Charlottesville (1-1) at William Monroe (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Black Knights renew their rivalry with a former Jefferson District opponent. Both programs are in similar territory. While Charlottesville has a win to its name, it came as forfeit to Culpeper after the Blue Devils shutout the Black Knights two weeks ago. Charlottesville’s bye week came at a great time and they’ll look to bounce back to late 2012 form as they head up to Stanardsville. Monroe is coming of a rough loss to Broadway. While the Dragons’ offense had some moments against Spotswood in week one, last week was tough sledding. There’s going to be a lot of speed on the field for both teams, so don’t be surprised if we get a big number out of this one.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’s front seven vs. Monroe running back Cody Perkins. The Black Knights’ defense has been playing behind the eight ball with all the turnover struggles the offense has had, but they know what to expect a heavy dose of from the Dragons. Perkins is shifty so Charlottesville has to be sound in one-on-one situations, but if they can contain him, they’ll gain a huge advantage in this contest. They can’t lock in on Perkins though with Tylek Burley (210 yards on the year) also in the backfield.
Who to watch: The Black Knights’ backfield. Having a healthy Chris Thurston would be a huge help to this offense. The bye week should have helped their chances on that front. But having Rashard Brock continue to play well is crucial too as Charlottesville waits for newcomer Leon Straus to have a breakout performance at quarterback. If that trio can help to limit the turnover woes that have plagued this team so far, the Black Knights could be headed into week four 2-1, something that would look awfully good after they were blanked by Culpeper two weeks ago.
The line: Charlottesville by 3. There’s a size disparity here and the Black Knights’ overall team speed is still problematic for the Dragons.
Massanutten (0-3) at Covenant (2-1), 4 p.m.
The basics: Covenant proved that week one is no time to overreact and judge a football team. With a little larger sample size, we’re now looking at a Covenant squad with a lot of momentum after trouncing Christchurch and Hargrave. The run game and defense have picked things up considerably and the Eagles are now playing like they thought they could back in early August. Against a Massanutten team searching for its first win, Covenant should be able to keep the ball rolling at home and they’ll need to. A tough stretch is coming up with road games against Blue Ridge and Norfolk Academy before Virginia Episcopal comes to town in mid-October
Key matchup: Covenant’s front seven takes on Massanutten quarterback Derik Duklis. Last week the Eagles largely shut down Hargrave’s dual threat Jason Fields, holding him to just 58 yards on the ground and 49 through the air. Duklis poses a similar threat as he ran for a touchdown and threw for two more, playing a role in all 22 Massanutten points. Teddy Morse (eight solo stops, five for a loss last week against Hargrave) could be a major factor here for the Eagles if he brings the same tenacity this week.
Who to watch: Covenant quarterback Jay Gaffney. Just a few short weeks ago, Covenant coach Dave Rocco was talking about a two-quarterback system with Gus Rose rotating with Gaffney. It’s changed quite a bit as Rose has been his usual invaluable self at linebacker while Gaffney has emerged as the full-time starter — and a pretty productive one at that. Gaffney threw for 159 yards and rushed for 107 last week, accounting for four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the victory over Hargrave. Another big game from him would ensure that
Line: Covenant by 17. Common opponents-wise, this one looks even, with both teams absorbing big losses to Atlantic Shores. But the Eagles have turned things around since then and should take care of the Colonels as well.
St. Anne’s (0-2) at Trinity Episcopal (0-3), 4 p.m.
The basics: There may not be any wins on the field between these two squads, but neither has backed down scheduling wise in the early going, and may be much better than their winless records show. Trinity is facing a trio of stout opponents in Collegiate, Norfolk Academy and St. Christopher’s. The Titans dropped two of those games last season too before advancing to the Division II playoffs as the No. 1 seed and only lost to Norfolk in overtime, so odds are good that Trinity is actually a pretty good football team. STAB has faced a defending state champion and a loaded Bishop Sullivan squad, so they’ve been tested too. TES outgunned STAB 47-20 last year in a breakout win, so look for the Saints to try and return the favor.
