FINAL RICHMOND REGION RANKINGS
Keep in mind when looking through the final rankings that playoff teams no matter their record are ranked above those who did not make the playoffs. The further you reach in the playoffs, the higher you are ranked. So when you look at the rankings, don't swear my name too much.1st Highland Springs(14-1) 5A State Champions
In the previews before the season I said Highland Springs would finish between 8-2 and 10-0… I thought all season long they were the second best team behind Bird, even after a season opening loss to Hermitage. After that one-point loss the Springers went on a tear and despite some narrow wins in the playoffs, the Springers just kept winning and going into 2016 they will be riding a 14 game winning streak and the question will be, can they repeat?
2nd Hopewell(11-3) 3A State Semi-Finalist
I had Hopewell finishing between 6-4 and 7-3… They did better than this with an 8-2 campaign and seemed like a team destined for big things. The Blue Devils fell short of the ultimate goal as they lost in the state semifinal to Lord Botetourt but with so many returning to the team, I believe in 2016 the Blue Devils will be a bigger threat than they were this past season.
3rd Thomas Dale(9-5) 6A State Semi-Finalist
I thought Thomas Dale could be as good as 8-2 but could be as bad as 6-4… The Knights finished the regular season 6-4 after looking like an 8-2 team for much of the season. The Knights despite a slide to close out the season had themselves a little run in the playoffs but fell short to Oscar Smith in the state semifinal. I have no doubt that Coach Tucker will have the Knights primed for another run next season as you can never count out Thomas Dale.
4th Hermitage(12-1)
I had the Panthers as a 9-1 team this year. Hermitage has supplanted Varina as the best team in the region not to win a state title. Year in and year out in mid to late 90’s as well as the early 2000’s Varina put out teams that went undefeated, had a plethora of talent but could never win the big one. That is where Hermitage is at this point, they are one of the best teams not only in the region but the state this century but have yet to win a state title. This year might have been the year if not for a Juwan Carter touchdown in the closing seconds of their playoff game versus Highland Springs but we will never know. Hermitage will look to shake that monkey in 2016.
5th Hanover(9-4)
Hanover is a team that has to wonder what could have been… What could have been had the Hawks had Cheatham for a full season? Hopefully they will find out next season but even without their quarterback the Hawks won and managed a 7-3 season and made some noise in the playoffs. 2016 will be an interesting season for the Hawks as they lose quite a bit to graduation this year. They will be one to watch carefully in 2016.
6th Cosby(8-5)
I thought the Titans to be a 6-4 team going into the season and that’s exactly where they finished the regular season. The Titans started the season a bit rough but turned it on midway through the season and made the deepest playoff run in the programs history. The Titans return quite a bit to their team in 2016 and over the last three season the Titans have gone a step further each year… If that trend continues, are we looking at the Titans playing in the state semifinals next year? They nearly got there this year so why not?
7th LC Bird(11-1)
The Skyhawks season ended prematurely for the first time since the 2011 season. The Skyhawks went 10-0 much like I thought they would in the regular season but in the playoffs Hermitage had their number this year. It will be interesting to see how the Skyhawks respond in 2016 with a new quarterback and not as a defending state champion. There are pieces in place and make no mistake the Skyhawks will be a winner, they will be a contender but can they get back to the top?
8th Lee-Davis(9-3)
At best I thought the Confederates would be 5-5 this season… They put myself and many others to shame as the Confederates finished the regular season 8-2 and made the playoffs. The Confederates had a dynamic offense and a health quarterback which made all the difference in the world this season. As we look to 2016 the question becomes, can they sustain it or was it a one-hit wonder of a season for Confederates?
9th Dinwiddie(8-4)
I thought at worst Dinwiddie would be 7-3 and that is exactly how they finished in the regular season. The Generals had some bumps along the way but they made the playoffs and had success and came very close to pulling off a comeback against Hanover. The Generals are always a contender and I have no doubt they will be so against next year.
10th Atlee(7-5)
The Raiders finished 6-4 this season which is the worst I thought they would do. The Raiders pulled of an upset in the playoffs and early on looked as though they would do the same to Tuscarora but the season came to an end at 7-5. The Raiders not only are losing several key players to the past success of the last couple of years but also their coach as Coach Johnson has stepped down. There will be many questions surrounding the 2016 edition of the Raiders.
