It’s time for another round of Virginia High School football Predictions, which includes the much anticipated Tidewater competition between VaPreps Publisher Matthew Hatfield and his ESPN Radio 94.1 Saturday morning partner in crime, Coach Ed Young.
Here's a quick review...
Hatfield Week 2 Total - 28-7 (80%)
Hatfield's 2022 Season Total - 62-21 (74.7%)
Matthew Hatfield's Week 2 Tidewater Picks - 18-4 (81.8%)
Hatfield's Tidewater Season Total - 34-7 (82.9%)
Coach Ed Young's Week 2 Tidewater Picks - 19-3 (86.4%)
Coach Young's Tidewater Season Total - 35-6 (85.4%)
While Young missed on BTW/Hampton and Currituck/Hickory, he was able to get Hatfield on Norcom over Warhill, Heritage over Tabb and New Kent defeating Colonial Heights. That gives Coach a one-game lead over Hatfield, a rarity in September.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
Stone Bridge (2-0) at Freedom-PW (2-0) . . . The Bulldogs come in on a 26-game winning streak, which includes one of their closest calls in all of 2021 when they won at home, 38-35 over Freedom. Thus far, Stone Bridge has notched wins over Class 6 contenders Madison 17-16 in a game where they trailed by nine and needed a field goal on the final play to prevail, and Centreville by a count of 22-15 in its most recent contest.
Freedom followed up a 62-3 drubbing of Brooke Point by steamrolling Riverbend, 74-0. Now, Riverbend is no pushover as the Bears blanked Spotsylvania 49-0 in its opener and that same team made the Region 5D semifinals a year ago, where they were ousted by Stone Bridge, 58-3.
Charlotte commit Zeke Wimbush has proven to be a threat running or receiving for Stone Bridge, much like Colton Hinton. Together, those two helped the Bulldogs amass over 300 yards on the ground in the win over Centreville, and they are equally dangerous if not more so in the passing game. Mario Suarez and Brandon Pena have shared the snaps at QB for the Bulldogs with Suarez still recovering from a back strain, and it’ll be interesting to see who gets the majority of them in this spot. Defensively, linebacker Kyle Carpe is the backbone for the Bulldogs. Bucknell commit Deuce Geter serves as the anchor on the back end.
Freedom has been lethal on offense with QB Tristan Evans completing a high percentage of his passes, 73.7% the last time out to be exact, as he sprays the ball around to a host of playmakers, namely RB Jeffrey Overton and WR Elijah Reed. Overton had four TD’s vs. Riverbend and Reed turned in eight receptions into 111 yards and a score. Some of their top playmakers on offense share snaps on defense, but perhaps the biggest impact player on that side of the ball is DE T.J. Bush, a Coastal Carolina commit looking to wreak havoc off the edge.
The contrast of this one is fascinating as Stone Bridge brings a blend of size and brawn against an Eagles team chock full of speed and athleticism at the skill positions. Which can impose its will on the other? And who will see their defense step up to create turnovers or make the most stops on third down? That may ultimately determine the outcome.
Matt Hatfield Says – Freedom 35-34
Coach Ed Young Says – Stone Bridge 24-20
Tidewater Slate:
Thursday 9/8/22 Action:
Phoebus (1-0) at Warwick (2-0) . . . It’s 23 straight wins and counting for the Phantoms in this head-to-head series with Warwick, which last defeated Phoebus by a count of 10-7 during the 2001 regular season.
Matt Hatfield Says – Phoebus 36-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Phoebus 30-6
Tabb (0-1) at Warhill (0-2) . . . The Tigers lost a heart-breaker, 27-21, in overtime to Heritage of Newport News, whereas Warhill has not met lofty preseason expectations in falling to Warwick 35-8 in the opener, followed by a 16-0 shutout loss at home to Norcom. After winning four in a row from 2013-16, Tabb has dropped its last four games in the series to Warhill, including by a 14-0 shutout margin a year ago.
Matt Hatfield Says – Warhill 20-15
Coach Ed Young Says – Warhill 18-12
Friday 9/9/22 Action:
Lafayette (0-1) at Grafton (1-0) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Lafayette 42-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Lafayette 38-6
Smithfield (0-1) at Jamestown (0-1) . . . Both teams fell by wide margins to ranked teams; King’s Fork walloping Smithfield 41-0 in its opener, while Class 1 Essex trounced Jamestown 40-0. Either Scott Lambin gets his first victory at the helm of Jamestown or Tracey Parker notches his first win leading Smithfield.
Matt Hatfield Says – Smithfield 26-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Smithfield 24-6
York (1-0) at Poquoson (1-0) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – York 23-16
Coach Ed Young Says – York 30-24
Lakeland (1-1) at Booker T. Washington (1-1) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Booker T. Washington 34-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Booker T. Washington 24-18
Currituck, NC (2-0) at Lake Taylor (1-0) . . . Although Currituck enters this matchup unbeaten, does their defense have enough to slow down a Titans attack led by RB Tarreon Washington-Jacobs and WR Elijah Washington? Those two led Lake Taylor a convincing 41-0 shutout of Norcom to announce that they’re back as a contender out of Region 3A.
