Blue Ridge (1-3) at Covenant (4-1), 4 p.m. Thursday
The basics: Covenant is halfway through their regular season already, and things have gone to plan so far for the Eagles with four wins, a top-four and a well-established, multi-faceted ground attack. But from here, the opponents get more stout for Covenant, starting with an athletic Blue Ridge squad that’s shown a lot of offensive flash but has had trouble stopping anyone else’s offense, surrendering nearly 50 points a game. They’re running into another efficient offense in the Eagles, who’ve had four different players rush for more than 100 yards this year and have really taken a liking to the midline option offense. Blue Ridge’s front seven will have a battle on their hands and they’ll need to play responsibility football in order to have a shot at knocking Covenant out of rhythm. The Barons best bet? Try and strike early on offense. The Eagles aren’t going to want to play from behind, they’re ideally suited to grind the clock with a lead.
Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s Scott Spencer and Malik Johnson versus the Covenant secondary. Blue Ridge quarterback Trevor Eaton leads the area in passing, and he’s developed a quick relationship with tall target Spencer and the lightning fast Johnson. With Quane Washington, Sam Seelman and Josh Klein patrolling passing lanes, the Eagles have been solid against the pass so far this year, but this might be the fastest group of wideouts they’ve faced.
Who to watch: Covenant’s Austin Llera. He’s been the workhorse for the Eagles so far, and while Rick Weaver put together a 103-yard, three touchdown outing last week, it’s up to Llera to give the offense a consistent rhythm from the fullback spot. If he’s forcing the Blue Ridge linebackers to commit to the dive, things can get interesting fast on the edge with Covenant’s speed.
The line: Covenant by 1. The Eagles are at home and the weather appears set to be a little nasty, playing into the hands of Covenant’s ball control offense.
Buckingham (3-0) at Goochland (3-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: Unless something strange happens, this is once again, a defacto James River District championship game. Buckingham rolled past Bluestone last week while Goochland jumped all over Randolph-Henry. The Knights passed their two big tests in Appomattox and Amelia on the road. The Bulldogs went 1-1 in their two big games, picking up a huge win over Essex, but falling to a solid Fork Union team. These two teams are so similar it’s kind of scary. It’s also why while this game will matter a lot in terms of playoff seeding (who ever loses is still going to win a ton of games and give points to the victor here), these are two playoff teams that expect to be playing for quite some time, and in a perfect world, against each other when cross-bracketing happens at the Division 2A state semifinals or finals. That’s too far out to talk about, but at the end of the day, as good as this game looks, if it’s a close game, not a lot of new knowledge comes out of this game. Both teams are really good teams right now.
Key matchup: Buckingham’s offensive line takes on Goochland’s offensive line. Huh? Yea, these two units are the heart and soul of both teams right now. Both teams are experienced and bulky up front offensively. Both teams have the horses to run behind their lines. Both teams want to win that battle of clock control. Both teams platoon between the offensive and defensive line so the fight should be even. The bottom line is that one unit is going to have to find a way to be more physical than the other. That’s not going to be easy.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Reid Chenault and Buckingham’s Leon Ragland. The two quarterbacks bring different styles. Chenault is a natural drop-back passer (495 yards in four games), but on a run first team. Ragland is a dual threat but thrives on the ground (480 yards in four games) and is becoming more of a polished passer each week. It’s the passing between these two that could be the difference. With both sides likely to grind away things on the ground, the big plays in the air could well provide the seperation.
The line: Push. We hate to push, but this is what it is. Goochland would get the edge for playing at home here usually, but the Knights have played so well early on that they actually look like the favorites. Then again, the Bulldogs have also had the Knights’ number the last three years. So, yeah, push.
Fork Union (1-3) at Charlotte Latin (4-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: Fork Union coach Brian Hurlocker stacks the deck when it comes to scheduling, and in turn the Blue Devils rarely get a weak opponent. That gauntlet continues this week as FUMA heads to Charlotte Latin to take on a North Carolina squad that’s averaging 53 points per game with an electric offense. The Blue Devils’ defense is going to have to be on the ball against the Hawks, and the offense is going to have to generate some more points with Rashon Torrence toting the rock.
Key matchup: Fork Union’s front seven takes on Charlotte Latin tailback Demarkes Stradford. Stadford is just a freshman tailback but he’s an emerging talent who rushed for 114 yards on just nine touches in his varsity debut in late August. After FUMA’s struggles against Bishop O’Connell’s multi-faceted ground game last week, the Blue Devils will surely be focused on shoring up the run defense.
