A quick scan of the Thursday night picks, where Matt Hatfield and his ESPN Radio 94.1 partner Coach Ed Young were unblemished - perhaps a first!!
Hatfield's Thursday Night Total: 5-0 (100%)
Hatfield's Season Total: 56-15 (78.9%)
Hatfield's Thursday Night 757 Total: 2-0 (100%)
Hatfield's Tidewater Season Total: 27-8 (77.1%)
Coach Ed Young's Thursday Night Total: 2-0 (100%)
Coach Ed Young's Season Total: 26-9 (74.3%)
Both got the NFL game right, although Young was closer on the score than Hatfield (sorry Coach, but no bonus points for that).
For this weekend's games, we break them down in three phases with Tier 1, Tier 2 and The Rest. It's below....
TIER 1 for Fri. 9/10/21:
Riverheads (2-0) at Lord Botetourt (1-1) . . . Folks in the respective communities have been clamoring for this one for a long while. In fact, the message boards have been buzzing, as has social media, too. If you like physical, hard-running and smash-mouth football, these two programs bring it consistently week in and week out.
Botetourt had some major coverage breakdowns in a 41-30 loss to E.C. Glass in the opener. Fortunately for them, Riverheads is run-heavy with Cayden Cook-Cash, Noah Smiley and a bevy of ball carriers. This is a spot where Gunner Givens, the massive 4-Star Virginia Tech commit, can prove to be a difference-maker in the trenches for the Cavaliers.
Riverheads has won five state titles in a row and the Gladiators are on another remarkably impressive streak in the form of 38 consecutive wins. That is tied with Bixby of Oklahoma for eighth longest in the nation presently. This is unquestionably the biggest hurdle to that in my eyes between now and December.
Matt Hatfield Says – Lord Botetourt 24-16
Freedom (2-0) at Stone Bridge (2-0) . . . This is the first meeting between two title hopefuls in seven years. Got the hunch this is a last team with the ball wins, and with so much Championship experience on their side behind the dynamic duo of Jacob Thomas and Dylan Hundertmark (multi-sport stars with rings in both football and basketball), the Bulldogs make a little more sense than a dangerous Freedom team that can score in bunches behind QB Davis Bryson.
More in the NoVA Preview from Jim McGrath Here
Matt Hatfield Says – Stone Bridge 27-21
King George at Louisa (2-0) . . . This has the makings of a good one as it’s a re-match of the Region 4B Semis, where the Foxes of King George knocked off a Louisa team that doesn’t lose very often in the regular season.
More from Robert Edmonds in his Central VA Preview Here
More in the Fredericksburg Area Preview from Devin Payne Here
Matt Hatfield Says – Louisa 27-14
Robert Edmonds Says – Louisa 36-20
Devin Payne Says – King George 28-24
Maury at New Bern, NC (3-0) . . . Rivals rates DT Keith Sampson as a four-star and No. 250 nationally in the country in the Class of 2023 as Alabama is among his 17 scholarship offers to date. The Bears have outscored each of their first three opponents by at least 41 points with a season margin of 150-7.
Maury is not short of talent themselves, headlined by versatile WR/QB/ATH Ahmarian Granger, an ODU commit, and QB Saquan Miles, who transferred in from Salem in Virginia Beach. The reigning three-time Region 5A Champion Commodores have to establish who their go-to tailback is now that Demonte Dunlap has graduated, but there are a host of talented skill players, including sophomore Da'Vontae Floyd, who already has double-digit offers.
This is a step up in competition for New Bern, but they are at home and it'll likely come down to how well Maury stops the run against a New Bern team that doesn't go to the air much and relies on their ground attack.
Matt Hatfield Says - Maury 21-14
Coach Ed Young Says - Maury 24-12...but Carolina officials
E.C. Glass (2-0) at GW-Danville (1-0) . . . Gretna was held to 21 total yards in its 56-0 loss to E.C. Glass last week as the Hilltoppers showed their 41-30 victory over Lord Botetourt was no fluke whatsoever. GW-Danville’s lone triumph came via forfeit by Amherst. The GW Defense better know where Eli Wood (8Rec. 247Yds. 4TD’s vs. Lord Botetourt) is at all times as QB George White will look to locate him frequently through the air.
