Disclaimer: All games are subject to re-scheduling with the weather doing whatever it’s going to do over the next few days. We will update accordingly.
Covenant (3-2) at Blue Ridge (1-1), 4 p.m. Thursday
The basics: At this point Blue Ridge’s football team is still largely a mystery because they’ve only played two games, both on the road. Now that enigma will take the field at the brand new revamped facility in St. George, a much-needed turf field with built-in picturesque views that will house a proud program that just three years ago won a state title. With the Barons, ranked No. 4 in the VISAA Division II playoff ratings that were released this week and that new field, there’s a lot to be excited about for Blue Ridge. But we’ll start getting some real answers this week. Covenant is essentially in the opposite boat. The Eagles have played five games already, the most in the area, and they’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to beat while falling to the squads they were expected to struggle with. With an explosive ground effort against the
Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s front seven takes on the Covenant option. The Barons haven’t played much football and now they face one of the sport’s unique challenges, stopping the midline option. It’s going to take some serious discipline for the Barons to stay at home and account for each ball-carrier, but lucky for Blue Ridge, they’ve got Jhalil Puryear. The Barons’ cerebral linebacker should give Blue Ridge a big leg up on diagnosing the play and accounting for the dive man while also helping erase mistakes on the edge. Having a tackling machine at Puryear’s spot and a versatile defensive back in Malik Johnson who is capable of helping in run support or picking off the occasional pass by the Eagles will give Covenant’s offense some things to worry about.
Who to watch: Covenant’s secondary. While the Eagles don’t throw the ball much themselves, they’ve picked off and broken up a number of passes this year with Steven Wilder, Josh Klein and several other defensive backs capable of hawking the ball. Against a cadre of fleet-footed receivers and a Blue Ridge team that is definitely going to put the ball in the air some, the Covenant secondary could be an equalizer if they can make a big play or two. On the flip side, if the Barons have a strong performance through the air, that could make life tough on Covenant’s ball-control offense.
The line: Blue Ridge by 10. The Barons are well-rested and fresh, and while sure they’re excited to be playing on the school’s turf for the first time, they’re also just going to be excited to play any game at all. Look for the Barons to christen the new stadium with a solid win.
Nansemond Suffolk (4-1) at St. Anne’s-Belfield (2-2), 5 p.m. Thursday
The basics: St. Anne’s-Belfield is in a two-game skid, though both were against teams ranked No. 1 in Division I and II. Still, avoiding a third-straight loss would be ideal, and the Saints have their work cut out for them to make that happen. STAB gets a third straight week against an opponent ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in their respective VISAA division in Division III’s No. 2 squad Nansemond Suffolk, and NSA has put up a lot of points in their first five games. Of course, it’s a completely different style with long-time Virginia high school coach Lew Johnston at the helm as NSA will bring the Wing-T to Charlottesville looking for its fifth straight win. Can STAB slow down NSA and get the ball in their playmakers’ hands on offense after two weeks that proved to be a bit of a struggle on both fronts? We’ll find out Friday.
Key matchup: STAB’s defense takes on NSA’s Noah Giles. Stopping the Wing-T requires a complete team effort, a disciplined approach. Stopping Giles requires that plus someone willing to make play after play. The running back who reportedly has offers from Richmond, Air Force and Navy rushed for 330 yards against Bishop Sullivan last week on 23 carries. With STAB having surrendered 91 points the last two weeks, they’re going to need a stepped up effort to contain NSA.
Who to watch: STAB’s secondary. The Saints’ defensive backs should be one of the teams’ strengths, but against Trinity Episcopal last week, STAB surrendered 271 yards and three touchdowns through the air. The back end of the Saints’ defense likely won’t get a chance to allow anything like that against the NSA wing-T, but they’re going to be tasked to help in run support and to monitor the occasional attempt to take the top off the defense. Look for an improved effort this week.
The line: STAB by 1. The Saints have some issues to iron out, but after two straight losses, they’ve likely gotten some answers during practice this week. Expect a rebound here.
Albemarle (3-1) vs. Orange County (3-1) at Monticello Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Two of the area’s hottest football teams lock up in a Jefferson District clash that has a decidedly different feel than it has in recent years. Both teams are playing well right now, and a win by either would go a long way toward springboarding them into the second half of the 2015 slate. Orange picked up a huge, signature win over Powhatan last week while Albemarle built on the victory over Patrick Henry with a gritty, hard-fought victory over Louisa County last week. The game is scheduled now for a neutral site at Monticello Friday with rain on the way, and while both teams are poised to be a factor in the Jefferson down the stretch, this one has the feel of a big-time game.
