Covenant (3-1) at Massanutten Academy (0-3), 4 p.m.
The basics: Covenant is coming on strong early with the ground attack igniting the Eagles, and it looked particularly impressive last week against Hargrave when Austin Llera went for 182 yards and three touchdowns, Paul Huemme went for 55 yards on eight touches and Quane Washington sprinted for 194 yards and two touchdowns. When the rushing attack is controlling the clock it’s a big boost for the Eagles’ defense too, and that’ll be critical against a winless Massanutten squad that’s still looking for an offensive rhythm. Limiting their opportunities will really hurt Massanutten’s chances to knock off Covenant.
Key matchup: Massanutten tries to contain Quane Washington. Washington doesn’t touch the ball often, but when he does he’s dangerous. Those cameos make things that much tougher as Hargrave found out last week when Washington piled up 255 yards and three touchdowns on just seven opportunities on the ground and through the air.
Who to watch: Covenant’s Sam Seelman was a one-man wrecking crew against Hargrave last week with 11 tackles and an interception defensively. If he continues to emerge, Covenant is only going to get better and better on that side of the ball.
The line: Covenant by 7. Eagles should take care of business and pick up their second road win of the season today.
Bluestone (1-2) at Buckingham (2-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Barons held Goochland close in the first half, but ultimately fell after a tough second half. The Knights picked up another big win on the road, this latest one at Amelia. Buckingham is finally playing in its home opener and isn’t likely to take Bluestone lightly given the way the Barons played early last week. A win here for the Knights sets up a huge James River District showdown with arch rival Goochland next week. But first thing’s first.
Key matchup: Bluestone’s front nine against the Buckingham offensive line. The Knights know they’re going to see eight and nine-man fronts each and every week. They don’t care. They have the bodies up front to plow through it. Last week guard Jacob Snoddy was unstoppable, getting up and through the second level defensively on seemingly every play. The Knights did not punt in the second half and put together one lengthy drive after another. This unit looks awfully good early in the year and Bluestone has to find an answer some how.
Who to watch: Buckingham receiver Matrice Foster. If he’s healthy (he sat out the second half last week), Foster provides the Knights with a big aerial threat. He caught a bomb for a TD to open up the game last week and then was wide open on a play-action rollout pass for a short redzone touchdown in the second. Foster is going to go up against one-on-one coverage as long as Leon Ragland and Tariq Gough run the ball the way they have so far. Foster is going to get his chances to make big plays.
The line: Buckingham by 13. The Knights cruise with Ragland and Gough putting on another show on the ground.
Fluvanna County (1-1) at Culpeper (1-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: Fluvanna County comes out of its bye week and sets its sights on another winnable game against Culpeper. The Blue Devils have showed some promise of late and beat Madison County for their first victory of the season Friday, but they’ve been plagued at times by crucial mistakes and a porous defense like they were in the Charlottesville contest. CHS torched Culpeper on the ground but so far the Flucos haven’t gotten a ton of production out of the ground game, so quarterback Gavin Patrick and the Flucos may have to beat Culpeper over the top.
Key matchup: Fluvanna’s secondary takes on a fleet of tall Culpeper receivers lead by Eli Marks, who has piled up 236 yards and four touchdowns in the Blue Devils’ first three games. The Flucos are going to have to lock up Culpeper’s potentially potent wideouts on defense to keep the Blue Devils in check.
Who to watch: Fluvanna’s Macen Dahl. With a big week against Spotsylvania two weeks ago where he hauled in 163 yards through the air, Dahl gave the Flucos a credible threat in the passing game that opposing defenses will have to respect.
The line: Fluvanna by 3. Fluvanna can snag this one, but the Blue Devils have shown some potential through the air and that could prove to be a problem.
