Judges hoping to end Pioneers' recent dominance
Millbrook running back Savon Smith returned from an injury last week and scored two touchdowns during Millbrook’s 44-22 loss to Kettle Run. Smith and the Pioneers (4-2) travel to Handley (5-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Handley's Malachi Imoh has rushed for 560 yards and six touchdowns this season. Imoh and the Judges host Millbrook at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a key Class 4 Northwestern District clash.
The Pioneers have outscored the Judges 155-6 in those three games, including 43-0 last fall.
But having already won more games than it has in either of those seasons, Handley (5-1, 1-1) is looking to turn the tide against Millbrook (4-2, 1-1) in Saturday’s Class 4 Northwestern District clash at James R. Wilkins Jr. Stadium.
Both Handley’s Dan Jones and Millbrook’s Josh Haymore say recent history will mean nothing when the two teams square off this time.
“I try to make them forget,” Haymore said of recent results against Handley. “That is a totally different team and ours is a totally different team. It’s totally different players and totally different things we’re trying to do on offense and defense. You can’t really take anything that’s happened in the past. I think somebody said, ‘Don’t trip over something that’s happened in the past, now.’ You can’t do that. You can’t look back at the past and say, ‘Yeah, we beat them last year pretty good and it’s going to happen again this year’ because you have no idea.”
“We’re a different team,” said Jones. “We’re not looking at them any different than we did our first six opponents, other than it’s a rival.”
Haymore said the Judges, who lead the all-time series 10-6, definitely have a different look this fall and that their improvement is obvious thanks to strengthening numbers.
“The two coaches [Jones and John Davis] they’ve had the past couple of years have done a really good job of getting guys out,” Haymore said. “When you have more guys out, the more options you’ve got of who you can put where and things like that. They do a good job of coaching up the guys that they’ve got and you can see that on film. When you watch them on film, you can see they do a good job at developing their players and making sure they are disciplined.”
And winning brings belief. They’ve won five times, with four of those victories coming on late scores in regulation or overtime. The Judges have trailed in each of their wins.
“We have a lot of confidence,” Judges receiver/defensive back Kevin Curry said. “Last year, I don’t think we had as much confidence as we have right now. With that confidence that we have, we should put together a great game.”
Jones said Millbrook is a different team than it was just a couple of weeks ago. Pioneers’ standout running back/receiver Savon Smith was sidelined the first half of the season with an injury, but returned to score on two long touchdown plays in last week’s 44-22 loss against unbeaten Kettle Run.
Smith has scored twice in each of the Pioneers’ last two wins over the Judges and is capable of making the spectacular play both running and receiving.
“I know it’s just his second game back, but he does a lot of special things for them,” Jones said. “They can move him around, so it allows them to complete their offense and do what they’ve been wanting to do all year. … You have to know where he is and where he lines up.”
“That’s probably the best player we will play all year,” Curry added. “He’s definitely a Division I football player. I like that challenge to show you how good we are and how we can stop him.”
Millbrook, which has been susceptible to the pass this season, certainly will be keeping an eye on Curry. The senior has caught at least one TD pass from Jacob Parker in five of six games, including the game-winner in overtime in last week’s 13-6 win over Fauquier.
“He’s a good football player,” Haymore said of Curry, who has nine touchdown receptions. “He runs good routes. He goes up and competes for the football. You’ve got to account for him at all times in all phases — offense, defense and special teams.”
Both teams have a lot in common this season. Their lone losses have come against unbeaten teams. They’ve both fallen to Kettle Run and beaten Fauquier in their two district games.
And while the game is a rivalry game, it could have some future playoff implications. The Judges are tied for fourth and Millbrook is eighth in the first Region 4C power rankings release by the VHSL this week. The top six teams in the region qualify for the postseason.
But, both coaches say those ratings will mean little on Saturday.
“I think every game is important,” Haymore said. “I can’t say that one game is more important than the other. You lose one game and it’s going to hurt you in the playoff future and all of that stuff. You’ve got to play every game as if it’s the biggest and know one game is not bigger than the other one.”
“Those power ratings don’t mean anything until Week 10,” Jones said. “Just being a rivalry game is all you need for this. We have got to play our game, do well and hope at the end we have a chance.”
What will make the difference Saturday?
Haymore says for his team it all boils down to one word — execution. He felt that last week, the Pioneers did not meet expectations when a 14-14 game at the half turned in Kettle Run’s favor.
“We have to execute,” he said. “That’s what last Friday was all about — execution. [You] have to make sure you’re trying to do too much. When we hit adversity, everybody tried to press and do more than what their job was. I think they understand, ‘Just do your job. Do what you need to do to help the team. And trust that everybody else is going to do it.’ I think they’ll respond to that.”
After the game Friday, Smith said the Pioneers would respond heading into the clash with Handley.
“I think we’re going to do good,” Smith said. “I think we will bounce back from this and look at the mistakes we made, try to execute the things we messed up on. We will come back next week and have a better outcome.”
Jones said the Judges can’t let the Pioneers score in spectacular fashion. Jordan Jackson returned the opening kickoff for a score and hauled in a long touchdown pass against them last season.
“We can’t give up the big plays,” Jones said. “They’re going to get their yardage. They’re a potent offense. We have to take care of the ball and do what we do well, just stay within our own game, not worry about what they do and keep them from getting big plays on us.”