Matt Hatfield Says – E.C. Glass 31-20
Appomattox (2-0) at Heritage-Lynchburg (1-1) . . . There's a lot to like about this matchup. For one, Doug Smith's Raiders are riding a 23-game winning streak. The last team that snapped a similarly long streak of theirs? It was Heritage-Lynchburg, which halted a run of 32 victories in a row. Now, for Brad Bradley's Pioneers to do it again, they'll have to be stout against the run as the Raiders racked up 287 yards on the ground with seven different ball carriers in a 37-20 win over Rustburg. Heritage-Lynchburg is coming off a humbling 52-12 loss at Dinwiddie. If QB Kam Burns can perform well, they should have a great chance to win since Appomattox is likely without starting QB Tre Lawing, who suffered a shoulder injury in the opener.
Matt Hatfield Says - Heritage-Lynchburg 27-19
Graham (1-0) at Richlands (1-0) . . . Plenty of talent in this one with Penn commit leading the way for Richlands outside the hashes as a dynamite speedster and weapon in the return game. Graham counters with one of the finest offensive lineman in the state in UVA commit Brady Meadows at tackle as well as a three-phase playmaker of their own in Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw. The G-Men certainly are likely to have some rusty moments because of not getting a chance to practice much due to Covid protocol, but the speed they possess with Turner-Bradshaw can go a long way in this one.
Matt Hatfield Says – Graham 28-17
Chilhowie (2-0) at Narrows (2-0) . . . Kelly Lowe’s Green Wave lost a ton to graduation, yet two games in and they have still not been scored on, similar to their shut down defense that kept every foe out of the end zone during the regular season for the 2020-21 school-year. For Jeff Robinson’s Warriors, this team is rounding into form and might have what it takes for their best playoff run since losing in back-to-back Class 1 State Finals to Riverheads.
Matt Hatfield Says – Narrows 14-13
TIER 2 for Fri. 9/10/21 and Sat. 9/11/21:
[SAT] - Hampton at Woodside . . . Sitting at 597 career wins, Hampton’s legendary sideline boss Mike Smith breaks in a new starting quarterback for this game. What he does have on his side is a seasoned defense, headed up by LB Marcus Triggs and DB Torian Howerton, to make it hard on the Woodside offense, which during the spring engineered a late game-winning drive behind its QB, Tayvon Tyler.
Matt Hatfield Says - Hampton 22-18
Coach Ed Young Says - Hampton 28-20
Kempsville (1-0) at Green Run (1-0) . . . Matchups to watch in this one include how the Green Run offensive line blocks Kempsville's defensive front with ODU commit Jaylon White (5 sacks last week vs. Cox) and Shaun Sanders, plus the Chiefs secondary defending a vaunted Stallions passing attack with QB Xavier Davis and a talent-rich receiving core that features UNC commit Tayon Holloway as well as highly rated sophomore Keylen 'Brodie' Adams. Ultimately though, Kempsville will need to start strong offensively and chew up some clock against a Green Run defense that was fairly stout in its 56-7 season-opening rout of Tallwood.
If the Chiefs can establish the running game to take pressure off of QB Noah Lee (3 first half TD passes vs. Cox last week), then they are in great shape to spring the upset. But the Stallions have some scholarship talent on the defensive side of the ball with Virginia Tech commit Lemar Law, a Bayside transfer, on the line along with 2024 LB/SS Tyler Baker, who scooped up a UVA offer this past week.
Matt Hatfield Says - Green Run 37-19
Coach Ed Young Says – Green Run 34-12
Nansemond River (1-0) at Western Branch (2-0) . . . The Warriors got one victory in, 28-13 over Bethel on Aug. 27, before Covid protocols hit. Western Branch is trying to get to 3-0 following their surprise of Churchland and shutout of Granby. Shimique Blizzard has taken the area by storm with 345 yards rushing and a couple of touchdown in two games. If the Nansemond River defense contains him, they can win.
What Nansemond River, behind projected starting QB Nolan James, will have to be careful of is not turning the ball over as well. Western Branch’s defense had a couple of pick-sixes on the Comets with Devin Cook and Kaleb Broadbent.
Matt Hatfield Says - Western Branch 27-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Western Branch 22-20 ...ohhhh how I want to pick my Warriors!
West Potomac (2-0) at Colonial Forge (0-1) . . . This is a great gauge for both teams; Colonial Forge to see how their psyche is coming off a loss, and West Potomac to find out how for real they are with a chance to get to 3-0. John Brown’s Eagles seldom ever lose back-to-back.