Key matchup: STAB’s funky, linebacker heavy defense takes on Trinity tailback Abraham Ferrell-Logan, a talented running back who is TES’ leading rusher. He went for 112 yards and four touchdowns last week against Norfolk Academy. The Saints will have their hands full a week after facing an aerial assault from Bishop Sullivan.
Who to watch: STAB running back Derek Kaschak. The Saints got a little bit of a ground game going last week against Bishop Sullivan, with Kaschak rushing for 92 yards on 14 touches in the loss. Norfolk’s Dimitri Boyce piled up 203 yards and three touchdowns against Trinity last week, so TES’ rushing defense could be a weakness worth trying to exploit.
Line: Trinity by 3. Make no mistake, STAB is a much improved football team, and they’ve got a legitimate shot against Trinity. Winning in Richmond though is never easy, and Trinity is a program on the rise.
Patrick Henry-Roanoke (2-1) at Albemarle (1-1), 7 p.m. WINA
The basics: These are two similar-sized programs (with identical nicknames) facing new frontiers this year. Patrick Henry has played in the Western Valley District, an odd conglomeration of the random Southwest Virginia Group AAA schools that stretched from South Boston back to Roanoke. Albemarle, the other randomly isolated Group AAA school, knows what those long road trips on Friday night feel like. But neither has to face them anymore as they were assigned to districts that include more geographically convenient foes. That makes this battle important for both squads as its one of the few tests they’ll get this year against the level of team they’ll face in the playoffs. Patrick Henry is actually Division 6, a notch higher than Albemarle and the state’s largest Division. Both squads are coming off big wins with Patrick Henry rallying past Pulaski while Albemarle won 20-10 for the first time in a long while against Stafford on the road.
Key matchup: Albemarle’s linebackers take on Patrick Henry running back Trevor Mike. Mike rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns last week against Pulaski and he’s the bulk of the Patrick Henry offense. If the Patriots can come up with fundamentally sound tackling and assignment football, Mike could be in for a tough night against a team that held Stafford to just 189 yards of total offense.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s Matt Crist. Crist, a lacrosse standout, is continuing his emergence this season as one of the area’s top pass catchers. His 112 yards and a touchdown on six catches last week proved he’s a dangerous threat, and his quickness that’s well documented in lacrosse could make him a gamebreaker. D.G. Archer is spreading the ball around well, but getting it to Crist early and often seems to be a wise plan.
Line: Albemarle by 3. Patrick Henry is a stout test, but Albemarle’s defense in particular has proved to be a disciplined, hard-nosed unit. If the offense can do enough like they did last week, this one could go AHS’s way.
Louisa County (1-1) at King George (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: We learned a pretty important lesson last week: don’t underestimate teams that recently lost to Riverbend. Courtland had dropped a pair of games against Massaponax and Riverbend and appeared ripe for Louisa to move to 2-0, but it turns out that playing teams like that can really make you better rather than demoralizing the roster. King George is coming off a 42-17 loss to Riverbend too, and Louisa won’t be underestimating the Foxes after last week’s frustrating outing. Look for Louisa to stay committed to the ground attack and try and get back on track against King George on the road.
Key matchup: Louisa’s defense takes on King George running back Jacoby White. White rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown in the Foxes’ loss to Riverbend, and should present a challenging test for a Lions’ defense that got manhandled at times last week. Louisa rarely drops two games in a row, so expect the defense to take a leap forward.
Who to watch: Louisa’s Kyle Anderson. Anderson led the way with 5.5 tackles defensively, including three solo stops. Anderson will have to play big-time football for the Lions to get the job done against King George.
Line: Louisa by 3. Lions bounce back here in a big way after the wake-up call against Courtland.
Hargrave Military Academy (1-2) at Nelson County (0-3) , 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Governors are now mired in a nine-game losing streak stretching back to early last year. The opponent the last time Nelson County won? Hargrave, in a 50-18 blowout by the Governors. Look for Nelson to try and find a rhythm after getting thumped by a physical, grinding Riverheads squad.
Key matchup: Nelson’s linebackers take on Jason Fields, Hargrave’s speedy quarterback. Keeping contain against Fields is job one for Nelson and if the Governors can force him to win with his arm, they’ll be well served as Covenant was last week.
