For a look at the public school playoff picture, click here. For the privates, click here.
For an audio preview that aired on WINA, click here.
St. Anne’s-Belfield (4-5) at Blue Ridge (5-3), 2 p.m.
The basics: Two seasons ago in 2009, St. Anne’s-Belfield was out of the playoff picture going into its annual rivalry clash with Blue Ridge after an ill-fated move up to Division I. The Saints promptly thrashed Blue Ridge 30-7 despite the fact that their season was over and now they get a chance to potentially play spoiler again. The opponents Blue Ridge beat so far average just 2.4 victories, so the jury is still out on whether or not the Barons can knock off a quality team, and while the record doesn’t look pretty, the Saints have some quality parts. A victory over STAB would give Blue Ridge a huge boost going into the playoffs.
Key matchup: STAB’s linebackers keeping tabs on Blue Ridge quarterback Lance Gray. Gray exploded recently with back-to-back big games, but he hasn’t faced a linebacker combination quite like Shane Palmateer and Antione Currie.
Who to watch: STAB’s quarterback spot. With freshman signal-caller Jake Allen out, who steps in here in the Saints’ finale will clearly have a big impact on the game. Expect more than one player to take snaps and probably some of the wildcat look with Branford Rogers that we’ve seen before.
Line: STAB by 1. Allen’s injury will make this tough for the Saints, but STAB has had the Barons’ number for several years, with Blue Ridge’s last victory in the series back in 2004.
Trinity Episcopal (1-8) at Covenant (2-7), at Monticello 2:30 p.m.
The basics: The Eagles bounce back after a loss to STAB with a chance to pick up their third win of the year against a reeling Trinity squad. The Titans have lost six straight and all by double digits. Covenant comes into the game off of a bye week which should help in terms of both preparation and overall team health.
Key matchup: Covenant’s rush defense takes on Titans running back Bryan Black. Trinity’s thrown for just 379 yards so far and Black has 731 yards on 130 carries for a healthy 5.62 yards per attempt average. Keeping Black from having a big game would give the Eagles a serious edge as the running back has been one of the lone bright spots on the year.
Who to watch: Eagles linebacker/lineman, John Meade. He’s been a menace for Covenant all season, leading his team with 11 sacks, but interestingly enough, he’s three tackles behind Hank Kuehler for the team lead. Can he put together a big double-digit tackle total to close out the season?
The line: Covenant by 3. The Eagles finish season with uplifting note.
Fork Union (4-5) at Woodberry (6-2), 3 p.m.
The basics: The Blue Devils had to beat Benedictine last week to even have a chance at defending their VISAA Division 1 championship. They did that, but even still, they are mathematically out of the playoff picture. Woodberry doesn’t participate in the playoffs, so this annual slugfest boils straight down to pride and both schools have plenty of it. The Tigers have won five straight coming into this game, including a 13-point win over St. Christopher’s last week.
Key matchup: Fork Union quarterback Christian Hackenberg takes on Woodberry defensive backs Carlson Milikin and C.J. Prosise. The Blue Devils passing attack is the most dangerous part of what they bring to the table, and the Tigers have a pair of equalizers there in Milikin and Prosise. Make a mistake against either and it’s likely six points going the other way.
Who to watch: Tigers quarterback Heys McMath. The junior had some hiccups early in the year, but has put together an outstanding run since his team’s 1-2 start and its start with his completion percentage of over 70 percent.
The line: Woodberry by 7. Tigers pick up third straight win over FUMA.
Monticello (7-2) at R.E. Lee (6-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: Monticello is in the playoffs, but if it wants to host in the first round, beating R.E. Lee would be an excellent step for the Mustangs. If you look at common opponents, the Mustangs are in pretty good shape — Monticello blew out Turner Ashby and the Leemen fell 21-14 to TA. But playing the traditional power on the road is no easy task — odds are good that Monticello will need all of its explosive, nearly-uncontainable offense Friday.
Key matchup: Monticello’s front seven takes on Lee’s Eric McDavis. The Mustangs struggled to slow down Powhatan’s Ray Brown last week — then again, who hasn’t struggled to contain him? But McDavis is explosive in his own right for Lee. He totaled nearly 200 yards and broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown against Spotswood last week. Someone is going to have to step up defensively for Monticello if they’re going to put together a playoff run, and now would be as good of a time as any.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Jhalil Mosley. The Mustangs’ signal-caller made a few plays last week, but with cold, rainy weather conditions, he wasn’t as explosive as he often is. Expect Mosley to come out firing against Lee.