Trinity Episcopal (1-2) at STAB (2-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: STAB faced a big test last week against Bishop Sullivan and while they fell 45-28 at the hands of the defending state champs, they fought back after the Crusaders took an 18-0 lead out of the gate and stayed within striking distance most of the night despite a huge 270-yard, four-touchdown performance by Sullivan quarterback Blake LaRussa. Considering the rash of injuries that STAB was dealing with, that’s not a disastrous result by any means. Those two programs may be on another collision course in the state playoffs as it stands right now. But the Saints get another test against Trinity Episcopal, another team with a tough quarterback, junior Blake Bowen who’s been productive this year.
Key matchup: Trinity Episcopal’s secondary takes on STAB’s array of passing options. Kareem Johnson, who also proved dangerous in the return game with a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown last week, Jalen Harrison and Campbell Miller are tough for any team to contain, and Trinity has struggled to slow down opposing offenses.
Who to watch: The Saints’ health. Brodie Phillips, Jake Allen and Chris Barry — all critical cogs for STAB — sat out against Bishop Sullivan last week. If those three or any subset of them are back in the lineup it’ll be a big boost for the Saints.
The line: STAB by 10. While Trinity played Collegiate close, they fell to a Norfolk Academy squad last week that STAB put together a blowout against. Saints should take control here.
Goochland (2-1) at Randolph-Henry (0-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Bulldogs bounced back from their loss to Fork Union with a 27-3 win over Bluestone on the road. Randolph-Henry fell to Nottoway on the road 54-13. Goochland got off to a bit of a slow start last week, but certainly finished strong and saw Jordan Jefferson and Isaiah Minor get things rolling on the ground again. While the Statesmen are improved from last year, their defense is still porous right now as its giving up 51.3 points per game.
Key matchup: Randolph-Henry’s defense against the run. Goochland is going to run it right at them and the Statesmen know it. They have to find a way to keep the Bulldogs experienced offensive line from wreaking too much havoc and find a way to wrap up Minor, Jefferson or any of the other backs Goochland rolls out. Randolph-Henry can’t miss too many tackles an expect to be in this game very long.
Who to watch: K.K. Timberlake and the Bulldogs’ defensive line. Goochland’s defense definitely made progress last week, holding Bluestone to just a field goal. With a huge game with Buckingham looming a week away, it will be interesting to see if this defense continues to find its stride. That would only bring more attention to the table next week with the Knights.
The line: Goochland by 17. Same story as usual with these two. Too much offense here for Randolph-Henry.
Albemarle (0-2) at Patrick Henry (Roanoke) (2-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Albemarle looks to bounce back from its second-straight loss, the one last week coming at home against Stafford, with another tough out-of-district opponent. Patrick Henry held off Pulaski County last week and appears to have found its legs on offense after a bit of a slow start to the season. This is a third straight tough draw for Albemarle, but if this team can stay together after the first three weeks they’ll see some results going ahead into Jefferson District play. No JD team is playing as challenging a schedule to start the year.
Key matchup: Albemarle’s secondary takes on Patrick Henry wide receiver Marcus Terry. He’s averaging just under 20 yards a catch and has big play ability. The Patriots will want to make sure they don’t let the talented wide out get behind them, or even, get the ball with too much space to work his way out of. It might be a tough task to take Terry out of the game, but limiting him will be key because this Patrick Henry defense doesn’t need an awful lot of scoring to pave the way to a win.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s Kevin McCarthy. The Patriots’ back had a 48-yard TD run in the fourth quarter last week. The Patriots offensive line needs to do what it can to provide McCarthy a few holes to run through so he can work on wearing down the Patrick Henry defense. If McCarthy runs well, quarterback D.G. Archer should get a stacked box to work against to try and open up the passing game.
The line: Patrick Henry by 10. Tough opponent for Albemarle here, a solid defensive team that is only getting better on offense.
Riverbend (2-1) at Orange County (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Bears bounced back from a loss to Courtland with a 46-0 win over King George last week. The Hornets were shutout for the second straight week after it ran into a quality Eastern View team. The only team that challenges Albemarle for toughest open to a schedule is Orange. Riverbend’s wins over Chancellor and King George were emphatic and so the Hornets really have their hands full once again and will going up against a team that has depth and size. That’s a problem.