More in the Fredericksburg Area Preview from Devin Payne Here
Matt Hatfield Says – Colonial Forge 24-13
Devin Payne Says – Colonial Forge 24-13
Yorktown (2-0) at Madison (1-1) . . . The Warhawks erupted offensively against Lake Braddock last week, but I’m most interested to see how their stingy defense does against the Yorktown offense in this matchup. Patriots junior QB James Yoest was pretty efficient in their win over Wilson of D.C. as they rolled up 397 total yards of offense. Coach Bruce Hanson is at 276 wins and counting… but getting to 277 will be tough unless his defense creates a couple early turnovers.
Matt Hatfield Says – Madison 28-21
Patrick Henry-Ashland (1-0) at Hermitage . . .
More from Byron Jones & Danny Lewis on this matchup in their Richmond Region Forecast
Matt Hatfield Says – PH-Ashland 27-18
Danny Lewis Says – PH-Ashland 41-28
Byron Jones Says – PH-Ashland 24-21
Ridgeview (1-0) at Central-Wise (2-0) . . . I might be disrespecting this game some putting it on Tier-B. But without Trenton Adkins, now at Toledo, running the football for Ridgeview, it loses just a tad of its luster. Nonetheless, it’s still a mighty big game that will tell a lot in the Region 2D picture.
Matt Hatfield Says – Central-Wise 24-14
Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (1-0) at Virginia High (2-0) . . . Derrick Patterson has the Bearcats smelling 3-0, and against a Patrick Henry-Glade Spring team that ought to contend in Region 1D, this would be another building block for them.
Matt Hatfield Says – Virginia High 20-13
J.I. Burton (0-2) at Union (1-0) . . . Defensively, Burton - which opened the season ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 1 - has had troubles getting off the field and stopping teams from scoring. That might be the case again here as Union racked up close to 400 yards of offense in a 48-point thumping of Lee High.
While the QB/RB tandem of Jaymen Buchanan and Esau Teasley can make things happen for Burton, the Bears have plenty of offensive firepower of their own with QB Bradley Bunch, RB Zavier Lomax, plus scoring threats Malachi Jenkins and Peyton Honeycutt to light up the scoreboard at Bullitt Park.
Matt Hatfield Says - Union 42-21
The Rest for Fri. 9/10/21 and Sat 9/11/21:
Oscar Smith (1-0) at Grassfield (0-2) . . . The Tigers have never lost before to Grassfield and don’t think it’ll happen here, a week in advance of their immense showdown with nationally-ranked St. John Bosco Prep out of California at Beard-DeLong-Easley Field in Chesapeake.
Matt Hatfield Says - Oscar Smith 48-3
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 38-0
Lake Taylor (0-1) at Currituck, NC (1-1) . . . Hank Sawyer's Titans have been waiting 13 days to rid themselves the bad taste in their mouths from a 56-6 loss to Phoebus at home. Currituck did handle Hickory from Chesapeake 42-3, but Lake Taylor will test their line play as well as overall team speed and athleticism in a different kind of way.
Matt Hatfield Says - Lake Taylor 27-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Lake Taylor 48-0....but NOT these Carolina officials!!!!
Grafton (1-0) at Lafayette . . . Even though Grafton thumped Denbigh 44-0 in its opener, the reigning Class 3 State Champion Rams have had their way with Bay Rivers District foes. Lafayette had its only game played thus far - a trip to King George on the final Saturday of August - suspended at half-time due to weather with the score deadlocked at 14-apiece. This one does not figure to be tied for long once the ball is kicked off at Wanner Stadium in Williamsburg.
Matt Hatfield Says - Lafayette 49-7
Coach Ed Young Says - Lafayette 45-6
Hickory (0-2) at Deep Creek (1-1) . . . The Hornets responded well from a season-opening shellacking at the hands of Oscar Smith by routing Manor. Hickory’s defense has its work cut out for them to slow QB Anthony Barnes and the Hornets.
Matt Hatfield Says - Deep Creek 28-0
Coach Ed Young Says – Deep Creek 36-6
Salem-VB (1-1) at Tallwood (1-1) . . . Marcus Johnson-Williams won his Salem debut over Landstown, and with a week off, his Sun Devils should be fresh against a Tallwood team that also beat the Lions, but struggled mightily the week before against Green Run. This figures to be a low-scoring battle and first to double-figures to win.
