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Spotswood (1-1) at Western Albemarle (1-1), 7:30 p.m., Radio: WINA
The basics: Western Albemarle looked strong against Broadway, and outside of an early strip and score for a TD by Brookville looked strong for a quarter against the Bees. But the last three quarters of the Brookville game showed that Western has some work to do if it wants to return to its 2015 state semifinalist form. Still, they were still just a touchdown drive and a 2-point conversion away from tying it up in the closing seconds, and it’s possible that Brookville is a title contender in Region 3A West and that these too teams will meet again down the road. Either way, Spotswood presents an excellent change for the Warriors to get back on track and re-establish some momentum. Western has had the Blazers’ number the last few years and playing at home plays into the Warriors’ hands.
Key matchup: Spotswood’s run defense takes on Western’s Oliver Herndon. Spotswood surrendered 443 yards on the ground last week to Lord Botetourt, including 227 yards and four touchdowns to Noah Fletcher. Now the Blazers face Herndon who has scored seven touchdowns and is already nearly halfway to another 1,000-yard season just two games into the 2015 slate. Expect a heavy dose of Herndon as the Warriors look to take advantage of Spotswood’s struggles against the run.
Who to watch: Western Albemarle’s Jarrett Smith. Smith is a sparkplug for the Warriors on both sides of the ball, bringing a little bit of fire to his job as a lineman and his work on defense. Western will need that kind of energy Friday as they try and bounce back from a disappointing final three quarters against Brookville last week.
The line: Western Albemarle by 21. Warriors shake off rough week against Brookville and handle the Blazers.
Woodberry Forest (1-0) at Pinecrest, NC (3-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Tigers passed the first test on the gauntlet they’ve put together as a schedule, besting Bishop McNamara 37-18 in a come-from-behind effort. Now they trade out a talented Maryland team for a defending state champion from North Carolina in Pinecrest. The Patriots are coming in hot, winners of three straight. So far they haven’t faced a Woodberry caliber team, so this is a hard game to gauge, but has all the makings of the level of competition the Tigers faced last week.
Key matchup: Woodberry’s rush defense takes on running back Carson Maples and quarterback Christian Ledbetter. So the Tigers got to see what a physical team that runs the ball well looks like last week. Despite going down 18-10, Woodberry’s run defense was on point and they only really got burned by McNamara quarterback Ramar Williams’ ability to improvise. There weren’t any big runs from the Mustangs running backs, so that’s a good sign early heading into this one. The bottom line is that it looks like the Tigers’ secondary can once again handle just about any challenge thrown their way, so it should allow the Tigers to be flexible in their schemes defensively. But it could well be they just need to execute last week’s game plan again.
Who to watch: Woodberry running back Jameel Wilson. The bottom line is that quarterback Lindell Stone and his receivers are going to get theirs. But as we saw last week, when the Tigers can run the ball, it changes everything. Wilson came into the game off the bench and made an immediate impact. Woodberry can use him as a change of pace runner and also out of the backfield in the passing game. Wilson is silly fast and it showed last week. Expect the Tigers to take advantage of that again this week.
The line: Pinecrest by 1. This is no knock on Woodberry, but it’s a long road trip and the Patriots have won three games by a margin of 40.6 points. Plus they’ve played three games. Expect a good one here regardless.
Harrisonburg (2-0) at Charlottesville (0-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: For the second straight week, the Blue Streaks won 14-0. That’s tough news for the Black Knights as they come off of their bye week, but the good news is just that — this team is rested after falling to Dominion 12-6. This is another case of where something has to give between two likes, as the CHS defense looked solid two weeks ago in their season opening loss and the Harrisonburg defense has been, well, perfect so far.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’s Rashad Brock against the Blue Streaks’ front seven. This Harrisonburg unit held E.C. Glass to two yards rushing. Of course, E.C. Glass is coached by former Monticello coach Jeff Woody and anyone that saw a Woody coached team knows that his squads, regardless of the situation, find a way to run the ball. The Blue Streaks simply said no in week one, and pretty much said no again in week two against Handley. The Knights need a big game out of their senior running back. And big game doesn’t mean 300-plus. It means moving the chains and punching it in on scoring opportunities. Brock can do that if his line, which is a lot older and wiser than it was last year, plays fundamentally well in the newly re-installed triple option.
Who to watch: Charlottesville’s Deandre Bryant. He has the ability to be a difference maker at wide receiver and also defensively. The Black Knights’ senior is one of the most physically imposing athletes on the roster at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds. This has all the makings of a tough physical game — so having that one both sides of the ball with Bryant is huge. Should he find a way to be that impact player with both units the Knights will be in much better shape.
