All season long, VirginiaPreps.com Publisher Matthew Hatfield and his ESPN Radio 94.1 partner Coach Ed Young - who you can hear each Saturday from 10 AM to 12 Noon on 757 Saturday Sports Talk - have gone head-to-head on High School Football, Predictions, most of which are in Tidewater with some outside the '757' area code sprinkled into that equation.
Hatfield's 2022 Regular Season Total - 318-58 (84.6%)
Hatfield's Tidewater Regular Season Total for 2022 - 217-31 (87.5%)
Coach Young's 2022 Season Total - 216-39 (84.7%)
Coach Young's Tidewater Regular Season Total - 211-37 (85.1%)
Before tackling the Round 3 matchups in the Regional Championship round across six classifications, here’s a recap of how Matthew Hatfield and Coach Ed Young did on their VHSL second round region playoff picks for 2022…
A review of how Hatfield and Young did on their Round 2 selections...
Hatfield:
6A = 1-1 (missed on Manchester/Dale)
6B = 2-0
6C = 2-0
6D = 2-0
Class 6 = 7-1
5A = 2-0
5B = 2-0
5C = 2-0
5D = 2-0
Class 5 = 8-0
4A = 2-0
4B = 2-0
4C = 2-0
4D = 1-1 (missed on Salem/Louisa)
Class 4 = 7-1
3A = 2-0
3B = 1-1 (missed on Warren County/Goochland)
3C = 1-1 (missed on Heritage/Brookville)
3D = 2-0
Class 3 = 6-2
2A = 1-1 (missed on Poquoson/TJ-Richmond)
2B = 2-0
2C = 2-0
2D = 2-0
Class 2 = 7-1
1A = 2-0
1B = 2-0
1C = 1-1 (missed on Grayson County/Galax)
1D = 2-0
Class 1 = 7-1
Hatfield's VHSL First Round Picks: 80-12 (87%)
Hatfield's VHSL Second Round Picks: 42-6 (87.5%)
Hatfield's Playoff Total: 122-18 (87.1%)
Young:
6A = 0-2 (missed on Western Branch/Smith and Manchester/Dale)
6B = 2-0
6C = 2-0
6D = 2-0
Class 6 = 6-2
5A = 2-0
5B = 2-0
5C = 2-0
5D = 2-0
Class 5 = 8-0
4A = 1-1 (missed on Warwick/Churchland)
4B = 1-1 (missed on King George/Varina)
4C = 2-0
4D = 2-0
Class 4 = 6-2
3A = 2-0
3B = 2-0
3C = 2-0
3D = 2-0
Class 3 = 8-0
2A = 1-1 (missed on Poquoson/TJ-Richmond)
2B = 1-1 (missed on Central-Woodstock/Luray)
2C = 1-1 (missed on Glenvar/Martinsville)
2D = 2-0
Class 2 = 5-3
1A = 2-0
1B = 2-0
1C = 1-1 (missed on Grayson County/Galax)
1D = 2-0
Class 1 = 7-1
Young's VHSL First Round Picks: 78-14 (84.8%)
Young's VHSL Second Round Picks: 40-8 (83.3%)
Young''s Playoff Total: 118-22 (84.3%)
VHSL PLAYOFFS
CLASS 6
Region A Championship
#4 Western Branch (10-2) at #3 Manchester (11-1)
Note – A year ago in the playoffs, it was Western Branch eliminating Manchester, 14-12, from the regional semifinals. Manchester has made it this far with a freshman QB in Landon Abernethy (11 TD passes) and one of the nation’s most sought after junior pass rushers in Makai Byerson (7 solo tackles vs. Dale last week). The Bruins counter with 1000-yard rusher Shimique Blizzard and UNC commit Paul Billups, who had a touchdown in their 28-14 victory over reigning two-time Class 6 State Champ Oscar Smith, defeating the Tigers for the first time since 2003 and denying their Chesapeake rival of playing for a regional title for the first time in 19 years.
Matt Hatfield –Western Branch 26-18
Coach Ed Young – Western Branch 22-20
Danny Lewis – Manchester 20-19
Byron Jones – Manchester 24-17
Region B
#3 Patriot (11-1) at #1 Freedom-PW (12-0)
Note – Freedom needs just 38 points to get to 820 for the season, which would surpass the VHSL single-season record of 819 shared by the 1996 Hampton Crabbers (in 14 games) and 2018 Manchester Lancers (in 15 games), who ironically enough beat the Eagles for the Class 6 title at Hampton University.