Key matchup: Albemarle’s run defense takes on Orange County’s thunderous run game. This is strength on strength, and something is going to have to give. Whoever can gain an advantage here will be headed in the right direction for a win. Albemarle has held several talented ground games in check, including Brookville, Patrick Henry and Louisa. But Deangelo Hunt and Tre Smith are a unique one-two punch. The Hornets’ powerful backs just keep coming and coming. Albemarle’s linebackers have to play big-time football.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s Ethan Blundin. Blundin made a pair of huge plays last week, catching a fade down the sideline that set up a touchdown for the Patriots, then the monster play, a 60-yard catch and run for what became the game-winning touchdown. Blundin is tough to contain, and he’s emblematic of an AHS team that seems to gain confidence every single week. Orange can’t get lulled to sleep by the Patriots’ run game, because quarterback J’Quan Anderson and Blundin will make them pay.
The line: Albemarle by 1. The Patriots’ defense has been so good so far and it should be able to handle Orange’s physical rushing attack.
Buckingham (4-1) at Bluestone (1-3), Friday 7 p.m.
The basics: Buckingham threw a grand total of one pass last week against Central Lunenburg. One. But who needs passes when you can run with the ruthless efficiency that the Knights can. Buckingham, as a team, averaged a first down per carry. And the thing is, that’s not exactly an outlier. The Knights are averaging 7.8 yards per touch on the season. So you know what Buckingham is going to do. Stopping it? Bluestone may have its hands full. But the Barons’ record is deceptive as they’ve lost their three games by a total of 20 points, so they’ve been in all four games. Still, stopping Leon Ragland and B.J. Gough is a tall task.
Key matchup: Buckingham’s front seven takes on Bluestone dual threat quarterback Tevarius Brooks. Brooks has thrown for 372 yards this year and rushed for another 108 yards into the ground, so stopping the Bluestone offense starts with stopping Brooks. Expect Buckingham to put pressure on Brooks and try and force the issue.
Who to watch: Buckingham’s Dyshawn Perkins. If you want to find out what’s making the Knights’ explosive rushing attack go, look no further than Perkins, Buckingham’s center, who had 5.5 pancakes last week against Central and has 14.5 knockdown blocks already this season. Perkins has been a fixture on the line for years and Buckingham, and he’s getting the job done again in 2015.
The line: Buckingham by 21. The Knights’ ground game is too efficient and relentless for Bluestone to handle.
Monticello (2-2) at Charlottesville (3-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday
The basics: Crosstown rivals. Bragging rights. Monticello and Charlottesville is always a solid matchup, and this time the Mustangs are the squad that could really use a big win here. Monticello fell 28-7 to Western Albemarle and the Warriors were playing without one of the area’s top running backs in Oliver Herndon in the lineup. Now they’ll face a young but talented crew of ball carriers as MHS tries to contain Sabias Folley, Tre Durrett, Lorenzo Louderback and Rakeem Davis. If Rashad Brock gets back in the mix and he should this week, Monticello will really have its hands full. With that said, when the Monticello offense gets clicking, they have a chance to be impressive. Trying to find a rhythm against the Charlottesville defense that has put up big sack numbers and made life tough on every opponent so far, however is an inopportune time to be sorting things out. Look for the Black Knights to attack and attack often.
Key matchup: Monticello’s front seven takes on the Charlottesville option attack. A week after surrendering 165 yards on the ground to Western quarterback Sam Hearn, the Mustangs face a completely different challenge, a multi-pronged, pick your poison ground attack from Charlottesville that can pass when they need to in key spots. The Mustangs’ linebackers need to play assignment football and stay at home or the Black Knights will burn them, as William Monroe learned two weeks ago when freshman Sabias Folley torched the Dragons for a 91-yard run.
Who to watch: Monticello’s receiving corps. The Mustangs struggled to score points last week, and getting the receivers more involved would go a long way toward solving that problem. If Seth Weaver, Reid Huffman, Austin Haverstrom and the other Monticello wideouts can get into the mix more regularly, it’ll help loosen things up for the ground game and help sophomore quarterback Kevin Jarrell settle in. With a talented fleet of defensive backs though, getting that group involved against CHS will take some work.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. The Black Knights are in good position to pick up a win over the Mustangs for the first time since 2012 and only the second time since 2005.