Matt Hatfield Says - Salem-VB 16-8
Coach Ed Young Says - Salem 22-18
Warhill (2-0) at Tabb (0-1) . . . The Lions made some opportunistic defensive and special teams plays in its comeback win over Norcom, something that can very well propel them against a Tabb team full of underclassmen in key roles on both sides of the ball.
Matt Hatfield Says - Warhill 30-13
Coach Ed Young Says - Warhill 28-14
Bruton (1-1) at New Kent (1-0) . . . Trey Corbin has announced himself as a playmaker for the Panthers in a short amount of time, but in order for him to have success in this one he will need help in the form of his line and defense against a New Kent team that’s ready to show it is a sleeper in the Bay Rivers District this year.
Matt Hatfield Says - New Kent 35-14
Coach Ed Young Says – New Kent 30-8
Bayside (1-0) at Cox (0-2) . . . Jon White’s Marlins have not fared well lately against Cox in the head-to-head series, but the Falcons have been playing musical quarterbacks, in part due to injury, and the Bayside defense should have the ingredients to capitalize on that uncertainty.
Matt Hatfield Says - Bayside 21-13
Coach Ed Young Says - Bayside 30-18
First Colonial (0-2) at Princess Anne . . . Both teams have to feel like this a great opportunity to get in the win column and build something, even though neither is viewed as a title contender. Somebody, either Ty Traister for FC or Jesse Litton of PA, will get their first win as a Head Coach.
Matt Hatfield Says - First Colonial 28-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Princess Anne 28-12
Gloucester (0-1) at Bethel (0-2) . . . The Bruins have only put up 19 points in losses to Nansemond River and Warwick to begin this season, but that's still better production than what we've seen so far from the Dukes, who were shut out 42-0 by York a week ago.
Matt Hatfield Says - Bethel 20-7
Coach Ed Young Says - Bethel 24-22
Menchville (1-1) at Denbigh (0-1) . . . Jasiah Hales showed some promise running the ball early against Phoebus before things fell apart. Denbigh hasn’t shown quite that potential, coming off a 40-plus point shutout loss to Grafton of the Bay Rivers.
Matt Hatfield Says - Menchville 28-6
Coach Ed Young Says - Menchville 33-12
Manor (1-1) at Great Bridge . . . Which Manor Mustangs team will show up: the one that answered late score after late score in rallying to beat Lakeland or the one that was overmatched against Deep Creek? It’s maybe somewhere in the middle, which could make for a down-to-the-wire finish with the Wildcats.
Matt Hatfield Says - Manor 30-28
Coach Ed Young Says - Manor 26-18
Norcom (0-1) at Hopewell . . . These two have plenty of history lately, both in the regular season and playoffs. Norcom has eliminate some of the miscues that plagued them in a loss to Warhill, while this game may be an indicator if Ricky Irby’s Blue Devils are ready to be a title threat this year or perhaps are a year away.
Matt Hatfield Says - Hopewell 26-13
Coach Ed Young Says - Hopewell 24-16
Norview (1-0) at John A. Holmes, NC (1-0) . . . The Aces of Edenton beat Rocky Mount 27-16 in their opener, while Norview buckled down defensively in its opener two weeks ago against Grassfield, blanking the Grizzlies 14-0..
Matt Hatfield Says - Holmes 19-15
Coach Ed Young Says - Holmes 28-20...Carolina officials rear their ugly heads…again!
SAT 9/11/21:
Booker T. Washington (1-0) at Lakeland (1-1) . . . The Cavaliers showed improvement defensively in last week's shutout of Southampton, but it will be a different kind of challenge with Jerome Jones - who broke off three touchdown runs of more than 48 yards this past Tuesday at Petersburg on a night when he ran for 200-plus yards.
Matt Hatfield Says - Booker T. Washington 34-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Booker T. Washington 40-12
TUES 9/14/21 Bonus Game in 757:
Heritage-NN at Kecoughtan (1-0) . . .
Jeff Super's Warriors outlasted Tabb 17-14 in their opener. This could be a monster game for junior DE/TE David Anderson, testing the Hurricanes on both sides of the ball.
