Seven down, three to go
Three weeks of regular season football to go before the playoffs and some teams are stepping it up knowing they cannot afford any more losses. After seven weeks of action there remains just one winless team, three undefeateds and many questions surrounding the rest of the region. Whose for real, who is not? Let us take a look back at this past week as the season slowly ticks away.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Highland Springs 18-6 over Henrico
This game had it all Two teams with a combined record of 13-1 clashed in a game that saw turnovers, tough defense, penalties and minimal scoring. The two combined for 23 penalties and 175 yards of penalties and the two combined for ten turnovers. The Springers got on the board in the first half behind a DJ Anderson 56-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes remaining. When Henrico did score, they could not tie as the two-point to take the lead was crushed by the Springer defense. The defense having done its job, the offense did its part with Juwan Carter hitting Greg Dortch with a touchdown pass and the lead over Henrico was stretched. The Springers final points of the day came from a safety and a field goal. The turnovers by both teams hurt both offenses momentum and kept the game a low scoring affair. The defensive game of both teams should come as no surprise as both have played excellent defense all season long but the Springers made the plays they needed to when given the opportunities and the defense for the Springers came up with big plays when they needed to which is what we have come to expect from the Springers this season. The Springers now face Atlee in Varina to close out the regular season and if they survive those, they will surely be battle tested for the playoffs. Henrico will get a break next week versus Glen Allen but then finishes with an Armstrong team that beat them last year.
UPSET OF THE WEEK
Thomas Jefferson 20-17 over Deep Run
Given the fact that TJ had won once and the Wildcats were 0-7, the fact that they beat Deep Run should not come as complete shock but yet it does. Not to knock the city schools but generally speaking the city schools never match well with the county schools but there are exceptions given what we have seen from Armstrong this season, John Marshall in the past against Patrick Henry, etc Now with two games left the Vikings if they could beat Freeman or Godwin which would be no easy task, could play themselves back into the playoff picture in 3A. Deep Run on the other hand who has been out of the playoff picture for some time have Patrick Henry and John Marshall left with the latter being their last possible chance to avoid an 0-10 season.
ROUND THE REGION
Atlee 70-22 over Armstrong
The Wildcats jumped to a 16-0 lead after a touchdown run by Nigel Chavis and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Despite the Raiders scoring consecutive touchdowns and getting back in the game, they trailed 22-21 at the half. After a close loss to Highland Springs and a blowout loss to Hanover, could the Wildcats actually surprise the region like they did for the first half of the season and beat Atlee? The answer would be no. The Raiders would shutout the Wildcats in the second half while the offense would roll off six touchdowns, five in the third quarter alone. Now the Wildcats look ahead to Lee-Davis and Henrico, two games that could go either way and Atlee must prepare for Lee-Davis in their final game of the season but before that, they must face undefeated Highland Springs.
Monacan 36-7 over Clover Hill
There were no surprises in this one as Monacan dominated from start to finish. The Chiefs got on the board early behind a touchdown from Juwan Addison. The Chiefs would then score three more times before the Cavaliers got their only score of the night when Sal Sidoti broke off a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Chiefs just had it going with the run game with four touchdowns on the ground by four different players. Now the Chiefs prepare for a Midlothian team that has won two straight and the Cavaliers face a Skyhawk team that put up 60 on their rival Cosby.
LC Bird 60-0 over Cosby
I don't think anyone thought Cosby would beat Bird but the final score does come as a bit of a shock to many. The offense did more than it's part with touchdown after touchdown; on the ground, in the air and even on defense with an interception return from Daijuane Dorsey. The defense is the bigger story from this one. The fact that the Skyhawks shutout what had been a 5-2 Cosby team, a team that has the players to do so and could not find the endzone. The Titans get a break next week with George Wythe but Monacan will provide another tough test for the Titans while LC Bird continues on its path towards Manchester in two weeks.