Matt Hatfield – Freedom-PW 48-28
Coach Ed Young – Freedom-PW 45-14
Region C
#2 South County (11-1) at #1 Fairfax (12-0)
Note – While South County is looking for its fourth consecutive regional title, Fairfax is trying to punch its ticket to the State Semifinals for the first time since 1994 when they fell to Patrick Henry-Ashland 35-14 at the University of Richmond. Ironically enough, on the Fairfax coaching staff is assistant Gerry Pannoni, who was the Head Coach for South County when it beat Oscar Smith 14-13 to win the Class 6 State Championship in 2019.
Matt Hatfield – South County 30-27
Coach Ed Young – Fairfax 24-18
Region D
#2 Centreville (10-2) at #1 James Madison (9-3)
Note – Is this the last stand for Villanova commit and Centreville RB Isaiah Ragland (1945 yards, 34 TD’s rushing)? The Wildcats certainly hope not, but they’ll need the offense to mirror more of the one that is putting up 46 PPG in these playoffs than the one that fell to Madison 21-18 back in October, marking their ninth straight defeat to the Warhawks since 2017.
Matt Hatfield – Centreville 20-14
Coach Ed Young – Centreville 24-16
CLASS 5
Region A
#2 Kempsville (11-1) at #1 Green Run (12-0)
Note – Excluding a forfeit win in the spring of 2020-21, Kempsville has not beaten Green Run on the field since 2012, marking 11 consecutive losses on the field. One of those bitter defeats for the Chiefs came in last year’s Region 5A Final, where they saw a 17-7 third quarter lead evaporate in a 21-17 loss, despite out-gaining the high-octane Stallions 343-258 on the night. If the Kempsville defense can clamp down on Green Run QB Kevin White (4123 total yards, 55 TD’s accounted for), the Beach District Offensive Player of the Year, and keep the Stallions passing game in check, they will have a great chance to taste their first regional title since 1983.
Matt Hatfield – Green Run 21-20
Coach Ed Young – Green Run 18-16
Region B
#2 Nansemond River (8-3) at #1 Maury (8-1)
Note – Behind Eastern District Offensive Player of the Year and Duke commit Peyton Jones, the Commodores go for their fifth consecutive regional title, while Nansemond River looks for a stunner to secure their first State Semifinal trip since 2017. Maury won the most recent playoff encounter in 2019 by a commanding 64-8 count.
Matt Hatfield – Maury 48-13
Coach Ed Young – Maury 33-12
Region C
#3 L.C. Bird (9-3) at #1 Highland Springs (12-0)
Note – These two storied Richmond programs have combined for seven state titles since 2012 with the Springers capturing four in a row from 2015-18 and Skyhawks claiming three straight from 2012-14. The matchup to watch in this game will be whether or not the L.C. Bird pass rush with 41 sacks can disrupt Region 5C Offensive Player of the Year and near flawless Springers junior QB Khristian Martin (1955 yards passing, 24-1 TD/Int. ratio), who is also a threat with his feet with 505 yards and 10 TD’s rushing.
Matt Hatfield – Highland Springs 28-7
Coach Ed Young – Highland Springs 24-0
Danny Lewis – Highland Springs 37-16
Byron Jones – Highland Springs 35-14
Region D
#2 Mountain View (11-1) at #1 Stone Bridge (11-1)
Note – It’s astonishing that longtime Bulldogs Head Coach Mickey Thompson not only goes for his 62nd playoff win at the helm of Stone Bridge, but fifth consecutive regional title and 15th overall with the Bulldogs (and 16 when you count in the one he won at Park View-Sterling in 1999 before Stone Bridge opened). With the status of stud running back Ike Daniels, a Syracuse commit who suffered a shoulder injury in the regional semis vs. Patrick Henry-Roanoke, unknown, it’s hard to imagine the Wildcats keep up in a high-scoring affair.
Matt Hatfield – Stone Bridge 48-20
Coach Ed Young – Stone Bridge 45-14
CLASS 4
Region A
#2 King’s Fork (10-2) at #1 Warwick (11-1)
Note – The Bulldogs got senior QB Cam Butler from the concussion he sustained in their overtime loss to Nansemond River in the regular season finale and it paid off with four touchdown passes in a regional semifinal win over Warhill. But Butler, who will likely be targeting dynamic playmaker Kaletri Boyd frequently, has to be careful throwing the football in tight coverage because Messiah Delhomme and VMI commit Davion Corpening have combined to intercept 11 passes for a Warwick defense that’s holding foes to 7.5 points per game.
Matt Hatfield – King’s Fork 14-10
Coach Ed Young – King’s Fork 22-18
Region B
#2 King George (12-0) at #1 Dinwiddie (12-0)
Note – As King George goes for its second regional title in three years, Dinwiddie seeks its first regional crown since 2016. Dinwiddie sophomore running back turned quarterback Harry Dalton has been spectacular in amassing over 3000 yards of offense and 48 TD’s (24 passing, 24 rushing) for Coach Billy Mills. King George counters with a balanced offense themselves that’s putting up 44.8 points per game, featuring two of the nation’s most coveted wide receivers from the Class of 2024 in Mekhai White (32Rec. 925Yds. 14 TD’s) and Chanz Wiggins (28Rec. 416Yds. 5 TD’s).