Line: Monticello by 7. Beating Lee in Staunton is a tall task, but the Mustangs are too explosive offensively for the Leemen.
Nelson (1-7) at Chatham (1-8), 7 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County ended a 10-game skid dating back to late 2010 Friday night with a 32-27 victory over William Campbell. Can they make it two-in-a-row and give the program a lift going into the offseason?
Key matchup: Nelson’s defense takes on a usually anemic Chatham offense. Chatham came up with 45 total yards last week against Tunstall, and Nelson’s defense should be able to contain the Cavaliers. If the Governors’ defense can stand strong, the offense shouldn’t have much trouble producing points.
Who to watch: He’s the guy every week it seems, but Nelson’s Rodrell Smith is the heart and soul of the Governors’ offense. Can he duplicate last week’s 211-yard, four touchdown night that earned him Scrimmage Play athlete of the week honors?
Line: Nelson County by 7. The Governors pick up another win and close season on an upswing.
Massaponax (7-2) at Albemarle (1-7), 7 p.m. Radio: WINA
The basics: This is a tough matchup for Albemarle, as they often are in the Commonwealth. A series of slips in the fourth quarter cost Albemarle its second win of the season last week against Riverbend. Can the Patriots rectify those mistakes going into a clash with Massaponax’s triple option offense?
Key matchup: Massaponax’s run game takes on a banged-up Albemarle offense. The Patriots surrendered a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns against Riverbend last week in the narrow loss to the Bears. With the run-reliant Panthers in town, that’s trouble.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s Kevin Gaines. Gaines broke free for a 51-yard touchdown against Riverbend last week. Can he continue to give the Pats a spark form the wideout spot?
Line: Massaponax by 10. Albemarle should have built a little confidence with a solid showing against Riverbend last week.
Amelia Co. (9-0) at Goochland (9-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: It was clear early this season that Goochland was going to have to run a two-game gauntlet to end the regular season. So far, so good as the Bulldogs held off Buckingham last week. This will be a different beast against Amelia, who plays at a breakneck pace under new head coach Brad Bradley, two-time state title winner at William Campbell. This one has all the makings of a classic with both teams boasting unbeaten records. Amelia is ranked No. 3 in the Eastern Section’s power point standings currently. The Bulldogs are No. 1.
Key matchup: Amelia’s big, rugged offensive line takes on the dynamic Goochland defensive front. Expect Goochland’s coaches to start opening things up on defense with the up-tempo Raiders, but Nathan Adams’ will have to create trouble for Amelia on the edge—or running back Donte Bournes and quarterback A.J. Royal will get loose on the ground, where Amelia does the biggest chunk of its damage.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Patrick Clore. Clore rushed for 203 yards including an 87-yard sprint last week. As usual he’ll be a critical cog in the Bulldogs’ offense against Amelia, expect him to get fed early and often.
Line: Goochland by 3. Bulldogs are so well-rounded and the defense should be up to the task of containing Amelia’s attack.
Buckingham (7-2) at Bluestone (0-9), 7 p.m.
The basics: A week after nearly pulling out a win over powerhouse Goochland, the Knights look to rebound in what amounts to a playoff tuneup. Bluestone has given up 46 or more points in every game so far this year. Buckingham has scored 48 or more in all seven of its wins.
Key matchup: Bluestone’s eight-in-the-box go up against Peanut Johnson and Kyree Koonce. The running back duo for Buckingham has given teams problems especially as of later. Both appear set to pile up monster yardage against a struggling Barons defense.
Who to watch: Johnson. Not only is he making a name for himself as a running back, but his return abilities on special teams have proved to be invaluable. Fast and physical, he’s not easy to get a hold of or bring down.
The line: Buckingham by 28. Knights head into playoffs with quick win.
North Stafford (7-1) at Orange County (1-8), 7 p.m.
The basics: One last game for the Hornets in their inagural season in both Group AAA and the Commonwealth District. Unfortunately for the Hornets, its against the CD’s finest in North Stafford, and the Wolverines need one last win to take home the league championship.
Key matchup: Orange’s secondary takes on Wolverine wide receiver Brandon Ravenel. A week after having to defend Montain View’s Deshaun Hamilton, the Hornets face a similar battle with Ravenel. The senior has 789 yards on 41 receptions and 11 touchdowns. The Hornets have speed but have to play flawlessly in coverage to keep the 6-foot 180-pound big threat in check.
