Louisa County (0-0) at Spotsylvania (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Louisa County moves out of the Zack Jackson era this year and it’ll take several players to replace him. Jackson started two years at quarterback and led the Lions in rushing and passing while earning second team All-Scrimmage Play honors last year as a utility player. Trey Cherry and Markel Groomes appear to be the players who will get the first crack as the go-to guys on offense with Cherry at quarterback and Groomes at tailback. Groomes was productive in last week’s scrimmage against Goochland with 162 yards in three quarters while Cherry was efficient as a passer and runner. Spotsylvania is no longer the doormat it has been in the past, but the graduation of Ashten Dixon leaves a hole at quarterback. Darius Carter is slated in as the new starter.
Key matchup: Louisa’s front seven takes on Spotsylvania’s Charlie Pettit. Whether he’s blocking or running, Pettit is a load to handle at 240 pounds. The Lions are going to have to get a push and penetration from players R.J. Jackson.
Who to watch: Louisa’s Deion Johnson. It’s hard not to think Johnson will have a monster impact each week. Playing corner and a multi-faceted role on offense, he’ll get a lot of opportunities to make plays, which is exactly how the Lions want it.
The line: Louisa County by 7. Louisa seems to already be getting back to its core identity as a power rushing team and that should allow them to take care of business against Spotsy.
Western Albemarle (0-0) at Spotswood (0-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: Western Albemarle comes into the season with heightened expectations fueled by the return of star quarterback Kent Henry, who piled up more than 4,000 yards last season. But the Warriors have a few holes to fill after the graduation of Tommy Mullin (Randolph Macon) and Daniel Kuzjak (William and Mary). Mullin leaves a gaping hole at middle linebacker while Henry will likely fill Kuzjak’s role as a rover. Facing a Spotswood squad that went .500 in 2012 should be a decent test for the Warriors but may also allow them to work out some kinks. Spotswood finished last year on a hot streak, winning three of the last four games.
Key matchup: Western’s newly re-worked front seven against Spotswood’s run game that includes Matt Slater, a two-way standout. The Warriors are turning to a rotation of players to fill Mullin’s former spot, and players like Justin Haws, Logan Sprouse, Alex Cassell and Matthew Mullin could all see time there. If anyone in that group can plug holes and make big plays, Western will have answered one big question. Slater is a physical, tough runner who will make Western pay if they don’t bring it at the point of attack.
Who to watch: Western Albemarle’s Nic Drapanas. The fleet-footed wideout and defensive back is coming off a collarbone injury suffered during summer lacrosse and doctors have been wisely cautious to allow it to get back to 100 percent. In his first full tilt action, can he and Henry find the same rhythm that led to Drapanas’ incredible 2012. His presence should also open things up for Steven Hearn and Chase Stokes and won’t allow Spotswood to stack the box and blitz Henry like Jefferson Forest did last week in a scrimmage.
The line: Western Albemarle by 14. The Warriors got a bit of a wakeup call against Jefferson Forest in the squads’ scrimmage last week. That should lead to a focused effort against the Blazers.
Nelson County (0-0) at Luray (0-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County is in overhaul mode under new coach Mark Poston while opponent Luray is further along in the rebuilding process, having edged their way into the playoffs last season as the 16th seed. The Governors are a bit of an unknown as they plan to employ the same rapid fire nohuddle offense Poston used at Eastern Montgomery.
Key matchup: Nelson’s new quarterback Peyton Galloway takes on the Luray secondary. Is Galloway, in his first year as the starter, ready to play football at breakneck speed? He’ll find out in his first full game against Luray Friday, and the Bulldogs didn’t give upp too many points last year, even holding high-flying state finalist Essex to 28 points in the first round of the playoffs.
Who to watch: Nelson’s entire offense. The fundamental changes Poston is making are sweeping on the offensive side of the ball. If Nelson is really going to play fast, uptempo football, they’ll have to stay focused to get it done. Can the Governors, who haven’t been committed to a single style of football in some time (under Mark Wells they bounced from pro to spread to the veer option) find an identity? A win over Luray would be a good start.
The line: Luray by 1. The Bulldogs squeaked into the playoffs last year and are still rebuilding, but they’re a step ahead of the Governors.
William Fleming (0-0) at Fluvanna County (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Recently, Fluvanna County has faced an incredible gauntlet to start each season in out-of-district play, with powers like Kettle Run, Goochland and Buckingham dominating that part of the slate. But with a new realignment cycle, Fluvanna made an effort to get some more manageable opponents in the early going, which would be a huge help this year as the Flucos break in a slew of new skill position players. But William Fleming, while 1-9 last season, may not be a slouch this year as new head coach Bobby Martin, formerly of GW-Danville, has taken over and given Fleming a jolt. The Colonels also bring back some key talent, and appear poised to take a step in the right direction. It’s up to Fluvanna to at least delay that process for another week.