Key matchup: Orange’s defense against Riverbend’s no huddle offense. The Hornets will have to find a way not to wear down too quickly against the Bears who ran for 279 yards last week on 44 carries with Zach Sims and Dakota Sexton leading the way. The Hornets will need all they can get from their roster to keep this defense fresh. It will also be up to Keith Ellis and the Hornets offense to try and give the defense some time to breath on the sidelines.
Who to watch: Sims. He’s just getting healthy and his 107 yards on 22 touches last week shows that. But he’s a receiving threat too. He took a screen pass for a 33-yard touchdown against King George and the Bears will look to give him as many touches as they can.
The line: Riverbend by 14. Orange should be able to get points on the board, but keeping pace with the Bears is going to be a tall task.
William Monroe (1-1) at Charlottesville (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: This should be a battle of wills at Charlottesville as two teams with potentially explosive ground games take each other on in a key out-of-district game that would certainly boost either squad’s potential playoff resume. The Dragons fell in a close matchup to Broadway a week after grabbing a monster victory over Spotswood. The Black Knights won a war of attrition against Culpeper where the Black Knights had four or five starters injured at one point or another, but kept on pushing ahead for the win. CHS then jumped into a bye week where they got a chance to heal up and tighten up some things as they continue to break in first-year starter Malik Bartee and a largely new offensive line. This will be old school, smashmouth football, and whichever team refuses to back down or come unglued will likely pull out the win.
Key matchup: The struggle between Monroe’s run game and Charlottesville’s run game. This a clash of two of the area’s most established running backs in backfield fixtures Rashad Brock at CHS and Cody Perkins at William Monroe. The key is going to be which squad can establish the run game early and keep it going, because both defenses are going to be intent on accounting for the key cogs in the run game. With Josh King leading the effort for the Dragons and Larry Anderson trying to spark the Charlottesville linebackers.
Who to watch: Charlottesville’s Malik Bartee. Bartee had a breakout performance against Culpeper with more than 300 yards of total offense including a 200+ day on the ground. Could his speed on the edge be a difference maker like it was when Rashard Davis exploded as a senior in his first chance as a starter? It seems like Bartee, who’s taking it slow and playing within the game plan, is well on his way.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. The Black Knights are at home and seemed poised to pick up some steam after getting healthy during the bye week.
King George (1-2) at Louisa County (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Foxes fell hard to Riverbend last week, 46-0. Lions went on the road last week and also fell, 35-21 to Courtland. King George is stuggling with consistency as they took down Stafford two weeks ago, but came out flat against Riverbend. Louisa was all defense in week one against Spotsylvania and saw the script flipped against Courtland. Look for both these teams try and figure out how to be more balanced on both sides of the ball and find some consistentcy.
Key matchup: Lions running back D’Jon Shelton vs. King George’s front seven. Louisa has to be successful on the ground, it’s just how things work in coach Mark Fischer’s offense. He had a strong debut against Spotsylvania, but a great Courtland defense limited him to 52 yards on 19 carries. If Shelton can run against this Foxes defense the way Riverbend did (279 rushing yards), all will be well again in Mineral.
Who to watch: Louisa receiver Brian Townes. Listen, Shelton and quarterback Trey Cherry’s legs are going to be the focal point offensively. But that isn’t going to stop Cherry and Fischer from trying to throw the occasional dagger. Townes caught two of Cherry’s four completions last week and brought one of them in for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Townes has a chance to be the difference maker here against King George.
The line: Louisa by 4. Awfully tough know which version of these two teams will come out, but the Lions always show well in the Jungle and have a chance here to get rolling on offense.
East Rockingham (2-0) at Madison County (0-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Eagles edged James River by one last week to remain unbeaten. The Mountaineers late comeback against Culpeper fell just short. East Rockingham brings more to the table than eighther Page or Culpeper, so Madison can’t afford to turn the ball over the way it has the first two weeks and expect to stay with the Eagles and their wing-t offense. This should be a solid challenge for Madison before it heads into Bull Run District play.