Who to watch: Nelson’s Homer Barnett. Barnett, a 275-pound offensive lineman, is critical to getting the run game going against Hargrave. If Barnett can help open up holes, the Governors will be in much better shape than they were when the offense sputtered last week against Riverheads.
Line: Nelson by 1. This is a great chance for new head coach Mark Poston’s offense to get on track, but as improved as Hargrave is, this won’t be an easy task for Nelson.
Monticello (2-0) at Turner Ashby (0-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Mustangs’ offense is producing big time numbers, and while the defense is still a work in progress that’s surviving on big plays, Monticello is certainly picking up steam. The win over Fork Union last week made it clear that the Mustangs could keep the pedal down and keep scoring as long as they need to. Kyree Koonce, Tyler Wagner, Seth Miles and Josh Malm all scored touchdowns with quarterback James St. Hill tossing three touchdown passes. If the offense can keep getting better, the Mustangs are going to be a scary sight for teams down the road. Turner Ashby started the season 0-2 including a loss to now Monticello coach Jeff Woody’s previous program, Brookville. But the overtime loss to Rockbridge and falling to Brookville are tough to read. This may be a massively improved T-A squad.
Key matchup: Monticello’s linebackers take on Turner Ashby’s Shane Brown. Brown rushed for 103 yards on 14 touches against Rockbridge and the Mustangs just surrendered 193 yards to Rashon Torrence of Fork Union. Zach Graves, a key cog for the Mustangs was injured during the Fork Union matchup and his status is unknown, but Monticello could get T.J. Tillery back from his minor injury, which would go a long way toward improving the defense.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Josh Malm. Malm went for over 100 yards receiving for the first time in his career including a 79-yard catch and run, hit a 36-yard field goal and made an interception in the early going. It’s hard to argue with that kind of night by the multi-talented standout. Turner Ashby will have to keep track of him at all times at receiver, because if he gets loose, Malm can make the opposition pay.
Line: Monticello by 10. Mustangs’ offense is too explosive for the Knights, but this is an improved Turner Ashby squad that put up 34 points last week against Rockbridge.
Orange County (0-2) at Riverbend (3-0) 7 p.m.
The basics: The Hornets face a tough challenge as their search for their first win of the season, coming off another stumble against Eastern View and hitting the road to face a Riverbend squad that looks poised to do some damage this year. The Bears have taken down three good opponents in Chancellor, Courtland and King George for the school’s second 3-0 start ever.
Key matchup: Orange County’s secondary versus Riverbend quarterback Eric Byrd. The Bears’ third-year starter has been stellar through the air so far and has a deep receiver corps to work with. Last year, going up against pass happy Commonwealth District opponents was truly problematic for the Hornets. They’ll have to step up and make plays to keep this from being a long hard road trip to Fredericksburg.
Who to watch: Orange County’s Isaiah Ferguson. He had a 100-yard kick off return in the season opener against Liberty Bealeton. The Hornets will need him to be firing on all cylinders on both special teams and at running back if they want to keep pace with Riverbend’s offense which boasts and underrated back as well in Zach Sims.
The line: Riverbend by 10. The Bears offense has a few too many weapons for a young Orange team that’s still developing defensively and is also dinged up.
Culpeper County (1-2) at Fluvanna County (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: A week after having to forfeit its first win of the year — a blowout of Charlottesville — because of a roster violation, the Blue Devils rolled past Madison County and now head to Palmyra. The Flucos came awfully close to beating Spotsylvania, playing well defensively, but finishing six points shy of the win.
Key matchup: The Flucos’ linebackers take on Culpeper running back Marlin Glascoe. He’s a feel good story in a lot of ways as since he’s transferred from Eastern View to Culpeper, Glascoe help raise the profile of a program that’s struggled mightily over the years. A birth defect left Glascoe without his left forearm, but that hasn’t impacted his ability to run the ball as he showed against Charlottesville and Madison. Fluvanna has to limit the damage that Glascoe has in the yards after contact department. He’s a physical runner that never gives up and hasn’t let anything slow him down so far, clearly.