Who to watch: FUMA’s Chase Bowman. His pick six against Bishop O’Connell was a big-time play, and if the Blue Devils could’ve made one or two more plays like it, it could’ve turned the tide against the Knights. FUMA needs game-changing plays on defense, and Bowman is clearly capable of making them.
The line: Fork Union by 1. The Blue Devils’ tough schedule continues, but their much more talented then their 1-3 record suggests. They can get back in the win column this week.
Dan River (2-2) at Nelson County (2-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County has equaled its win total from the last two seasons this year already, which is something the rebuilding program can hang their hats on. The Wildcats may have picked up a pair of losses, but one came to a rock solid Magna Vista program and the other was a close shave against Tunstall. Dan River got on track last week by blowing out Martinsville with a strong, multi-player performance on the ground. Last year Dan River coasted past Nelson, but perhaps the Governors can make this one more competitive with an emerging sense of identity centered around their own rushing attack.
Key matchup: Nelson’s linebackers take on Dan River’s two-headed monster at running back in Malcolm Ware and Curtis Stepens who sparked the Wildcats to a 392-yard outing as a team last week. If Nelson is going to hang with Dan River, it’ll start with containing those two running backs.
Who to watch: Nelson’s Ray Chambers. Chambers rushed for 167 yards on 24 touches to lead the way for the Governors against Hargrave last week, and he’s given the Governors a credible run threat going into Dogwood District play.
The line: Dan River by 14. The Dogwood District slate is here, which means things are going to get tougher for the Governors from here on out.
Fluvanna County (1-2) at Albemarle (0-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: Both Albemarle and Fluvanna are in need of a victory right now, with Albemarle in particular looking for a pick-me-up after a brutal start to the season in out-of-district play. The Patriots let one slip away last week in Roanoke against Patrick Henry, squandering a third-quarter lead and fumbling in the fourth quarter en route to what should’ve been the go-ahead touchdown. Despite that rough start, Albemarle has found it’s bell-cow running back in Kevin McCarthy, currently fifth in the area in rushing with 462 yards in just three games. The Flucos are struggling to contain opposing offenses, with losses to Culpeper and powerful William Fleming. They’ll have to step up and stop the run on the road with McCarthy coming down hill and that’ll be a tall task for Fluvanna.
Key matchup: Fluvanna pass catchers Macen Dahl and Vinny Agee take on the Albemarle secondary. Overall, the Patriots’ secondary has been solid, but with Albemarle’s struggles to stop the run in the first three games, they haven’t been tested. They will be tested Friday as Fluvanna has struggled to move the ball on the ground but has seen some success in the air, so expect the Flucos to try and get Dahl, who is No. 2 in the area in receiving yards with 287 so far, and Agee in the mix early.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s J.T. Shorten. With Albemarle’s front seven looking for playmakers, Shorten’s third quarter fumble return for a touchdown from 90 yards away gave the Patriots the lead over Patrick Henry. If he can make more plays like that, it’ll be a huge jolt for the AHS defense.
The line: Albemarle by 10. The Flucos will likely struggle to slow down McCarthy, and that’ll be enough to give the Patriots a big edge during Homecoming.
Charlottesville (2-1) at Louisa County (2-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Charlottesville picked up a critical win over William Monroe last week with regards to the playoff standings because the Dragons seemed poised to be strong as they enter Bull Run District play and wins for Monroe will mean points for the Black Knights. But after three straight home games to start 2014, Charlottesville has to take their speedy show on the road into the Jungle where the Lions are coming off a thrilling win over King George last week. Look for the Black Knights to go to their bread and butter early with quarterback Malik Bartee (second in the area in rushing with 569 yards) and Rashad Brock (380 yards) toting the rock throughout. If Louisa can clamp down on the ground game more (they surrendered seven yards per touch against King George last week) it’ll go a long way toward winning the Jefferson District opener for both squads.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’s linebackers try to contain Trey Cherry. Last year Cherry did some serious damage for Louisa at times on the ground and last week he exploded for 201 yards on 32 touches against King George in a barnburner of a win in the Jungle. With linebackers Larry Anderson (19 tackles in three games) and Jahquae Howard (21 total tackles) looking to stuff the run, Cherry could find tougher sledding against the Black Knights.
Who to watch: Charlottesville’s Steven Jones. Jones was a terror in the backfield for the Black Knights against William Monroe, coming up with three tackles for a loss on the night. With Cherry zipping around the field, the Black Knights may need a similar performance from Jones to turn the tide.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. This is a simple case of numbers. Louisa County has one established, dynamic rushing presence in Cherry. CHS has two in Brock and Bartee and that might be the difference.
