs with a rhythm in the passing game, just how much passing he does though is the big question, both here and going forward.
The line: Goochland by 7. Nottoway’s defense runs into some serious trouble here. While the Cougars might be able to put up some points, trying to stop Goochland from owning the clock is another issue.
Altavista (6-0) at Nelson County (2-4), 7 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County was well aware of what an absolutely challenging Dogwood District had in store for the Governors does this year, as it does every season. Altavista is one of the district’s heavyweights this year, and knocked off a tough Dan River squad last week 14-0 to stay unbeaten on the year. The Governors, meanwhile, absorbed a second straight blow out loss, this time at the hands of Chatham.
Key matchup: Nelson’s ball control offense takes on a suffocating Altavista defense. The Governors’ best bet is to shorten the game and try and tire out the Altavista defense, because containing the Colonels’ own offense is going to be a tall task.
Who to watch: Altavista’s Juan Thornhill. The UVa commitment is an electrifying presence at quarterback. Nelson will have its hands full with the Colonels’ top notch athlete.
The line: Altavista by 27. Brutal Dogwood District slate continues for Governors.
St. Anne’s-Belfield (6-1) at Covenant (5-2), 7:30 p.m. at Albemarle
The basics: This is a battle of tempo. The Saints, long advocates of running the ball well and controlling the clock, are doing some of that this year but they’re mostly just scoring points in bunches in every phase, from all over the field. Bunches of bunches in the case last week when they blew the doors off Hargrave 64-6. On the flip side, Covenant’s mid-line option attempts to eat up all the clock and wear down the opposition. The Eagles have had a lot of success at handling that, but took a step backward last week with a loss to Christchurch on the road, a team STAB beat early in the season 50-7. Covenant lost to the Seahorses 33-14 and surrendered 312 yards on the ground in the defeat, far and away Christchurch’s largest total of the year. The Eagles need to bounce back while STAB is trying to keep propelling itself forward — whoever manages to dictate the tempo will get a big leg up in the battle for the win.
Key matchup: STAB’s front seven takes on Covenant’s unique offensive system with leading rusher Austin Llera. This will be an interesting test for the Saints who’ve already proven their mettle against spread teams, who’ve struggled to match the Saints athlete for athlete on the boundary. Now they’ll have to play assignment football in the box and look to force the Eagles into punting situations. Of course, the Saints handled a similar relic offense a few weeks ago, Nansemond Suffolk’s single wing, without incident, so all signs point to them being up for the task.
Who to watch: STAB’s Lee Parkhill. The Saints’ signal-caller essentially got the week off last week in a blowout win over Hargrave, throwing just a single pass. That should make him well-rested and ready to take on the Eagles. If he can test Covenant downfield early and put his talented pass catchers in position to make plays, that could be a difference maker against Covenant’s defense.
The line: St. Anne’s-Belfield by 7. Too much offensive firepower from the Saints for the Eagles to handle it.
Albemarle (1-6) at Charlottesville (3-3), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: It’s hard to put your finger on why Albemarle can’t seem to break through and pick up a big win in a close game, but the Patriots keep taking teams to the brink week in and week out. Now they face a CHS squad that has had some inconsistencies of its own, particularly with star running back Rashad Brock injured. Both teams really need a win here, as Albemarle likely needs to win out or at least 2 of the next 3 to get back in the playoff picture while CHS is trying to hold on to a slot in the postseason.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’ front seven takes on Albemarle’s ground attack. The Patriots like to run it and run it in an uptempo style with either Rooney Turay, Teshawn Massie or Kevin McCarthy (recently out with an injury). Powhatan was able to put the clamps on that with tremendous push up front that took Albemarle out of rhythm. The Black Knights have a lot of impact players in the front seven like Larry Anderson (leads the Black Knights with 60 total tackles). Can they wreak some havoc.
Who to watch: Charlottesville’s Jahquae Howard. With Rashad Brock on the shelf last week, Howard had a bit of a breakout game as a playmaker in the win over Orange County, highlighted by a 57-yard touchdown catch. If Howard can help make the CHS offense a little more unpredictable it’ll make things tough on an AHS defense that has had some big-time moments the last few weeks.
The line: Albemarle by 1. The Patriots haven’t been far away the last couple of weeks. This week they can break through.
