When your membership is spread out among three classifications, it only stands to reason that you have more chances for post-season play, and as a result the Shenandoah District will have five of its seven members advancing to post-season play. You will be pleased to hear that I waited for official confirmation of all pairings before I started this post!!!
In Class 3.........Waynesboro and Wilson Memorial claimed the final two seeds in the eight-team Region C bracket, although they went about it in exactly the opposite fashion. Waynesboro played its entire Shenandoah District schedule in the first six weeks of the season, and went 2-4 in those six games. They then finished out the regular-season by playing four non-district games against their former Valley District foes. They went 3-1 in those four games, all of which were Class 3 match-ups, and that late surge was enough to elevate them to the number 7 seed, one spot ahead of Wilson, even though the Hornets handled them easily early in the season. Wilson on the other hand started the season looking like world-beaters as they jumped out to a 4-0 start. They then got into the meat of their Shenandoah schedule, where they were handed losses by Riverheads, Stuarts Draft, and Buffalo Gap (all at home by the way) as well as suffering a non-district loss at Class 4 Western Albemarle. They finally got back on the winning track with a victory at Staunton Friday night, one that they may have needed to make the field at all. So congrats to both for making the cut but on paper, it looks as if each one and possibly both could make an early exit this Friday. Each one will travel to Lynchburg where Wilson will tangle with the number one seed Liberty Christian Academy and Waynesboro will play another playoff-proven team in Number 2 seed Heritage. However Waynesboro fans will no doubt remember the night the Little Giants made history (back in 2014) when they were a 16 seed and soundly knocked off Number 1 Hidden Valley 46-15 on its own field. So fans in both the River City and Fishersville will and certainly should go into these contests with maximum confidence and let the chips fall where they may.
In Class 2.........Stuarts Draft will be the number 2 seed and will host number 7 seed Luray Friday in the first round of the Region B playoffs. There is actually some irony or poetic justice or whatever term you might want to use because these two were scheduled for a regular-season game that never took place due to COVID issues at Luray. There was a long, drawn-out process regarding the final disposition of that game and only recently was it declared a forfeit, technically giving SD a "win". That decision likely factored into both of them ending up where they did and chances are each one will feel a sense of satisfaction this week, knowing that they can settle the issue on the playing field. SD will presumably be favored by area prognosticators but when you get to the playoffs, anything is possible.
In Class 1.........Riverheads has had the number one spot secured for quite some time and Buffalo Gap sneaked ahead of Central Lunenburg down the stretch to claim the number two seed. Since Region 1-B is only a six-team event, RHS and BG will each earn first-round byes and will sit back and watch the other four battle it out in first round match-ups this week. Then on the 19th, RHS will host the winner of the game between number 4 Sussex Central and number 5 William Campbell. As most of us know, the Gladiators have a playoff history with each of those teams. Buffalo Gap's opponent on the 19th will be the winner of this week's game between Lunenburg (the three seed) and number six seed Surry County. Fans of both Riverheads and Buffalo Gap would of course like to see them each win on the 19th and if they do, they will then meet each other on Thanksgiving Friday for the Region 1-B crown. However that is far from a foregone conclusion because if Lunenburg turns out to be the Bison's opponent, the Chargers would have the better record at 8-2 when they make that long trip out to the Gap. Likewise, Riverheads will assume nothing when the Sussex/Campbell winner rolls into Greenville and will put the same preparation and hard work into that game that they do every other week.
No Playoffs This Year but Watch Out for the Future...........Staunton and Fort Defiance are through for the year but each of those teams was VERY young this season, yet showed tremendous potential for the future. I personally will expect one if not both of them to climb up the standings when the 2022 season gets underway next August.
And a brief mention of our Valley District Teams...........Three of them will be joining Wilson and Waynesboro in the 3-C playoffs. Rockbridge County earned the number six seed and will visit another perennial powerhouse in Brookville, also located in the general Lynchburg area. (Must be something in the water down that way!!!) Finally Valley District foes Broadway and Turner Ashby will square off against one another in a 4/5 match-up to complete the 3-C line-up. The latest news is that TA is the 4 seed and will host that one, although I did hear on the radio Friday night that Broadway would be the host team. There is ample time to straighten out that detail, but wherever it is played, it will have the potential to be the best game in this part of the state since the two needed double-overtime in the regular season before the Knights pulled out a 27-21 thriller, a win that eventually earned them the Valley District crown on the tie-breaker.