Matt Hatfield Says - Kecoughtan 24-8
Coach Ed Young Says - Kecoughtan 22-20
Hatfield's Thursday Night Total: 5-0 (100%)
Hatfield's Season Total: 56-15 (78.9%)
Hatfield's Thursday Night 757 Total: 2-0 (100%)
Hatfield's Tidewater Season Total: 27-8 (77.1%)
Coach Ed Young's Thursday Night Total: 2-0 (100%)
Coach Ed Young's Season Total: 26-9 (74.3%)
Both got the NFL game right, although Young was closer on the score than Hatfield (sorry Coach, but no bonus points for that).
For this weekend's games, we break them down in three phases with Tier 1, Tier 2 and The Rest. It's below....
TIER 1 for Fri. 9/10/21:
Riverheads (2-0) at Lord Botetourt (1-1) . . . Folks in the respective communities have been clamoring for this one for a long while. In fact, the message boards have been buzzing, as has social media, too. If you like physical, hard-running and smash-mouth football, these two programs bring it consistently week in and week out.
Botetourt had some major coverage breakdowns in a 41-30 loss to E.C. Glass in the opener. Fortunately for them, Riverheads is run-heavy with Cayden Cook-Cash, Noah Smiley and a bevy of ball carriers. This is a spot where Gunner Givens, the massive 4-Star Virginia Tech commit, can prove to be a difference-maker in the trenches for the Cavaliers.
Riverheads has won five state titles in a row and the Gladiators are on another remarkably impressive streak in the form of 38 consecutive wins. That is tied with Bixby of Oklahoma for eighth longest in the nation presently. This is unquestionably the biggest hurdle to that in my eyes between now and December.
Matt Hatfield Says – Lord Botetourt 24-16
Freedom (2-0) at Stone Bridge (2-0) . . . This is the first meeting between two title hopefuls in seven years. Got the hunch this is a last team with the ball wins, and with so much Championship experience on their side behind the dynamic duo of Jacob Thomas and Dylan Hundertmark (multi-sport stars with rings in both football and basketball), the Bulldogs make a little more sense than a dangerous Freedom team that can score in bunches behind QB Davis Bryson.
More in the NoVA Preview from Jim McGrath Here
Matt Hatfield Says – Stone Bridge 27-21
King George at Louisa (2-0) . . . This has the makings of a good one as it’s a re-match of the Region 4B Semis, where the Foxes of King George knocked off a Louisa team that doesn’t lose very often in the regular season.
More from Robert Edmonds in his Central VA Preview Here
More in the Fredericksburg Area Preview from Devin Payne Here
Matt Hatfield Says – Louisa 27-14
Robert Edmonds Says – Louisa 36-20
Devin Payne Says – King George 28-24
Maury at New Bern, NC (3-0) . . . Rivals rates DT Keith Sampson as a four-star and No. 250 nationally in the country in the Class of 2023 as Alabama is among his 17 scholarship offers to date. The Bears have outscored each of their first three opponents by at least 41 points with a season margin of 150-7.
Maury is not short of talent themselves, headlined by versatile WR/QB/ATH Ahmarian Granger, an ODU commit, and QB Saquan Miles, who transferred in from Salem in Virginia Beach. The reigning three-time Region 5A Champion Commodores have to establish who their go-to tailback is now that Demonte Dunlap has graduated, but there are a host of talented skill players, including sophomore Da'Vontae Floyd, who already has double-digit offers.
This is a step up in competition for New Bern, but they are at home and it'll likely come down to how well Maury stops the run against a New Bern team that doesn't go to the air much and relies on their ground attack.
Matt Hatfield Says - Maury 21-14
Coach Ed Young Says - Maury 24-12...but Carolina officials
E.C. Glass (2-0) at GW-Danville (1-0) . . . Gretna was held to 21 total yards in its 56-0 loss to E.C. Glass last week as the Hilltoppers showed their 41-30 victory over Lord Botetourt was no fluke whatsoever. GW-Danville’s lone triumph came via forfeit by Amherst. The GW Defense better know where Eli Wood (8Rec. 247Yds. 4TD’s vs. Lord Botetourt) is at all times as QB George White will look to locate him frequently through the air.