Dinwiddie 28-17 over Hopewell
The Blue Devils led at halftime 14-0 surprising the Generals. Cameron Hill had scored first with a 16-yard touchdown run and Matt Trevillian intercepted a Bryce Witt pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. The Generals then began their comeback in the third quarter with two touchdown runs but Hopewell tacked on a 23-yard field goal to regain the lead, 17-14. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, that would not hold. The Generals Tyrike Williams scored on a 57-yard touchdown pass from Witt to take the lead and any chance of a Hopewell comeback was thwarted when Malik Scott intercepted a Hill pass and returned it into the end zone. Generals surviving Hopewell now face Thomas Dale and Meadowbrook to finish out the season in their toughest stretch of the season. Hopewell will take on a Matoaca and Prince George team that could play spoilers to the Blue Devils home playoff game ambitions.
Manchester 75-0 over George Wythe
This one really played out as expected. A big first half that saw the Lancers scored 55 points, 34 of which came in the second quarter. Zach Hawes finished the night with four touchdowns on the ground, the leading scorer for the Lancers. Eight touchdowns came in the ground attack; two came in the passing game from Daniel Rose as he continues to shine for the Lancers this season. Kye Nuffer even scored on the defensive side of the ball as he recovered a fumble in the end zone. Manchester improves to 8-0 and continues on course to face LC Bird.
Hanover 39-14 over Lee-Davis
Early on in this one, it appeared the Confederates might play spoiler to the Hawk's home game playoff ambitions but the Hawks never gave up and fought back. The Hawks were the first to score with a 20-yard field goal but a big run by Blake Stattleman and an interception for a touchdown by Sam Newsome had the Hawks down 14-3 at the end of one quarter of play. In the second quarter however Clayton Cheatham scored the first of three touchdowns as did Brooks Coombs. Couple those touchdowns with a safety and the Hawks took a 18-14 lead into half. The Hawks would score 21 more in the second half while continuing to shut down the Confederates. Now the Hawks face Varina and Glen Allen with Varina their toughest obstacle left and Lee-Davis has Armstrong and Atlee to finish what has been a disappointing season.
Patrick Henry 33-13 over John Marshall
If you take the second half alone was tied, 13-13 but it was the second quarter that did in the Justices. Bender Vaught scored two touchdowns on the ground as did Quatayvous Blackwell. Those three touchdowns gave the Patriots a 20-0 lead at halftime as the Patriots would go on to win this one and improve to 4-4. With the win, the Patriots are now in playoff position and with Deep Run next, the Patriots could get their fifth win of the season. For John Marshall, while they do avoid a winless season, a losing season is unavoidable.
Douglas Freeman 7-0 over JR Tucker
Who knew when Nathaniel Moody scored a touchdown in the first quarter, that lone score would prove to be the lone points of the entire night. Moody finished with 82 yards on the ground but this one became a bit of a defensive battle and despite a solid game by the Tigers defense, particularly Isaiah Kneeland who came away with an interception, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and four tackles, the better defense proved to be Freeman who shutout the Tigers and the explosive Malik VanBrussel. Freeman finishes with Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry as the Rebels play for playoff position and the Tigers finish to the season won't be easy with Mills Godwin and Hermitage left.
Meadowbrook 55-0 over Colonial Heights
The Monarchs improved to 4-4 as they look to lockdown that final spot in the playoffs. The Monarchs win was boosted by a big first half that saw the Monarchs scored 47 points, largely in part to the play of the Millers'. Justin Miller rushed for four touchdowns and 178 yards while Jace Miller scored twice and picked up 36 yards on the ground. In fact, every Meadowbrook touchdown came by way of the ground game and the defense took care of the rest shutting out the Colonials who have now lost eight straight after beginning the season 2-0. With Petersburg and Dinwiddie left, the Monarchs will fight to the very end for that final playoff spot and the Colonials with Petersburg and Prince George will find it tough to get that third win.
Midlothian 36-16 over Huguenot
The Trojans got their second win of the season at the expense of a one-win Falcons team on Friday night. The Trojans shutout the Falcons in the first quarter while Michael Warren scored twice on the ground. Marzhire Hunter also scored twice on the ground, for the Falcons that is but on this night it was Trojans. Midlothian scored twice more on the ground and Keyan Gant scored on the defensive side of the ball intercepting a Falcon pass and returning it 75 yards for a touchdown. With Monacan left on the schedule, the Trojans will find it tough to finish the season 3-0, likewise for Huguenot who finishes with Clover Hill; Huguenot is likely to finish with just one win this season.