Matt Hatfield – Dinwiddie 28-26 (OT)
Coach Ed Young – Dinwiddie 18-16
Danny Lewis – Dinwiddie 35-23
Byron Jones – Dinwiddie 35-31
Region C
#1 Kettle Run (12-0) at #1 Loudoun County (12-0)
Note – These two teams have met only once before and that a 35-9 win by Charlie Porterfield’s Cougars of Kettle Run in the 2017 playoffs. This figures to be about the Loudoun County defense, which is limiting opponents to 10.3 points per game, trying to slow down a lethal Kettle Run attack that’s putting up[ 41.8 points per contest. The biggest test for LoCo will be controlling the clock with the running game so that Kettle Run’s lethal passing combo of Abram Chumley (159 of 214 for 2571Yds. 29-4 TD/Int. ratio) to WR Jordan Tapscott (77Rec. 1492Yds. 17 TD’s) does not take over this battle.
Matt Hatfield – Kettle Run 27-21
Coach Ed Young – Loudoun County 24-20
Region D
#3 Salem (10-2) at #1 E.C. Glass (11-1)
Note – Back in 2019, Salem knocked out E.C. Glass in the playoffs, 35-24. Glass did beat Salem in the 1987 regular season by a count of 24-7, but have never beaten the storied Spartans in the playoffs and will have to do so to earn their first State Semifinal berth in 27 years. This may ultimately be a test of wills with Glass liking to sling the ball around behind QB George White (28 total TD’s with 19 through the air) and Salem known for its sterling ground game, featuring speedy junior Peyton Lewis, who found the end zone three times in a 54-37 shoot-out at Louisa.
Matt Hatfield – Salem 22-16
Coach Ed Young – E.C. Glass 22-16
CLASS 3
Region A
#3 Lake Taylor (11-1) at #1 Phoebus (12-0)
Note – This marks the eighth time these two schools will square off in the playoffs with Phoebus prevailing in every one of those meetings with the exception of the 54-0 demolition by the Titans at Harbor Park on their way to the State Championship in 2012. Lake Taylor was soundly beaten, 56-6, in last year’s season opener by the Phantoms in Norfolk. Phoebus has pretty much done that to everyone this season, outscoring foes 487-27 through 11 games on the field, the most eye-popping being the 56-0 shellacking of then two-time reigning class 6 State Champ Oscar Smith. Pitt commit Jordan Bass found the end zone five times in that game with four on receptions from QB Nolan James. Lake Taylor will need to control the clock with its running game and break the Phoebus air game down their pass rush, headed up by UVA commit Anthony Britton (single-season school-record of 28 sacks) and junior Elijah Washington.
Matt Hatfield – Phoebus 21-13
Coach Ed Young – Phoebus 24-16
Region B
#3 Warren County (7-5) at #1 Brentsville District (11-1)
Note – To say it’s a surprise Warren County is still playing would be an understatement considering they opened 0-3 with a trio of double-digit losses before edging Fauquier 29-28 in overtime in what looking back was clearly a season-changing moment. A couple of underclassmen have starred for the Warren County single-wing offense in sophomore Gavin Dodson (1071Yds. 8 TD’s rushing) and freshman Blaise Skube (833 yards, 9 TD’s). Brentsville, the reigning Region 2B Champs, pose a lot of problems for the Wildcats defense, mainly with QB Caleb Alexander (1590Yds. 18 TD’s) and RB Nico Orlando (1336Yds. 23 TD’s rushing).
Matt Hatfield – Brentsville District 31-10
Coach Ed Young – Brentsville District 28-12
Region C
#2 Heritage-Lynchburg (10-2) at #1 Liberty Christian (11-1)
Note – Since winning the first four meetings from 2017-19 all by double-digits, Heritage-Lynchburg has lost three in a row to their Seminole District rivals and the lone private school in the VHSL. LCA had its closest victory of the season though over the Pioneers, 14-6, back on October 13th in a game that was controlled by the two defenses.
Matt Hatfield – Liberty-Christian 24-17
Coach Ed Young – Liberty Christian 21-18
Region D
#3 Christiansburg (9-3) at #1 Lord Botetourt (11-1)
Note – Although Christiansburg leads the all-time series 16-11, the Cavaliers of Lord Botetourt are 3-0 against the Blue Demons under Head Coach Jamie Harless and that includes a 28-27 playoff triumph one year ago.