Louisa County (1-4) at Fluvanna County (0-4), Friday 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Both Louisa County and Fluvanna could use a win. The Lions have struggled in some close games against good teams, including last week’s 19-14 loss at the hands of Albemarle in Louisa’s Jefferson District opener. Fluvanna has come up shore several times already this season and absorbed a 33-12 loss to Charlottesville last week. This has been a bit of a see-saw battle over the last few years, with Fluvanna actually having Louisa’s number at times. But this seems to be setting up as a chance for a frustrated, irritated Louisa squad to take out some of those feelings on a still reeling Fluvanna squad. Can Louisa get on track and snag a critical road win?
Key matchup: Louisa’s secondary takes on Fluvanna’s Jay Amos. The Lions quite simply didn’t have an answer against Albemarle’s tall, athletic wideouts last week as Ethan Blundin escaped and raced 60 yards for the winning touchdown and Patriots quarterback J’Quan Anderson finished with three total touchdowns through the air. Amos provides a similar challenge and is someone Louisa will have to keep an eye on at all times. Fluvanna would be wise to test Louisa by targeting Amos early and often.
Who to watch: Louisa’s Malik Bell. Bell has emerged as a reliable short yardage option, and if he can get things going in the middle of the field like he did inside the five last week against Albemarle, it would help keep defenses from keying off of Job Whalen. Quarterback Jordan Cherry also had a solid fourth quarter on the ground last week, and providing Louisa with another rushing option would also help take some of the pressure off of Whalen.
The line: Louisa by 13. The Lions have only lost to good teams that are playing well. Fluvanna has lost to some not-so-good squads. Louisa takes a step toward getting on track against the Flucos.
Nelson County (1-4) at Altavista (2-2), Thursday 7 p.m.
The basics: Every year Nelson County enters this portion of the schedule where they face a string of Dogwood District opponents, and every year the Governors lose the momentum that they build in out-of-district play. This season was a little different as Nelson managed to hold Dan River to just 15 points in the first half last week, but things got out of hand in the second half in a 36-0 loss. Can Nelson break through and compete for four quarters with the Dogwood’s heavyweights? This week would be a good week to find out, but the task is challenging with Altavista coming off a bye week.
Key matchup: Nelson’s defense takes on Altavista’s Jake Adams. Two weeks ago, Adams rushed for 145 yards on 14 touches at quarterback against Rustburg, and contending with a quarterback who can pile up yards on the ground will force the Governors to be disciplined throughout the contest.
Who to watch: Nelson’s Devante Ellis-Rose. The Governors’ quarterback faces a secondary that struggled against Rustburg and surrendered 255 yards through the air. Can Nelson use the few chances it takes downfield in the triple option and exploit that weakness?
The line: Altavista by 21. The Governors are now in the thick of a very challenging Dogwood District schedule.
Avalon (MD) (3-3) at Woodberry Forest (3-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.
The basics: The Black Knights are the Tigers’ first true home opponent. Woodberry has been on the road since they opened up the season at Porterfield Park against Bishop McNamara. This is their first game on their own turf, and also their first Saturday contest of the year. Transitive properties apply here as both squads have faced Bullis (MD) and Liberty Christian. The Tigers are coming off a 31-7 road drubbing of the Bulldogs while Avalon also handed the Bulldogs a loss two weeks ago, 21-11. Last week, the Black Knights fell to Bullis, the team Woodberry defeated two weeks ago in thrilling fashion in OT, 66-65. Both squads have been battle tested, like really battle tested.
Key matchup: The Black Knights secondary gets to figure out the Tigers’ receiving corps. Cover Zach Roderick and then Terrell Jana makes you pay. Cover them both and then Khalid Thomas makes you pay. Cover all three and Thomas Radke makes you pay. This group of receivers is like a mafia don, they will make you pay, whether you’re ready to or not, whether you like it or now. Right now there hasn’t been a defense able to take away quarterback Lindell Stone’s toys. Avalon has to decide what they want to do here, but also be mindful that at the end of the day, Woodberry would absolutely love to pound the ball with Evans Riviere — after all, this team has been run-first up until this year. So what to do? We definitely don’t have an answer from what we’ve seen so far.
Who to watch: Woodberry linebacker Ryan Grady. We highlighted him a few weeks ago, but he deserves another close eye this week. Grady and the defense might have found their mojo last week against LCA. Under coach Clint Alexander, the identity of this team has always been defensive. While things are bit different this year, the Tigers have been facing one absurd offense after another until last week. And LCA is still LCA. Woodberry’s defense took a baptism by fire for three weeks and looked awfully good last week. Grady’s ability to fly to the ball all over the field is fun to watch. And he’s got competition from fellow line backer Joseph Stevenson in the tackling/being everyone at once department. If this defense has found its form from previous years, watch out. Things are going to get ugly quick.
