Week eight of the Virginia High School football season is in the books. Believe it or not, we finally had a normal Friday night of action, and it did not disappoint. From offensive shootouts, to defensive embattles, week eight had something for everybody. Let's take a closer look at the week that was under the lights in the Roanoke/Lynchburg area.
Game of the Week Recap:
Everyone catch their breath yet?
Our game of the week saw Seminole District rivals Jefferson Forest and Amherst combine for nearly 2,000 total yards, and 113 points scored. In the end, the Lancers had no answer for Cavalier running backs Navy Jones and Cameron Miller-Trent. The dynamic duo accounted for nearly half of JF’s 672 total yards in the Cavaliers’ 70-43 triumph over Amherst. Jones and Miller-Trent each found the end zone four times in Friday’s romp.
The two Cavalier speedsters got the win, but Amherst’s Jerry Page finished the night with the most rushing yards. The battle-tested junior earned 375 yards, and two touchdowns in the losing effort. With his team trailing by 13 points in the second quarter, Page seemingly provided the Lancers with an offensive spark, sprinting 71 yards to the JF 10 yard line. Unfortunately for the visitors, Page would cough up the football at the 10. The fumble would lead to a 72-yard run to pay dirt from Miller-Trent, and the rest was history.
Jefferson Forest has been tested against both Rustburg and Amherst in the past two weeks, but the Cavaliers won both games to maintain their spot among the top of the 4A North Standings. On the other side, Amherest saw its four-game winning streak snapped. The Lancers are in good shape to qualify for the postseason, but they must take care of business down stretch
Rough Homecoming:
Jeff Woody has many happy memories at Stinger Stadium, but the former Brookville head coach endured a rough return to his alma mater. His E.C. Glass squad managed just 40 yards rushing in a 43-0 defeat at the hands of the Bees. Friday's victory was Brookville's 4th shutout of the season. The vaunted Bee defense had given up a combined 62 points in the previous two games, and head coach Jon Meeks had to be thrilled with the way his defense responded.
Defensive Battle:
While the Jefferson Forest/Amherst game resembled a shootout, Friday's battle between Northside and William Byrd was pretty much the exact opposite. Byrd nearly pulled off a 65-yard miracle in the final minute, but the pass fell incomplete, and the Vikings prevailed 10-7. Terrier wide receiver Tevin Reynolds got behind the Northside secondary on the hail mary attempt, but that was just about the only mistake that the Vikings made on defense. Northside held William Byrd running back to just 31 yards on 15 carries, over 150 yards below his season average. The Vikings limited Byrd to just 147 yards of total offense, and did just enough on the other side of the field to eek out a win.
With the win, Northisde is the only Blue Ridge District team with a perfect record in league play. v
Don't Call it a Comeback:
The Blacksburg Bruins jumped out to a 21-7 lead over undefeated Pulaski in the second quarter, and looked to be in prime position to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season. Pulaski managed to trim the deficit to just three points at the break, behind two big rushing touchdowns from Hunter Thomas.
The Cougars took the lead for the first time following an 85-yard punt return from Jamall Edmunds. Following a three-and-out, Thomas registered his fourth touchdown of the day, and Pulaski would cruise to a huge 41-32 comeback win. The Cougars piled up 326 rushing yards in the victory, and managed to capitalize on several Blacksburg miscues.
Six Straight:
Despite dropping their first two games of the season, first-year James River head coach Jacob Phillips felt that his team was moving in the right direction. Fast-forward six weeks later, and the Knights are one of the hottest teams in the region. Phlllips' troops kept the ball rolling on Friday night, blanking a very good Parry McCluer team 21-0, for their sixth consecutive victory. James River held explosive McCluer running back K.J. Cook to just 44 yards in the win.
Just Another Week in the Valley:
The Valley District may not feature any state title contenders, but boy, is it entertaining? The race for the district championship is more complicated than ever, thanks to a resurgent Waynesboro squad. Having lost three of their last four games, the Little Giants responded with a huge 47-34 triumph over Turner Ashby. Prior to the defeat, the Knights had won four straight, and were one of two Valley team with a perfect record in league play. On the other side, many Little Giant fans were waiting all season for the offense to break out, but the Purple and Gold had managed just 16.7 points per contest in the firs seven games. Behind 328 yards and four touchdown from Steffan Thornton, Waynesboro put up its season high in points by a wide margin.
Elsewhere in the Valley, Harrisonburg maintained its perfect record in district play, with a thrilling 35-29 win over reigning league champion Broadway. The Blue Streaks are currently in sole possession of first place in the district, but must play both Robert E Lee and Turner Ashby in the final two weeks of the season/.
Finally. That is the word that many Spotswood fans were saying following the Trailblazers' 42-14 win over Fort Defiance. The victory snapped Spotswood's agonized six-game losing streak.
The Valley is in good shape to be well represented in the VHSL postseason. Harrisonburg is currently the number-11 seed in the 4A West standings. Waynesboro and Turner Ashby are seeded 10th and 11th respectively in the latest 3A West top-20. Broadway is currently the 16th and last team seeded in the playoffs, while Spotswood checks in at number 18. In addition, Lee is in good position to host a first round playoff game, after checking in at number six in the latest 2A East bracket.
Other Notable Scores:
Salem 49, Christiansburg 7
Cave Spring 34, Carroll County 0
William Fleming 34, Rockbridge County 0
Staunton River 60, Alleghany 24
Rustburg 21, Heritage 7
Riverheads 73, Page 30
Buffalo Gap 58, Luray 26
Glenvar 38, Auburn 0
Giles 35, Radford 27
Game of the Week Recap:
Everyone catch their breath yet?