Key matchup: Fluvanna’s secondary goes toe-to-toe with Fleming sophomore quarterback Tyrell Adams. Adams threw for 1,053 yards last season despite not being the main starter until halfway through the season. The Flucos’ defensive backs will need to play top-notch football against Adams, who is a year savvier.
Who to watch: Fluvanna’s offensive line. The Flucos’ offensive line, anchored by four returning starters, is the heart of Fluvanna’s squad. They’re also the squad’s best chance at putting together a surprise season. If Josh Weaton, Brendan Goode, Geoff Goodwin and Chris Moody can pave the way for the new skill position starters, it’d go a long way toward getting Fluvanna headed in the right direction.
The line: Fluvanna by 1. Flucos have a much tougher road after this matchup and this one is a challenge too as William Fleming, who went 1-9 last year, has new life under Martin.
Charlottesville (0-0) at Eastern View (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Black Knights almost had the Cyclones last year. At the time, a win there would have told the area what it had to wait a few weeks later to learn, that Charlottesville was ready to make noise again in football. This season, expectations are in place for this program from both fans, players and coaches. Eastern View is a good challenge out of the gate, but comes in looking a bit vulnerable after a tough finish to last year and failing to find the endzone in a scrimmage against Sherando two weeks ago. The Black Knights come in with a lot of experience — even though Leon Straus is new at quarterback, he’s played for a pair of state tournaments during his time at Blue Ridge before transferring in to CHS. A strong showing here for the Black Knights would only confirm what many suspect, that this program is ready to take the next step forward.
Key matchup: Eastern View’s linebacking corps versus Charlottesville running back Chris Thurston. The Black Knights’ senior is the epicenter of this offense right now. The Cyclones have to respect his speed to the edge but also have strong enough footing and solid enough position to be able to bring him down as Thurston packs quite the punch, particularly at the goal line. The safe bet early on for Eastern View is to hope that Straus and the rest of the offense still has some things to iron out because this offensive line with Thurston running behind it is only going to pick up where it left off last year.
Who to watch: Charlottesville defensive tackle Troy Hughes. The junior has always flashed potential, but he’s been banged up in the preseason. He’s getting to the age and size where he’s a real problem to match up against. Having Hughes disrupt the run game for Cyclones back Kendrick Kube or crash the pocket on sophomore quarterback Josh Stallings would open the door for a talented group of defensive backs to create turnovers or the linebackers to clean up on tackles for a loss. Either way, if Hughes plays, he’s going to be a real problem for opposing teams that are already dealing with so much athleticism.
The line: Charlottesville by 4. The Black Knights’ experience in the backfield and overall team speed is too much for a young Eastern View squad.
Goochland (0-0) at Essex (0-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: What an amazing piece of scheduling this is. Consider this the Division 2 version of when the NFL opens its season with the Superbowl champs and a team the league feels is ready to contend. We finished up the 2012 season with this matchup in Salem with the Bulldogs ending an unbeaten season for Essex for the Group A Division 2 title. That happened to Goochland in 2011 and the Bulldogs responded well in 2012 to say the least. What is to be expected of an athletic Essex squad now? Does it have that extra chip on its shoulder? Goochland is a different team up front on the offensive and defensive line, but it’s skill position players which were outstanding last year are now a full season wiser and stronger. Essex brings back the bulk of its weapons from its spread offense. Consider this state-title rematch to open the season a preview of what to expect come the end of November and early December.
Key matchup: Goochland’s defensive lineman Akia Timberlake takes on Essex quarterback Dominek Broaddus. Timberlake finished so strong for the Bulldogs last year on the line and they’re going to need him to chase around an all-state quarterback in Broaddus who burned every single team he faced last year not named Goochland. If Timberlake is as disruptive as he was last year in the playoffs, the Trojans high powered passing attack will have a hard time putting up points. We know what this Goochland offense is going to provide in terms of point production and clock management. Essex needs to score with big plays when it can. That means Broaddus finding his guys downfield.
Who to watch: Bulldogs running back David Dyer. The senior was a steam roller last year and he had to play second fiddle a lot of the time to Mitchell Brice. The odds are good that he’ll get the bulk of the touches this year at running back and what he does with them are going to be worth watching. His physical presence is nothing short of impressive, and paired with quarterback Jordan Jefferson and fellow running back Conner Saunders speed, he’s going to get the chance to rumble inside to move the ball the old fashioned methodical way that Goochland coach Joe Fowler loves.
The line: Goochland by 3. You can’t disrespect the champs here. That said, this is a real challenge for the Bulldogs. It’s opposing strategies on offense. Odds are the defense that shows up here wins.