Warren County (0-4) at William Monroe (1-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: As Monroe coach Jon Rocha pointed out after last week’s loss to CHS, the Dragons are just 13 points away from being undefeated, but those 13 points mean Monroe has to be tremendous the rest of the way as they try and get back in the playoffs for the second straight year. Warren has stumbled against three schools and has scored just 20 points this season while getting shutout the last two weeks by identical 36-0 scores. Rocha was convinced his squad was already bouncing back just seconds after coming out of the locker room after the loss to CHS, so expect a Monroe team that’s chomping at the bit to get going.
Key matchup: Warren County’s defense takes on Monroe’s potent ground game. James Wood rolled up big yards last week against Warren County on the ground, and with Tylek Burley putting together a strong effort against CHS and Cody Perkins in the fold, look for the Dragons to try and exploit their advantage in the ground game early.
Who to watch: Monroe’s Tyler Trevillian. Trevillian emerged last week as a threat in the passing game with 76 yards on six catches. If he can continue to give first-year starting quarterback Dustin Knight a reliable option, the Monroe passing game should open up and start taking some of the pressure off the ground game that opponents are loading up against.
The line: William Monroe by 7. The Dragons should be able to take a lot of frustration from their two narrow losses the last two weeks out on Warren County and avenge last season’s loss to WC.
STAB (3-1) at Nansemond Suffolk (3-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Saints from STAB cruised to a win over Trinity Episcopal while the Saints from NSA fell to the team responsible for St. Anne’s lone loss of the year, the defending VISAA Division 2 champs, Bishop Sullivan. STAB lost to Bishop by 17, NSA fell by 22, but that’s not going to tell us much. What appears to be in the making here is one heck of an offensive showing by two teams with plenty of weapons. NSA has scored at leats 32 points in five of six games, and it’s lowest total was a 23-22 loss to Fredericksburg Christian. STAB on the other hand has scored 49 points or more in three of its four contests and it’s low was the 28 points it put up against Bishop.
Key matchup: The NSA secondary versus STAB wideouts Kareem Johnson (274 yards receiving so far) and Jalen Harrison (206 yards). This is hands down the best and most athletic 1-2 combination the area has seen at receiver since PJ White and Darryl Smith led Blue Ridge to a state title in 2012. Johnson’s speed and jumping ability is exceptional. Harrison’s height and ability to elevate is exceptional. STAB quarterback only has to make the right read when either is in man-coverage and the right throw. Parkhill’s already said that in previous interviews, so working with these two at receiver is hardly a mystery for him. This trio was on point last week. The NSA secondary better have a perfect plan to deal with them.
Who to watch: STAB running back Jake Allen. The way Allen ran last week against Trinity, the Saints’ baseball standout is almost the football equivalent of a closer. It sounds weird to say, but the St. Anne’s passing attack is wearing down defenses and then Allen is simply steam rolling them with his running style. His legs churn as hard or harder after contact than before it. Look for him to force the issue in the middle of the field either early and open things up for Johnson and Harrison, or to take advantage of the middle with the edge and deep down the field being the priority of NSA’s defense.
The line: STAB by 6. St. Anne’s defense is actually the difference here as they answer the call, but NSA can’t keep up with this high scoring offense.
Madison County (0-3) at Manassas Park (1-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Mountaineers kept things close for quite a while against East Rockingham, but turnovers doomed them for a lop-sided loss. The Cougars fell hard on the road at Skyline. The Bull Run District opener for both, a win here would mean a lot for either. Madison needs some confidence after showing good signs but having things get out of control last week after a pair of close losses before that. Manassas needs some consistency, a blowout loss, a blowout win and a close loss all on their schedule so far.
Key matchup: The Madison defensive line versus the Manassas offensive line. The Cougars will pack it in tight offensively and look to thrive on the ground. The defensive line needs to get penetration and allow its linebackers to pursue the ball carrier and bring them down. If Madison can control the line of scrimmage here it will win this game.
Who to watch: Mountaineers’ running back Larry Turner. Maybe, just maybe Madison has found a solution to the ground game. Turner has nine carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. He showed well at East Rockingham. If he runs well, then quarterback James Graves will have an opportunity to go for big plays to receivers Dre Twyman and Isaih Smith. Turner could well be the key for the Mountaineers to turn things around in Bull Run play.
The line: Madison by 1. Manassas has the same question marks around it that Madison does, but the Mountaineers abilities on offense, if they don’t turn over the ball, has the chance to pick the win here on the road.