Hermitage 42-24 over Mills Godwin
The Panthers remain undefeated thanks to another great performance on Friday night. Eli Odom who has played great in the absence of quarterback Rashad Robinson threw the first two touchdowns before Godwin got on the board with a field goal. By the time the teams got to halftime, the Panthers had a 28-10 lead and in the third quarter they stretched that lead to 42-10 behind the running of Johntae Wilson and Odom. The Eagles would score in the fourth quarter but the Panthers once more had the win and appear on track for an undefeated regular season with John Marshall and Tucker remaining. At 4-4 Godwin has Tucker and TJ remaining but will need some misfortune from Meadowbrook to make the playoffs.
Thomas Dale 27-6 over Petersburg
For three quarters the Knights had the Crimson Wave shutout but in the fourth quarter Tye Freeland caught a touchdown to finally get the Wave on the board. It was too little too late however as the Knights had the game won by way of another solid performance on the defensive side of the ball and of course the offense, in particular Khalid Morris who threw three touchdowns on his way to 223 yards. With the win the Knights only have Dinwiddie and Matoaca standing in the way of an 8-2 regular season. Petersburg on the other hand has a tough one against Meadowbrook before finishing up against Colonial Heights as they pursue a playoff spot.
Matoaca 37-28 over Prince George
Jamison Harrison had another awesome game for the Warriors on Friday night scoring two touchdowns early as the Warriors kept pace with the Royals early on. In fact, at the half, the Royals led 14-13 but that would be the final time they would lead. In the third quarter the Warriors would outscore the Royals 15-7 behind two touchdown runs while the Royals only score came in the way of a Joseph Kemp 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Going into the fourth quarter the Warriors led 28-21 and in that fourth quarter the Warriors intercepted a Royals pass and returned it 90 yards for a score and while Prince George never gave up, the third quarter did in the Royals and Justin Dyke kicked a 22-yard field goal as the final points of the night and the Warriors would hand the Royals their fifth straight loss. Things won't be easy in the final two weeks with Hopewell and Thomas Dale while Prince George finishes with Colonial Heights and Hopewell as they look to be on the way out of the playoff chase.
Varina 42-8 over Glen Allen
Varina evened their record 4-4 while handing Glen Allen their seventh straight loss. With Hanover and Highland Springs remaining on the schedule, the Blue Devils could play their way back into the playoffs but it will likely take winning both games which could be easier said than done. With Henrico and Hanover left on Glen Allen's schedule, the Jaguars will struggle to get their second win of the season.
EXTRA POINTS
15-1 this week which brings my total for the year to 112-23.
Atlee's 70 points ties their previous record of most points scored which came just last year in two games.
The 70 points allowed by Armstrong was the most points they have ever allowed predating 1970.
Monacan is off to their best start since the 2003 season and with 6 wins, has the most win since going 7-3 in 2008.
60 points given up by Cosby wasn't just the most points given up by the Titans ever but obviously the largest margin of defeat for the Titans.
Manchester has scored 300 or more points in six of the last seven seasons and is just fifty-six short of 400 which would be a first for the Lancers.
25 points was the largest margin of victory for the Hawks over Lee-Davis in their series history.
Patrick Henry's four wins is the most for the Patriots since they won five in 2010.
The last time Douglas Freeman had four or more shutouts in one season was 1981 when they posted five shutouts.
The past three seasons Meadowbrook has 53 or more points against the Colonials while shutting them out as well, outscoring the Colonials 164-0.
Last season Midlothian scored 113 points, this year the Trojans are 10 points shy with one game left from matching that mark.
Godwin's 24 points was the most they have scored on Hermitage since beating them in 2006.
The Knights are 19 points from last year's mark of points scored, 20 more and they will have scored the most since their state championship season of 2009.
Prince George has dropped five straight for the second time in three years and still has never beaten Matoaca.
Thomas Jefferson's win over Deep Run was their first over the Wildcats since 2003.
The Wildcats have never gone a season winless but are two games away from that unfortunate mark.
Glen Allen has never posted a shutout and has two games left to get it's first.
18 points is the fewest points Highland Springs has scored since being shutout by Varina in 2012.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Highland Springs 18-6 over Henrico
This game had it all Two teams with a combined record of 13-1 clashed in a game that saw turnovers, tough defense, penalties and minimal scoring. The two combined for 23 penalties and 175 yards of penalties and the two combined for ten turnovers. The Springers got on the board in the first half behind a DJ Anderson 56-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes remaining. When Henrico did score, they could not tie as the two-point to take the lead was crushed by the Springer defense. The defense having done its job, the offense did its part with Juwan Carter hitting Greg Dortch with a touchdown pass and the lead over Henrico was stretched. The Springers final points of the day came from a safety and a field goal. The turnovers by both teams hurt both offenses momentum and kept the game a low scoring affair. The defensive game of both teams should come as no surprise as both have played excellent defense all season long but the Springers made the plays they needed to when given the opportunities and the defense for the Springers came up with big plays when they needed to which is what we have come to expect from the Springers this season. The Springers now face Atlee in Varina to close out the regular season and if they survive those, they will surely be battle tested for the playoffs. Henrico will get a break next week versus Glen Allen but then finishes with an Armstrong team that beat them last year.
UPSET OF THE WEEK
Thomas Jefferson 20-17 over Deep Run
Given the fact that TJ had won once and the Wildcats were 0-7, the fact that they beat Deep Run should not come as complete shock but yet it does. Not to knock the city schools but generally speaking the city schools never match well with the county schools but there are exceptions given what we have seen from Armstrong this season, John Marshall in the past against Patrick Henry, etc Now with two games left the Vikings if they could beat Freeman or Godwin which would be no easy task, could play themselves back into the playoff picture in 3A. Deep Run on the other hand who has been out of the playoff picture for some time have Patrick Henry and John Marshall left with the latter being their last possible chance to avoid an 0-10 season.
ROUND THE REGION
Atlee 70-22 over Armstrong
The Wildcats jumped to a 16-0 lead after a touchdown run by Nigel Chavis and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Despite the Raiders scoring consecutive touchdowns and getting back in the game, they trailed 22-21 at the half. After a close loss to Highland Springs and a blowout loss to Hanover, could the Wildcats actually surprise the region like they did for the first half of the season and beat Atlee? The answer would be no. The Raiders would shutout the Wildcats in the second half while the offense would roll off six touchdowns, five in the third quarter alone. Now the Wildcats look ahead to Lee-Davis and Henrico, two games that could go either way and Atlee must prepare for Lee-Davis in their final game of the season but before that, they must face undefeated Highland Springs.
Monacan 36-7 over Clover Hill
There were no surprises in this one as Monacan dominated from start to finish. The Chiefs got on the board early behind a touchdown from Juwan Addison. The Chiefs would then score three more times before the Cavaliers got their only score of the night when Sal Sidoti broke off a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Chiefs just had it going with the run game with four touchdowns on the ground by four different players. Now the Chiefs prepare for a Midlothian team that has won two straight and the Cavaliers face a Skyhawk team that put up 60 on their rival Cosby.
LC Bird 60-0 over Cosby
I don't think anyone thought Cosby would beat Bird but the final score does come as a bit of a shock to many. The offense did more than it's part with touchdown after touchdown; on the ground, in the air and even on defense with an interception return from Daijuane Dorsey. The defense is the bigger story from this one. The fact that the Skyhawks shutout what had been a 5-2 Cosby team, a team that has the players to do so and could not find the endzone. The Titans get a break next week with George Wythe but Monacan will provide another tough test for the Titans while LC Bird continues on its path towards Manchester in two weeks.
Dinwiddie 28-17 over Hopewell
The Blue Devils led at halftime 14-0 surprising the Generals. Cameron Hill had scored first with a 16-yard touchdown run and Matt Trevillian intercepted a Bryce Witt pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. The Generals then began their comeback in the third quarter with two touchdown runs but Hopewell tacked on a 23-yard field goal to regain the lead, 17-14. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, that would not hold. The Generals Tyrike Williams scored on a 57-yard touchdown pass from Witt to take the lead and any chance of a Hopewell comeback was thwarted when Malik Scott intercepted a Hill pass and returned it into the end zone. Generals surviving Hopewell now face Thomas Dale and Meadowbrook to finish out the season in their toughest stretch of the season. Hopewell will take on a Matoaca and Prince George team that could play spoilers to the Blue Devils home playoff game ambitions.