Matt Hatfield Says – E.C. Glass 31-20
Appomattox (2-0) at Heritage-Lynchburg (1-1) . . . There's a lot to like about this matchup. For one, Doug Smith's Raiders are riding a 23-game winning streak. The last team that snapped a similarly long streak of theirs? It was Heritage-Lynchburg, which halted a run of 32 victories in a row. Now, for Brad Bradley's Pioneers to do it again, they'll have to be stout against the run as the Raiders racked up 287 yards on the ground with seven different ball carriers in a 37-20 win over Rustburg. Heritage-Lynchburg is coming off a humbling 52-12 loss at Dinwiddie. If QB Kam Burns can perform well, they should have a great chance to win since Appomattox is likely without starting QB Tre Lawing, who suffered a shoulder injury in the opener.
Matt Hatfield Says - Heritage-Lynchburg 27-19
Graham (1-0) at Richlands (1-0) . . . Plenty of talent in this one with Penn commit leading the way for Richlands outside the hashes as a dynamite speedster and weapon in the return game. Graham counters with one of the finest offensive lineman in the state in UVA commit Brady Meadows at tackle as well as a three-phase playmaker of their own in Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw. The G-Men certainly are likely to have some rusty moments because of not getting a chance to practice much due to Covid protocol, but the speed they possess with Turner-Bradshaw can go a long way in this one.
Matt Hatfield Says – Graham 28-17
Chilhowie (2-0) at Narrows (2-0) . . . Kelly Lowe’s Green Wave lost a ton to graduation, yet two games in and they have still not been scored on, similar to their shut down defense that kept every foe out of the end zone during the regular season for the 2020-21 school-year. For Jeff Robinson’s Warriors, this team is rounding into form and might have what it takes for their best playoff run since losing in back-to-back Class 1 State Finals to Riverheads.
Matt Hatfield Says – Narrows 14-13
TIER 2 for Fri. 9/10/21 and Sat. 9/11/21:
[SAT] - Hampton at Woodside . . . Sitting at 597 career wins, Hampton’s legendary sideline boss Mike Smith breaks in a new starting quarterback for this game. What he does have on his side is a seasoned defense, headed up by LB Marcus Triggs and DB Torian Howerton, to make it hard on the Woodside offense, which during the spring engineered a late game-winning drive behind its QB, Tayvon Tyler.
Matt Hatfield Says - Hampton 22-18
Coach Ed Young Says - Hampton 28-20
Kempsville (1-0) at Green Run (1-0) . . . Matchups to watch in this one include how the Green Run offensive line blocks Kempsville's defensive front with ODU commit Jaylon White (5 sacks last week vs. Cox) and Shaun Sanders, plus the Chiefs secondary defending a vaunted Stallions passing attack with QB Xavier Davis and a talent-rich receiving core that features UNC commit Tayon Holloway as well as highly rated sophomore Keylen 'Brodie' Adams. Ultimately though, Kempsville will need to start strong offensively and chew up some clock against a Green Run defense that was fairly stout in its 56-7 season-opening rout of Tallwood.
If the Chiefs can establish the running game to take pressure off of QB Noah Lee (3 first half TD passes vs. Cox last week), then they are in great shape to spring the upset. But the Stallions have some scholarship talent on the defensive side of the ball with Virginia Tech commit Lemar Law, a Bayside transfer, on the line along with 2024 LB/SS Tyler Baker, who scooped up a UVA offer this past week.
Matt Hatfield Says - Green Run 37-19
Coach Ed Young Says – Green Run 34-12
Nansemond River (1-0) at Western Branch (2-0) . . . The Warriors got one victory in, 28-13 over Bethel on Aug. 27, before Covid protocols hit. Western Branch is trying to get to 3-0 following their surprise of Churchland and shutout of Granby. Shimique Blizzard has taken the area by storm with 345 yards rushing and a couple of touchdown in two games. If the Nansemond River defense contains him, they can win.
What Nansemond River, behind projected starting QB Nolan James, will have to be careful of is not turning the ball over as well. Western Branch’s defense had a couple of pick-sixes on the Comets with Devin Cook and Kaleb Broadbent.
Matt Hatfield Says - Western Branch 27-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Western Branch 22-20 ...ohhhh how I want to pick my Warriors!
West Potomac (2-0) at Colonial Forge (0-1) . . . This is a great gauge for both teams; Colonial Forge to see how their psyche is coming off a loss, and West Potomac to find out how for real they are with a chance to get to 3-0. John Brown’s Eagles seldom ever lose back-to-back.