Matt Hatfield Says – Lake Taylor 48-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Lake Taylor 32-6
Great Bridge (0-1) at Manor (0-2) . . . In their 13-3 loss to Nansemond River, the Wildcats moved the ball fairly well with 230 yards passing from QB Brock Hoffman. Taeshaun Eason had six grabs for 67 yards and Marcus Reid had 61 yards on a pair of receptions. The Manor defense will need to generate takeaways and give their offense a short field to work with to avoid a 0-3 start. Tailback Javion Whitfield, who had 100 yards on the ground and a touchdown in the loss to Lakeland, will likely be the main source of offense for the Mustangs.
Matt Hatfield Says – Great Bridge 10-9
Coach Ed Young Says – Manor 21-16
New Bern, NC (3-0) at Maury . . . The opener for the reigning Region 5B Champion Commodores comes against a New Bern machine that is widely regarded as one of the premier programs in North Carolina, having outscored its foes 154-3 thus far. Maury lost last year’s matchup on the road, 29-27 in a hard-fought battle before rattling off eight straight wins to reach the Class 5 State Final.
Not only are the Bears of New Bern averaging 240.3 yards rushing per game, but they’ve made 23 sacks already on defense with nine from DT and Florida State commit K.J. Sampson. Maury must counter with quick passes from QB Mario Miller and get a big effort from RB Peyton Jones, a Duke commit who is one of the very best around.
Matt Hatfield Says – Maury 24-21
Coach Ed Young Says – Maury 30-22
Norcom (1-1) at Hopewell (0-1) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Hopewell 30-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Hopewell 28-16
Norview (1-1) at Holmes, NC (1-1) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Holmes, NC 14-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Holmes, NC 26-12
Deep Creek (1-1) at Hickory (0-2) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Deep Creek 24-6
Coach Ed Young Says – Deep Creek 38-8
Grassfield (0-2) at Oscar Smith (1-0) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Oscar Smith 56-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 44-6
King’s Fork (1-0) at Indian River (2-0) . . . So far, Indian River has outscored its first two foes in Hickory and J.R. Tucker by a combined total of 71-12 to begin the Brandon Carr era off successfully. Anthony Joffrion’s Bulldogs are reigning Region 4A Champs and opened in style themselves, blanking Smithfield 41-0.
Each quarterback – Cameron Butler for King’s Fork and Tyler Allison of Indian River – is experienced. They both operate their respective offenses quite well. In Butler’s case, he may have a couple more polished parts to depend on with RB JaVon Ford and WR Kalteri Boyd, who found the end zone three different ways vs. the Packers. Allison has some speedsters in Malachi Hinton, Daeshawn Nixon and Imire Talley. The running game has to prove it’s consistent enough to move the ball on the Bulldogs to get the job done in this one.
Speed-wise and athletically, these two teams are mirror images in many ways. It’ll be a real telling test for King’s Fork on defense after graduating some All-State performers, namely Kyree Moyston off the edge, if they can slow down a Braves attack capable of hitting long gains and big plays.
Matt Hatfield Says – King’s Fork 21-17
Coach Ed Young Says – King’s Fork 24-22
Western Branch (2-0) vs. Nansemond River (2-0) at King’s Fork . . . In two games, the Warriors have allowed just nine points combined to the likes of Bethel and Great Bridge, securing their latest win with a pair of Jayden Bradley interceptions. Western Branch will be a much stiffer test for the Warriors as they bring to the table arguably the area’s top tailback in Shimique Blizzard and overall No. 1 prospect in Paul Billups, a UNC commit who ordinarily lines up at wide receiver and defensive back, though threw the game-winning touchdown pass to C.J. Fraser in their overtime triumph over Churchland.
Matt Hatfield Says – Western Branch 28-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Western Branch 26-20
Bethel (0-2) at Gloucester (0-2) . . . Of note, the Dukes were scoreless at the half in their opener against Hampton before succumbing, 16-0. Gloucester has yet to find the end zone, whereas Bethel has just six points scored in its two losses to Nansemond River and Warwick, still seeking their first win under Head Coach David Porter.
Matt Hatfield Says – Bethel 22-18
Coach Ed Young Says – Bethel 30-8
Denbigh (0-2) at Menchville (1-1) . . . In two games, Denbigh has been outscored 110-0 by Heritage of Newport News and Grafton, not exactly viewed as world beaters. Menchville started strong with a 47-3 win over Granby before getting drubbed by defending Class 3 State Champ Phoebus, 63-0. Look for sophomore triggerman Ksaan Farrar to re-capture his season-opening form when he accounted for five touchdowns for the Monarchs.