The line: Woodberry by 9. The Black Knights have scored 21 points or more just once this year. That’s not going to be enough against a team averaging 44 points per game.
Fork Union (1-3) at Paul VI (0-5), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Blue Devils dropped their third straight game when they fell 49-14 to a strong Charlotte Latin (NC) squad last week. The Panthers lost their fifth straight game of the year when they were beat 31-14 to Saint John Paul the Great. These are two teams in dire need of a win. Both defenses have given up 21 or more in their last three contests. Paul the VI has given up 21 or more in all five losses and failed to score more than twice in four of five games. So with both defenses licking their wounds, it will be interesting to see which offense makes the most of the opportunity to put up big numbers.
Key matchup: Fork Union’s secondary against Panthers quarterback Jimmy Check. Paul VI wants to throw the ball. They’ve thrown 124 passes to just 71 times rushing. Their leading rusher is Chris Perry who has 26 carries for 47 yards. FUMA’s defense showed it could handle the run against Goochland. If the front seven plays like it did against the Bulldogs, this game can be easily won with a good showing by the defensive backs against a passer who’s complete 64 of his 124 attempts for 597 yards. That’s just under 200 yards a game for Check. Gus Lee and Jackson Smith make up the bulk of those yards with 196 each to their name, so they’ll be focal point of the offense. If the Blue Devils keep them quiet, they are in good shape.
Who to watch: Fork Union’s Taurus Carroll. He’s the most explosive part of the FUMA offense, a unit that will be eager to play against a defense that isn’t top-tier like the last three they’ve faced. Carroll has 204 yards on 11 catches and three touchdowns. Look for the Blue Devils to try and get the ball to their big playmaker and see how the chips fall after that.
The line: FUMA by 7. The Blue Devils bounce back and gear up for Prep League play coming soon.
Western Albemarle (3-1) at Powhatan (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Warriors’ defense was stifling in their win over Monticello last Thursday. Powhatan will be eager to try and avenge its overtime loss to Orange County last Friday. While there’s no such thing as a must-win still this early into the year, if the Indians want to keep up with the top end of the Jefferson District, this pretty much boils down to just that. The only problem is that Western’s offense has not only been effective each week, it’s been so despite dealing with significant injuries in the last two weeks. While Western got receiver Henry Kreienbaum back last week, it was without running back Oliver Herndon. You wouldn’t notice it from either of their last two point totals, 28 against Monticello and 42 against Spotswood. Powhatan’s defense has to be better than it was last week against Orange to pull this one out.
Key matchup: The Powhatan linebacking corps against whatever Western decides to do with quarterback Sam Hearn. The Warriors love the mobility that Hearn brings to the game, he’s the team’s defacto running back when Herndon isn’t in the game. But in a perfect world he’s not toting the ball, he’s launching the ball down field to a talented receiving corps that has Kreienbaum and a pair of receivers having breakout seasons, Derek Domecq and Michael Vale. The Indians linebackers have to be prepared for Hearn to work out of the pocket, but can’t be too aggressive as Western likes to get Hearn out in space only to go downfield to one of his targets. It’s a delicate dance, one that the Indians have to execute perfectly if that want to keep this offense quiet.
Who to watch: Herndon. If he suits up, this offense is simply too much for Powhatan. It’s just too hard to account for this receiving corps, Hearn’s mobility and key in on the senior running back. If he’s not available, then shift your focus to Western’s defensive line. They were on the war path last week against Monticello. They are big, they are fast and they are effective. The Warriors defense is getting close to being as good as this offense and that’s a big deal for a team with hopes of another deep playoff run.
The line: Western by 7. The Warriors depth on both sides of the ball and ability stop the run — just 26 yards given up to Monticello last week — are too much for a Powhatan offense that doesn’t bring the same run-throw balance.
Goochland (3-2) at Prince Edward (2-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: Mark it three, dude. The Bulldogs started out 0-2 and suddenly sit at 3-2 with only James River District opponents left. Goochland has owned this district since its return to it in 2011. Now last week was interesting as in the third quarter it looked like the Bulldogs were in for a full four quarter battle, but they pulled away down the stretch to route a much improved Randolph-Henry squad 49-28. Prince Edward is coming off a 26-24 win against Bluestone and also can’t be taken lightly. But we’re getting the feeling that the Bulldogs are putting together another one of those runs right now. Four in a row would only reaffirm that conviction.
