As we near the halfway point of the season (Week 5 of 11), the Shenandoah District is starting to take shape, even though very few district games have been played. So although this may be premature, here are my thoughts on how things will ultimately play out.....
The regular season finale between Stuarts Draft and Riverheads will be the "championship game," which was the idea all along. That should be every bit the battle that Friday night's game was, maybe even more of one. In fact, seeing the Gladiators up close and personal might actually help the Cougars prepare for the re-match.
At this point, the Buffalo Gap/Wilson winner (and I sure would not want to predict THAT one at this point in time) will likely claim third place. I do not see either of those teams as being strong enough to take down either of the big boys but I do see them as being better than the three below them. If they do finish that high, then each has a decent shot at a playoff berth.
City rivals Staunton and Waynesboro look as if their game this week will in essence decide fifth place. I cannot rule out The Storm surprising a higher up somewhere along the line and I suppose Waynesboro "could" knock off the Gap next week but I don't realistically expect upsets from either team.
That leaves Fort Defiance as the cellar-dweller this year. But as I have already mentioned, the key for them will be to keep their commitment to the program and accept this season as a building block. If they hang in there, they could be a formidable team a couple of years from now.
So let's look at this final weekend of September, which at this stage looks as if it will offer ideal cool and crisp football weather. The above Staunton/Waynesboro tussle is the only district game, so let's start with that one. Each team is in a rebuilding mode with still relatively new coaches at the helm. Staunton opened the season on a positive note with two wins, but Rockbridge stuck a pin in that balloon last weekend. Waynesboro only has the one win over Fort Defiance, but they hung with Wilson longer than I would have expected. So for that reason, I think the Giants will have the higher confidence level Friday night and will pull out a close win. maybe even one decided by extra points or a field goal.
The other five teams have a variety of non-district games, so in no particular order.......
Buffalo Gap at Bath County: I guess this one is still on. I thought I had read that Bath schools were all closed, which logically would impact sports. But if this one does remain on the schedule, the Bison should have a fairly easy time of it.
Rockbridge County at Fort Defiance: The Wildcats have been a tough bunch to figure out this season. They barely squeeze past PM, they get throttled at Western, but then turn around and roll over the Storm Friday night. So between now and the start of their Valley District schedule, they need to figure out if they will be CONtenders or PREtenders this season. Regardless they will roll in this one, meaning we will have to wait even longer for the real RCHS to step up.
James River at Stuarts Draft: Back in the good old days, JR was a regular visitor to this area. (Anyone else remember the old District Five?) But we don't see as much of them these days. Based on their earlier home field loss to Buffalo Gap, I don't see them as offering the Cougars much of a challenge. SD will take out its Riverheads frustrations on the visitors as Grigsby and Nice each score at least twice.
Wilson at Spotswood: Since Wilson has only been able to get in two games thus far, we really don't feel as if we know them yet. Are they the real deal or were Monticello and Waynesboro just too weak to give them a challenge? Might we know more if their game at Rockbridge had been played as scheduled? Spotswood on the other hand has not put up any big numbers, but I think their competition has been tougher. I will go with the Wood to hand Wilson its first loss of the season but it could be by a touchdown or less. Hornets, show us what you've got...inquiring minds want to know!
Riverheads at Tazewell: This will be a 1:00 Saturday kickoff. Around here Saturday afternoon is expected to be sunny and in the mid 70s, so let's hope it is likewise down that way. Their season-opener last spring was a doozy, the Big Red's second-closest game of the season, so with home field advantage, you can bet that the home team will be fired up to even the score. Since Riverheads has passed the road test with flying colors these past two Friday nights against impressive competition, I don't think they will go all the way down there and lose their focus. I will therefore go with the Big Red to keep marching on, but the margin of victory will depend on how many top guys Tazewell graduated in June, and word on the street is that they lost more than a little bit.
If someone wants to fill in for me Saturday afternoon or evening, feel free. My current plans call for proceeding on beyond Tazewell for a family event, and I will not be back at the computer until late Sunday night. So I will catch up and chime in then.
