Well here we are, six teams left, four games and for the first time in several years, Bird will not be playing in week three of the playoffs. It was a fun and exciting night of football throughout the region on Friday night. At one point in time when I checked my phone, the Richmond Region had a team in the lead in every game they were in. While it did not hold, it was still a wonderful night of surprises and great football. From Lee-Davis giving the Springers a fight from start to finish, to Atlee’s quick start, to game winning field goals and how can we not mention Hermitage ending Bird’s dominating run. It is safe to say that this past Friday was a night we won’t soon forget, or at least won’t forget until this weekend gets here when we will have the opportunity to put four teams in the state semifinals… If nothing else we will have at least two teams in the state semifinals but more on that later… Let us look back at how we got here.
GAME OF THE WEEK
#2 Hermitage 21-12 over #3 LC Bird
This rivalry has taken another turn in its short history and that turn was in favor of the Panthers. After a week of smack talking between fans, those fans flocked in mass to Randolph-Macon Friday night to see perhaps the biggest game in the state on this night as two heavyweights went to battle. A case could have been made for either team winning this one and those cases were argued all week long but it was hard to ignore the fact that Bird had allowed just 25 points in 11 games this season. That is why it was such a shock to those in attendance and those throughout the region and state when the Panthers not only took at 7-0 lead in the first quarter but then scored twice more in the second quarter to take a 21-6 lead into halftime.
In their three previous defeats of Hermitage, the Panthers offense had relied more on a run game than a passing game. This year it’s safe to say that the passing game is the strength of Hermitage’s offense and they flashed that muscle with Eli Odom passing for 234 yards and completing 15 of his 25 passes including a touchdown. The quick strike offense created problems for a defense that had not faced a team like Hermitage this season. Compounding the matchup issues for Bird was they had not faced a defense like Hermitage. Hermitage didn’t have the reputation of Bird’s defense with it’s shutouts and 25 points allowed in 11 games but what it did have was playmakers who had been on previous teams that fell to Bird and were determined not to fall again.
Bird which is renowned for their power running game found it difficult to run against the Panthers defense. JB Wright who needed just 62 yards to reached 2000 yards like those who came before him finished the night with just 46 yards! That’s unheard of for a Skyhawk tailback but that speaks to the way the Hermitage defense handled the run game of Bird.
Down 21-6 in the fourth quarter, Jalen Elliott scored what proved to be his final touchdown as a Skyhawks when he punched one in from four yards out but that would be the closest the Skyhawks would come on this night. After three straight losses to Bird, Hermitage would top them for the first time since the 2011 season.
With the win, the Skyhawks season ends at 11-1 and with the Skyhawks looking not to start over next season but to fill holes of many seniors who not only had a hand in last year’s state title but also who made this year a special season. As for Hermitage, they still have work to do. They will face a Springer team they beat 21-20 in overtime to start the season. Ironic that these two meet again.
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK
#1 Highland Springs 41-34 over #5 Lee-Davis
Yes, Thomas Dale beating Hylton was a surprise but to me the bigger surprise was the score of this game. Like Bird, Highland Springs had a dominating defense for much of the season and had the shut the Confederates out earlier this season but on this night Lee-Davis had a little something for the Springers. In the first quarter the Confederates struck first with a 45-yard touchdown from Chase Mummau to Billy Kemp, the first of two touchdowns on this night for Kemp. The Confederates might have struck first but the Springers fired back with two touchdowns in that first quarter to take a 13-7 lead but the Confederates came right back and honestly that is how this one was all night long as the two teams went back and forth. The Springers held a 20-14 advantage at the half but Lee-Davis tied it up in the fourth as the two teams exploded for three touchdowns each. Unfortunately for the Confederates, there was not enough time left for them to strike yet again and the Springers held on to a 41-34 win that saw six touchdowns from three different players. It is quite odd to say the least that on this night two of the top defenses we thought would settle the region struggled. Bird lost and Highland Springs if not for their offense would not be playing next week either. Now the Springers get a rematch with the one team that beat them this season, in overtime no less. If the Springers can reverse the outcome of their first meeting with Hermitage, they will be playing in the state semifinals for the first time since the 1990 season!