Matt Hatfield – Lord Botetourt 38-19
Coach Ed Young – Lord Botetourt 33-14
CLASS 2
Region A
#3 Poquoson (8-4) at #1 King William (9-3)
Note – Despite dropping its final two regular season games, the Bull Islanders of Poquoson are in position to get back to the State Playoffs for the fifth time since 2007 under Head Coach Elliott Duty. But to do so, they’ll need to dethrone the reigning Class 2 State Champs from King William, who have won the last three playoff meetings and averaged 40 points per game in those encounters.
Matt Hatfield – King William 26-17
Coach Ed Young – King William 30-16
Region B
#3 Central-Woodstock (10-2) at #1 Strasburg (11-1)
Note – Strasburg leads the all-time series 37-27-2 with Central-Woodstock, which includes a narrow 22-17 win in the regular season finale back on November 4th. In the most recent encounter, it took Ryan Roller's 27-yard touchdown pass on 4th & 11 to sophomore Takhi Coates to give them the lead after Central went ahead in the second half on a 48-yard field goal.
Matt Hatfield – Central-Woodstock 21-14
Coach Ed Young – Strasburg 21-14
Region C
#4 Appomattox (9-3) at #3 Glenvar (9-3)
Note – After losing to both Floyd County and Martinsville in the regular season, Glenvar avenged those defeats in the playoffs and right off the bat sent a message to the rest of Class 2 when freshman QB Brody Dawyot tossed six touchdown passes in a 49-14 rout of the Buffaloes. Yet, Appomattox has been a thorn in Glenvar’s side, eliminating them from the playoffs each of the past five years. The Raiders have won five State Championships since 2017 and will lean heavily on RB Jonathan Pennix, a Virginia Tech commit, to get back in position to win another.
Matt Hatfield – Appomattox 35-34
Coach Ed Young – Glenvar 36-34
Region D
#2 Ridgeview (11-1) at #1 Graham (12-0)
Note – The unblemished G-Men, who were denied their fourth State Championship since 1989 when they fell to King William in the Class 2 Final 48-21 last December, are outscoring opponents by nearly 28 points per contest this season. In Ridgeview, they face a Wolf Pack team that blanked Virginia High 42-0 in the regional semis and Tazewell 35-0 in the regional quarters. Graham is the last foe from the state of Virginia to beat Ridgeview, doing so 49-21 in last year’s Region 2D title game. Graham RB Ty’Drez Clements (25 TD’s total) gets the luxury of running behind a sturdy o-line that brought back four starters.
Matt Hatfield – Graham 23-21
Coach Ed Young – Graham 24-20
CLASS 1
Region A
#2 King & Queen (10-2) at #1 Essex (12-0)
Note – This is a re-match from the regular season, won handily by Essex 48-8. To further grasp how dominant Essex has been, they’re outscoring opponents by a margin of 50-8 per contest and only one game has been decided by less than the 35-point differential that institutes a running clock. That was a 26-13 triumph over reigning Class 2 State Champ King William in September. Even though the King & Queen offense is dynamic in averaging 258 total yards and 42 points per game behind QB Malik Holmes and RB Malik Berry, the question is can their defense stop Trojans RB Dorian Harris? In the last meeting, Harris had 292 all-purpose yards and 6 TD’s.
Matt Hatfield – Essex 38-18
Coach Ed Young – Essex 40-12
Region B
#2 Central-Lunenburg (11-0) at #1 Riverheads (9-1)
Note – Riding a 26-game playoff winning streak, Riverheads was down briefly to Sussex Central 6-0 in the Region 1B semis a week ago before responding for a 47-20 victory. They continue their drive for a seventh straight state title against a Lunenburg bunch that hasn’t beaten the Gladiators since a 47-6 playoff win in 1983. Lunenburg has yet to give up more than 20 points in a contest, holding opponents to 9.1 per game, the program’s best since 1987.
Matt Hatfield – Riverheads 27-7
Coach Ed Young – Riverheads 24-10
Region C
#4 Grayson County (10-2) at #2 George Wythe (8-3)
Note – Back on October 28th, the Blue Devils of Grayson County were riding high at 8-0 overall when they hit a speedbump in the form of George Wythe, who knocked them off 27-22. Of course, Grayson has already avenged 31-14 loss to Galax in the regular season finale by ousting the Maroon Tide 21-14 in the regional semis. However, they’ve lost four straight to Wythe and trail the all-time series 12-3.
Matt Hatfield – George Wythe 20-13
Coach Ed Young – George Wythe 21-14
Region D
#3 Grundy (7-4) at #1 Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (9-3)
Note – Back on August 26th, these two teams squared off in the regular season opener with Patrick Henry prevailing 28-20. The Golden Wave, who recovered from that loss and a 2-3 start to the season, can draw back on a 26-8 victory over PH-Glade Spring in last year’s regular season finale and the fact they lead the all-time series 10-5-1.