Good luck to one and all!
The regular season finale between Stuarts Draft and Riverheads will be the "championship game," which was the idea all along. That should be every bit the battle that Friday night's game was, maybe even more of one. In fact, seeing the Gladiators up close and personal might actually help the Cougars prepare for the re-match.
At this point, the Buffalo Gap/Wilson winner (and I sure would not want to predict THAT one at this point in time) will likely claim third place. I do not see either of those teams as being strong enough to take down either of the big boys but I do see them as being better than the three below them. If they do finish that high, then each has a decent shot at a playoff berth.
City rivals Staunton and Waynesboro look as if their game this week will in essence decide fifth place. I cannot rule out The Storm surprising a higher up somewhere along the line and I suppose Waynesboro "could" knock off the Gap next week but I don't realistically expect upsets from either team.
That leaves Fort Defiance as the cellar-dweller this year. But as I have already mentioned, the key for them will be to keep their commitment to the program and accept this season as a building block. If they hang in there, they could be a formidable team a couple of years from now.
So let's look at this final weekend of September, which at this stage looks as if it will offer ideal cool and crisp football weather. The above Staunton/Waynesboro tussle is the only district game, so let's start with that one. Each team is in a rebuilding mode with still relatively new coaches at the helm. Staunton opened the season on a positive note with two wins, but Rockbridge stuck a pin in that balloon last weekend. Waynesboro only has the one win over Fort Defiance, but they hung with Wilson longer than I would have expected. So for that reason, I think the Giants will have the higher confidence level Friday night and will pull out a close win. maybe even one decided by extra points or a field goal.
The other five teams have a variety of non-district games, so in no particular order.......
Buffalo Gap at Bath County: I guess this one is still on. I thought I had read that Bath schools were all closed, which logically would impact sports. But if this one does remain on the schedule, the Bison should have a fairly easy time of it.
Rockbridge County at Fort Defiance: The Wildcats have been a tough bunch to figure out this season. They barely squeeze past PM, they get throttled at Western, but then turn around and roll over the Storm Friday night. So between now and the start of their Valley District schedule, they need to figure out if they will be CONtenders or PREtenders this season. Regardless they will roll in this one, meaning we will have to wait even longer for the real RCHS to step up.
James River at Stuarts Draft: Back in the good old days, JR was a regular visitor to this area. (Anyone else remember the old District Five?) But we don't see as much of them these days. Based on their earlier home field loss to Buffalo Gap, I don't see them as offering the Cougars much of a challenge. SD will take out its Riverheads frustrations on the visitors as Grigsby and Nice each score at least twice.
Wilson at Spotswood: Since Wilson has only been able to get in two games thus far, we really don't feel as if we know them yet. Are they the real deal or were Monticello and Waynesboro just too weak to give them a challenge? Might we know more if their game at Rockbridge had been played as scheduled? Spotswood on the other hand has not put up any big numbers, but I think their competition has been tougher. I will go with the Wood to hand Wilson its first loss of the season but it could be by a touchdown or less. Hornets, show us what you've got...inquiring minds want to know!
Riverheads at Tazewell: This will be a 1:00 Saturday kickoff. Around here Saturday afternoon is expected to be sunny and in the mid 70s, so let's hope it is likewise down that way. Their season-opener last spring was a doozy, the Big Red's second-closest game of the season, so with home field advantage, you can bet that the home team will be fired up to even the score. Since Riverheads has passed the road test with flying colors these past two Friday nights against impressive competition, I don't think they will go all the way down there and lose their focus. I will therefore go with the Big Red to keep marching on, but the margin of victory will depend on how many top guys Tazewell graduated in June, and word on the street is that they lost more than a little bit.
If someone wants to fill in for me Saturday afternoon or evening, feel free. My current plans call for proceeding on beyond Tazewell for a family event, and I will not be back at the computer until late Sunday night. So I will catch up and chime in then.
Good luck to one and all!