Key matchup: The Mountaineers’ linebacking corps against the wing-t. This isn’t just a run-heavy offense. East Rockingham likes to throw as Strasburg saw two weeks ago when they threw for 154 yards to go along with it’s 224 yards on the ground. Not getting fooled on the misdirection will be key. As important as it is to stop running back Shannon Cross, Madison can’t let Timothy Sapp have a big day at quarterback.
Who to watch: Madison’s Kenyon Smith. The big lineman is leading the Mountaineers in tackles with 15 so far in two games. Madison will need him to be disruptive upfront against a strong offensive line and set of running backs that have been successful early on in the year. If Smith and the Madison defense hold serve up front it’ll give the Mountaineers young playmakers on offense a chance to pull out the win.
The line: East Rockingham by 7. The Eagles have too much upfront and have passed their first two tests of the year.
Turner Ashby (1-1) at Monticello (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Monticello picked up a monster win in a big test against a physical Fork Union squad, and while it may not count in the VHSL standings, it should give the Mustangs a good idea of what they’ll have to do come playoff time. But Monticello did get a little banged up in the battle with the Blue Devils, with several running backs and defensive lineman Morgan Wilson nursing injuries during the game. Look for Monticello to try and get healthy against the Knights, who are facing some interesting circumstances of their own. Head coach Charlie Newman won’t be present because he suffered a torn aorta and underwent open heart surgery last weekend.
Key matchup: Turner Ashby’s secondary takes on Monticello pass catching threats Syrael Breckenridge, Darian Bates and Bryce McGlothlin. While the Mustangs have exploded through the air through two games, Breckenridge and McGlothlin are both physical, possession type wideouts who’ve shown they can move the chains while Bates is always a threat out of the slot or the backfield. With the running back corps a little banged up, Monticello may try and jumpstart the passing game against the Knights.
Who to watch: Monticello middle linebackers Griffin Davis and Tony Talbert. This tandem has emerged as a havoc-wreaking force for the Mustangs, with both disrupting the Fork Union backfield repeatedly last week. Look for more of the same from the pair as they anchor the Mustangs’ defense.
The line: Monticello by 17. Mustangs should pick up a big win in their final out-of-district clash and build momentum going into a clash with Powhatan next week.
Nelson County (1-2) at Hargrave Military Academy (0-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County taking on Riverheads is, bottom line, apples playing oranges right now. Things didn’t go well for the Governors from the opening kick as Riverheads exploded for a 70-6 victory over Nelson. But this week Nelson jumps into another winnable game when they take on winless Hargrave Military Academy. Hargrave’s defense can’t seem to get a stop in any game, much as the Governors couldn’t against Riverheads, which could open things up for Ray Chambers on the ground for the Governors.
Key matchup: Nelson’s front seven takes on Hargrave running back Ray Inge. While the Tigers have struggled at quarterback with converted wideout Trenton Lovelace taking on the role, Inge has emerged as a reliable option in the ground game with 249 rushing yards on 6.4 yards per carry. Halting Inge should be a big part of the Nelson game plan.
Who to watch: Nelson’s Carlos Rodriguez. With Chambers an established presence on the ground in the Govs’ run-oriented offense, Rodriguez scoring the game-winning touchdown against Page two weeks ago and the line touchdown against Riverheads on a pass from Chambers was huge. If he can continue to emerge as an offensive weapon, it’ll go a long way toward helping Nelson compete as they enter the challenging slate that is the Dogwood District.
The line: Nelson by 1. The Governors have a big opportunity to pick up a second win this season against the Tigers.
Bishop O’Connell at Fork Union (1-2), Saturday 3 p.m.
