For a podcast about these games and last week’s matchups.
Region II Division 3 Championship, No.4 Kettle Run (10-2) at No. 3 Monticello (10-2), 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: These teams may not be mirror images of each other, but they’ve had nearly mirror seasons. Monticello dropped two games mid-year to district rivals Charlottesville and Western Albemarle and had to spend some time sorting things out and getting back on track. Kettle Run? Just substitute Fauquier and Liberty Bealeton for the Black Knights and Warriors and you get the Cougars season in a nutshell. Now both squads are red-hot, with Kettle Run winning four in a row, knocking off Warren County and then Region II No. 1-seed Skyline last week. Monticello has won six straight, beating Fauquier in the first round of the regionals, one of the squads that beat Kettle Run earlier. The Mustangs then beat Western 41-29 last Friday to reach their first Region II title game since 2008. They got the job done against the higher-seeded Warriors with a strong running game ignited by T.J. Tillery and a defense that got the job done when it counted. Now the Cougars come to town, yet another tough test for the Mustangs, as Kettle Run boasts talented playmakers who’ve been here before — the Cougars were state semifinalists in 2011.
Key matchup: Monticello’s defense tries to contain another multi-talented quarterback in Carlos Vegerano a week after facing Kent Henry. Last week, Henry piled up yards through the air for the Warriors, but Monticello came up with stops when they had to have them. This week they face another athletic signal-caller who’s triggering an offense that isn’t nearly as explosive but has been effective at coming up with wins. Vegerano has thrown for 886 yards and seven touchdowns on the year, but has also tossed eight interceptions. He rushed for 121 yards on 19 carries last week, but he only completed a pair of passes against Skyline. Vegerano can make a defensive impact too, where he had an interception with a long return and a fumble recovery last week against Skyline. The Mustangs’ defense has seen enough talent at quarterback this season between Henry twice, Louisa’s Zack Jackson and Charlottesville’s Rashard Davis that they should be primed for the challenge and could come up with a signature performance.
Who to watch: It’s got to be Tillery. The junior back looked unstoppable against Western and proved he can be — as few people doubted — a workhorse on offense and an impact player on defense all at the same time. Thirty times Monticello handed the ball to the star back as he went for more than 200 yards against a Western defense that shut him down early in the season in their first meeting. Tillery can open up the passing game with his authoritative running style — just ask Monticello tight end Alex McNair, who’s four catches for 81 yards last week were a direct benefit of pounding the rock with Tillery.
The line: Monticello by 7. The Mustangs get this one at home and they’re too multi-dimensional right now offensively for an awfully good Kettle Run defense to keep them under wraps.
Group A, Division 2 Eastern Section championship, No.3 King William (12-1) at No.2 Goochland (10-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: It’s déjà vu all over again. These two met last year for the right to advance in the Eastern Section bracket and it was the Bulldogs who prevailed thanks to a goalline stand in the final moments of the fourth quarter. Last week King William survived against a physical Manassas Park squad, 24-21 after leading by 17 at the half. Goochland was able to roll past Buckingham County 28-7, a big difference from the first meeting between those two where the Bulldogs fought to force overtime and won thanks to its defense on a 2-point convert. The key pieces for both teams are still in place making this not just a rematch in name but also in personnel and philosophy as well. One can only hope that fans get treated to the kind game they got last year.
Key matchup: Goochland’s pass rush against King William quarterback Freeman McPhearson. The bulldogs won’t be caught by surprise here, they know that McPhearson can sling it and it’s awfully tough to bring down the big but elusive signal caller down. McPhearson’s arm and legs were a problem last year and he’s only gotten better since then. It’ll be up to linebackers Scott Pearce, Nathan Adams and linemen like Pasquale Graziosi to make sure they don’t just put pressure on the Cavalier’s QB, but also bring him down if and when they get to him. If the Bulldogs defense is as stifling as it was against Buckingham, King William will be in trouble because Goochland’s offense is just as physical but arguably more prolific than what they saw last week against Manassas Park. Successfully clamping down on McPhearson would give the Bulldogs a massive edge in this game.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Jordan Jefferson. He made the game saving tackle last year, but it’s what Jefferson is offensively now that makes him the big factor this go around. It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Joel Grey and head coach Joe Fowler use the sophomore. Jefferson is an excellent runner and the bevy of backs that rotate through the backfield between Mitchell Brice, David Dyer and Nathan Mattox usually gives him a lane here and there as defenses have to respect the other runners. Freshman Reid Chenault is throwing the ball really well, completing 60% of his passes and that allows Jefferson to flex around into some different positions. Jefferson’s an explosive talent on a team that already possesses a lot of that in Brice. What does the sophomore have in store to try and one-up his performance from last year?
The line: Goochland by 4. The Bulldogs defense is able to bend and not break against the Cavaliers’ offense, but Goochland’s offense is just a little too much for King William.
