At this time last week, Riverheads was in a position to lock down a tie for the district title with a win at Stuarts Draft, and had they done so, they would have had bragging rights for that title. But as we all know by now, The Cougars had other ideas, so there will be no outright title for RHS this season.
So that shifts the focus to a new two-team race, this one between Stuarts Draft and Staunton. At the present time, they are the only teams left in the Shenandoah with just one district loss. As I was walking away from Friday night's game, I overheard a good old boy telling another good old boy that the Cougars had just won the district with their dominating performance over the Gladiators, but that is simply not the case.
Did the Cougars LOOK like district champs Friday night? Absolutely. They played one of the most perfect games I have seen a high school team play and again I apologize for my computer malfunction that prevented me from giving them full credit and giving you a full picture of that game. So in case I failed to mention it or if you haven't read it elsewhere, their senior quarterback Landon Graber had lights-out statistics, they had explosive offensive plays from several other guys, and most impressive of all, they played to the best of my memory anyway, a penalty-free and turnover-free game.
So moving forward, you have to like the Cougars' chances to clinch the district but more importantly to make some serious playoff noise. But we cannot forget about what happened in Gypsy Hill Park back on September 27th, when The Storm knocked off Stuarts Draft 21-14. That game is why they are tied today, and in my opinion, if they both win out and finish with just their one loss in the district, then Staunton should be considered the champion because of that head to head win.
With two weeks left in the regular season, each one has one final huge hurdle. Staunton has the first big test this Friday when they host Fort Defiance. Stuarts Draft is one of three teams (Wilson and Buffalo Gap being the other two) that have a bye this week, so we have to wait until next Friday, when they will travel to play Wilson, a team that is almost as hot as they are, for their big game of the season.
Therefore there are three different ways this could all shake out. First of all, they both could pass their big tests. You might not agree with me, but if that should happen, Staunton proved it on the field that September night, so even if they might not look like the best team now, they would deserve the title. Possibility number two...........If one of them wins its last big game, and the other loses, then of course the winning team will be the outright district champ.
But how about this third intriguing possibility........what happens if they both lose those final games? If you follow me on the math here, they would each have two losses, Wilson and Fort would each have two losses, and Riverheads with an expected win over Waynesboro this Friday, would have two losses. So yep, a five-way tie for the title is entirely possible. Of course Fort would have to beat Buffalo Gap that final night and Staunton would have to beat Waynesboro, but those two wins are a pretty safe bet.
So as we head into this Friday night, the day after Halloween, we will be blessed with abnormally warm weather it appears, but we will have only two games to watch, because of those three teams having their bye weeks. Riverheads will celebrate Senior Night with a visit from Waynesboro and the other will be the huge Fort at Staunton game.
Riverheads, although injury-ridden at the moment, should have little trouble with the Little Giants. As for the Fort/Staunton game, of COURSE I want to see an Indian win, so that the chances for that five-way tie can remain in play. But a Staunton win should take care of matters, and leave that final-night SD/Wilson game important of course, but not "quite" as crucial as it could have been.
If we do get that five way tie, nobody can crow too loudly, but they could all justifiably have "district champ" sweatshirts printed up and congratulate one another for a job well done.
So that shifts the focus to a new two-team race, this one between Stuarts Draft and Staunton. At the present time, they are the only teams left in the Shenandoah with just one district loss. As I was walking away from Friday night's game, I overheard a good old boy telling another good old boy that the Cougars had just won the district with their dominating performance over the Gladiators, but that is simply not the case.
Did the Cougars LOOK like district champs Friday night? Absolutely. They played one of the most perfect games I have seen a high school team play and again I apologize for my computer malfunction that prevented me from giving them full credit and giving you a full picture of that game. So in case I failed to mention it or if you haven't read it elsewhere, their senior quarterback Landon Graber had lights-out statistics, they had explosive offensive plays from several other guys, and most impressive of all, they played to the best of my memory anyway, a penalty-free and turnover-free game.
So moving forward, you have to like the Cougars' chances to clinch the district but more importantly to make some serious playoff noise. But we cannot forget about what happened in Gypsy Hill Park back on September 27th, when The Storm knocked off Stuarts Draft 21-14. That game is why they are tied today, and in my opinion, if they both win out and finish with just their one loss in the district, then Staunton should be considered the champion because of that head to head win.
With two weeks left in the regular season, each one has one final huge hurdle. Staunton has the first big test this Friday when they host Fort Defiance. Stuarts Draft is one of three teams (Wilson and Buffalo Gap being the other two) that have a bye this week, so we have to wait until next Friday, when they will travel to play Wilson, a team that is almost as hot as they are, for their big game of the season.
Therefore there are three different ways this could all shake out. First of all, they both could pass their big tests. You might not agree with me, but if that should happen, Staunton proved it on the field that September night, so even if they might not look like the best team now, they would deserve the title. Possibility number two...........If one of them wins its last big game, and the other loses, then of course the winning team will be the outright district champ.
But how about this third intriguing possibility........what happens if they both lose those final games? If you follow me on the math here, they would each have two losses, Wilson and Fort would each have two losses, and Riverheads with an expected win over Waynesboro this Friday, would have two losses. So yep, a five-way tie for the title is entirely possible. Of course Fort would have to beat Buffalo Gap that final night and Staunton would have to beat Waynesboro, but those two wins are a pretty safe bet.
So as we head into this Friday night, the day after Halloween, we will be blessed with abnormally warm weather it appears, but we will have only two games to watch, because of those three teams having their bye weeks. Riverheads will celebrate Senior Night with a visit from Waynesboro and the other will be the huge Fort at Staunton game.
Riverheads, although injury-ridden at the moment, should have little trouble with the Little Giants. As for the Fort/Staunton game, of COURSE I want to see an Indian win, so that the chances for that five-way tie can remain in play. But a Staunton win should take care of matters, and leave that final-night SD/Wilson game important of course, but not "quite" as crucial as it could have been.
If we do get that five way tie, nobody can crow too loudly, but they could all justifiably have "district champ" sweatshirts printed up and congratulate one another for a job well done.
