Since the start of the 2024 football season, I have posted prospect watch articles which highlight the top prospects I have watched in-person. From those live game performances, I create/update Rivals profiles. This is my primary criteria to create Rivals profiles.

Here, I present my Prospect Watch All-State Private team. To be eligible for the Prospect Watch, I must have watched the player live, in-person at a game I attended. If I did not see the player live, then they are not included. This also means one great performance could elevate a prospect and one non-spectacular game could leave a Power 4 off. I went thru all the writes from the games and Prospect Watch articles to create the following team.

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The Bible boys buy the 2024 state championship.

Just hit with a post season ban

It's that time.....

Who and why?

Graham 14-0. And i thought region D was weak. Man, region A and B must be extremely weak. Palmer must've seen something on tape to come out passing like this. Cuz its just been toss and catch

Should be a good one between formidable opponents…I know Graham’s D is tough and Glenvar’s QB is very talented. Thoughts?

Another championship contest is about to kickoff. The Oscar Smith Tigers @OscarSmithFB (14-0) are battling the Madison Warhawks @madfootball3 (14-0) in the Class 6 State Championship at JMU

Let’s get the talk started.

Congratulations to Phoebus High School on securing the 2024 Class 4 State Championship title. As we look ahead to the 2025 season, Division 4 is set to become even more competitive with the additions of Louisa and Lafayette, two programs bringing exceptional talent and depth to the field.

Louisa enters the division with a young, promising team, including 2-3 highly-touted 5-star recruits at wide receiver and running back. Their combination of talent and youth makes them a serious contender for years to come. Lafayette, similarly, adds strength to the division with a roster largely intact, as only 4-5 seniors are graduating. These additions undoubtedly deepen the competition and set the stage for an exciting 2025 season.

While Phoebus boasts an outstanding quarterback, who was instrumental in their championship run, they face the challenge of significant roster turnover, losing many key seniors. My question is: How will Phoebus regroup and maintain their dominance in a division that is only getting stronger?

Varina, despite some chatter after their recent performances, returns nearly all of their key players, with only 3-4 seniors graduating. Their continuity and talent make them a formidable opponent to many powerhouses, especially as they face teams like Dinwiddie, Phoebus, Huguenot and Louisa, Dinwiddie will be navigating a quarterback change after losing a great QB in 6 and the loss of critical linemen and top receivers (#2 and #4). If these teams meet, Dinwiddie will need to make serious adjustments, as the scoreline in their previous matchup may not have reflected Varina’s full potential and maybe potential spots for other teams to attack. How does Dinwiddie plan to rebuild, and can Varina capitalize on their returning talent to cement themselves as a top contender?

With Louisa County and Lafayette emerging as new threats, the power dynamics in Division 4 are shifting. Should teams across the division be worried about the rise of these two programs, and how will the traditional powerhouses respond to the challenge?

Post-game discussion in the new 12 team playoff system is now "did they deserve it?" and "blowouts aren't fun" as though UGA didn't just beat TCU two years ago 65-7 for the title or USC didn't pound Oklahoma 55-14 in the BCS system. People fought long and hard to move away from the "unfair" BCA/BCS system towards the playoffs (remember the micro-battles along the way like which polls should/shouldn't be included) and now have battled to expand from a 4 team playoff into a 12 team playoff and yet here we sit, a different year but the same boring, hackneyed arguments. Autobids, SOS discussions, "quality" wins and losses, a constant shuffling of what matters and what suddenly doesn't when it comes to figuring out who reigns supreme.

Reminds me of, well, this board!

"Six divisions is too much"
"Four divisions is too little"
"Eight teams per region is too many"
"Byes are unfair"
"Crossbracketing is the only fair thing"
"Crossbracketing is unfair"

The similarities are striking to me. A ceaseless amount of hemming and hawing from fans to move away from one system with flaws and towards another that also has flaws, a Sisyphean task with no end.

Me? Football is football. More is good, less is worse, it's OK if the first round of the playoffs are mostly blowouts, home field is an illusion at this level, you can only play who is put before you, and the cream always rises.

I know the kids probably aren't even home yet from the semis today but wanted to get the discussion started. Two incredible teams that deserve to be here and earned HARD fought wins over Glenvar and Poquoson. Really think any of those four could have won it all with the right bounces.

I feel like Graham is a little more dynamic offensively than Strasburg - but of course this game will be won in the trenches where both teams are stout. Graham has the experience but this has the feel of a dream season for Strasburg. Would be surprised if this isn't close either way. I'm leaning toward Graham due to their experience in this game but Strasburg will come ready. Let's hear some thoughts!

Essex big time! They’re on a mission and Grayson a 2A school has been taking it to smaller 1A schools but they’re about to hit a brick wall in my opinion. I could be wrong.

Who are you picking?

Class 5 semi-final:
@LCBfootball at Briar Woods