Key matchup: The Eagles’ front seven against Goochland running back Calvin Martin. It would appear that the Bulldogs have found their hot hand in the back field. Martin had 17 carries for 141 yards in the win over R.E. Lee two weeks ago. Last week he tallied 111 yards on 18 attempts. He’s averaging 7.2 yards per carry on the year and seems to have hit his stride in the this offense. The Bulldogs also aren’t afraid to throw to him out of the backfield either. When Goochland’s offense is clicking they are so hard to beat. Martin is a clock chewer, the thing that this offense thrives on most. When the Bulldogs put together demoralizing lengthy drives they are too much. The Eagles can’t let Martin be that weapon.
Who to watch: Goochland’s front seven. The Bulldogs’ defense appeared to have things figured out after 29-21 and 38-10 losses to Essex and Fork Union respectively when they set the tone in a 38-6 win over Amelia. But since then, they’ve surrendered 24 points to Lee and 28 to Randolph Henry. With a huge matchup with rival Buckingham County waiting in the weeds next week, a team that can really hammer opponents with their ground heavy game, look for Goochland’s defensive front to try and get things figured out. We’re not saying this unit can look to next week, but rather, if this unit wants next week to go well, a good performance against Prince Edward is better than any solid week of practice.
The line: The Bulldogs by 10. Two teams on two different paths. And we didn’t even bring up the Air-Goochland element in this one… well, now we did.
Riverside (0-5) at Madison County (1-3), Thursday 7 p.m.
The basics: The Mountaineers picked up something to build on, a 26-13 win over Warren County last week, and on the road. After three weeks on the road they get to host a winless Riverside squad that’s put up 24 points over the last three weeks to get a chance to get closer to .500. This is a pivotal point in the schedule for Madison as they host Central Woodstock next week and then travel to Monroe the week after. If all goes well the Mountaineers have a realistic shot of bouncing back from an 0-3 start to be 4-3. But they have to play like they did and/or better than their win over Warren.
Key matchup: The Rams rushing defense takes on Chris Smith and Isaiah Smith. Madison might have figured something out last week. Quarterback Chris Smith had 12 carries for 108 yards. Isaiah Smith, almost an H-back now, rolled to 141 yards on 15 attempts. When Madison runs the ball well, they are a different team. The problem is they haven’t run well consistently since the 2012 campaign. If the Smiths establish the run against this defense like they did against Warren, the Mountaineers will have something build on.
Who to watch: Madison’s Bernard Wise. He had nine tackles and two for a loss last week against Warren. The Mountaineers have the pieces offensively to put up points. They just need the stage to do it. A back field presence from Wise and also fellow defender Jake Price who also had a pair of TFL’s last week would go a long way to helping the cause.
The line: Madison by 7. This matchup works well for the Mountaineers, especially at home. A win, and a convincing one, would be a big building block.
Clarke County (3-1) at William Monroe (0-4), Thursday at Albemarle 7 p.m.
The basics: This is a tough one here. The Eagles only loss is to a talented Millbrook team. Monroe struggled with Mason, falling 23-14. The hands down favorite to win the Bull Run District, and a heavy favorite to make noise in the Group 2A playoffs, Clarke is all business right now. Monroe has to be perfect here and unfortunately, injuries and turnovers are not helping the Dragons cause.
Key matchup: Monroe’s rushing attack against Clarke running back Hunter Rogers. The problem here is that quarterback Jordan Turner is every bit the threat that Rogers is on the ground. But if you don’t stop Rogers early, that’s irrelevant. The Dragons have to fill the gaps, tackle well and force Clarke to be creative offensive. Given the strength of this offensive line, that’s not going to be easy. So Monroe’s defensive front has to get a push and make the proper reads with this deceptive offense. If they can do that and get their offense to move the chains, they’ve got a shot. If not, it’s not out of the realm that the Eagles pour on a big number on the ground. They’ve hit the 400 yard mark with ease this year against Handley. That can’t happen for Monroe to pick up its first win.
Who to watch: Monroe’s Tyler Trevillians. The Dragons have to keep the Eagles on the sidelines. To do so they’ll need Trevillians to tote the ball for first downs. Clarke will likely key on quaterback Malique Shackleford, so Trevillians will have to get the job done up the middle, in between the tackles. It’s hard-nosed football, but in the end, to beat this Clarke team that’s what you have to be and so far, only Millbrook has proven up to the task.
The line: Clarke by 17. This is not the team you want to run into looking for your first win. The Eagles are the real deal, physical upfront and talented in the backfield.