Who to watch: Fluvanna receiver Jesse Van Dyke. With the Flucos running just about everything you could think of from a formation stand point on offense, Van Dyke’s role as a team leader and a leader by example of the field is crucial. Fluvanna is going to need big plays on offense to keep pace with what Culpeper is bringing in. Getting it through the air would be a huge help.
The line: Blue Devils by 4. We’ve seen what Culpeper has down to two other local teams so far, hard to pick against them even if they are on the road here.
Madison County (0-2) at East Rockingham (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: One week after losing a heart breaker in overtime, the Mountaineers fell to Culpeper in their home opener and the debut of their renovated field. Now Madison hits the road to face a program that’s been improving exponentially in its four year history. The Eagles are coming off a 34-12 win over James River and beat Starsburg 21-0 the week before. Unfortunately for Madison, this might be the best opponent they face all season.
Key matchup: Madison’s front seven versus East Rockingham’s running back combination. The Eagles are almost a run exclusive squad and whether its with Shannon Cross or Bret Reel. The Mountaineers have to be able to sift through the deception and play fakes that the Eagles run and play stay at home defense, something that’s always easier said than done.
Who to watch: Mountaineers receiver Ashton Weakley. He’s got 345 yards already in just two games and leads in the area in that department. Averaging 15 yards a catch, he’s reliable and consistent and quarterback James Graves’ favorite target. With what East Rockingham runs, a big play receiver is always the perfect counter for a time that slowly grinds up yardage. Having a big game from Weakley could help Madison compete against playoff team that looks poised to make another postseason run.
The line: East Rockingham by 7. The Eagles’ dominant offensive line wears down another defense and stands tall at home.
Randolph-Henry (1-2) at Goochland (2-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: While the Statesmen fell to Nottoway last week, the Bulldogs rolled over Bluestone. The Bulldogs’ rushing attack looks to be going at full speed despite the absence of multi-talented Jordan Jefferson as he nurses an injury. That’s good news for Goochland as their new-look offensive line continues to gel. Randolph Henry is coming in with a losing record, but not for a lack of offense as they’ve scored 28 or more points twice. On defense though, the Statesmen are giving up 46 points a game.
Key matchup: The Statesmen’s defensive line versus Goochland’s offensive line. Randolph-Henry has to be able to slow down Goochland from running away with the time of possession battle here and that all starts up front with penetration. The Bulldogs are going to pile up the yardage in this one, making sure that the Goochland’s backfield doesn’t go for long runs will be the story here. Randolph-Henry’s front four has to keep the Bulldogs blockers from sealing the edge and/or getting to the next level.
Who to watch: Goochland backs Daric Clarke and David Dyer. Their dueling banjo show against Bluestone is bad news for the rest of the James River District. Clarke did a great job of picking up big yardage while Dyer did the dirty work up the middle. You probably can’t stop both of them, so how the carries get split up and what the results are against this defense which has been porous so far will be interesting to see. If Clarke has another huge game the Bulldogs ceiling, which is never low, will continue to rise.
The line: Goochland by 17. The total yards of Bulldogs offense, melting of the clock, that doesn’t bode well for this Statesmen team that needs the ball in its hands to be able to stay close to the defending Division 2 champs.
Buckingham (1-1) at Bluestone (1-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: That is how you bounce back after a loss and a bye wek to stew over it. The Knights cruised last week against Amelia with its offense finding their feet and the rushing attack going off just like it did all of last year. Bluestone will have to do a better job against the run than it did against Goochland last week as the Bulldogs shredded them.
Key matchup: Bluestone’s front seven vs. Kenneth Johnson and Leon Ragland. The two both had 100-plus yards on the ground and got this Buckingham offense back to its 2012 form where they controlled the tempo from start to finish. The Barons had trouble with a multiple back scenario last week and will have to perform better against this combo. Johnson brings the physical yardage. Ragland has the home run speed. Something will have to change from last week or this will be déjà vu all over again for Bluestone from last week.
Who to watch: Ragland. Having him as a running threat to help lighten the load for Johnson is huge. The results were impressive last week. Johnson runs so hard to break tackles and has double-duty on defense in the interior defense. Keeping him fresh is key. Giving defenses something else they have to key in on is a separate issue as Appomattox sold out against Johnson in week one. The only thing better than one great running threat is two and Buckingham knows that all to well.