The line: Charlottesville by 3. Harrisonburg has matched their win totals from the previous two seasons. The bye week give CHS an advantage here.
William Campbell (1-0) at Buckingham (1-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Generals won a thriller with their first James River District opponent, Central Lunenburg, 41-35. Now they get a Buckingham team that clearly moved past their heart breaking defeat at the hands of Appomattox in week one. The Knights steam rolled their second Dogwood District opponent in Chatham , 43-7. Something has to give in this one as both teams scored more than 40 points last week. Which defense will rise to the occasion?
Key matchup: Buckingham’s defensive front versus the Campbell rushing duo of Khalil Boyd and Tyrell Staten. Boyd had 149 yards on seven carries, including a 90-yard run last week. Staten added 134 yards on 22 attempts. The Knights have shown in back-to-back weeks that they have an elite defense. They’ve got veteran leadership on the defensive line. They’ll need those players on this unit to come up big and set the tone. Lunenburg likes to get it done on the ground, and the Knights practice against one of the best rushers each day in Leon Ragland. So this front is capable of slowing the Generals duo down.
Who to watch: Buckingham’s B.J. Gough. He made a big difference offensively in the second half against Appomattox. He had a big game against Chatham that helped Ragland have an absolutely huge game. The worst kept secret in the world is that the Knights offense is as good as Ragland is efficient. Making the senior highly efficient is key and Gough clearly has been able to do that with his play at quarterback. It’s interesting how that works. When Ragland had his breakout season in 2013 as a sophomore, it was needed to allow then running back Kenneth Johnson to be more efficient with his carries. It’s déjà vu all over again in Dillwyn, and 2013 was an awfully good year to the Knights.
The line: Buckingham by 9. The Knights defense answers the call, the Generals defense gets an overdose of Ragland and Gough.
Madison County (0-2) at East Rockingham (0-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: One of these two is going to face a long climb out of a tough hole. The Mountaineers fell late against Luray, 26-21 last week. The Eagles had a tough go of it at Strasburg, losing 29-14 as they still look to find their way offensively. Madison finally found some offense last week after a slow start in week one, but things are still a work in progress. The good news is that they found a way to get one of their top playmakers going last week with Dre Twyman. Starting out the year 0-3 is awfully tough, so look for both teams to approach this game with a sense of urgency.
Key matchup: The Eagles’ quarterback situation against the Madison pass rush. East Rockingham quarterback Jaylen McNair missed week one with a leg injury. The Mountaineers have just one sack in two games with Jacob Manuel accounting for it. Madison would love to see another step forward defensively as they struggled against a strong King William squad in week one, and made improvements in week two against Strasburg, but couldn’t hold on late. If the Mountaineers get pressure off the snap and force the Eagles to be one dimensional, that would be clutch. Madison has the defenders to stop the run, Bradley Merryman and Gabe Farmer had 18 tackles a piece in two games so far.
Who to watch: The Madison backfield. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers have just 3.4 yards per carry so far. Farmer leads the way with his 20 touches and 86 yards. Behind him Zach Gentry has 52 yards on 13 carries and quarterback Chris Smith is next with 42 yards on 15 attempts. With Twyman and Dylan Breeden having good games at receiver and tight end respectively, the Mountaineers will hope that the holes open up for the run game. They need it, as the longest run of the season so far has been 24 yards. That lone Farmer carry accounts for more than 10 percent of the total rushing total this year. Madison needs Farmer, Genry or Smith to have a breakout game. And having all three get it done on the ground would be absolutely huge against an opposing offense that’s struggled in its first two games.
The line: Madison by 1. The only reason the Mountaineers get the edge here is that they’ve had the tougher schedule. That could be a big help, but this game likely comes down to the turnover battle, which is to say, it’s going to be a close one.
Monticello (0-1) at Turner Ashby (1-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: It’d be easy to say that the Mustangs are happy to move on from last week, but what is easily lost in the 38-0 loss to one of the state and country’s top programs in Lake Taylor is that Monticello hung tough in that first half. So if you’re the Knights, getting amped about rebounding from a 30-point lass to Staunton River in week one with a 33-0 win over Riverside last week sets up a bit of a trap if they think this Mustangs team is soft. That first half for Monticello, particularly on defense, showed that this program isn’t in bad shape at all. Can the Mustangs put in 48 minutes now and rebound from their second half licks?