More in the Fredericksburg Area Preview from Devin Payne Here
Matt Hatfield Says – Colonial Forge 24-13
Devin Payne Says – Colonial Forge 24-13
Yorktown (2-0) at Madison (1-1) . . . The Warhawks erupted offensively against Lake Braddock last week, but I’m most interested to see how their stingy defense does against the Yorktown offense in this matchup. Patriots junior QB James Yoest was pretty efficient in their win over Wilson of D.C. as they rolled up 397 total yards of offense. Coach Bruce Hanson is at 276 wins and counting… but getting to 277 will be tough unless his defense creates a couple early turnovers.
Matt Hatfield Says – Madison 28-21
Patrick Henry-Ashland (1-0) at Hermitage . . .
More from Byron Jones & Danny Lewis on this matchup in their Richmond Region Forecast
Matt Hatfield Says – PH-Ashland 27-18
Danny Lewis Says – PH-Ashland 41-28
Byron Jones Says – PH-Ashland 24-21
Ridgeview (1-0) at Central-Wise (2-0) . . . I might be disrespecting this game some putting it on Tier-B. But without Trenton Adkins, now at Toledo, running the football for Ridgeview, it loses just a tad of its luster. Nonetheless, it’s still a mighty big game that will tell a lot in the Region 2D picture.
Matt Hatfield Says – Central-Wise 24-14
Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (1-0) at Virginia High (2-0) . . . Derrick Patterson has the Bearcats smelling 3-0, and against a Patrick Henry-Glade Spring team that ought to contend in Region 1D, this would be another building block for them.
Matt Hatfield Says – Virginia High 20-13
J.I. Burton (0-2) at Union (1-0) . . . Defensively, Burton - which opened the season ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 1 - has had troubles getting off the field and stopping teams from scoring. That might be the case again here as Union racked up close to 400 yards of offense in a 48-point thumping of Lee High.
While the QB/RB tandem of Jaymen Buchanan and Esau Teasley can make things happen for Burton, the Bears have plenty of offensive firepower of their own with QB Bradley Bunch, RB Zavier Lomax, plus scoring threats Malachi Jenkins and Peyton Honeycutt to light up the scoreboard at Bullitt Park.
Matt Hatfield Says - Union 42-21
The Rest for Fri. 9/10/21 and Sat 9/11/21:
Oscar Smith (1-0) at Grassfield (0-2) . . . The Tigers have never lost before to Grassfield and don’t think it’ll happen here, a week in advance of their immense showdown with nationally-ranked St. John Bosco Prep out of California at Beard-DeLong-Easley Field in Chesapeake.
Matt Hatfield Says - Oscar Smith 48-3
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 38-0
Lake Taylor (0-1) at Currituck, NC (1-1) . . . Hank Sawyer's Titans have been waiting 13 days to rid themselves the bad taste in their mouths from a 56-6 loss to Phoebus at home. Currituck did handle Hickory from Chesapeake 42-3, but Lake Taylor will test their line play as well as overall team speed and athleticism in a different kind of way.
Matt Hatfield Says - Lake Taylor 27-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Lake Taylor 48-0....but NOT these Carolina officials!!!!
Grafton (1-0) at Lafayette . . . Even though Grafton thumped Denbigh 44-0 in its opener, the reigning Class 3 State Champion Rams have had their way with Bay Rivers District foes. Lafayette had its only game played thus far - a trip to King George on the final Saturday of August - suspended at half-time due to weather with the score deadlocked at 14-apiece. This one does not figure to be tied for long once the ball is kicked off at Wanner Stadium in Williamsburg.
Matt Hatfield Says - Lafayette 49-7
Coach Ed Young Says - Lafayette 45-6
Hickory (0-2) at Deep Creek (1-1) . . . The Hornets responded well from a season-opening shellacking at the hands of Oscar Smith by routing Manor. Hickory’s defense has its work cut out for them to slow QB Anthony Barnes and the Hornets.
Matt Hatfield Says - Deep Creek 28-0
Coach Ed Young Says – Deep Creek 36-6
Salem-VB (1-1) at Tallwood (1-1) . . . Marcus Johnson-Williams won his Salem debut over Landstown, and with a week off, his Sun Devils should be fresh against a Tallwood team that also beat the Lions, but struggled mightily the week before against Green Run. This figures to be a low-scoring battle and first to double-figures to win.