Louisa County (4-2) at Fluvanna County (1-5), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Louisa County is, undoubtedly, back. It wasn’t extremely surprising that the Lions beat Western last week, but to do it in such emphatic fashion by scoring 56 points, and a couple of factors will make sure that Louisa doesn’t get off track. The Lions are handling the news this week that head coach Mark Fischer’s cancer is back and he’ll have to undergo more aggressive treatment like what he endured a few years back while coaching in South Carolina. The other focal point for the Lions will likely be that Fluvanna has beaten them two times in a row, and Louisa should be bent on making sure that doesn’t become three times. Fluvanna has stumbled since a strong first half showing against Albemarle, dropping two straight games to Orange County and Monticello. They need to start getting headed in the right direction or this season could draw to a quick conclusion.
Key matchup: Louisa’s secondary takes on Fluvanna’s passing attack. The Flucos have been a little one dimensional of late, so shutting Fluvanna down in the air is job one. The Lions managed to clamp down on the Warriors, who’d moved the ball around a little through the air going into that game, so they should be primed to take on the Flucos’ Gavin Patrick to Macen Dahl connection.
Who to watch: Louisa freshman Job Whalen. The Lions freshman broke out last week for 158 yards and two touchdowns, one of seven Louisa players to score. Can he put together an encore against the Flucos?
The line: Louisa by 21. Lions take care of business after two straight losses against Flucos.
Monticello (5-1) at Western Albemarle (5-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: This has become one of the area’s premiere rivalries with Monticello winning four of the last seven meetings with the last two matchups going the Mustangs’ way. If Western is going to reverse that trend, they’ve got to put together a better effort than they put forth against Louisa County last week, where the Warriors got knocked around in the jungle to the tune of a 56-26 blowout. That kind of humbling loss could prove to be a turning point for Western, as the Warriors haven’t lost two games in a since the 2011 season’s midway point. But bouncing back against a Monticello that squad that’s coming off two straight blowout victories after their own humbling experience at the hands of Powhatan won’t be an easy task. The Mustangs appear to have recalibrated the offense and found a little bit of balance that should give them some make them less predictable. Like a lot of games this week though, this is a rivalry clash first and foremost, so you can expect both squads to ratchet up the intensity.
Key matchup: Western’s suddenly rocky run defense takes on Monticello’s ground attack. While Kyree Koonce was a known entity going into the year, Jeonte Banks was far from it, though he’s proven a reliable option in the ground game as the Mustangs deal with an injury suffered by Darian Bates. Banks can prevent defenses from keying completely on Koonce when he’s at the top of his game while the Warriors struggled to deal with another upstart back last week when Louisa’s Job Whalen exploded for 158 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 touches last week out of nowhere. The Warriors have work to do to shore things up.
Who to watch: Both teams’ first year starting quarterbacks. Whichever player — either Daniel Hummel for the Mustangs or Sam Hearn for the Warriors — can minimize his mistakes and keep his team steady in what’s likely to be an emotional environment is going to give his squad a huge edge. Hearn has to bounce back in a big way after a frustrating week last week while Hummel only needed four passes last week (two of them for touchdowns) in the easy win over Fluvanna. Who’s up to the task Friday?
The line: Monticello by 7. The Mustangs’ offense may prove to be too much of a challenge for the Warriors who stumbled against a strong ground attack last week against Louisa.
William Monroe (3-3) at Madison County (2-4), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Dragons come off a 31-7 win at home against Central Woodstock. The Mountaineers look to bounce back after a tough road loss to the Bull Run’s best team, Clarke County. This is a dandy right here, both because where both teams stand, and also the rivalry between the two. Monroe’s played some pretty good teams and come out of it in pretty good shape. Madison dug itself out of an 0-3 hole before walking into the buzzsaw that is Clarke. Monroe really needs this win to try and improve its playoff seeding. A win here for Madison would be even bigger and help them out greatly playoff wise. What we’ve got here is two teams that don’t like each other and one that thrives on the ground and the other that looks best in the air.
Key matchup: Monroe’s defensive line versus Madison’s offensive line. If the Mountaineers don’t give quarterback James Graves the time he needs to find his receivers then Madison will be in a bit of hole here. When Graves and his young receivers, Dre Twyman and Isaiah Smith are clicking, this is a team that can move the ball down the field in big chunks. Of course, that said, this is a vastly improved Monroe defense from a few years ago. The Dragons have held three teams to no more than two touchdowns (all wins) and the worst damage this team saw was 31 points given up to Strasburg.