Matt Hatfield – Patrick Henry-GS 32-28
Coach Ed Young – Grundy 24-18
Hatfield's 2022 Regular Season Total - 318-58 (84.6%)
Hatfield's Tidewater Regular Season Total for 2022 - 217-31 (87.5%)
Coach Young's 2022 Season Total - 216-39 (84.7%)
Coach Young's Tidewater Regular Season Total - 211-37 (85.1%)
Before tackling the Round 3 matchups in the Regional Championship round across six classifications, here’s a recap of how Matthew Hatfield and Coach Ed Young did on their VHSL second round region playoff picks for 2022…
A review of how Hatfield and Young did on their Round 2 selections...
Hatfield:
6A = 1-1 (missed on Manchester/Dale)
6B = 2-0
6C = 2-0
6D = 2-0
Class 6 = 7-1
5A = 2-0
5B = 2-0
5C = 2-0
5D = 2-0
Class 5 = 8-0
4A = 2-0
4B = 2-0
4C = 2-0
4D = 1-1 (missed on Salem/Louisa)
Class 4 = 7-1
3A = 2-0
3B = 1-1 (missed on Warren County/Goochland)
3C = 1-1 (missed on Heritage/Brookville)
3D = 2-0
Class 3 = 6-2
2A = 1-1 (missed on Poquoson/TJ-Richmond)
2B = 2-0
2C = 2-0
2D = 2-0
Class 2 = 7-1
1A = 2-0
1B = 2-0
1C = 1-1 (missed on Grayson County/Galax)
1D = 2-0
Class 1 = 7-1
Hatfield's VHSL First Round Picks: 80-12 (87%)
Hatfield's VHSL Second Round Picks: 42-6 (87.5%)
Hatfield's Playoff Total: 122-18 (87.1%)
Young:
6A = 0-2 (missed on Western Branch/Smith and Manchester/Dale)
6B = 2-0
6C = 2-0
6D = 2-0
Class 6 = 6-2
5A = 2-0
5B = 2-0
5C = 2-0
5D = 2-0
Class 5 = 8-0
4A = 1-1 (missed on Warwick/Churchland)
4B = 1-1 (missed on King George/Varina)
4C = 2-0
4D = 2-0
Class 4 = 6-2
3A = 2-0
3B = 2-0
3C = 2-0
3D = 2-0
Class 3 = 8-0
2A = 1-1 (missed on Poquoson/TJ-Richmond)
2B = 1-1 (missed on Central-Woodstock/Luray)
2C = 1-1 (missed on Glenvar/Martinsville)
2D = 2-0
Class 2 = 5-3
1A = 2-0
1B = 2-0
1C = 1-1 (missed on Grayson County/Galax)
1D = 2-0
Class 1 = 7-1
Young's VHSL First Round Picks: 78-14 (84.8%)
Young's VHSL Second Round Picks: 40-8 (83.3%)
Young''s Playoff Total: 118-22 (84.3%)
VHSL PLAYOFFS
CLASS 6
Region A Championship
#4 Western Branch (10-2) at #3 Manchester (11-1)
Note – A year ago in the playoffs, it was Western Branch eliminating Manchester, 14-12, from the regional semifinals. Manchester has made it this far with a freshman QB in Landon Abernethy (11 TD passes) and one of the nation’s most sought after junior pass rushers in Makai Byerson (7 solo tackles vs. Dale last week). The Bruins counter with 1000-yard rusher Shimique Blizzard and UNC commit Paul Billups, who had a touchdown in their 28-14 victory over reigning two-time Class 6 State Champ Oscar Smith, defeating the Tigers for the first time since 2003 and denying their Chesapeake rival of playing for a regional title for the first time in 19 years.
Matt Hatfield –Western Branch 26-18
Coach Ed Young – Western Branch 22-20
Danny Lewis – Manchester 20-19
Byron Jones – Manchester 24-17
Region B
#3 Patriot (11-1) at #1 Freedom-PW (12-0)
Note – Freedom needs just 38 points to get to 820 for the season, which would surpass the VHSL single-season record of 819 shared by the 1996 Hampton Crabbers (in 14 games) and 2018 Manchester Lancers (in 15 games), who ironically enough beat the Eagles for the Class 6 title at Hampton University.
Matt Hatfield – Freedom-PW 48-28
Coach Ed Young – Freedom-PW 45-14
Region C
#2 South County (11-1) at #1 Fairfax (12-0)
Note – While South County is looking for its fourth consecutive regional title, Fairfax is trying to punch its ticket to the State Semifinals for the first time since 1994 when they fell to Patrick Henry-Ashland 35-14 at the University of Richmond. Ironically enough, on the Fairfax coaching staff is assistant Gerry Pannoni, who was the Head Coach for South County when it beat Oscar Smith 14-13 to win the Class 6 State Championship in 2019.