Our game of the week saw Seminole District rivals Jefferson Forest and Amherst combine for nearly 2,000 total yards, and 113 points scored. In the end, the Lancers had no answer for Cavalier running backs Navy Jones and Cameron Miller-Trent. The dynamic duo accounted for nearly half of JF’s 672 total yards in the Cavaliers’ 70-43 triumph over Amherst. Jones and Miller-Trent each found the end zone four times in Friday’s romp.
The two Cavalier speedsters got the win, but Amherst’s Jerry Page finished the night with the most rushing yards. The battle-tested junior earned 375 yards, and two touchdowns in the losing effort. With his team trailing by 13 points in the second quarter, Page seemingly provided the Lancers with an offensive spark, sprinting 71 yards to the JF 10 yard line. Unfortunately for the visitors, Page would cough up the football at the 10. The fumble would lead to a 72-yard run to pay dirt from Miller-Trent, and the rest was history.
Jefferson Forest has been tested against both Rustburg and Amherst in the past two weeks, but the Cavaliers won both games to maintain their spot among the top of the 4A North Standings. On the other side, Amherest saw its four-game winning streak snapped. The Lancers are in good shape to qualify for the postseason, but they must take care of business down stretch
Rough Homecoming:
Jeff Woody has many happy memories at Stinger Stadium, but the former Brookville head coach endured a rough return to his alma mater. His E.C. Glass squad managed just 40 yards rushing in a 43-0 defeat at the hands of the Bees. Friday's victory was Brookville's 4th shutout of the season. The vaunted Bee defense had given up a combined 62 points in the previous two games, and head coach Jon Meeks had to be thrilled with the way his defense responded.
Defensive Battle:
While the Jefferson Forest/Amherst game resembled a shootout, Friday's battle between Northside and William Byrd was pretty much the exact opposite. Byrd nearly pulled off a 65-yard miracle in the final minute, but the pass fell incomplete, and the Vikings prevailed 10-7. Terrier wide receiver Tevin Reynolds got behind the Northside secondary on the hail mary attempt, but that was just about the only mistake that the Vikings made on defense. Northside held William Byrd running back to just 31 yards on 15 carries, over 150 yards below his season average. The Vikings limited Byrd to just 147 yards of total offense, and did just enough on the other side of the field to eek out a win.
With the win, Northisde is the only Blue Ridge District team with a perfect record in league play. v
Don't Call it a Comeback:
The Blacksburg Bruins jumped out to a 21-7 lead over undefeated Pulaski in the second quarter, and looked to be in prime position to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season. Pulaski managed to trim the deficit to just three points at the break, behind two big rushing touchdowns from Hunter Thomas.
The Cougars took the lead for the first time following an 85-yard punt return from Jamall Edmunds. Following a three-and-out, Thomas registered his fourth touchdown of the day, and Pulaski would cruise to a huge 41-32 comeback win. The Cougars piled up 326 rushing yards in the victory, and managed to capitalize on several Blacksburg miscues.
Six Straight:
Despite dropping their first two games of the season, first-year James River head coach Jacob Phillips felt that his team was moving in the right direction. Fast-forward six weeks later, and the Knights are one of the hottest teams in the region. Phlllips' troops kept the ball rolling on Friday night, blanking a very good Parry McCluer team 21-0, for their sixth consecutive victory. James River held explosive McCluer running back K.J. Cook to just 44 yards in the win.
Just Another Week in the Valley:
The Valley District may not feature any state title contenders, but boy, is it entertaining? The race for the district championship is more complicated than ever, thanks to a resurgent Waynesboro squad. Having lost three of their last four games, the Little Giants responded with a huge 47-34 triumph over Turner Ashby. Prior to the defeat, the Knights had won four straight, and were one of two Valley team with a perfect record in league play. On the other side, many Little Giant fans were waiting all season for the offense to break out, but the Purple and Gold had managed just 16.7 points per contest in the firs seven games. Behind 328 yards and four touchdown from Steffan Thornton, Waynesboro put up its season high in points by a wide margin.
Elsewhere in the Valley, Harrisonburg maintained its perfect record in district play, with a thrilling 35-29 win over reigning league champion Broadway. The Blue Streaks are currently in sole possession of first place in the district, but must play both Robert E Lee and Turner Ashby in the final two weeks of the season/.
Finally. That is the word that many Spotswood fans were saying following the Trailblazers' 42-14 win over Fort Defiance. The victory snapped Spotswood's agonized six-game losing streak.
The Valley is in good shape to be well represented in the VHSL postseason. Harrisonburg is currently the number-11 seed in the 4A West standings. Waynesboro and Turner Ashby are seeded 10th and 11th respectively in the latest 3A West top-20. Broadway is currently the 16th and last team seeded in the playoffs, while Spotswood checks in at number 18. In addition, Lee is in good position to host a first round playoff game, after checking in at number six in the latest 2A East bracket.
Other Notable Scores:
Salem 49, Christiansburg 7
Cave Spring 34, Carroll County 0
William Fleming 34, Rockbridge County 0
Staunton River 60, Alleghany 24
Rustburg 21, Heritage 7
Riverheads 73, Page 30
Buffalo Gap 58, Luray 26
Glenvar 38, Auburn 0
Giles 35, Radford 27