ROUND THE REGION
#3 Thomas Dale 17-14 over #2 CD Hylton
Round three of this series goes to Thomas Dale as the Knights beat the Bulldogs for the second time in three meetings. The Knights took a 14-0 lead into half with two hookups between Matt Lawton and Brian Bullock while the defense did it’s duty against the Bulldog offense shutting them out. Roderick Wilson was a terror on defense for the Bulldogs as he had 19 tackles against Hylton on this night. In the second half however the Bulldogs began to chip away and ultimately tied the game thanks to Donovan Williams. Williams threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter and followed that up in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run as well to tie the game. Momentum squarely on the side of Hylton, Lawton and Bullock hooked up once more to get the Knights into position for a field goal. Dale’s season on the line in stepped kicker Plato Eliades for a 20-yard field goal, up it went and good it was as the Knights would take the comeback victory having survived the comeback of Hylton themselves. Now Thomas Dale hosts a familiar foe at home in Cosby who they beat 30-17 to open the season. The winner of that game will advance to the state semifinals… Thomas Dale hasn’t been in that spot since their state championship season of 2009 and the Titans have never advanced any further than the second round so they are truly in unchartered waters for the first time in their programs history.
#1 Hopewell 67-28 over #4 Skyline
Close for a half of action, in the second half of this one Hopewell’s offense overwhelmed the Hawks as they stormed to a 67-28 win before the home crowd! Hopewell struck first with a Ronnie Walker touchdown but Skyline answered with a 48-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter the two continued to exchange shots but it was Hopewell scoring three touchdowns to Skyline’s two in the second quarter to give the Blue Devils a slight lead at the half, 27-21. In the third quarter the defense of Hopewell stepped up and shutout the Hawks for the first time all night and while the defense did their thing the offense was doing theirs. Cameren Hill threw two touchdowns in the third quarter as he would finish the night with four touchdowns in the air and one on the ground. With a 40-21 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils kept their foot on the pedal with four more scores including a Ronnie Monroe 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Hawks got one more on the board but the game was well out of reach by this time and the Blue Devils are now one win away from the state semifinals. Hopewell at 10-2 will now host James Monroe next week at home. The Yellow Jackets faced two teams Hopewell is familiar with this season, Dinwiddie and Petersburg.
#2 Hanover 23-17 over #6 Dinwiddie
Hanover answered their critics with a dominating win that nearly slipped away in the end. The Hawks faced Dinwiddie without their starting quarterback Clayton Cheatham but the Hawks were used to this as they had gone much of the season without him due to an injury sustained in the first meeting of these two. However the thought was if Dinwiddie’s defense could contain Marcus Bazala, the game would be theirs. Well that proved easier said than done as Bazala accounted for 240 yards of offense and two touchdowns. While Bazala found success, the Generals did not as the Hawks defense kept the Generals offense largely in check for much of the night minus a fourth quarter rally that saw the Generals score two touchdowns late. The Generals attempted an onside kick but the Hawks were able to recover thus preventing the Generals a chance at stealing this one. Now Hanover will be faced with the tough task of taking on Lake Taylor at Lake Taylor. You read a more detailed account of this game here, https://virginiapreps.forums.rivals...ates-early-survives-late-for-23-17-win.32810/
#2 Tuscarora 42-27 over #10 Atlee
A huge first quarter that saw the Raiders score three touchdowns not only shocked Tuscarora and their fans but also the Richmond Region and state. After one quarter of play the Raiders led Tuscarora 21-7, could the Raiders really pull off what would be a huge upset? The answer unfortunately for the Richmond Region, Raiders and their fans was no. Tuscarora began to chip away at at the lead in the second quarter trailing the Raiders 21-20. The Raiders would not score another touchdown until the fourth quarter when Cole Blackman caught a pass from Rasharrd Harris. By the time they hooked up for that score in the fourth quarter, it was too little too late as in between Raider touchdowns, the Huskies had scored five touchdowns! Four of those touchdowns came from James Douglas. I had no doubts that the Raiders had an offense to beat Tuscarora but what concerned me all along was the defense and that proved to be the case. The Raiders season now over, several players departing due to graduation, it will be interesting to see the makeup of the Raiders in 2016 and if they can continue to be contenders in the Capital District and come playoff time.