Best of luck to one and all and most importantly travel safely and play safely!
In Class 3.........Waynesboro and Wilson Memorial claimed the final two seeds in the eight-team Region C bracket, although they went about it in exactly the opposite fashion. Waynesboro played its entire Shenandoah District schedule in the first six weeks of the season, and went 2-4 in those six games. They then finished out the regular-season by playing four non-district games against their former Valley District foes. They went 3-1 in those four games, all of which were Class 3 match-ups, and that late surge was enough to elevate them to the number 7 seed, one spot ahead of Wilson, even though the Hornets handled them easily early in the season. Wilson on the other hand started the season looking like world-beaters as they jumped out to a 4-0 start. They then got into the meat of their Shenandoah schedule, where they were handed losses by Riverheads, Stuarts Draft, and Buffalo Gap (all at home by the way) as well as suffering a non-district loss at Class 4 Western Albemarle. They finally got back on the winning track with a victory at Staunton Friday night, one that they may have needed to make the field at all. So congrats to both for making the cut but on paper, it looks as if each one and possibly both could make an early exit this Friday. Each one will travel to Lynchburg where Wilson will tangle with the number one seed Liberty Christian Academy and Waynesboro will play another playoff-proven team in Number 2 seed Heritage. However Waynesboro fans will no doubt remember the night the Little Giants made history (back in 2014) when they were a 16 seed and soundly knocked off Number 1 Hidden Valley 46-15 on its own field. So fans in both the River City and Fishersville will and certainly should go into these contests with maximum confidence and let the chips fall where they may.
In Class 2.........Stuarts Draft will be the number 2 seed and will host number 7 seed Luray Friday in the first round of the Region B playoffs. There is actually some irony or poetic justice or whatever term you might want to use because these two were scheduled for a regular-season game that never took place due to COVID issues at Luray. There was a long, drawn-out process regarding the final disposition of that game and only recently was it declared a forfeit, technically giving SD a "win". That decision likely factored into both of them ending up where they did and chances are each one will feel a sense of satisfaction this week, knowing that they can settle the issue on the playing field. SD will presumably be favored by area prognosticators but when you get to the playoffs, anything is possible.
In Class 1.........Riverheads has had the number one spot secured for quite some time and Buffalo Gap sneaked ahead of Central Lunenburg down the stretch to claim the number two seed. Since Region 1-B is only a six-team event, RHS and BG will each earn first-round byes and will sit back and watch the other four battle it out in first round match-ups this week. Then on the 19th, RHS will host the winner of the game between number 4 Sussex Central and number 5 William Campbell. As most of us know, the Gladiators have a playoff history with each of those teams. Buffalo Gap's opponent on the 19th will be the winner of this week's game between Lunenburg (the three seed) and number six seed Surry County. Fans of both Riverheads and Buffalo Gap would of course like to see them each win on the 19th and if they do, they will then meet each other on Thanksgiving Friday for the Region 1-B crown. However that is far from a foregone conclusion because if Lunenburg turns out to be the Bison's opponent, the Chargers would have the better record at 8-2 when they make that long trip out to the Gap. Likewise, Riverheads will assume nothing when the Sussex/Campbell winner rolls into Greenville and will put the same preparation and hard work into that game that they do every other week.
No Playoffs This Year but Watch Out for the Future...........Staunton and Fort Defiance are through for the year but each of those teams was VERY young this season, yet showed tremendous potential for the future. I personally will expect one if not both of them to climb up the standings when the 2022 season gets underway next August.
And a brief mention of our Valley District Teams...........Three of them will be joining Wilson and Waynesboro in the 3-C playoffs. Rockbridge County earned the number six seed and will visit another perennial powerhouse in Brookville, also located in the general Lynchburg area. (Must be something in the water down that way!!!) Finally Valley District foes Broadway and Turner Ashby will square off against one another in a 4/5 match-up to complete the 3-C line-up. The latest news is that TA is the 4 seed and will host that one, although I did hear on the radio Friday night that Broadway would be the host team. There is ample time to straighten out that detail, but wherever it is played, it will have the potential to be the best game in this part of the state since the two needed double-overtime in the regular season before the Knights pulled out a 27-21 thriller, a win that eventually earned them the Valley District crown on the tie-breaker.
Best of luck to one and all and most importantly travel safely and play safely!
Last edited:
