Highland Springs (1-0) vs. Oscar Smith at VB Sportsplex . . . It’s the first ever meeting between these two state powers. Highland Springs has won four consecutive state titles, putting them in rarefied air with only Hampton in the 1990’s and Phoebus during the early 2000’s as the lone VHSL programs to accomplish the feat. With a roster that features 22 players that hold scholarship offers and counting, the Springers have won 30 consecutive games and beat Avalon (MD) 38-13 in their opener.
This is the debut for Chris Scott, previously the Head Coach at Bishop Sullivan and once a rival at Ocean Lakes, with the Oscar Smith Tigers. Oscar Smith hasn’t won a State Championship since 2011 when they won their second in a span of four years. Yet, it’s a program that is used to playing in spotlight games as they’ve made it to the regional title game or further every season dating back to 2004. In fact, they’ve reached the State Final on six occasions over the past 11 years.
During their run of state titles, Highland Springs is 8-0 against schools from the ‘757’ area code. Coach Loren Johnson has two very capable quarterback options in junior Jamareeh ‘Bugg’ Jones and sophomore Juwan Dent, a Benedictine transfer. Jones has an offer from Notre Dame as a DB and is a dangerous runner as well. Both saw action a week ago at QB with Jones finding Kerry King Jr. for a 31-yard touchdown through the air. The Springers are deep at receiver again with King, LaQuan Veney and 6’1” sophomore Michael Hodge all holding scholarship offers.
The running game is going to be a major key for Highland Springs as they need both Jordan Jackson and Kalii Bradford to set up play-action opportunities for the passing game against a fierce Tigers defensive front. When a defense has to respect the run what that does is enables Highland Springs to take vertical shots down field with their speedy playmakers on the outside. At linebacker for Oscar Smith, linebacker Malcolm Britt holds about a dozen scholarship offers, and in Scott’s eyes, is a Player of the Year candidate on that side of the ball.
Britt along with sophomore two-way lineman Caleb Jones, junior edge player Tyvon Norfleet, senior MLB Tyler Ball and sophomore LB Marqaz Young give the Tigers a group that should be stout against the run. One of the things to watch for is how well does Oscar Smith defend the pass? They’re going to count on the safeties in junior Maurice Freeman and senior Ricky Thompson Jr. to keep the Springers from striking for those splash plays down the middle of the field. It’s much easier said than done, though.
Malcolm Britt and the Oscar Smith defense hopes to put the clamps on Highland Springs the way they generally do against Southeastern District foes (Greg Bishop (GregBishopPhoto.com))
Conversely, the Oscar Smith offense, which always has weapons, goes through somewhat of a transition phase under the new coaching staff. A new quarterback is slated to start this year in sophomore Ethan Vasko, a transfer from Currituck in North Carolina that checks in at 6’3” and 185 pounds. Vasko just needs to be a game manager and get the ball to his teammates in space so that they can do work. One of them will be diminutive, yet electric senior WR Romon ‘Man-Man’ Copeland. The Springers do have accomplished DB’s to match up with them.
At safety for Highland Springs, Malcolm Greene has more than 20 scholarship offers. Other DB’s with next-level opportunities include Damond Harmon, Jamaree Moyer, Jabari Parker, Daytoine Smith, the aforementioned Jones and East Carolina commit David Laney. While the Oscar Smith offensive line has youth, it is a promising group headed up by a tenth grader with college potential in Maarten Woudsma. They will have their hands full blocking a tough d-line featuring Suirad Ware, Evan Robinson, Payton Jackson and highly rated junior DE Kelvin Gilliam Jr.
If there’s a matchup that the Oscar Smith offense has to feel it can win and give them a chance to spring the upset, it’s running the ball effectively with sophomore Kevin King and others against a Springers linebacker core that, while expected to be good, no longer has All-State stud Christian White, who graduated. The Springers are confident that DJ Goodwyn, Tavarus Short and Cameron Morris can make plays from the LB spot. Oscar Smith though needs to get their RB’s to the second level of the defense, and that means the o-line has to create running room for King and company.
Highland Springs Keys:
#1 – Establish the Run
#2 – Turn Takeaways Into Points
#3 – Special Teams Spark
Oscar Smith Keys:
#1 – Win the Turnover Battle
#2 – Stay Balanced Offensively
#3 – Make HSHS One-Dimensional
Matt Says: Highland Springs 35-20
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Highland Springs 27-21
Coach Young Says: Highland Springs 28-20