#5 Cosby 17-12 over #8 Riverbend
If there was one thing these two had in common it was their lack of playoff history and success. For the Titans this was just their second time playing in the second round and for the Bears it was their first. Cosby looked like the hungrier team early with two touchdowns on the ground from Joe Hunt as the Titans looked to lean on their running game in this matchup. The Titans then tacked on a field goal in the second quarter to make it a 17-0 lead but before the two would reach halftime, Riverbend would strike a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Demarco. Demarco would throw another touchdown pass hooking up with Tyjuan Garbutt yet again to draw within five of the Titans. Momentum swinging in the favor of Riverbend, the Bears defense came up with a big play when they blocked a Bryson Henry field goal. The Bears with time ticking away on the clock were looking to cross the 50 into Cosby field and make a run at a late score but the Titans defense stepped up to preserve the victory with an interception by Tyler Grizzard that catapults Cosby to the third round of the playoffs, the deepest they have ever been. The reward for getting this far is a matchup with Thomas Dale who they lost to in their season opener, 17-30.
EXTRA POINTS
Thomas Dale has reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season when they won it all and this was the first win for the Knights at CD Hylton.
Cosby has reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time in the history of the program.
34 points allowed by Highland Springs was the most allowed by Highland Springs since allowing 37 to Atlee last year on Halloween night.
421 points scored this season by Lee-Davis is the most since the 1995 Lee-Davis team scored 426.
Hermitage is 12-0 for the fourth time in six seasons.
46 points is the fewest points allowed by any previous LC Bird team.
395 points is the fewest for Atlee since the 2010 season.
266 points allowed by Dinwiddie is the most since they allowed 332 points in 2006.
Hanover has reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season.
Hopewell has won eight straight games for the first time since the 2004 season.
GAME OF THE WEEK
#2 Hermitage 21-12 over #3 LC Bird
This rivalry has taken another turn in its short history and that turn was in favor of the Panthers. After a week of smack talking between fans, those fans flocked in mass to Randolph-Macon Friday night to see perhaps the biggest game in the state on this night as two heavyweights went to battle. A case could have been made for either team winning this one and those cases were argued all week long but it was hard to ignore the fact that Bird had allowed just 25 points in 11 games this season. That is why it was such a shock to those in attendance and those throughout the region and state when the Panthers not only took at 7-0 lead in the first quarter but then scored twice more in the second quarter to take a 21-6 lead into halftime.
In their three previous defeats of Hermitage, the Panthers offense had relied more on a run game than a passing game. This year it’s safe to say that the passing game is the strength of Hermitage’s offense and they flashed that muscle with Eli Odom passing for 234 yards and completing 15 of his 25 passes including a touchdown. The quick strike offense created problems for a defense that had not faced a team like Hermitage this season. Compounding the matchup issues for Bird was they had not faced a defense like Hermitage. Hermitage didn’t have the reputation of Bird’s defense with it’s shutouts and 25 points allowed in 11 games but what it did have was playmakers who had been on previous teams that fell to Bird and were determined not to fall again.
Bird which is renowned for their power running game found it difficult to run against the Panthers defense. JB Wright who needed just 62 yards to reached 2000 yards like those who came before him finished the night with just 46 yards! That’s unheard of for a Skyhawk tailback but that speaks to the way the Hermitage defense handled the run game of Bird.