Key matchup: The TA rushing defense against Monticello running back Darian Bates. Okay, yes, the Mustangs were held to -1 yards on offense last week, but that was against the high school equivalent of the 1985 Bears. The Knights gave up 569 yards on the ground in week one and so look for the Mustangs to try and exploit that with Bates who’s got wheels and more than a few shifts and cuts in him. There’s no question that coach Jeff Lloyd and his offense will look to rebound after last week. They ran into a brick wall last week and this week things are a little more evenly matched. So expect Bates and his backfield running mates to try and set the tone early.
Who to watch: Monticello quarterback Kevin Jarrell. In Lloyd’s spread offense, Jarrell figures to throw the ball around the field all year. He had next to nothing for time to drop back last week and was throwing into press coverage, both at styles and levels he’ll very likely not see the rest of the year. With TA more than likely to try and address its issues with the Monticello ground game, it will be interesting to see what Jarrell can do with a talented receiving corp when they aren’t blanketed in coverage and he has a decent snap and time to actually drop back and throw.
The line: Monticello by 7. Mustangs bounce back with the offense coming to life in this one.
William Monroe (0-1) at Broadway (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Dragons are coming off a tough break to start the year, an overtime 12-9 loss against Brentsville. On the other hand, the Gobblers found a way to rebound from the trouncing they took against Western Albemarle in week one, 55-14, to beat Skyline 41-21 — quite the change in sentiment. The Dragons have to feel good about their effort defensively, but clearly want to improve on the other side of the ball. Broadway’s an interesting opponent as they’ve shown a weakness of defense and should pose a good test before Monroe gears up for Bull Run District play.
Key matchup: The Broadway linebacking corps tries to figure out Monroe quarterback Malique Shackleford. He’s big and strong and the Gobblers will learn quickly that going high on this running QB is a bit of a futile effort. With that said, the Dragons obviously would like to see more out of their running backs and passing game. With the way Broadway struggled against the run with Western and their versatile quarterback in Sam Hearn, the Dragons will look to exploit Shackleford in the same way. That will mean that the Gobblers linebackers will have to play smart stay at home defense. That should allow Shackleford to play around a bit more as a passer and open up running lanes for his backs.
Who to watch: Monroe’s offensive line. While the Dragons had a chance to win last week, they couldn’t punch one in the endzone. The Dragons’ defense was up to par against Brentsville, but Broadway’s offense poses a bigger threat. Keep an eye on this unit up front to try and give the Dragons better, longer drives and allow Monroe’s playmakers to get it done. While the Dragons have overhauled things all over the field thanks to the mass graduation last year, they’ve had time to develop players and when and if the offensive line starts clicking, this team will become instantly better.
The line: Monroe by 4. The Dragons find the endzone and the offense shines a bit brighter than last week.
Georgetown Prep, MD (1-0) at Fork Union (1-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday
The basics: The Little Hoyas pounded Paul VI 37-0 last week and head to Fork Union with the Blue Devils coming off a 38-10 win over Goochland. It was an impressive debut for FUMA in coach Brian Hurlocher’s third season as coach as his team displayed a nice bit of balance both on offense and defense. The last time the Blue Devils beat GT Prep was back in 2012 when they went 10-3 and finishing VISAA Division 1 runners-up in the playoffs. This a great matchup for both squads and will prepare FUMA for what they can expect in the Prep League come October.
Key matchup: The Georgetown offensive line takes on FUMA’s front seven. The Blue Devils have to be happy with the way they stepped up to the challenge Goochland offered. The Bulldogs single wing with passing elements out of the spread present a nice bit of variety and the Blue Devils front answered the call. Adam Hackenberg had a huge game with five solo tackles and a TFL. Jarvis Mason had a good game too. Seven different FUMA defenders had multiple solo tackles to start the year. That’s a great sign for a unit that’s had its woes the previous two years and faces a Little Hoyas team that always bring a physical brand of football to the field.
Who to watch: FUMA running back Iosefa Puaaulli. The freshman had just nine carriers but toted the ball for 77 yards. Senior Adisa Gitten-Smith ran for 63 yards on 4 carries and a TD, but depth at the position could be potentially huge. PuaaullI showed against the Bulldogs that he could make a big difference as he averaged 8.6 yards per carry.
The line: FUMA by 3. This should be a tight contest, but the Blue Devils looked really good upfront and have a great group of playmakers this, especially in the secondary and at receiver. That should open this up for a rushing attack that averaged 5.7 yards per carry last week.
Virginia Episcopal (0-1) at Covenant (1-1), 4 p.m.