Who to watch: Monroe’s Josh King. He’s leading this defense right now. The Dragons defense has been really consistent this year and if he and the defense play well, Monroe can simply let running backs Cody Perkins and Tylek Burley move the chains. That said, it will be interesting how the Dragons, King and this unit deal with the pass. Most of the Dragons’ opponents so far have been run heavy. They’ll be getting a change of pace here.
The line: Monroe by 4. The Dragons ability to move the ball on the ground and their defense give the edge here on the road.
Orange County (1-5) at Powhatan (5-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Hornets fell to Charlottesville 19-6 last week. On the other hand, Powhatan avoided a setback by taking down Albemarle 21-7. The Indians look really good right now. They’ve won four straight and only given up 13 points in the last two games. Orange did a nice job defensively against Charlottesville after getting a season opening win over Fluvanna the week before, but at the end of the day, this a team that has 32 points to its name, and 25 of them coming the past two weeks. Powhatan is playing the best football on both sides of the ball right now in the Jefferson District and that’s a tough break for a Hornets team looking to make progress on a week to week basis.
Key matchup: The Orange defensive front versus the Powhatan offensive line. While Albemarle was able to line up last week thanks to its size, the Hornets have their hands full. And when the Indians have the edge at the line of scrimmage they’ve been balanced offensively, running efficiently and throwing the ball effectively down field. Orange has to be great up front on defense because on the other side of the Powhatan is giving up next to nothing right now after facing three quality JD programs in Monticello, Louisa and Albemarle.
Who to watch: Powhatan’s Logan Allen. His speed and physicality make him a bit of an enigma. But as he squares off against an Orange defense that’s struggled against power offenses like this, he could be poised for a really big game, both in terms on long runs and the short kind that add up quickly. In Allen Powhatan trusts right now.
The line: Powhatan by 21. The Indians stay out in front in the JD.
Benedictine (5-1) at Woodberry Forest (4-0), 2 p.m. Saturday
The basics: The Cadets, the top ranked VISAA Division 1 team right now, held off Bishop Ireton 29-26 last week for a fifth straight win. The Tigers dispatched Eastern Christian 37-12 to remain the lone perfect team in Central Virginia right now. If LCA/Woodberry a few weeks ago wasn’t the defacto state title game of the regular season, then this is it. The Cadets have been on a roll and beat some good teams along the way. The Tigers have dealt with injuries and look to finally be at full strength again. The winner here is going to be feeling awfully good heading into the home stretch of the schedule.
Key matchup: Woodberry’s secondary versus Donaven Tennyson. Whether it’s Nathaniel Tyrell, Logi Portugal or Michael Davenport lining up against Tennyson, how the Tigers decide to tackle the Benedictine passing attack is really a case of both teams playing strength on strength. You can’t ask for much more than elite playmakers on opposing sides of the ball going at one another.
Who to watch: Woodberry’s H.T. Minor. The senior running back is back in the fold and looked good against Eastern Christian, and as such, the Tigers’ offense looked more potent as well. Quarterback Lindell Stone and receiver Zach Roderick are going to find their big-play moments, but if Minor is the staple of this offese, Woodberry controls the game on both sides of the ball. Minor’s 12 touches for 86 was more than welcome last week.
The line: Woodberry by 3. Homefield advantage, unbeaten and equipped with a defense and special teams unit that’s as dangerous as a lot of offenses, the Tigers get the job done.
Virginia Episcopal (2-4) at Blue Ridge (1-5), 2 p.m. Saturday
The basics: Blue Ridge continued to struggle defensively last week in a battle with a Trinity Episcopal squad that hasn’t been short on offense itself. Giving up 66 points though is frustrating for any squad, so the Barons need to get back to the drawing board on that side of the ball. Offensively though, Blue Ridge is still showing signs of an explosive unit. If the defense can tamp things down, the Barons will be back in the running for picking up wins.
Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s defense takes on the VES ground game. The Bishops are heavily tilted toward the run, by a more than 3:1 run/pass ratio, and that means the Blue Ridge defense is going to have to pack the box to slow down VES.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge’s Scott Spencer. The Barons’ wideout had another huge day with seven catches for 100 yards and has become one of the area’s top wideouts this season. Getting Spencer involved early and often would be a big boost for Blue Ridge if this one turns into a shootout.
The line: Blue Ridge by 7. The Barons get an excellent chance to snag a win here at home against the Bishops.