Matt Hatfield – South County 30-27
Coach Ed Young – Fairfax 24-18
Region D
#2 Centreville (10-2) at #1 James Madison (9-3)
Note – Is this the last stand for Villanova commit and Centreville RB Isaiah Ragland (1945 yards, 34 TD’s rushing)? The Wildcats certainly hope not, but they’ll need the offense to mirror more of the one that is putting up 46 PPG in these playoffs than the one that fell to Madison 21-18 back in October, marking their ninth straight defeat to the Warhawks since 2017.
Matt Hatfield – Centreville 20-14
Coach Ed Young – Centreville 24-16
CLASS 5
Region A
#2 Kempsville (11-1) at #1 Green Run (12-0)
Note – Excluding a forfeit win in the spring of 2020-21, Kempsville has not beaten Green Run on the field since 2012, marking 11 consecutive losses on the field. One of those bitter defeats for the Chiefs came in last year’s Region 5A Final, where they saw a 17-7 third quarter lead evaporate in a 21-17 loss, despite out-gaining the high-octane Stallions 343-258 on the night. If the Kempsville defense can clamp down on Green Run QB Kevin White (4123 total yards, 55 TD’s accounted for), the Beach District Offensive Player of the Year, and keep the Stallions passing game in check, they will have a great chance to taste their first regional title since 1983.
Matt Hatfield – Green Run 21-20
Coach Ed Young – Green Run 18-16
Region B
#2 Nansemond River (8-3) at #1 Maury (8-1)
Note – Behind Eastern District Offensive Player of the Year and Duke commit Peyton Jones, the Commodores go for their fifth consecutive regional title, while Nansemond River looks for a stunner to secure their first State Semifinal trip since 2017. Maury won the most recent playoff encounter in 2019 by a commanding 64-8 count.
Matt Hatfield – Maury 48-13
Coach Ed Young – Maury 33-12
Region C
#3 L.C. Bird (9-3) at #1 Highland Springs (12-0)
Note – These two storied Richmond programs have combined for seven state titles since 2012 with the Springers capturing four in a row from 2015-18 and Skyhawks claiming three straight from 2012-14. The matchup to watch in this game will be whether or not the L.C. Bird pass rush with 41 sacks can disrupt Region 5C Offensive Player of the Year and near flawless Springers junior QB Khristian Martin (1955 yards passing, 24-1 TD/Int. ratio), who is also a threat with his feet with 505 yards and 10 TD’s rushing.
Matt Hatfield – Highland Springs 28-7
Coach Ed Young – Highland Springs 24-0
Danny Lewis – Highland Springs 37-16
Byron Jones – Highland Springs 35-14
Region D
#2 Mountain View (11-1) at #1 Stone Bridge (11-1)
Note – It’s astonishing that longtime Bulldogs Head Coach Mickey Thompson not only goes for his 62nd playoff win at the helm of Stone Bridge, but fifth consecutive regional title and 15th overall with the Bulldogs (and 16 when you count in the one he won at Park View-Sterling in 1999 before Stone Bridge opened). With the status of stud running back Ike Daniels, a Syracuse commit who suffered a shoulder injury in the regional semis vs. Patrick Henry-Roanoke, unknown, it’s hard to imagine the Wildcats keep up in a high-scoring affair.
Matt Hatfield – Stone Bridge 48-20
Coach Ed Young – Stone Bridge 45-14
CLASS 4
Region A
#2 King’s Fork (10-2) at #1 Warwick (11-1)
Note – The Bulldogs got senior QB Cam Butler from the concussion he sustained in their overtime loss to Nansemond River in the regular season finale and it paid off with four touchdown passes in a regional semifinal win over Warhill. But Butler, who will likely be targeting dynamic playmaker Kaletri Boyd frequently, has to be careful throwing the football in tight coverage because Messiah Delhomme and VMI commit Davion Corpening have combined to intercept 11 passes for a Warwick defense that’s holding foes to 7.5 points per game.
Matt Hatfield – King’s Fork 14-10
Coach Ed Young – King’s Fork 22-18
Region B
#2 King George (12-0) at #1 Dinwiddie (12-0)
Note – As King George goes for its second regional title in three years, Dinwiddie seeks its first regional crown since 2016. Dinwiddie sophomore running back turned quarterback Harry Dalton has been spectacular in amassing over 3000 yards of offense and 48 TD’s (24 passing, 24 rushing) for Coach Billy Mills. King George counters with a balanced offense themselves that’s putting up 44.8 points per game, featuring two of the nation’s most coveted wide receivers from the Class of 2024 in Mekhai White (32Rec. 925Yds. 14 TD’s) and Chanz Wiggins (28Rec. 416Yds. 5 TD’s).