The basics: This one likely won’t last long because both Virginia Episcopal and Covenant are going to run the ball the vast majority of the time and try to control the clock and the pace on the ground. Covenant hasn’t found the consistency on offense they want yet, following up a promising opener against Portsmouth Christian with a frustrating outing against Christchurch last week. Can the Eagles even things out against a team that’s got a mirror-like approach? They’ll need to because the Bishops are going to be hunting for a win after a loss to rival North Cross last week that came in frustrating fashion as VES moved the ball well, rushing for 226 yards on 51 carries, but couldn’t seal the deal against the Raiders. This should be a big chance for both squads to pick up an Old Dominion Football Conference win and build some momentum.
Key matchup: Covenant’s front seven takes on VES running back George Battle. Battle rushed for 147 yards on 25 touches last week against North Cross, and he’s a physical, tough back who isn’t likely to go down on first contact. The Eagles struggled at times against Christchurch last week to stop the run, and if they don’t shore that up, Battle can make them pay.
Who to watch: Covenant’s Stephen Wilder. Wilder has emerged as a versatile impact player, including an interception at the end of the first half last week that kept the Eagles within striking distance against Christchurch. Wilder has also shown some flashes as a ground threat on the edge and if he can get going, it’ll go a long way toward jumpstarting an offense that sputtered last week.
The line: Covenant by 3. The Eagles get back on track and snag a win by beating VES at its own game.
Blue Ridge (0-0) at Hargrave (0-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Barons get their season started at least a week later than everyone else in Central Virginia, but the September 11 start means that Blue Ridge had a much more normal fall camp. They didn’t have to rush and that should mean they’re better prepared and ready to roll. With an array of top-notch athletes from Scott Spencer to Tae Watts and Jhalil Puryear. Hargrave got going last week but suffered a stinging 43-14 defeat at the hands of St. Anne’s-Belfield. The Tigers in particular struggled against the run as STAB posted a pair of 100-yard rushers. If Blue Ridge can get the ground game going with Watts and Malik Johnson, Hargrave could be in trouble. If either squad wants to contend for an Old Dominion Football Conference title, this a crucial win to have.
Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s defense takes on Hargrave running back Austin Bennett. Bennett rushed for 85 yards on 18 carries against STAB last week, and the freshman has the potential to be a gamebreaker for the Tigers. But Blue Ridge brings back a lot of players with a lot of experience on defense and the Barons will certainly have a little more depth than they did last season with strong numbers in camp this year.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge’s quarterback situation. The Barons are replacing Trevor Eaton who put up strong numbers as a senior before heading to North Carolina Wesleyan. Whoever takes over for the Barons will get a lot of help from an array of potential weapons, and the right signal-called could be a huge difference maker for Blue Ridge as the Barons look to get off on the right foot in an effort to return to the state playoffs.
The line: Blue Ridge by 7 points. The Barons should be much improved over last year’s squad. But Hargave’s game experience and being on the road will make this tough for Blue Ridge.
Amelia County (1-0) at Goochland (0-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: Goochland always takes on a couple of tall tasks before the James River District starts, and the reason they do that is because the Bulldogs want to be ready when the playoffs roll around and the bottom half of that district doesn’t always get teams properly prepared for the rigors of the postseason. Which is why an awfully talented Goochland squad is sitting at 0-2 right now after playing an Essex team that finished as a state finalist and a Fork Union team that has added a lot of talent while bringing along a host of strong linemen. We’ll see pretty quickly if the lessons from those two losses can pay dividends as Goochland takes on Amelia a week after the Raiders beat Greensville soundly 38-22.
Key matchup: Amelia takes on emerging rushing threat Wyatt Smith. Smith led the Bulldogs with 66 yards against Fork Union on eight carries, and he gives Goochland the kind of strong, physical back that thrives in the Wing-T. Can the rest of the Bulldogs threats and quarterback Reid Chenault find a rhythm? If Smith can get going that would certainly help that cause against Amelia.
Who to watch: Goochland’s defensive front. The Bulldogs struggled to disrupt Fork Union last week against a tough offensive line, and that won’t work going forward. Look for Goochland to try and force the issue with Amelia Friday and create some havoc.
The line: Goochland by 10. The Bulldogs rarely lose two in a row and three is essentially unheard of as the last time it happened was in 2003.
Nelson County (1-1) at Covington (0-2)
The basics: Nelson County ended a lot of frustration on their home field last week when the Governors rolled 39-0 over Page County for their first home win in four years and the first home victory of the Mark Poston era. But because high school football is a what-have-you-done-lately endeavor, the question immediately became about whether Nelson can build on that win. To turn around a program, isolated success isn’t enough, stringing together wins is what gets the job done. Nelson gets an excellent change to do just that Friday against Covington, an 0-2 squad that’s going to be desperately looking for a win itself. Look for Nelson to try and establish the run early as they keep tuning up their new flexbone option attack.