Matt Hatfield Says – Menchville 49-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Menchville 40-6
Woodside (1-0) at Hampton (0-1) . . . The Crabbers are coming off a humbling 40-0 loss to Booker T. Washington, whereas Woodside erased an early 6-0 deficit to Norview to score 32 unanswered on the Pilots in an easy win. Hampton’s defense held Gloucester out of the end zone in a season-opening shutout, but their work will be cut out for them here against a balanced Wolverines attack with Tayvon Tyler at QB alongside RB’s Paul Stephen Davis and Ri’jon Hammond. Hammond had a pair of scores and 182 all-purpose yards in the opener.
Matt Hatfield Says – Woodside 36-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Woodside 28-18
Cox (1-1) at Bayside (1-1) . . . Ten of the past 11 meetings have gone in favor of Cox, including a 17-13 victory a season ago where the Falcons won despite being out-gained 256-124 by Bayside. Two of the most electric players in the Beach will be on display with Duke commit Leon Griffin III of Bayside and all-purpose weapon Jordin Cooper of Cox. Keep an eye on the battle in the trenches, where Cox junior d-lineman Gerard Johnson has been landing a handful of scholarship offers and goes up against a Bayside o-line led by VMI commit Tristan Woodley.
Matt Hatfield Says – Cox 22-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Bayside 20-18
First Colonial (0-1) at Princess Anne (0-2) . . . Will coming off the bye week help First Colonial in its preparation for Princess Anne? The Cavaliers were beaten soundly, 57-18, by Landstown its last time out. The Patriots hung tough for three quarters in its opener before ultimately falling to Kellam, 38-21. After winning 12 in a row in the series, FC has dropped six of the past seven meetings with PA, including 20-14 last year.
Matt Hatfield Says – First Colonial 23-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Princess Anne 20-19
Kellam (1-1) at Green Run (2-0) . . . For Green Run’s high standards, they haven’t exactly had that huge offensive outburst yet. They started fast then held on for a 27-14 win over Kempsville in the opener where Caleb Turner’s pick-six sealed the deal late. Up by one score at the half at Cox, the Stallions seized control in the second half behind QB Kevin White with three scores to pull away 36-7. But yet was the operative word. Unless Kellam can play ball-control with its running game, this might be a tough task for the defense to slow down the speedy, athletic Stallions, given that the Knights surrendered 50 points to Kempsville a week ago.
Matt Hatfield Says – Green Run 56-18
Coach Ed Young Says – Green Run 44-12
Kempsville (1-1) at Ocean Lakes (0-2) . . . The Dolphins are looking to respond from a 56-7 loss to Salem and avoid dropping to 0-3 for the first time since 2009 when they had to forfeit their first six games due to the usage of an ineligible player. In terms of on the field losing their first three games, that hasn’t happened since 2000. Kempsville’s stellar ground game, led by NaiQuan Washington-Pearce, will test the mettle of the Ocean Lakes defense. They also have to Duke commit Quran Boyd on the outside.
Matt Hatfield Says – Kempsville 45-10
Coach Ed Young Says – Kempsville 28-16
Landstown (2-0) at Tallwood (0-1) . . . The run defense struggled mightily for Tallwood in allowing 288 yards on the ground to Bayside in a 41-13 season-opening loss at home. What should be good news is they expect to get key RB/LB Reginald Custalow and that will help on both sides of the ball. However, Robert Jackson’s Eagles are oozing with confidence after a 2-0 start and their defense, led by William & Mary commit Xavier Glass off the edge, might make it tough for Tallwood to sustain drives.
Matt Hatfield Says – Landstown 24-8
Coach Ed Young Says – Landstown 22-12
Saturday 9/10/22 Action:
Kecoughtan (0-1) at Heritage-NN (2-0) . . . Sterling Anderson scored twice, once in overtime and also of a 100-yard miraculous variety, as Heritage held off Tabb for a 27-21 win. Despite a 20-7 loss to Mills Godwin in the opener, Kecoughtan should feel confident about its chances in this one. The Warriors figure to have the best player on the field in Duke commit David Anderson on the defensive line.
Matt Hatfield Says – Kecoughtan 24-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Kecoughtan 20-16
New Kent (1-0) at Bruton (2-0) . . . The New Kent defense will have to be crisp tackling Bruton tailback Trey Corbin, who followed up a 14-carry, 186-yard effort with 2 TD’s in a win over Northampton by dominating with 21 rushes for 270 yards and 4 TD’s in a 48-26 triumph past Surry. Austin Brown’s sack in the end zone for a safety and Ashton Whitlow’s interception that set up a score were two key defensive plays for the Trojans last week in their 21-14 win over Colonial Heights, holding off a late rally to get to 1-0.