11th Monacan(9-2)
The Chiefs I thought would be 7-3 or 8-2 team, they did better than that going 9-1 with the lone loss to LC Bird. That said, a weak schedule and a week off between their regular season finale and their playoff game against Dinwiddie did them no favors. A slow start against Dinwiddie did in the Chiefs in their playoff game and the Chiefs season ended prematurely. I have no doubt the Chiefs will be a contender again in 2016.
12th Douglas Freeman(9-2)
This Rebels surprise many, myself included as I honestly had the Rebels finishing 4-6 in the preseason… shame on me. Behind a strong defense and the evolution of their offense, the Rebels went 9-0 before falling to Hermitage and Lee-Davis in consecutive weeks to end their season. If I’ve learned anything from this Rebels teams it’s never underestimate a Coach Henderson led team. Look for the Rebels to be back in the mix in 2016.
13th Matoaca(7-4)
One of the surprise teams of 2015, the Warriors got suffered a loss in the first game of the season but lost only twice more during the season to finish the season 7-3 and make the playoffs for the first time since the 2005 season. If the Warriors can do this in the first year under Coach Johnson, I don’t know about you but I cannot wait to see what they do in year two.
14th Henrico(7-4)
I thought the Warriors could be a legit contender in 5A but for a second straight season the Warriors drew Hermitage in the playoffs and the Warriors season ended at the Herm. I thought they could be 9-1 but at the worst 7-3 and that’s where they landed. They lose some key players this season but Coach Glasco has a lot of talent returning as well and this program will once against be in the mix.
15th Manchester(6-5)
Injuries hit this team hard and took a team that should of/could have been 9-1 or 8-2 and reduced it 6-4. The Lancers didn’t finish the season the way they would have liked but that will be a driving force in 2016 and hopefully the Lancers can stay healthy. I honestly believe if they were healthy they would have been a threat in the playoffs.
16th Meadowbrook(5-6)
The season was a mirror image of last season for the Monarchs under first year Coach Tiller. A rough start, a few wins mixed in there and a loss in the playoffs. Meadowbrook will be one of those to keep any eye on 2016… They lose a few but have quite a bit coming back and honestly this program is tooo good to be down but for so long.
17th Colonial Heights(4-7)
The Colonials had their best season in over a decade behind the legs of Darien Canada amongst others. The end result was a playoff berth but while their first playoff win still eludes the Colonials, there is promise. The Colonials will be a team to watch next season to see if they can back this season up or if it was just one of those seasons where they make an appearance and fade into the district again.
18th Petersburg(2-9)
Petersburg was a bit of a disappointment for me. I thought they would have been better than what they were. I thought 5-5 to be honest, at the worst 3-7 but after two wins to open the season the Wave never lost another game. Petersburg is now a program not only coming off a losing season but also in search of a coach. I honestly have no feel for what 2016 will bring this team but when you’re down there is only one place to go and that is up.
19th Armstrong(2-9)
Armstrong like Petersburg is a team that had two early wins and then saw the rest of the season become a struggle. The Wildcats made the playoffs for a third straight season but they were never a real threat. Coach McDaniel Anderson with a year behind him will look to bounce back from a dismal first year in 2016.
20th JR Tucker(5-5)
The Tucker Tigers took their lumps early but behind the run game of Taj Conway and a nice defense, the Tigers went 5-2 in district play to finish their season 5-5. I wasn’t far off the mark, I thought 4-6 or 5-5 for the Tigers. It’s unfortunate for the program they moved up to 5A this year as if they had been in 4A they would have made the playoffs. In 2016 I look for the Tigers to build on the success of this season.
21st James River(4-6)
I honestly thought the Rapids would have had a better season, I thought 6-4, maybe 7-3 but I was sadly mistaken as the Rapids finished 4-6. The key to their success in 2014 was experience and while there was some experience in 2015, it was not enough and I fear 2016 will be much of the same.
22nd Varina(4-6)
The Blue Devils suffered yet another losing season and to make matters worse, their biggest rival is now a state champion. The best I thought the Blue Devils would be is 6-4 this season, they finished 4-6 for a second straight season. The pressure is on the Blue Devils now to get the program back where it was making this team one of the enigmas in 2016. Can they get back there or will we see this program continue to falter?