The basics: Fork Union is clearly the best 1-2 team in the area, as evidenced by their inclusion in this week’s DAS Power Poll at No. 6, the lone squad with a losing record in the poll. But that’s part of playing a murderer’s row of a schedule, and it doesn’t get any easy with former Blue Ridge coach Del Smith’s Bishop O’Connell squad strolling into town. O’Connell is unbeaten at 3-0 after blowing out Paul VI and Bishop Ireton on the strength of 50-point offensive outputs before holding off St. Christopher’s 27-10. The Knights have shown a propensity for picking up penalties in bunches, so both teams will be trying to exorcise some demons as Fork Union tries to erase offensive and special teams lapses that have bitten them as recently as the Monticello loss last week.
Key matchup: Fork Union’s talented secondary takes on O’Connell quarterback Michael Galvan. Galvan is a dual threat signal-caller who threw for 180 and rushed for 65 more against. He’s a dynamic quarterback and FUMA’s secondary will have its hands full, so it’s imperative that the front seven get some push and make Galvan uncomfortable.
Who to watch: FUMA’s Lewis Freeman and Micah Keels. They’re both tall, athletic wideouts, and both have multiple catches against Monticello, but for the Blue Devils’ offense to get going, Keels and Freeman both need to create some explosive plays.
The line: Bishop O’Connell by 1. The Knights are going to be another tough matchup for the Blue Devils who need a spark to get the rhythm going on offense, but the FUMA’s defense will keep them in this one.
North Cross (2-2) at Blue Ridge (1-2), Saturday 2 p.m.
The basics: Blue Ridge clearly has a lot of things figured out on offense. The Barons have managed to score at least four touchdowns in each of their three outings to start the year. But surrendering 44.3 points per game on the other side is putting a lot of pressure on that offense to get the job done. If the Barons can bring the defense together and start coming up with spots, Blue Ridge could make some big strides quickly, but North Cross’ productive offense could be a tough matchup to get the defense on track this week.
Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s defense takes on North Cross quarterback Max Revercomb, the Raiders’ three-year starter. Revercomb has thrown for 1,170 yards and 16 touchdowns in just four games already this year. With the Barons struggling to slow down opposing offenses, Revercomb will be a particularly tough challenge.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge quarterback Trevor Eaton exploded for 404 yards through the air last week including three touchdowns to three different pass catchers. Eaton is spreading the ball around well after zeroing in on certain receivers early. Clearly he’s more confident in his supporting cast as Blue Ridge’s team continues to gel. If he’s taking the open man, Blue Ridge’s offense can be very dangerous.
The line: North Cross by 7. This could be a shootout with two talented offenses going at it, but Blue Ridge will have to come up with some stops.
Lynchburg Christian Academy (3-0) at Woodberry Forest (0-0), Saturday 2 p.m.
The basics: The Bulldogs come into town with a month’s worth of game experience and edged Bishop McNamara by three last week. The Tigers are taking the field against an actual opponent for the first time, but have had weeks to prepare for LCA. The Bulldogs have won four straight state titles and slipped past the Tigers in their last two meetings. While it is the regular season, with Woodberry not participating in the playoffs, this game, just like it was last year, is a defacto state title game. These are the two premiere Division 1 programs right now and whenever they get together they put on a great show.
Key matchup: Woodberry’s pass rush takes on LCA quarterback Kaleb Bohrnstedt. He’s 6-foot-5 and not easy to bring down. Bohnstedt doesn’t have the stable of unreal receivers that the Bulldogs had last year, but that hasn’t stopped him from completing more than half his passes and throwing for 294 yards and three touchdowns so far. The Tigers will want to put as much pressure as they can on the senior quarterback to keep LCA one-dimensional.
Who to watch: Tigers quarterback Lindell Stone. What is this Woodberry offense going to look like? History would tell you that the running game with H.T. Minor will be plenty busy all year long. But Stone brings the highest national profile we’ve seen at quarterback in this area since Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg played at Fork Union. Stone can fling it and so don’t be surprised if the Tigers look downfield and look to make big plays in the air. The question is, how often should we expect to see it?
The line: Woodberry by 1. While LCA has won the last two, the Tigers are healthy and their talented coaching staff had an awful lot of time to game plan for this one. We give them the edge playing at home.
