I am a bit late to the party but here are my thoughts on the first round of Region 2-B. First of all, I completely agree that it will be VERY competitive and wide open.
It would have been great if the brackets could have worked out so that we had three Bull Run/Shenandoah match-ups in the first round, so that one district or the other could claim it was the best. Instead we will have only one (FD/Strasburg), and then there will be one all-Bull Run game and one all-Shenandoah, leaving Central to be the team making the longest trip of the night, down to Buckingham.
Also because of the brackets being what they are, it will be impossible for the Shenandoah to place two teams in the finals, but it will be possible for the Bull Run to have three of the final four. Of course they had that last year and we know how that worked out for them (wink wink!)
As many of you have already stated, it will almost be a shock if the top four seeds all win their first round games. So yes, there will likely be at least one lower seed that will win on the road.
OK, here are my thoughts on the individual games..........
MADISON AT CLARKE I have not seen either one, but if I am not mistaken, they just met and Clarke won by about 20. I believe that game was at Madison. So unless Clarke simply overlooks them or relaxes, I don't see this one as a candidate for an upset. Now beyond that, all bets are off, but Clarke should take this one by roughly the same margin.
FORT DEFIANCE AT STRASBURG As you guys have already mentioned, this one will largely depend on the return of Armentrout and how close he is to 100%. I must say I was surprised to read that the Indians just barely squeaked past Buffalo Gap Friday but he did reportedly play in the game. I haven't read any specific details but a healthy Armentrout would have given the Bison fits, so maybe it was only a test-drive for him Friday night. To get to the point, I think the Rams will win this one regardless, but if he is healthy and gets on a roll, the Fort could prevail. I will say Strasburg in something like a 28-20 game.
STUARTS DRAFT AT RIVERHEADS First of all, if you are not already standing in line at the gate, reading this on your phone and having your meals delivered, you may not get a seat. This one should be a real fence-liner. To analyze the first game, there is no doubt that the Cougars were on fire that night, and as I said in that post-game review, they played almost a perfect game. However, just from watching the second half through the fence Friday night at Wilson, they did not look like that same team. As for Riverheads, I know some people roll their eyes when you mention any team's injuries, but they are a factual part of the game. Talbott was out completely that night, Brody Phillips who is a much more important part of the Big Red squad than some people might realize, was injured in the first five minutes, and Jackson Fitzgerald went out in the third quarter and if he returned at all, he was not 100%. So that was three important two-way players that were compromised that night. Now don't get me wrong.......The Draft was on a mission and would have won the game regardless. But that was then and this is now. RHS has tradition.......especially playoff tradition......and you only have to look back at last year's two games at Central to remember that. Or for you old-timers out there........how about 2005? Remember a guy named Richard Long at Stonewall? He came down to Riverheads during the regular season and almost single-handedly demolished the Big Red 44-14. But when it was time for the two to meet again in the playoffs, and at Stonewall no less, the Gladiators turned the tables and won 31-8, with Long pretty much a non-factor. So if Riverheads is healthy this time around or at least healthIER (and we do know that Phillips is gone for his entire junior year of sports), there is no doubt in my mind that they will make adjustments and this will be a totally different game. I personally look for a close, low-scoring game in which Riverheads is able to contain the more explosive plays the Cougars made that night and that we will have a battle in the trenches. So I will go RHS 17-14 just because you gotta let your team know you believe in them. Let's just hope for decent weather and a game that is not decided by the officials.
CENTRAL AT BUCKINGHAM As you might expect, this is the hardest game to predict because 4/5 match-ups are "supposed" to be close. Since I have not yet predicted an upset, I guess this has to be the time for one. I am basing that on what some of you have said about Buckingham's questionable strength of schedule. So let's say that the Falcons will win by a touchdown and rock the bus all the way back home, hoping that a trip to Clarke will be next on their schedule.
Good luck to them.