23rd Patrick Henry(4-6)
The Patriots were a better team than their record shows but their first foray into Capital District play was not an easy one going 1-6. That is why the Patriots missed the playoffs this year, one more win and they would have had just enough to creep in. If they can improve in district play in 2016, I believe the Patriots will be back where they were a year ago.
24th Mills Godwin(4-6)
The Eagles had a rough start to the season setting them back early. I honestly thought the Eagles would have been better than 4-6, I had them being 6-4 maybe even 7-3. The Eagles do not endure many losing seasons so it will be interesting to see how they rebound in 2016. They are one of many teams who have questions surrounding them going into next season.
25th Prince George(3-7)
It was more of the same for Prince George. I honestly feel the Royals underachieved this season but the lack of success might lie with a defense that allowed their opponents to score more than their talented offense. The Royals will enter 2016 still looking for a return to the playoffs for the first time since 1994 but the Central District is crowded with talented teams and contenders making it and uphill battle for the Royals.
26th Clover Hill(3-7)
The Cavaliers will enter 2016 with a new coach as Coach O’Hare has stepped down. The Cavaliers suffered another losing season but Davod Wilkins running the ball provided a bright spot on a dismal season and a glimpse at what could be a better season ahead in 2016. With a new coach the Cavaliers will be a team to keep an eye on in 2016 as we know sometimes change can be a good thing.
27th Thomas Jefferson(3-7)
The Vikings are a team that just barely missed the playoffs. That is why it came as a bit of a surprise that Coach Hornik stepped down after the season. The Vikings will now be under the direction of Coach Chris Mitchell who has been on the staff at TJ so it should make for a smooth transition. Whether that translate to a return to the playoffs remains to be seen.
28th Midlothian(2-8)
The Trojans finish the season 2-8 with wins against Huguenot and George Wythe. Had the Trojans been able to get one or two more wins in there somewhere they could have made the playoffs for the first time since the 1986 season. As it is, they are still no closer and it remains to be seen whether 2016 will be that season or not.
29th Huguenot(2-8)
I honestly thought the Falcons had a chance to finish with a better record than previous seasons… but while they did double their win total, they are still not where they want to be. The Falcons still have a long way to go in getting this program where it was or where they want to be so 2016 will be yet another step towards that.
30th Deep Run(2-8)
The Wildcats I thought had the possibility to be 4-6 season, as it was they finished 2-8 and lost their coach in the process. The season was one to forget for Deep Run but there is hope as we exit 2015 and enter 2016. Just this week it was announced that Coach Hornik who resigned just a few weeks ago will be the Wildcats new coach. That alone makes the Wildcats one of the teams of interest in 2016, can Coach Hornik return the Wildcats to prominence?
31st John Marshall(2-8)
The Justices came very close to making the playoffs which would be a far cry from where they were just a couple of seasons ago. Coach Thompson appears to have the Justices moving in the right direction but the problem is wins for city schools are hard to come by so they will need to capitalize when they have the chance in 2016.
32nd Glen Allen(1-9)
The Jaguars I thought would be better than last year but that never came to fruition. The Jaguars lost one of their star players Cole Blackman to Atlee. The Jaguars never found a rhythm on either side of the ball and the icing on the cake at seasons end was Coach Mayo stepping down. 2015 is a season that Glen Allen would like to forget… A new coach coming on board, there is a lot of optimism for the program in 2016 but we will see if that hope goes filled or unfilled.
33rd George Wythe( 0-10)
What is there to say about the Bulldogs? By far the worst team in the region over a decade now, I don’t know what the answer is other than to look at city counterparts John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson who are always a threat to make the playoffs in 3A due to their strength of schedule if they can get 2-4 wins a season. Coach Foxx’s season was a forgettable one, we will see what 2016 brings.
Richmond Football Forecast Results
This season I was 174-41 with an 80% win average. 174 is just one mark off of my all-time best, 175.
Season over, we will be profiling over the next six months the players to keep an eye on or be on the lookout for in 2016. While there is a long way to go, here is a “way too early” preseason top ten to wet your whistle.
- Highland Springs
- Hopewell
- Hermitage
- LC Bird
- Manchester
- Dinwiddie
- Matoaca
- Lee-Davis
- Douglas Freeman
- Monacan