Powhatan (2-1) at Monticello (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Indians picked up a quality win over Greenville, 20-0. The Mustangs rolled 51-14 over Turner Ashby. Powhatan looks to be getting back to its 2011 form. Monticello looks to be the team to beat in the Jefferson District once again. The Mustangs have won the last two meetings, but the turnover on the roster favors Powhatan slightly. That said, Monticello could have Kyree Koonce back as he sat out last week. He had three touchdowns last year against the Indians in a 25-19 route. This will be a test for both defenses and whichever shows up will be the difference maker.
Key matchup: Monticello’s offensive line takes on the Powhatan front. The Indians had six tackles for a loss last week in their shutout of Greenville. The Mustangs will feature the running game as usual, whether with Koonce or with Darian Bates who is establishing himself as a bonafide playmaker. If Monticello’s ground game is as good as it’s been the first three weeks, Powhatan’s in trouble. If the Indians defense comes out stout, the Mustangs will have to be creative and ask quarterback Daniel Hummell to make big plays. Hummell’s done a great job so far. But any way you cut it, the Mustangs’ offensive line controls this game, whether with it’s run blocking or keeping Hummell protected.
Who to watch: Koonce. If he’s a go, Monticello will be at full throttle and nobody’s been able to stop them at that level, and really, even with Koonce sidelined. He’s got 185 yards rushing on just 11 attempts so far. But he also has Bates and Jeonte Banks to keep him from getting too many touches. With all that said, Monticello is a different football team with Koonce on the field, so whether he plays, and how much he does if he does will be the focus for Powhatan here. They will gameplan differently based upon how often the senior running back is on the field.
The line: Monticello by 4. This should be a closer game than the last two meetings, but the Mustangs offense is kicking on all gears and its defense is already better now than it was last year at this point.
Western Albemarle (3-0) at Orange County (0-3), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Warriors are coming off a bye after a shutout of Fort Defiance 35-0 while the Hornets fell to Riverbend. The good news for Orange was that it found the endzone for the first time this season. Western sits at 3-0, and might be looking ahead to its meeting with Albemarle. The Warriors sit right now as one of the quietest 3-0 teams in the area in that there aren’t a lot of people sure if this is the same team from the last two years or if that feeling is just a product of all the change on the roster. You can’t argue with the results right now though. Orange will be happy to match up with Western after Riverbend. Western’s always done its best with athleticism and the Hornets do better there than with bulky physical teams like what they’ve seen so far to start the year.
Key matchup: Orange’s secondary takes on Western wide out Henry Kreienbaum. So after just saying Western isn’t as physically intimidating as say Riverbend, then there’s Kreienbaum. He’s got four touchdowns already and 275 yards receiving. He’s maybe the most physically impactful receiver the Jefferson District has. If Orange doesn’t bottle him up, the Warriors will exploit that.
Who to watch: Western running back Oliver Herndon. With the way that the Hornets have been hurt by the run, look for the Warriors to try and make things work on the ground with Herndon. Quarterback Sam Hearn is going to chuck the ball to his receivers, but he’s going to do that looking for a stacked box looking to slow down Herndon. The Western ground game is key for the Warriors right now as they look to find their passing form from the last three years.
The line: Western by 14. The Warriors offense gives Orange too much trouble here.
Flint Hill (1-2) at Woodberry Forest (1-0), Saturday 2 p.m.
The basics: The Huskies fell at home to Collegiate, 27-13. On the other hand, Woodberry picked up its biggest win since it beat Collegiate last year with a 13-8 win over defending VISAA Division 1 champion Liberty Christian. The Tigers came out clutch last week and so word is out, that while this defense is different, it’s still every bit as effective. Offensively, Woodberry had its hits and misses with turnovers and mistakes marring some pretty solid field position last week. That said, the balance for the Tigers looks impressive and it might only be a little while before this unit starts out-showing it’s speedy defensive counterpart.
Key matchup: Flint Hill’s defensive line takes on running back H.T. Minor. The Tigers senior had a quiet but still efficient showing against a large LCA team. Look for Woodberry to get it’s physical runner the ball early and try and wear down this Huskie’s defense before quarterback Lindell Stone starts going for the jugular in the passing game. Minor did a great job of making small gains and not turning over the ball. That’s the small stuff that make a good back great, even if he didn’t have a 100-yard day. His numbers could well change this week.
Who to watch: Woodberry’s defensive line. Wylie Mendico had a clutch sack in the fourth quarter that all but wrapped up the game against LCA. This front was outstanding against a much larger and seemingly much stronger LCA offensive line. For a unit that looked to be shedding 50 pounds per man to perform so well means something is up at Woodberry. Mendico and is his teammates played their positions perfectly last week. If they do the same this week, Flint Hill is in real, real trouble.
The line: Woodberry by 10.