Matt Hatfield – Dinwiddie 28-26 (OT)
Coach Ed Young – Dinwiddie 18-16
Danny Lewis – Dinwiddie 35-23
Byron Jones – Dinwiddie 35-31
Region C
#1 Kettle Run (12-0) at #1 Loudoun County (12-0)
Note – These two teams have met only once before and that a 35-9 win by Charlie Porterfield’s Cougars of Kettle Run in the 2017 playoffs. This figures to be about the Loudoun County defense, which is limiting opponents to 10.3 points per game, trying to slow down a lethal Kettle Run attack that’s putting up[ 41.8 points per contest. The biggest test for LoCo will be controlling the clock with the running game so that Kettle Run’s lethal passing combo of Abram Chumley (159 of 214 for 2571Yds. 29-4 TD/Int. ratio) to WR Jordan Tapscott (77Rec. 1492Yds. 17 TD’s) does not take over this battle.
Matt Hatfield – Kettle Run 27-21
Coach Ed Young – Loudoun County 24-20
Region D
#3 Salem (10-2) at #1 E.C. Glass (11-1)
Note – Back in 2019, Salem knocked out E.C. Glass in the playoffs, 35-24. Glass did beat Salem in the 1987 regular season by a count of 24-7, but have never beaten the storied Spartans in the playoffs and will have to do so to earn their first State Semifinal berth in 27 years. This may ultimately be a test of wills with Glass liking to sling the ball around behind QB George White (28 total TD’s with 19 through the air) and Salem known for its sterling ground game, featuring speedy junior Peyton Lewis, who found the end zone three times in a 54-37 shoot-out at Louisa.
Matt Hatfield – Salem 22-16
Coach Ed Young – E.C. Glass 22-16
CLASS 3
Region A
#3 Lake Taylor (11-1) at #1 Phoebus (12-0)
Note – This marks the eighth time these two schools will square off in the playoffs with Phoebus prevailing in every one of those meetings with the exception of the 54-0 demolition by the Titans at Harbor Park on their way to the State Championship in 2012. Lake Taylor was soundly beaten, 56-6, in last year’s season opener by the Phantoms in Norfolk. Phoebus has pretty much done that to everyone this season, outscoring foes 487-27 through 11 games on the field, the most eye-popping being the 56-0 shellacking of then two-time reigning class 6 State Champ Oscar Smith. Pitt commit Jordan Bass found the end zone five times in that game with four on receptions from QB Nolan James. Lake Taylor will need to control the clock with its running game and break the Phoebus air game down their pass rush, headed up by UVA commit Anthony Britton (single-season school-record of 28 sacks) and junior Elijah Washington.
Matt Hatfield – Phoebus 21-13
Coach Ed Young – Phoebus 24-16
Region B
#3 Warren County (7-5) at #1 Brentsville District (11-1)
Note – To say it’s a surprise Warren County is still playing would be an understatement considering they opened 0-3 with a trio of double-digit losses before edging Fauquier 29-28 in overtime in what looking back was clearly a season-changing moment. A couple of underclassmen have starred for the Warren County single-wing offense in sophomore Gavin Dodson (1071Yds. 8 TD’s rushing) and freshman Blaise Skube (833 yards, 9 TD’s). Brentsville, the reigning Region 2B Champs, pose a lot of problems for the Wildcats defense, mainly with QB Caleb Alexander (1590Yds. 18 TD’s) and RB Nico Orlando (1336Yds. 23 TD’s rushing).
Matt Hatfield – Brentsville District 31-10
Coach Ed Young – Brentsville District 28-12
Region C
#2 Heritage-Lynchburg (10-2) at #1 Liberty Christian (11-1)
Note – Since winning the first four meetings from 2017-19 all by double-digits, Heritage-Lynchburg has lost three in a row to their Seminole District rivals and the lone private school in the VHSL. LCA had its closest victory of the season though over the Pioneers, 14-6, back on October 13th in a game that was controlled by the two defenses.
Matt Hatfield – Liberty-Christian 24-17
Coach Ed Young – Liberty Christian 21-18
Region D
#3 Christiansburg (9-3) at #1 Lord Botetourt (11-1)
Note – Although Christiansburg leads the all-time series 16-11, the Cavaliers of Lord Botetourt are 3-0 against the Blue Demons under Head Coach Jamie Harless and that includes a 28-27 playoff triumph one year ago.