Matt Hatfield Says – New Kent 16-8
Coach Ed Young Says – Bruton 23-20
Other Games Outside Tidewater:
Riverheads (2-0) at Lord Botetourt (1-1) . . . History is at stake as Riverheads tries to gain sole possession of the VHSL record for consecutive victories at 53 by beating Lord Botetourt, who thumped Blacksburg 70-0 the last time out. Botetourt’s defense is a bit improved from a year ago when Riverheads was able to rout the Cavaliers, and QB Jakari Nicely is a major factor with his feet, having rushed for over 1800 yards last season.
Riverheads counters with the reigning Class 1 State Offensive Player of the Year in Cayden Cook-Cash and a fierce ground game. If the Gladiators give a strong effort on defense and can force LB to have to go to the air on third and long situations, it’ll be a big advantage for them.
This one can be one of those games where the team with the ball last very well takes it, but don’t expect Botetourt to be spectators to history without a challenge.
Hat Says – Lord Botetourt 33-31
Thomas Dale (1-0) at Hermitage (2-0) . . . A neat factoid in this game is that both running backs – Brandon Rose of Dale and Appalachian State commit Jeremiah Coney for Hermitage – comes in with six rushing touchdowns. Of course, in Rose’s case it’s even more impressive as that was done in one game vs. Cosby. Coney, the Region 5C Offensive Player of the Year a season ago, may need a pinch more support from his offensive mates and defense for the Panthers to protect home turf and move to 3-0.
Hat Says – Thomas Dale 24-20
Patrick Henry-Roanoke (0-1) at Albemarle (2-0) . . . Led by Penn State commit and speedster Carmelo Taylor, PH-Roanoke tries to re-group from the loss to Brookville in the opener and keep Albemarle from a 3-0 start. The bye week figures to have helped in their preparation for this one.
Hat Says – PH-Roanoke 26-21
Louisa (2-0) at Massaponax (1-0) . . . Freshmen Savion Hiter and Dyzier Carter stepped up in the 45-15 win over Courtland for Louisa. They could ask both of them to do so again playing a Massaponax team that will try to wear down the Lions with its triple-action attack, though defensive linemen Elijah Brooks and Qwenton Spellman are sure to make that a tougher chore than usual.
Hat Says – Louisa 21-17
Heritage-Lynchburg (1-1) at Appomattox (1-1) . . . Each squad is smarting off a loss; Heritage-Lynchburg by a count of 49-7 at the hands of Dinwiddie, and Appomattox suffering a 27-20 setback courtesy of Rustburg. Both want to get explosive plays on offense and get back on track to return over the .500 mark. Heritage leads the all-time series 8-3 with four straight wins, scoring at least 30 points in each of those victories. If their defense can keep dynamic Raiders RB Jonathan Pennix in check, then they can come away victorious.
Conversely, Appomattox will need their defense, led by Virginia Tech commit Tavorian Copeland from his Rover spot, to keep Heritage from striking quickly and letting QB Jaicere ‘Hov’ Bateman do damage as a dual-threat like he did in the season-opening comeback vs. William Fleming when he racked up 219 yards (110 passing, 109 rushing). Bateman has help with backs Rajan Booker and Zach Steele as well.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for either one of these two teams, only adding to the level of importance to come away with a win here. Appomattox travels to Lord Botetourt following this one, while Heritage hosts E.C. Glass in the always anticipated Jug Bowl showdown.
Hat Says – Heritage-Lynchburg 36-35 (OT)
Eastern View (2-0) at Stafford (2-0) . . . It has been a somewhat surprising start for the Indians to get to 2-0, beating James Monroe 35-14 and edging Chancellor 7-6. With 71 points through two wins, the Cyclones are more potent offensively at this point and will pose a much stiffer challenge to the Stafford defense. Two-way standout Brett Clatterbaugh, who was a Second Team All-State performer at linebacker as a freshman, can be a difference-maker for Eastern View on their playoff journey.
Hat Says – Eastern View 34-6
Brentsville District (2-0) at Kettle Run (2-0) . . . With 85 points through two games, the Kettle Run offense has been able to perform quite well and take on a Brentsville team with a stellar defense, headed by Langston White and Will Johnson, a duo with 34 total tackles between them and three takeaways. VMI commit Jordan Tapscott hauled in three touchdown passes in the 58-13 win over Meridian to open the season for the Cougars. Another strong effort from Tapscott can help Kettle Run get to 3-0. But the Kettle Run defense will need to defend a formidable Brentsville ground game with Nico Orlando and Caleb Alexander.
Hat Says – Kettle Run 30-27
Liberty Christian (2-0) at Franklin County (1-1) . . .
Hat Says – Liberty Christian 35-24
Richlands (1-1) at Graham (2-0) . . .
Hat Says – Graham 42-20
Virginia High (1-1) at Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (2-0) . . . In their 52-14 win over John Battle, Bearcats QB Brody Jones had the touch with 228 yards passing and three scores, two of which went to Patrick Poku and the other to Dante Worley. If Patrick Henry has answers defensively, this is definitely a game they can win because their running game with J-Kwon McFail can be really hard to handle, especially for a Virginia High defense that still has some improvement to make.