Millbrook running back Savon Smith returned from an injury last week and scored two touchdowns during Millbrook’s 44-22 loss to Kettle Run. Smith and the Pioneers (4-2) travel to Handley (5-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
- Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star
Handley's Malachi Imoh has rushed for 560 yards and six touchdowns this season. Imoh and the Judges host Millbrook at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a key Class 4 Northwestern District clash.
The Pioneers have outscored the Judges 155-6 in those three games, including 43-0 last fall.
But having already won more games than it has in either of those seasons, Handley (5-1, 1-1) is looking to turn the tide against Millbrook (4-2, 1-1) in Saturday’s Class 4 Northwestern District clash at James R. Wilkins Jr. Stadium.
Both Handley’s Dan Jones and Millbrook’s Josh Haymore say recent history will mean nothing when the two teams square off this time.
“I try to make them forget,” Haymore said of recent results against Handley. “That is a totally different team and ours is a totally different team. It’s totally different players and totally different things we’re trying to do on offense and defense. You can’t really take anything that’s happened in the past. I think somebody said, ‘Don’t trip over something that’s happened in the past, now.’ You can’t do that. You can’t look back at the past and say, ‘Yeah, we beat them last year pretty good and it’s going to happen again this year’ because you have no idea.”
“We’re a different team,” said Jones. “We’re not looking at them any different than we did our first six opponents, other than it’s a rival.”
Haymore said the Judges, who lead the all-time series 10-6, definitely have a different look this fall and that their improvement is obvious thanks to strengthening numbers.
“The two coaches [Jones and John Davis] they’ve had the past couple of years have done a really good job of getting guys out,” Haymore said. “When you have more guys out, the more options you’ve got of who you can put where and things like that. They do a good job of coaching up the guys that they’ve got and you can see that on film. When you watch them on film, you can see they do a good job at developing their players and making sure they are disciplined.”
And winning brings belief. They’ve won five times, with four of those victories coming on late scores in regulation or overtime. The Judges have trailed in each of their wins.
“We have a lot of confidence,” Judges receiver/defensive back Kevin Curry said. “Last year, I don’t think we had as much confidence as we have right now. With that confidence that we have, we should put together a great game.”
Jones said Millbrook is a different team than it was just a couple of weeks ago. Pioneers’ standout running back/receiver Savon Smith was sidelined the first half of the season with an injury, but returned to score on two long touchdown plays in last week’s 44-22 loss against unbeaten Kettle Run.
Smith has scored twice in each of the Pioneers’ last two wins over the Judges and is capable of making the spectacular play both running and receiving.
“I know it’s just his second game back, but he does a lot of special things for them,” Jones said. “They can move him around, so it allows them to complete their offense and do what they’ve been wanting to do all year. … You have to know where he is and where he lines up.”
“That’s probably the best player we will play all year,” Curry added. “He’s definitely a Division I football player. I like that challenge to show you how good we are and how we can stop him.”
Millbrook, which has been susceptible to the pass this season, certainly will be keeping an eye on Curry. The senior has caught at least one TD pass from Jacob Parker in five of six games, including the game-winner in overtime in last week’s 13-6 win over Fauquier.
“He’s a good football player,” Haymore said of Curry, who has nine touchdown receptions. “He runs good routes. He goes up and competes for the football. You’ve got to account for him at all times in all phases — offense, defense and special teams.”
Both teams have a lot in common this season. Their lone losses have come against unbeaten teams. They’ve both fallen to Kettle Run and beaten Fauquier in their two district games.
And while the game is a rivalry game, it could have some future playoff implications. The Judges are tied for fourth and Millbrook is eighth in the first Region 4C power rankings release by the VHSL this week. The top six teams in the region qualify for the postseason.
But, both coaches say those ratings will mean little on Saturday.
“I think every game is important,” Haymore said. “I can’t say that one game is more important than the other. You lose one game and it’s going to hurt you in the playoff future and all of that stuff. You’ve got to play every game as if it’s the biggest and know one game is not bigger than the other one.”
“Those power ratings don’t mean anything until Week 10,” Jones said. “Just being a rivalry game is all you need for this. We have got to play our game, do well and hope at the end we have a chance.”
What will make the difference Saturday?
Haymore says for his team it all boils down to one word — execution. He felt that last week, the Pioneers did not meet expectations when a 14-14 game at the half turned in Kettle Run’s favor.
“We have to execute,” he said. “That’s what last Friday was all about — execution. [You] have to make sure you’re trying to do too much. When we hit adversity, everybody tried to press and do more than what their job was. I think they understand, ‘Just do your job. Do what you need to do to help the team. And trust that everybody else is going to do it.’ I think they’ll respond to that.”
After the game Friday, Smith said the Pioneers would respond heading into the clash with Handley.
“I think we’re going to do good,” Smith said. “I think we will bounce back from this and look at the mistakes we made, try to execute the things we messed up on. We will come back next week and have a better outcome.”
Jones said the Judges can’t let the Pioneers score in spectacular fashion. Jordan Jackson returned the opening kickoff for a score and hauled in a long touchdown pass against them last season.
“We can’t give up the big plays,” Jones said. “They’re going to get their yardage. They’re a potent offense. We have to take care of the ball and do what we do well, just stay within our own game, not worry about what they do and keep them from getting big plays on us.”