Key matchup: Nelson’s defense takes on Covington quarterback Noah Fertig. Fertig broke off a 65-yard run last week against Riverheads for the Cougars’ lone score of the day in a 54-7 loss. The Governors’ linebackers in particular will likely be keeping an eye on Fertig at all times.
Who to watch: Nelson running back Drai Taylor. Taylor scored twice against Page and gave the Nelson offense a big boost as sophomore Devante Rose continues to settle in at quarterback. Taylor carrying the load would go a long way toward helping take some pressure off Rose and open things up for the offense.
The line: Nelson County by 10. The Governors have a chance to go above .500 and they don’t miss it this time.
St. Anne’s (1-0) Christchurch (1-0), 1 p.m. Saturday
The basics: St. Anne’s-Belfield appears, at least for now, to have solved the lone big question mark going into this year for the Saints–the quarterback spot. Against Hargrave in the opener, STAB deployed a well-kept secret that Patrick Blake was returning from a three year absence from full tilt play (he’s been the team’s kicker) to play quarterback. With the help of two 100-yard rushers in Javon Johnson and John Woodson, Blake was solid in his return to the lineup, throwing for four touchdowns on 6-for-10 passing for 60 yards. If Blake can hold down the spot and quarterback and expand the role as he goes along, that frees up Campbell Miller to catch passes, which he did last week (two touchdowns and 31 yards worth) in addition to spending some time behind center. Like many thought Bobby Nicholson would (and still could as the season progresses), Blake allows STAB to leave a deep group of playmakers like Kareem Johnson and Jalen Harrison in place. Saturday’s clash with Christchurch, however, will be a much more stout test for the Saints. The Seahorses beat Covenant 26-0 last week and picked up a lot of yardage on the zone read, look for STAB to clamp down on the Christchurch run game.
Key matchup: STAB’s coverage units look to contain Nyheim Tucker. Last week, Covenant got stung by a pair of big returns by Christchurch’s Tucker, including a first half punt return for a touchdown that put the Eagles in a deep hole. The Saints will need to find some way to neutralize Tucker’s big play ability, and John Blake always seems to have a special teams wrinkle or two for combating the opposition or making something happen for the Saints.
Who to watch: STAB’s Javon Johnson. Johnson had a big impact during the Saints’ run to the state lacrosse title last spring and against Hargrave last week he was electric on the gridiron too. Johnson rushed for 111 yards on just six touches, pairing nicely with John Woodson’s 106 yards on 10 touches. If they can both stay in that kind of a rhythm, it’ll make things easier on the Saints’ passing game and keep the Saints fresh at the running back spot.
The line: STAB by 17. The Saints have too much firepower for Christchurch and should be able to pick up a second straight road win.
Louisa County (0-1) at Courtland (1-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: A week after absorbing a shelling from a top-notch Sherando squad, Louisa got a week off to re-tool and adjust. Louisa has historically managed to correct problems quickly under Mark Fischer, so the bye week should have a dramatic impact on how Louisa plays. Still, the Lions have their work cut out for them, but they’re capable of gutting it out for a low scoring win which they’ll likely have to do against the stingy Courtland defense that’s allowed just 10.0 points per game against a pair of strong opponents in Massaponax and Riverbend. Look for Louisa to get the offense going and shore up the fumble problems that plagued them in the opener. If they do solve that, the offensive line has big-time potential to clear the way.
Key matchup: Louisa’s front seven takes on Courtland running back George Cheetham. The Lions are young but fast defensively, and the youth showed against Sherando. In fairness to the defense though, turnovers put them in some tough spots. If the offense can cut down on mistakes, that’ll be a huge help as the Lions try to clamp down on Cheetham, who rushed for 113 yards on the ground last week including a game-winning touchdown in the 7-6 victory over Riverbend. Courtland had another 100-yard rusher last week in Blair Lawson, so there are several weapons to be wary of here, but hemming in Cheetham is a big key.
Who to watch: Louisa’s Job Whalen. Whalen is poised to be the Lions’ bell cow running back, and he scored the squad’s only touchdown against Sherando. Whalen needs to get in gear, but Louisa has to fix their fumble issues if he’s going to do so.
The line: Louisa by 1. The Lions get to .500 with a road win after correcting turnover problems.