Hat Says – Virginia High 27-18
Here's a quick review...
Hatfield Week 2 Total - 28-7 (80%)
Hatfield's 2022 Season Total - 62-21 (74.7%)
Matthew Hatfield's Week 2 Tidewater Picks - 18-4 (81.8%)
Hatfield's Tidewater Season Total - 34-7 (82.9%)
Coach Ed Young's Week 2 Tidewater Picks - 19-3 (86.4%)
Coach Young's Tidewater Season Total - 35-6 (85.4%)
While Young missed on BTW/Hampton and Currituck/Hickory, he was able to get Hatfield on Norcom over Warhill, Heritage over Tabb and New Kent defeating Colonial Heights. That gives Coach a one-game lead over Hatfield, a rarity in September.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
Stone Bridge (2-0) at Freedom-PW (2-0) . . . The Bulldogs come in on a 26-game winning streak, which includes one of their closest calls in all of 2021 when they won at home, 38-35 over Freedom. Thus far, Stone Bridge has notched wins over Class 6 contenders Madison 17-16 in a game where they trailed by nine and needed a field goal on the final play to prevail, and Centreville by a count of 22-15 in its most recent contest.
Freedom followed up a 62-3 drubbing of Brooke Point by steamrolling Riverbend, 74-0. Now, Riverbend is no pushover as the Bears blanked Spotsylvania 49-0 in its opener and that same team made the Region 5D semifinals a year ago, where they were ousted by Stone Bridge, 58-3.
Charlotte commit Zeke Wimbush has proven to be a threat running or receiving for Stone Bridge, much like Colton Hinton. Together, those two helped the Bulldogs amass over 300 yards on the ground in the win over Centreville, and they are equally dangerous if not more so in the passing game. Mario Suarez and Brandon Pena have shared the snaps at QB for the Bulldogs with Suarez still recovering from a back strain, and it’ll be interesting to see who gets the majority of them in this spot. Defensively, linebacker Kyle Carpe is the backbone for the Bulldogs. Bucknell commit Deuce Geter serves as the anchor on the back end.
Freedom has been lethal on offense with QB Tristan Evans completing a high percentage of his passes, 73.7% the last time out to be exact, as he sprays the ball around to a host of playmakers, namely RB Jeffrey Overton and WR Elijah Reed. Overton had four TD’s vs. Riverbend and Reed turned in eight receptions into 111 yards and a score. Some of their top playmakers on offense share snaps on defense, but perhaps the biggest impact player on that side of the ball is DE T.J. Bush, a Coastal Carolina commit looking to wreak havoc off the edge.
The contrast of this one is fascinating as Stone Bridge brings a blend of size and brawn against an Eagles team chock full of speed and athleticism at the skill positions. Which can impose its will on the other? And who will see their defense step up to create turnovers or make the most stops on third down? That may ultimately determine the outcome.
Matt Hatfield Says – Freedom 35-34
Coach Ed Young Says – Stone Bridge 24-20
Tidewater Slate:
Thursday 9/8/22 Action:
Phoebus (1-0) at Warwick (2-0) . . . It’s 23 straight wins and counting for the Phantoms in this head-to-head series with Warwick, which last defeated Phoebus by a count of 10-7 during the 2001 regular season.
Matt Hatfield Says – Phoebus 36-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Phoebus 30-6
Tabb (0-1) at Warhill (0-2) . . . The Tigers lost a heart-breaker, 27-21, in overtime to Heritage of Newport News, whereas Warhill has not met lofty preseason expectations in falling to Warwick 35-8 in the opener, followed by a 16-0 shutout loss at home to Norcom. After winning four in a row from 2013-16, Tabb has dropped its last four games in the series to Warhill, including by a 14-0 shutout margin a year ago.
Matt Hatfield Says – Warhill 20-15
Coach Ed Young Says – Warhill 18-12
Friday 9/9/22 Action:
Lafayette (0-1) at Grafton (1-0) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Lafayette 42-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Lafayette 38-6
Smithfield (0-1) at Jamestown (0-1) . . . Both teams fell by wide margins to ranked teams; King’s Fork walloping Smithfield 41-0 in its opener, while Class 1 Essex trounced Jamestown 40-0. Either Scott Lambin gets his first victory at the helm of Jamestown or Tracey Parker notches his first win leading Smithfield.
Matt Hatfield Says – Smithfield 26-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Smithfield 24-6
York (1-0) at Poquoson (1-0) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – York 23-16
Coach Ed Young Says – York 30-24
Lakeland (1-1) at Booker T. Washington (1-1) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Booker T. Washington 34-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Booker T. Washington 24-18
Currituck, NC (2-0) at Lake Taylor (1-0) . . . Although Currituck enters this matchup unbeaten, does their defense have enough to slow down a Titans attack led by RB Tarreon Washington-Jacobs and WR Elijah Washington? Those two led Lake Taylor a convincing 41-0 shutout of Norcom to announce that they’re back as a contender out of Region 3A.