Who to watch: Hornets quarterback/wide receiver Tyler Seal. The senior’s put in a solid career for Orange and had his team’s lone touchdown last week on a 32-yard scamper. He also had nine completions on 13 attempts for 125 yards and hauled in three receptions for 47 yards. In whichever way Orange uses him, expect Seal to try have one last electric game. Unfortunately, the Hornets need a lot more than just that in this matchup.
The line: North Stafford by 21. The Wolverines wrap up their Commonwealth District title.
Powhatan (7-2) at Charlottesville (1-8), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: One of the first things that Powhatan coach Jim Woodson noted in his post game interview was that his team had not won the Jefferson District outright just yet. Charlottesville played Louisa County hard late in a 18-point loss and gave Monticello some troubles two weeks prior to that. That said, Charlottesville can ask Monticello what kind of determination this Powhatan team plays with.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’s outside linebackers versus Powhatan running back Ray Brown. The Indians senior was on fire last week against a quick Monticello defense. Brown racked up the bulk of his 230 yards when he hit the edge. If the Black Knights let him round the corner, he’s gone. And if there’s one thing Brown showed last week its that it doesn’t matter how many carries he has (38 last week) or how many snaps he takes on defense (almost all of them last week), he’s still got something left in the tank.
Who to watch: Powhatan running back Alex Higuchi. The Indians did a great job of selling misdirection against Monticello and hitting Higuchi with short passes out of the backfield. When you have defense’s keying in on Brown, Higuchi has a way of making team’s pay.
The line: Powhatan by 17. The Indians wrap up the Jefferson District title.
Western (5-4) at Louisa (6-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Western is playing for its playoff life, and going to the Jungle is no easy way to do that. Louisa is trying to angle in for a home game in the Division 4 playoffs, and they’ll need a win over Western to have a shot. As it usually is, this is a study in offensive contrasts with the ground-and-pound Lions taking on the air-it-out Warriors. If Western can get the ball moving through the air in rhythm, they’ll have a shot at knocking off the Lions.
Key matchup: Louisa’s secondary takes on the Western Albemarle air attack. The Lions aren’t big at cornerback and the Warriors have four tall, athletic wideouts who are adept at using body position to create separation on short routes. Expect two-way Louisa County starter Zack Jackson to play a huge role at safety as a tackler. Western is going to complete a number of slants and quick passes. Making sure they don’t turn into long gains and touchdowns will fall to Jackson.
Who to watch: Western’s Austin Ellis. Ellis leads the Warriors in receiving, but its his work on defense that’ll determine this one. With 94 total tackles on the season, it’s obvious that Ellis is an instinctive linebacker who can diagnose plays and get to the ball. That’s crucial against Louisa’s single wing. He’s also a sure tackler when he gets there, and against physical standouts like Jackson and Andre Mealy at quarterback and running back respectively, he’ll have to be.
Line: Louisa by one. This is a flat out toss-up, with the Lions holding the home field advantage on senior night for guys like Mealy and J.D. Dennis but Western with its back against the wall. It could definitely go either way
William Monroe (7-2) at Clarke County (6-3), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Winner here likely takes home the Bull Run District title. Monroe came up with a big win at home last week against Manassas Park to set this situation up. After falling in an ugly loss to Strasburg, Clarke has won three of four. This isn’t the same dominating Eagles offense that runs the ball down your throat as it was in years past, but defensively, Clarke puts itself in solid position each game with the Strasburg game being the lone exception dating back to late September. The good news for Monroe is that the Eagles weren’t able to score on Manassas Park two weeks ago. The Dragons put up 34 against that same team last Friday.
Key matchup: Clarke County’s linebackers and safeties versus Monroe’s play action passing attack. If they bite trying to get the jump on a Doug Sizemore run, they’re going to play for it. It’s up to Monroe quarterback Jack Morris to make sure he takes advantage of the scenario though — which means selling the run on the fake and being accurate with the ball downfield whether its deep to Jordan Gentry or Adam Weisenborn or in the middle of the field to Zach Duprey.
Who to watch: Monroe offensive and defensive lineman Stacey White. In game that screams ‘battle in the trenches’ it’s going to be up to the big guy to make some holes on offense for Sizemore to run through and keep holes from opening up on the other side. When White has a great game, Monroe has a great game and there’s no coincidence there.
The line: Monroe by 4. Dragons finish up impressive run in their first season in the Bull Run.