Matt Hatfield Says - Salem-VB 16-8
Coach Ed Young Says - Salem 22-18
Warhill (2-0) at Tabb (0-1) . . . The Lions made some opportunistic defensive and special teams plays in its comeback win over Norcom, something that can very well propel them against a Tabb team full of underclassmen in key roles on both sides of the ball.
Matt Hatfield Says - Warhill 30-13
Coach Ed Young Says - Warhill 28-14
Bruton (1-1) at New Kent (1-0) . . . Trey Corbin has announced himself as a playmaker for the Panthers in a short amount of time, but in order for him to have success in this one he will need help in the form of his line and defense against a New Kent team that’s ready to show it is a sleeper in the Bay Rivers District this year.
Matt Hatfield Says - New Kent 35-14
Coach Ed Young Says – New Kent 30-8
Bayside (1-0) at Cox (0-2) . . . Jon White’s Marlins have not fared well lately against Cox in the head-to-head series, but the Falcons have been playing musical quarterbacks, in part due to injury, and the Bayside defense should have the ingredients to capitalize on that uncertainty.
Matt Hatfield Says - Bayside 21-13
Coach Ed Young Says - Bayside 30-18
First Colonial (0-2) at Princess Anne . . . Both teams have to feel like this a great opportunity to get in the win column and build something, even though neither is viewed as a title contender. Somebody, either Ty Traister for FC or Jesse Litton of PA, will get their first win as a Head Coach.
Matt Hatfield Says - First Colonial 28-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Princess Anne 28-12
Gloucester (0-1) at Bethel (0-2) . . . The Bruins have only put up 19 points in losses to Nansemond River and Warwick to begin this season, but that's still better production than what we've seen so far from the Dukes, who were shut out 42-0 by York a week ago.
Matt Hatfield Says - Bethel 20-7
Coach Ed Young Says - Bethel 24-22
Menchville (1-1) at Denbigh (0-1) . . . Jasiah Hales showed some promise running the ball early against Phoebus before things fell apart. Denbigh hasn’t shown quite that potential, coming off a 40-plus point shutout loss to Grafton of the Bay Rivers.
Matt Hatfield Says - Menchville 28-6
Coach Ed Young Says - Menchville 33-12
Manor (1-1) at Great Bridge . . . Which Manor Mustangs team will show up: the one that answered late score after late score in rallying to beat Lakeland or the one that was overmatched against Deep Creek? It’s maybe somewhere in the middle, which could make for a down-to-the-wire finish with the Wildcats.
Matt Hatfield Says - Manor 30-28
Coach Ed Young Says - Manor 26-18
Norcom (0-1) at Hopewell . . . These two have plenty of history lately, both in the regular season and playoffs. Norcom has eliminate some of the miscues that plagued them in a loss to Warhill, while this game may be an indicator if Ricky Irby’s Blue Devils are ready to be a title threat this year or perhaps are a year away.
Matt Hatfield Says - Hopewell 26-13
Coach Ed Young Says - Hopewell 24-16
Norview (1-0) at John A. Holmes, NC (1-0) . . . The Aces of Edenton beat Rocky Mount 27-16 in their opener, while Norview buckled down defensively in its opener two weeks ago against Grassfield, blanking the Grizzlies 14-0..
Matt Hatfield Says - Holmes 19-15
Coach Ed Young Says - Holmes 28-20...Carolina officials rear their ugly heads…again!
SAT 9/11/21:
Booker T. Washington (1-0) at Lakeland (1-1) . . . The Cavaliers showed improvement defensively in last week's shutout of Southampton, but it will be a different kind of challenge with Jerome Jones - who broke off three touchdown runs of more than 48 yards this past Tuesday at Petersburg on a night when he ran for 200-plus yards.
Matt Hatfield Says - Booker T. Washington 34-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Booker T. Washington 40-12
TUES 9/14/21 Bonus Game in 757:
Heritage-NN at Kecoughtan (1-0) . . .
Jeff Super's Warriors outlasted Tabb 17-14 in their opener. This could be a monster game for junior DE/TE David Anderson, testing the Hurricanes on both sides of the ball.
Matt Hatfield Says - Kecoughtan 24-8
Coach Ed Young Says - Kecoughtan 22-20