Matt Hatfield Says – Lake Taylor 48-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Lake Taylor 32-6
Great Bridge (0-1) at Manor (0-2) . . . In their 13-3 loss to Nansemond River, the Wildcats moved the ball fairly well with 230 yards passing from QB Brock Hoffman. Taeshaun Eason had six grabs for 67 yards and Marcus Reid had 61 yards on a pair of receptions. The Manor defense will need to generate takeaways and give their offense a short field to work with to avoid a 0-3 start. Tailback Javion Whitfield, who had 100 yards on the ground and a touchdown in the loss to Lakeland, will likely be the main source of offense for the Mustangs.
Matt Hatfield Says – Great Bridge 10-9
Coach Ed Young Says – Manor 21-16
New Bern, NC (3-0) at Maury . . . The opener for the reigning Region 5B Champion Commodores comes against a New Bern machine that is widely regarded as one of the premier programs in North Carolina, having outscored its foes 154-3 thus far. Maury lost last year’s matchup on the road, 29-27 in a hard-fought battle before rattling off eight straight wins to reach the Class 5 State Final.
Not only are the Bears of New Bern averaging 240.3 yards rushing per game, but they’ve made 23 sacks already on defense with nine from DT and Florida State commit K.J. Sampson. Maury must counter with quick passes from QB Mario Miller and get a big effort from RB Peyton Jones, a Duke commit who is one of the very best around.
Matt Hatfield Says – Maury 24-21
Coach Ed Young Says – Maury 30-22
Norcom (1-1) at Hopewell (0-1) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Hopewell 30-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Hopewell 28-16
Norview (1-1) at Holmes, NC (1-1) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Holmes, NC 14-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Holmes, NC 26-12
Deep Creek (1-1) at Hickory (0-2) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Deep Creek 24-6
Coach Ed Young Says – Deep Creek 38-8
Grassfield (0-2) at Oscar Smith (1-0) . . .
Matt Hatfield Says – Oscar Smith 56-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 44-6
King’s Fork (1-0) at Indian River (2-0) . . . So far, Indian River has outscored its first two foes in Hickory and J.R. Tucker by a combined total of 71-12 to begin the Brandon Carr era off successfully. Anthony Joffrion’s Bulldogs are reigning Region 4A Champs and opened in style themselves, blanking Smithfield 41-0.
Each quarterback – Cameron Butler for King’s Fork and Tyler Allison of Indian River – is experienced. They both operate their respective offenses quite well. In Butler’s case, he may have a couple more polished parts to depend on with RB JaVon Ford and WR Kalteri Boyd, who found the end zone three different ways vs. the Packers. Allison has some speedsters in Malachi Hinton, Daeshawn Nixon and Imire Talley. The running game has to prove it’s consistent enough to move the ball on the Bulldogs to get the job done in this one.
Speed-wise and athletically, these two teams are mirror images in many ways. It’ll be a real telling test for King’s Fork on defense after graduating some All-State performers, namely Kyree Moyston off the edge, if they can slow down a Braves attack capable of hitting long gains and big plays.
Matt Hatfield Says – King’s Fork 21-17
Coach Ed Young Says – King’s Fork 24-22
Western Branch (2-0) vs. Nansemond River (2-0) at King’s Fork . . . In two games, the Warriors have allowed just nine points combined to the likes of Bethel and Great Bridge, securing their latest win with a pair of Jayden Bradley interceptions. Western Branch will be a much stiffer test for the Warriors as they bring to the table arguably the area’s top tailback in Shimique Blizzard and overall No. 1 prospect in Paul Billups, a UNC commit who ordinarily lines up at wide receiver and defensive back, though threw the game-winning touchdown pass to C.J. Fraser in their overtime triumph over Churchland.
Matt Hatfield Says – Western Branch 28-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Western Branch 26-20
Bethel (0-2) at Gloucester (0-2) . . . Of note, the Dukes were scoreless at the half in their opener against Hampton before succumbing, 16-0. Gloucester has yet to find the end zone, whereas Bethel has just six points scored in its two losses to Nansemond River and Warwick, still seeking their first win under Head Coach David Porter.
Matt Hatfield Says – Bethel 22-18
Coach Ed Young Says – Bethel 30-8
Denbigh (0-2) at Menchville (1-1) . . . In two games, Denbigh has been outscored 110-0 by Heritage of Newport News and Grafton, not exactly viewed as world beaters. Menchville started strong with a 47-3 win over Granby before getting drubbed by defending Class 3 State Champ Phoebus, 63-0. Look for sophomore triggerman Ksaan Farrar to re-capture his season-opening form when he accounted for five touchdowns for the Monarchs.