Down 21-6 in the fourth quarter, Jalen Elliott scored what proved to be his final touchdown as a Skyhawks when he punched one in from four yards out but that would be the closest the Skyhawks would come on this night. After three straight losses to Bird, Hermitage would top them for the first time since the 2011 season.
With the win, the Skyhawks season ends at 11-1 and with the Skyhawks looking not to start over next season but to fill holes of many seniors who not only had a hand in last year’s state title but also who made this year a special season. As for Hermitage, they still have work to do. They will face a Springer team they beat 21-20 in overtime to start the season. Ironic that these two meet again.
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK
#1 Highland Springs 41-34 over #5 Lee-Davis
Yes, Thomas Dale beating Hylton was a surprise but to me the bigger surprise was the score of this game. Like Bird, Highland Springs had a dominating defense for much of the season and had the shut the Confederates out earlier this season but on this night Lee-Davis had a little something for the Springers. In the first quarter the Confederates struck first with a 45-yard touchdown from Chase Mummau to Billy Kemp, the first of two touchdowns on this night for Kemp. The Confederates might have struck first but the Springers fired back with two touchdowns in that first quarter to take a 13-7 lead but the Confederates came right back and honestly that is how this one was all night long as the two teams went back and forth. The Springers held a 20-14 advantage at the half but Lee-Davis tied it up in the fourth as the two teams exploded for three touchdowns each. Unfortunately for the Confederates, there was not enough time left for them to strike yet again and the Springers held on to a 41-34 win that saw six touchdowns from three different players. It is quite odd to say the least that on this night two of the top defenses we thought would settle the region struggled. Bird lost and Highland Springs if not for their offense would not be playing next week either. Now the Springers get a rematch with the one team that beat them this season, in overtime no less. If the Springers can reverse the outcome of their first meeting with Hermitage, they will be playing in the state semifinals for the first time since the 1990 season!
ROUND THE REGION
#3 Thomas Dale 17-14 over #2 CD Hylton
Round three of this series goes to Thomas Dale as the Knights beat the Bulldogs for the second time in three meetings. The Knights took a 14-0 lead into half with two hookups between Matt Lawton and Brian Bullock while the defense did it’s duty against the Bulldog offense shutting them out. Roderick Wilson was a terror on defense for the Bulldogs as he had 19 tackles against Hylton on this night. In the second half however the Bulldogs began to chip away and ultimately tied the game thanks to Donovan Williams. Williams threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter and followed that up in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run as well to tie the game. Momentum squarely on the side of Hylton, Lawton and Bullock hooked up once more to get the Knights into position for a field goal. Dale’s season on the line in stepped kicker Plato Eliades for a 20-yard field goal, up it went and good it was as the Knights would take the comeback victory having survived the comeback of Hylton themselves. Now Thomas Dale hosts a familiar foe at home in Cosby who they beat 30-17 to open the season. The winner of that game will advance to the state semifinals… Thomas Dale hasn’t been in that spot since their state championship season of 2009 and the Titans have never advanced any further than the second round so they are truly in unchartered waters for the first time in their programs history.
#1 Hopewell 67-28 over #4 Skyline
Close for a half of action, in the second half of this one Hopewell’s offense overwhelmed the Hawks as they stormed to a 67-28 win before the home crowd! Hopewell struck first with a Ronnie Walker touchdown but Skyline answered with a 48-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter the two continued to exchange shots but it was Hopewell scoring three touchdowns to Skyline’s two in the second quarter to give the Blue Devils a slight lead at the half, 27-21. In the third quarter the defense of Hopewell stepped up and shutout the Hawks for the first time all night and while the defense did their thing the offense was doing theirs. Cameren Hill threw two touchdowns in the third quarter as he would finish the night with four touchdowns in the air and one on the ground. With a 40-21 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils kept their foot on the pedal with four more scores including a Ronnie Monroe 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Hawks got one more on the board but the game was well out of reach by this time and the Blue Devils are now one win away from the state semifinals. Hopewell at 10-2 will now host James Monroe next week at home. The Yellow Jackets faced two teams Hopewell is familiar with this season, Dinwiddie and Petersburg.
