Greetings on this 15th day of November for 2019. The VHSL Football Playoffs are underway and we've got an intriguing matchup on deck in Leesburg in the Region 4C Quarterfinals with the Sherando Warriors (7-3) visiting the Tuscarora Huskies (9-1).
While much of the state is dealing with rain and wind, it's a 43-degree evening at Fortune Field without much precipitation or weather issues.
It's the first ever meeting between these two programs known for going far in the playoffs. Brandon Wheelbarger's Huskies have rebounded from a 28-26 loss to unbeaten Broad Run in the season opener with nine straight victories. All of them except one - a victory of last year's Class 4 State Champ Woodgrove by a count of 13-12 - have come by double-digits. This Huskies team is putting up 34.4 points per game and averaging over 418 yards while giving up just 9.2 points and 174.3 total yards per game. The backfield tandem of QB Ethan Gick and RB Bryce Duke make Tuscarora go along with stud defensive lineman Matei Fitz.
As for Sherando, the Warriors under Head Coach Bill Hall have responded from a 3-3 start. The big win was a 34-31 overtime triumph over Handley in Winchester. They've rattled off four victories to close out the regular season, the latest a 21-7 win over Kettle Run. Darius Lane at running back and Jabril Hayes - a standout at receiver and in the secondary - are two players to watch out for along with linebacker Payne Bauer, a tackling machine. Like Tuscarora, we're looking at a team averaging over 34 points per game and the key will be the defense, which gives up 18.9 points and 175.6 pass yards a contest.
Almost set for kick off, so we'll have more shortly. Stay tuned for updates here and on my Twitter feed @hatfieldsports
While much of the state is dealing with rain and wind, it's a 43-degree evening at Fortune Field without much precipitation or weather issues.
It's the first ever meeting between these two programs known for going far in the playoffs. Brandon Wheelbarger's Huskies have rebounded from a 28-26 loss to unbeaten Broad Run in the season opener with nine straight victories. All of them except one - a victory of last year's Class 4 State Champ Woodgrove by a count of 13-12 - have come by double-digits. This Huskies team is putting up 34.4 points per game and averaging over 418 yards while giving up just 9.2 points and 174.3 total yards per game. The backfield tandem of QB Ethan Gick and RB Bryce Duke make Tuscarora go along with stud defensive lineman Matei Fitz.
As for Sherando, the Warriors under Head Coach Bill Hall have responded from a 3-3 start. The big win was a 34-31 overtime triumph over Handley in Winchester. They've rattled off four victories to close out the regular season, the latest a 21-7 win over Kettle Run. Darius Lane at running back and Jabril Hayes - a standout at receiver and in the secondary - are two players to watch out for along with linebacker Payne Bauer, a tackling machine. Like Tuscarora, we're looking at a team averaging over 34 points per game and the key will be the defense, which gives up 18.9 points and 175.6 pass yards a contest.
Almost set for kick off, so we'll have more shortly. Stay tuned for updates here and on my Twitter feed @hatfieldsports