Matt Hatfield Says – Menchville 49-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Menchville 40-6
Woodside (1-0) at Hampton (0-1) . . . The Crabbers are coming off a humbling 40-0 loss to Booker T. Washington, whereas Woodside erased an early 6-0 deficit to Norview to score 32 unanswered on the Pilots in an easy win. Hampton’s defense held Gloucester out of the end zone in a season-opening shutout, but their work will be cut out for them here against a balanced Wolverines attack with Tayvon Tyler at QB alongside RB’s Paul Stephen Davis and Ri’jon Hammond. Hammond had a pair of scores and 182 all-purpose yards in the opener.
Matt Hatfield Says – Woodside 36-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Woodside 28-18
Cox (1-1) at Bayside (1-1) . . . Ten of the past 11 meetings have gone in favor of Cox, including a 17-13 victory a season ago where the Falcons won despite being out-gained 256-124 by Bayside. Two of the most electric players in the Beach will be on display with Duke commit Leon Griffin III of Bayside and all-purpose weapon Jordin Cooper of Cox. Keep an eye on the battle in the trenches, where Cox junior d-lineman Gerard Johnson has been landing a handful of scholarship offers and goes up against a Bayside o-line led by VMI commit Tristan Woodley.
Matt Hatfield Says – Cox 22-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Bayside 20-18
First Colonial (0-1) at Princess Anne (0-2) . . . Will coming off the bye week help First Colonial in its preparation for Princess Anne? The Cavaliers were beaten soundly, 57-18, by Landstown its last time out. The Patriots hung tough for three quarters in its opener before ultimately falling to Kellam, 38-21. After winning 12 in a row in the series, FC has dropped six of the past seven meetings with PA, including 20-14 last year.
Matt Hatfield Says – First Colonial 23-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Princess Anne 20-19
Kellam (1-1) at Green Run (2-0) . . . For Green Run’s high standards, they haven’t exactly had that huge offensive outburst yet. They started fast then held on for a 27-14 win over Kempsville in the opener where Caleb Turner’s pick-six sealed the deal late. Up by one score at the half at Cox, the Stallions seized control in the second half behind QB Kevin White with three scores to pull away 36-7. But yet was the operative word. Unless Kellam can play ball-control with its running game, this might be a tough task for the defense to slow down the speedy, athletic Stallions, given that the Knights surrendered 50 points to Kempsville a week ago.
Matt Hatfield Says – Green Run 56-18
Coach Ed Young Says – Green Run 44-12
Kempsville (1-1) at Ocean Lakes (0-2) . . . The Dolphins are looking to respond from a 56-7 loss to Salem and avoid dropping to 0-3 for the first time since 2009 when they had to forfeit their first six games due to the usage of an ineligible player. In terms of on the field losing their first three games, that hasn’t happened since 2000. Kempsville’s stellar ground game, led by NaiQuan Washington-Pearce, will test the mettle of the Ocean Lakes defense. They also have to Duke commit Quran Boyd on the outside.
Matt Hatfield Says – Kempsville 45-10
Coach Ed Young Says – Kempsville 28-16
Landstown (2-0) at Tallwood (0-1) . . . The run defense struggled mightily for Tallwood in allowing 288 yards on the ground to Bayside in a 41-13 season-opening loss at home. What should be good news is they expect to get key RB/LB Reginald Custalow and that will help on both sides of the ball. However, Robert Jackson’s Eagles are oozing with confidence after a 2-0 start and their defense, led by William & Mary commit Xavier Glass off the edge, might make it tough for Tallwood to sustain drives.
Matt Hatfield Says – Landstown 24-8
Coach Ed Young Says – Landstown 22-12
Saturday 9/10/22 Action:
Kecoughtan (0-1) at Heritage-NN (2-0) . . . Sterling Anderson scored twice, once in overtime and also of a 100-yard miraculous variety, as Heritage held off Tabb for a 27-21 win. Despite a 20-7 loss to Mills Godwin in the opener, Kecoughtan should feel confident about its chances in this one. The Warriors figure to have the best player on the field in Duke commit David Anderson on the defensive line.
Matt Hatfield Says – Kecoughtan 24-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Kecoughtan 20-16
New Kent (1-0) at Bruton (2-0) . . . The New Kent defense will have to be crisp tackling Bruton tailback Trey Corbin, who followed up a 14-carry, 186-yard effort with 2 TD’s in a win over Northampton by dominating with 21 rushes for 270 yards and 4 TD’s in a 48-26 triumph past Surry. Austin Brown’s sack in the end zone for a safety and Ashton Whitlow’s interception that set up a score were two key defensive plays for the Trojans last week in their 21-14 win over Colonial Heights, holding off a late rally to get to 1-0.