Manchester 75-0 over George Wythe
This one really played out as expected. A big first half that saw the Lancers scored 55 points, 34 of which came in the second quarter. Zach Hawes finished the night with four touchdowns on the ground, the leading scorer for the Lancers. Eight touchdowns came in the ground attack; two came in the passing game from Daniel Rose as he continues to shine for the Lancers this season. Kye Nuffer even scored on the defensive side of the ball as he recovered a fumble in the end zone. Manchester improves to 8-0 and continues on course to face LC Bird.
Hanover 39-14 over Lee-Davis
Early on in this one, it appeared the Confederates might play spoiler to the Hawk's home game playoff ambitions but the Hawks never gave up and fought back. The Hawks were the first to score with a 20-yard field goal but a big run by Blake Stattleman and an interception for a touchdown by Sam Newsome had the Hawks down 14-3 at the end of one quarter of play. In the second quarter however Clayton Cheatham scored the first of three touchdowns as did Brooks Coombs. Couple those touchdowns with a safety and the Hawks took a 18-14 lead into half. The Hawks would score 21 more in the second half while continuing to shut down the Confederates. Now the Hawks face Varina and Glen Allen with Varina their toughest obstacle left and Lee-Davis has Armstrong and Atlee to finish what has been a disappointing season.
Patrick Henry 33-13 over John Marshall
If you take the second half alone was tied, 13-13 but it was the second quarter that did in the Justices. Bender Vaught scored two touchdowns on the ground as did Quatayvous Blackwell. Those three touchdowns gave the Patriots a 20-0 lead at halftime as the Patriots would go on to win this one and improve to 4-4. With the win, the Patriots are now in playoff position and with Deep Run next, the Patriots could get their fifth win of the season. For John Marshall, while they do avoid a winless season, a losing season is unavoidable.
Douglas Freeman 7-0 over JR Tucker
Who knew when Nathaniel Moody scored a touchdown in the first quarter, that lone score would prove to be the lone points of the entire night. Moody finished with 82 yards on the ground but this one became a bit of a defensive battle and despite a solid game by the Tigers defense, particularly Isaiah Kneeland who came away with an interception, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and four tackles, the better defense proved to be Freeman who shutout the Tigers and the explosive Malik VanBrussel. Freeman finishes with Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry as the Rebels play for playoff position and the Tigers finish to the season won't be easy with Mills Godwin and Hermitage left.
Meadowbrook 55-0 over Colonial Heights
The Monarchs improved to 4-4 as they look to lockdown that final spot in the playoffs. The Monarchs win was boosted by a big first half that saw the Monarchs scored 47 points, largely in part to the play of the Millers'. Justin Miller rushed for four touchdowns and 178 yards while Jace Miller scored twice and picked up 36 yards on the ground. In fact, every Meadowbrook touchdown came by way of the ground game and the defense took care of the rest shutting out the Colonials who have now lost eight straight after beginning the season 2-0. With Petersburg and Dinwiddie left, the Monarchs will fight to the very end for that final playoff spot and the Colonials with Petersburg and Prince George will find it tough to get that third win.
Midlothian 36-16 over Huguenot
The Trojans got their second win of the season at the expense of a one-win Falcons team on Friday night. The Trojans shutout the Falcons in the first quarter while Michael Warren scored twice on the ground. Marzhire Hunter also scored twice on the ground, for the Falcons that is but on this night it was Trojans. Midlothian scored twice more on the ground and Keyan Gant scored on the defensive side of the ball intercepting a Falcon pass and returning it 75 yards for a touchdown. With Monacan left on the schedule, the Trojans will find it tough to finish the season 3-0, likewise for Huguenot who finishes with Clover Hill; Huguenot is likely to finish with just one win this season.
