St.Anne’s-Belfield (0-0) at Faith Christian (0-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: STAB is getting football in Central Virginia off to a particularly early start with a road trip to North Carolina to take on Faith Christian School in its first matchup as a fully-fledged 8-man squad after dipping its toe in the water with a series of eight man games. The Saints have a solid foundation to build around as they make the full switch, with Will Edelson leading the line while Joe Ambrosi anchors the defense at middle linebacker. Thomas Harry will take over at quarterback and the senior has extensive experience to lean on there. Amani Woods and Gabe Decker give the Saints excellent options at running back. This is also an excellent opportunity for the Saints to develop some younger players and find roles for them to fill. Faith Christian is in just its second year of football, but they’re led by a veteran coach Russell Weinstein who has coached at some of North Carolina’s top programs including Tarboro High.
Key matchup: STAB’s front seven takes on Faith Christian running back Shaikey Hardy. Hardy proved an elusive runner in Faith Christian’s first season and the Saints will likely see a sizeable dose of the sophomore. STAB will counter with Gabe Decker, Douglas Brooks and Ambrosi as well as Edelson, and that gives them a good chance to hem in the young back.
Who to watch: STAB’s Gabe Decker. Decker emerged as a weapon during his freshman campaign, a one-cut and go type of power back who can help the Saints control the clock and possession with smart running in between the tackles. If Decker can pound out first downs behind a seasoned offensive line, that’ll be a huge edge for the Saints.
The line: STAB by 7. The Saints should be able to exploit an advantage up front with Edelson helping set the tone.