Matt Hatfield – Lord Botetourt 38-19
Coach Ed Young – Lord Botetourt 33-14
CLASS 2
Region A
#3 Poquoson (8-4) at #1 King William (9-3)
Note – Despite dropping its final two regular season games, the Bull Islanders of Poquoson are in position to get back to the State Playoffs for the fifth time since 2007 under Head Coach Elliott Duty. But to do so, they’ll need to dethrone the reigning Class 2 State Champs from King William, who have won the last three playoff meetings and averaged 40 points per game in those encounters.
Matt Hatfield – King William 26-17
Coach Ed Young – King William 30-16
Region B
#3 Central-Woodstock (10-2) at #1 Strasburg (11-1)
Note – Strasburg leads the all-time series 37-27-2 with Central-Woodstock, which includes a narrow 22-17 win in the regular season finale back on November 4th. In the most recent encounter, it took Ryan Roller's 27-yard touchdown pass on 4th & 11 to sophomore Takhi Coates to give them the lead after Central went ahead in the second half on a 48-yard field goal.
Matt Hatfield – Central-Woodstock 21-14
Coach Ed Young – Strasburg 21-14
Region C
#4 Appomattox (9-3) at #3 Glenvar (9-3)
Note – After losing to both Floyd County and Martinsville in the regular season, Glenvar avenged those defeats in the playoffs and right off the bat sent a message to the rest of Class 2 when freshman QB Brody Dawyot tossed six touchdown passes in a 49-14 rout of the Buffaloes. Yet, Appomattox has been a thorn in Glenvar’s side, eliminating them from the playoffs each of the past five years. The Raiders have won five State Championships since 2017 and will lean heavily on RB Jonathan Pennix, a Virginia Tech commit, to get back in position to win another.
Matt Hatfield – Appomattox 35-34
Coach Ed Young – Glenvar 36-34
Region D
#2 Ridgeview (11-1) at #1 Graham (12-0)
Note – The unblemished G-Men, who were denied their fourth State Championship since 1989 when they fell to King William in the Class 2 Final 48-21 last December, are outscoring opponents by nearly 28 points per contest this season. In Ridgeview, they face a Wolf Pack team that blanked Virginia High 42-0 in the regional semis and Tazewell 35-0 in the regional quarters. Graham is the last foe from the state of Virginia to beat Ridgeview, doing so 49-21 in last year’s Region 2D title game. Graham RB Ty’Drez Clements (25 TD’s total) gets the luxury of running behind a sturdy o-line that brought back four starters.
Matt Hatfield – Graham 23-21
Coach Ed Young – Graham 24-20
CLASS 1
Region A
#2 King & Queen (10-2) at #1 Essex (12-0)
Note – This is a re-match from the regular season, won handily by Essex 48-8. To further grasp how dominant Essex has been, they’re outscoring opponents by a margin of 50-8 per contest and only one game has been decided by less than the 35-point differential that institutes a running clock. That was a 26-13 triumph over reigning Class 2 State Champ King William in September. Even though the King & Queen offense is dynamic in averaging 258 total yards and 42 points per game behind QB Malik Holmes and RB Malik Berry, the question is can their defense stop Trojans RB Dorian Harris? In the last meeting, Harris had 292 all-purpose yards and 6 TD’s.
Matt Hatfield – Essex 38-18
Coach Ed Young – Essex 40-12
Region B
#2 Central-Lunenburg (11-0) at #1 Riverheads (9-1)
Note – Riding a 26-game playoff winning streak, Riverheads was down briefly to Sussex Central 6-0 in the Region 1B semis a week ago before responding for a 47-20 victory. They continue their drive for a seventh straight state title against a Lunenburg bunch that hasn’t beaten the Gladiators since a 47-6 playoff win in 1983. Lunenburg has yet to give up more than 20 points in a contest, holding opponents to 9.1 per game, the program’s best since 1987.
Matt Hatfield – Riverheads 27-7
Coach Ed Young – Riverheads 24-10
Region C
#4 Grayson County (10-2) at #2 George Wythe (8-3)
Note – Back on October 28th, the Blue Devils of Grayson County were riding high at 8-0 overall when they hit a speedbump in the form of George Wythe, who knocked them off 27-22. Of course, Grayson has already avenged 31-14 loss to Galax in the regular season finale by ousting the Maroon Tide 21-14 in the regional semis. However, they’ve lost four straight to Wythe and trail the all-time series 12-3.
Matt Hatfield – George Wythe 20-13
Coach Ed Young – George Wythe 21-14
Region D
#3 Grundy (7-4) at #1 Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (9-3)
Note – Back on August 26th, these two teams squared off in the regular season opener with Patrick Henry prevailing 28-20. The Golden Wave, who recovered from that loss and a 2-3 start to the season, can draw back on a 26-8 victory over PH-Glade Spring in last year’s regular season finale and the fact they lead the all-time series 10-5-1.
Matt Hatfield – Patrick Henry-GS 32-28
Coach Ed Young – Grundy 24-18