Hermitage 42-24 over Mills Godwin
The Panthers remain undefeated thanks to another great performance on Friday night. Eli Odom who has played great in the absence of quarterback Rashad Robinson threw the first two touchdowns before Godwin got on the board with a field goal. By the time the teams got to halftime, the Panthers had a 28-10 lead and in the third quarter they stretched that lead to 42-10 behind the running of Johntae Wilson and Odom. The Eagles would score in the fourth quarter but the Panthers once more had the win and appear on track for an undefeated regular season with John Marshall and Tucker remaining. At 4-4 Godwin has Tucker and TJ remaining but will need some misfortune from Meadowbrook to make the playoffs.
Thomas Dale 27-6 over Petersburg
For three quarters the Knights had the Crimson Wave shutout but in the fourth quarter Tye Freeland caught a touchdown to finally get the Wave on the board. It was too little too late however as the Knights had the game won by way of another solid performance on the defensive side of the ball and of course the offense, in particular Khalid Morris who threw three touchdowns on his way to 223 yards. With the win the Knights only have Dinwiddie and Matoaca standing in the way of an 8-2 regular season. Petersburg on the other hand has a tough one against Meadowbrook before finishing up against Colonial Heights as they pursue a playoff spot.
Matoaca 37-28 over Prince George
Jamison Harrison had another awesome game for the Warriors on Friday night scoring two touchdowns early as the Warriors kept pace with the Royals early on. In fact, at the half, the Royals led 14-13 but that would be the final time they would lead. In the third quarter the Warriors would outscore the Royals 15-7 behind two touchdown runs while the Royals only score came in the way of a Joseph Kemp 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Going into the fourth quarter the Warriors led 28-21 and in that fourth quarter the Warriors intercepted a Royals pass and returned it 90 yards for a score and while Prince George never gave up, the third quarter did in the Royals and Justin Dyke kicked a 22-yard field goal as the final points of the night and the Warriors would hand the Royals their fifth straight loss. Things won't be easy in the final two weeks with Hopewell and Thomas Dale while Prince George finishes with Colonial Heights and Hopewell as they look to be on the way out of the playoff chase.
Varina 42-8 over Glen Allen
Varina evened their record 4-4 while handing Glen Allen their seventh straight loss. With Hanover and Highland Springs remaining on the schedule, the Blue Devils could play their way back into the playoffs but it will likely take winning both games which could be easier said than done. With Henrico and Hanover left on Glen Allen's schedule, the Jaguars will struggle to get their second win of the season.
EXTRA POINTS
15-1 this week which brings my total for the year to 112-23.
Atlee's 70 points ties their previous record of most points scored which came just last year in two games.
The 70 points allowed by Armstrong was the most points they have ever allowed predating 1970.
Monacan is off to their best start since the 2003 season and with 6 wins, has the most win since going 7-3 in 2008.
60 points given up by Cosby wasn't just the most points given up by the Titans ever but obviously the largest margin of defeat for the Titans.
Manchester has scored 300 or more points in six of the last seven seasons and is just fifty-six short of 400 which would be a first for the Lancers.
25 points was the largest margin of victory for the Hawks over Lee-Davis in their series history.
Patrick Henry's four wins is the most for the Patriots since they won five in 2010.
The last time Douglas Freeman had four or more shutouts in one season was 1981 when they posted five shutouts.
The past three seasons Meadowbrook has 53 or more points against the Colonials while shutting them out as well, outscoring the Colonials 164-0.
Last season Midlothian scored 113 points, this year the Trojans are 10 points shy with one game left from matching that mark.
Godwin's 24 points was the most they have scored on Hermitage since beating them in 2006.
The Knights are 19 points from last year's mark of points scored, 20 more and they will have scored the most since their state championship season of 2009.
Prince George has dropped five straight for the second time in three years and still has never beaten Matoaca.
Thomas Jefferson's win over Deep Run was their first over the Wildcats since 2003.
The Wildcats have never gone a season winless but are two games away from that unfortunate mark.
Glen Allen has never posted a shutout and has two games left to get it's first.
18 points is the fewest points Highland Springs has scored since being shutout by Varina in 2012.