#2 Hanover 23-17 over #6 Dinwiddie
Hanover answered their critics with a dominating win that nearly slipped away in the end. The Hawks faced Dinwiddie without their starting quarterback Clayton Cheatham but the Hawks were used to this as they had gone much of the season without him due to an injury sustained in the first meeting of these two. However the thought was if Dinwiddie’s defense could contain Marcus Bazala, the game would be theirs. Well that proved easier said than done as Bazala accounted for 240 yards of offense and two touchdowns. While Bazala found success, the Generals did not as the Hawks defense kept the Generals offense largely in check for much of the night minus a fourth quarter rally that saw the Generals score two touchdowns late. The Generals attempted an onside kick but the Hawks were able to recover thus preventing the Generals a chance at stealing this one. Now Hanover will be faced with the tough task of taking on Lake Taylor at Lake Taylor. You read a more detailed account of this game here, https://virginiapreps.forums.rivals...ates-early-survives-late-for-23-17-win.32810/
#2 Tuscarora 42-27 over #10 Atlee
A huge first quarter that saw the Raiders score three touchdowns not only shocked Tuscarora and their fans but also the Richmond Region and state. After one quarter of play the Raiders led Tuscarora 21-7, could the Raiders really pull off what would be a huge upset? The answer unfortunately for the Richmond Region, Raiders and their fans was no. Tuscarora began to chip away at at the lead in the second quarter trailing the Raiders 21-20. The Raiders would not score another touchdown until the fourth quarter when Cole Blackman caught a pass from Rasharrd Harris. By the time they hooked up for that score in the fourth quarter, it was too little too late as in between Raider touchdowns, the Huskies had scored five touchdowns! Four of those touchdowns came from James Douglas. I had no doubts that the Raiders had an offense to beat Tuscarora but what concerned me all along was the defense and that proved to be the case. The Raiders season now over, several players departing due to graduation, it will be interesting to see the makeup of the Raiders in 2016 and if they can continue to be contenders in the Capital District and come playoff time.
#5 Cosby 17-12 over #8 Riverbend
If there was one thing these two had in common it was their lack of playoff history and success. For the Titans this was just their second time playing in the second round and for the Bears it was their first. Cosby looked like the hungrier team early with two touchdowns on the ground from Joe Hunt as the Titans looked to lean on their running game in this matchup. The Titans then tacked on a field goal in the second quarter to make it a 17-0 lead but before the two would reach halftime, Riverbend would strike a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Demarco. Demarco would throw another touchdown pass hooking up with Tyjuan Garbutt yet again to draw within five of the Titans. Momentum swinging in the favor of Riverbend, the Bears defense came up with a big play when they blocked a Bryson Henry field goal. The Bears with time ticking away on the clock were looking to cross the 50 into Cosby field and make a run at a late score but the Titans defense stepped up to preserve the victory with an interception by Tyler Grizzard that catapults Cosby to the third round of the playoffs, the deepest they have ever been. The reward for getting this far is a matchup with Thomas Dale who they lost to in their season opener, 17-30.
EXTRA POINTS
Thomas Dale has reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season when they won it all and this was the first win for the Knights at CD Hylton.
Cosby has reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time in the history of the program.
34 points allowed by Highland Springs was the most allowed by Highland Springs since allowing 37 to Atlee last year on Halloween night.
421 points scored this season by Lee-Davis is the most since the 1995 Lee-Davis team scored 426.
Hermitage is 12-0 for the fourth time in six seasons.
46 points is the fewest points allowed by any previous LC Bird team.
395 points is the fewest for Atlee since the 2010 season.
266 points allowed by Dinwiddie is the most since they allowed 332 points in 2006.
Hanover has reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season.
Hopewell has won eight straight games for the first time since the 2004 season.