Appomattox (0-0) at Buckingham (0-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: As is standard fare for Buckingham, the season opens up with Appomattox. The Knights have run away with the last two meetings with the Raiders, but it wasn’t so long ago that this was a season opening barometer for these teams where a close game meant playoff material for both. Both programs have question marks coming in, but Buckingham’s question marks are pretty standard while the Raiders entered camp uncertain at quarterback and trying to install a new defense to mostly new players. The Knights know what to expect from their stud running back Kenneth Johnson. What coach Craig Gill decides to do with John Edwards at quarterback and receivers Justin Ayres and Leon Ragland is the real question. Is that trio a threat down field? If so, the Raiders’ 3-4 defense had better be ready for a healthy dose of balance. That’s not easy for a young group to go up against.
Key matchup: Appomattox’s front seven versus Johnson. If the Raiders don’t succeed early on slowing the run it’s going to be a long night and chance for Johnson to establish himself once again as a candidate for the Central Virginia rushing title. He’s running behind a line that lost a few pieces, but is bringing up young talent that is impressively athletic for its size at the Division 2 level. Should Appomattox sell out and do well against the run, it’ll give us a preview of what Gill and his coaching staff have in mind for this offense down the road. But we’re betting on the Buckingham staff to keep the cards close to vest and play the hand that everyone expects them to play early on and why wouldn’t they?
Who to watch: Buckingham defensive linemen Dyshawn Perkins and Michael Marbury. The newcomers are expected to be a big piece of this new defensive front for the Knights and they’ll be chasing one of what was a four quarterback battle to open camp for Appomattox. Odds are good that their sights will be set on Deion Edward who got a number of snaps last year at the position. A strong showing for this defensive line will be bad news for the Knights’ James River District opponents.
The line: Buckingham by 9. Too much power running for the Raiders gives the Knights a clean edge here. Buckingham’s wild cards have the chance to really blow things wide open if they play well.
Georgetown Prep (0-0) at Fork Union (0-0), 2 p.m. Saturday
The basics: Fork Union must have a written policy somewhere to never take it easy on itself out of the gates. The Blue Devils were on ESPN last year in their season opener against Hermitage, but get back to their usual meeting with Georgetown Prep which isn’t much of a difference in terms of talent. First year coach Brian Hurlocker and his first new recruiting class take the field against a vaunted program that is bringing back its gifted quarterback Corey Howard to play behind a veteran offensive line. FUMA, which doesn’t have the luxury of a month long camp to get its new players acquainted with each other, much less the Blue Devils’ scheme, has new all over the field minus a few key players up front. A good showing here would mean this team is reloaded in every sense of the word considering how well it played last year.
Key matchup: Fork Union’s offensive line against Georgetown Prep’s front four. For right now, the talent and experience is on this line between Mark Uptegraff and Daniel Amponsah. If this unit plays well it will go along way to help the skill position players develop an early season rapport and be ready for what waits in Prep League play down the road.
Who to watch: Blue Devils running back Charles Clardy. The ground game was such a staple for FUMA until the last two years saw this program play to its personnel and side with a sound receiver corps and its Penn State bound quarterback in Christian Hackenburg. It will be interesting to see if Clardy gets the kind of touches that current Kent State product Andre Parker got back in 2009 and 2010, that University of Georgia alum Marcus Dowtin got back in 2007. Should Clardy run well behind this veteran line, the not so old days of FUMA playing stingy defense and chewing up clock behind its size could be back in full force and allow the passing game to get its feet underneath it.
The line: Georgetown by 7. The transition to Hurlocker should be pretty seamless given his time on this staff before hand, but even still, this is such a hard task for FUMA in general, much less to start the year.
Christchurch (0-0) at Covenant (0-1), 1 p.m. Saturday
The basics: Covenant stumbled out of the gate against Atlantic Shores, a program that occasionally looks like world beaters after a drought the season before, and that may be the case in 2013. But Covenant is going to have to play better fundamental football no matter who the opponent is in order to get on track. Finding a rhythm on offense would be a good start. Austin Llera’s numbers showed the most promise in the run game, but even the Eagles’ junior power back couldn’t move the pile much as he finished with just 33 yards on the ground as the team totaled just five rushing yards. The 57 yards through the air weren’t a grand improvement either, though Jay Gaffney managed to go an efficient 10 for 17 while splitting time with Gus Rose. Covenant has to get the offense on track, and that momentum should carry over to the defensive side of the ball.
Key matchup: Covenant’s front seven takes on Christchurch’s traditionally strong rushing attack. The Eagles need to begin stopping the run to prevent last week’s result from becoming a trend. Putting the clamps on the Seahorses is step one, and with Christchurch rebuilding its backfield — Braeden Rossell’s 266 yards that was good for third on the team last year leads the pack of returners—Covenant has a solid opportunity this week.
Who to watch: Covenant’s offensive line. The Eagles’ men in the trenches have to recalculate and come together this week. Getting the run game going that averaged managed just five yards against Atlantic Shores has to be the top priority.
The line: Covenant by 1. Everything that could’ve gone wrong for Covenant last week went wrong. Saturday is about picking up the pieces and getting the season headed in the right direction.