The line: Buckingham by 7. Too much in the rushing game for the Barons to handle. This Knights’ defense is also coming together.
Blue Ridge (0-2) at North Cross (2-1), Saturday 1 p.m.
The basics: Things did not go well for Blue Ridge against Blessed Sacrament last week and with the season opening loss to Hargrave, the defending state champions are already in a huge hole. Heading south to take on quarterback Max Revercomb and North Cross isn’t going to make that road any easier either. The Barons have started slow before and put together solid campaigns, but there’s a lot of work to be done here for Blue Ridge despite 11 seniors anchoring the squad. The Raiders beat Christchurch and Blessed Sacrament the last couple of weeks after a season opening loss to Virginia Episcopal.
Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s secondary takes on Revercomb. The junior quarterback is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and spreading the ball a little too as three receivers already have 10 or more catches. The Barons’ corners and safeties gave up several passing touchdowns last week, and will have to find their footing.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge’s Jordan Edelman. One of the few bright spots for Blue Ridge against Blessed Sacrament was Edelman’s relentless effort when paired with Ryan Etheridge’s equally relentless effort. At times those two, Torian Pegram and several linemen seemed to be the only Blue Ridge players producing as expected, but Edelman in particular was solid, racking up 15 tackles.
Line: North Cross by 14. The Raiders are a tough draw for a Blue Ridge team in need of some serious work.
Paul VI (0-3) at Woodberry (1-1), Saturday 2 p.m.
The basics: The schedule has a funny way of setting up a season sometimes, and coming off a defacto playoff game against defending VISAA Division 1 champ Liberty Christian, the Tigers have an opponent that might wind up being the whipping post for last week’s narrow defeat. Woodberry had every right to feel burned by officiating last week so much so that it may well have cost them a victory. Their defense played awfully well against a premier offense and now they line up against a Panthers team that’s been shutout twice in the last three weeks.
Key matchup: The Paul VI offensive line versus Spencer Bibb and Greer Martini. While Bibb lines up on the line, Martini is playing in the middle at linebacker and the two have had a huge impact in back-to-back games against quality opponents. Bibb’s ability to penetrate is impressive for a converted offensive lineman while Martini’s play from sideline to sideline against Liberty was insane. The Panthers have to stop both to have a chance offensively.
Who to watch: Woodberry receiver Trent Ragland. He came up with a couple of big plays against LCA and his quarterback, Hunter Etheridge, has been particularly efficient two weeks into the year. Don’t be surprised if the Tigers, a team that loves to rush the ball, have a day where they air it out a good bit. This is an underrated passing attack between Etheridge and his receiving corps. Ragland could be positioned for a big day.
The line: Woodberry by 14. Long day for the Panthers on the road.
Fork Union (0-3) at Christchurch (0-3), Saturday 2 p.m.
The basics: Fork Union can seemingly move the ball at will. The last two weeks the Blue Devils have piled up yards and only a few mistakes and penalties have kept them from keeping pace with the opposition, losing shootouts to Goochland and Monticello back-to-back. The question remains whether they can come up with stops. A lot of the defense’s problems in those first three games (they surrendered more than 50 points to Georgetown Prep as well) had to do with how good those offenses were. Christchurch has managed just 42 points in three games, so there’s a good opportunity for the defense to get on track this week.
Key matchup: Christchurch’s defense takes on Fork Union quarterback Sam Allen. Allen is a dual threat with wheels, and when he starts improvising after the play breaks down he becomes particularly dangerous. Christchurch struggled to stop Covenant’s power run game a couple of weeks ago and could really have their hands full trying to contain Allen.
Who to watch: Fork Union’s Julius Puryear. With Allen and running back Rashon Torrence piling up yards, Puryear has emerged as another threat at wideout opposite Charles Clardy. With all those weapons, Fork Union has a chance to get more and more dangerous as the year goes on.
Line: Fork Union by 17. The Seahorses are going to have a hard time containing Allen and Torrence.