Matt Hatfield Says – New Kent 16-8
Coach Ed Young Says – Bruton 23-20
Other Games Outside Tidewater:
Riverheads (2-0) at Lord Botetourt (1-1) . . . History is at stake as Riverheads tries to gain sole possession of the VHSL record for consecutive victories at 53 by beating Lord Botetourt, who thumped Blacksburg 70-0 the last time out. Botetourt’s defense is a bit improved from a year ago when Riverheads was able to rout the Cavaliers, and QB Jakari Nicely is a major factor with his feet, having rushed for over 1800 yards last season.
Riverheads counters with the reigning Class 1 State Offensive Player of the Year in Cayden Cook-Cash and a fierce ground game. If the Gladiators give a strong effort on defense and can force LB to have to go to the air on third and long situations, it’ll be a big advantage for them.
This one can be one of those games where the team with the ball last very well takes it, but don’t expect Botetourt to be spectators to history without a challenge.
Hat Says – Lord Botetourt 33-31
Thomas Dale (1-0) at Hermitage (2-0) . . . A neat factoid in this game is that both running backs – Brandon Rose of Dale and Appalachian State commit Jeremiah Coney for Hermitage – comes in with six rushing touchdowns. Of course, in Rose’s case it’s even more impressive as that was done in one game vs. Cosby. Coney, the Region 5C Offensive Player of the Year a season ago, may need a pinch more support from his offensive mates and defense for the Panthers to protect home turf and move to 3-0.
Hat Says – Thomas Dale 24-20
Patrick Henry-Roanoke (0-1) at Albemarle (2-0) . . . Led by Penn State commit and speedster Carmelo Taylor, PH-Roanoke tries to re-group from the loss to Brookville in the opener and keep Albemarle from a 3-0 start. The bye week figures to have helped in their preparation for this one.
Hat Says – PH-Roanoke 26-21
Louisa (2-0) at Massaponax (1-0) . . . Freshmen Savion Hiter and Dyzier Carter stepped up in the 45-15 win over Courtland for Louisa. They could ask both of them to do so again playing a Massaponax team that will try to wear down the Lions with its triple-action attack, though defensive linemen Elijah Brooks and Qwenton Spellman are sure to make that a tougher chore than usual.
Hat Says – Louisa 21-17
Heritage-Lynchburg (1-1) at Appomattox (1-1) . . . Each squad is smarting off a loss; Heritage-Lynchburg by a count of 49-7 at the hands of Dinwiddie, and Appomattox suffering a 27-20 setback courtesy of Rustburg. Both want to get explosive plays on offense and get back on track to return over the .500 mark. Heritage leads the all-time series 8-3 with four straight wins, scoring at least 30 points in each of those victories. If their defense can keep dynamic Raiders RB Jonathan Pennix in check, then they can come away victorious.
Conversely, Appomattox will need their defense, led by Virginia Tech commit Tavorian Copeland from his Rover spot, to keep Heritage from striking quickly and letting QB Jaicere ‘Hov’ Bateman do damage as a dual-threat like he did in the season-opening comeback vs. William Fleming when he racked up 219 yards (110 passing, 109 rushing). Bateman has help with backs Rajan Booker and Zach Steele as well.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for either one of these two teams, only adding to the level of importance to come away with a win here. Appomattox travels to Lord Botetourt following this one, while Heritage hosts E.C. Glass in the always anticipated Jug Bowl showdown.
Hat Says – Heritage-Lynchburg 36-35 (OT)
Eastern View (2-0) at Stafford (2-0) . . . It has been a somewhat surprising start for the Indians to get to 2-0, beating James Monroe 35-14 and edging Chancellor 7-6. With 71 points through two wins, the Cyclones are more potent offensively at this point and will pose a much stiffer challenge to the Stafford defense. Two-way standout Brett Clatterbaugh, who was a Second Team All-State performer at linebacker as a freshman, can be a difference-maker for Eastern View on their playoff journey.
Hat Says – Eastern View 34-6
Brentsville District (2-0) at Kettle Run (2-0) . . . With 85 points through two games, the Kettle Run offense has been able to perform quite well and take on a Brentsville team with a stellar defense, headed by Langston White and Will Johnson, a duo with 34 total tackles between them and three takeaways. VMI commit Jordan Tapscott hauled in three touchdown passes in the 58-13 win over Meridian to open the season for the Cougars. Another strong effort from Tapscott can help Kettle Run get to 3-0. But the Kettle Run defense will need to defend a formidable Brentsville ground game with Nico Orlando and Caleb Alexander.
Hat Says – Kettle Run 30-27
Liberty Christian (2-0) at Franklin County (1-1) . . .
Hat Says – Liberty Christian 35-24
Richlands (1-1) at Graham (2-0) . . .
Hat Says – Graham 42-20
Virginia High (1-1) at Patrick Henry-Glade Spring (2-0) . . . In their 52-14 win over John Battle, Bearcats QB Brody Jones had the touch with 228 yards passing and three scores, two of which went to Patrick Poku and the other to Dante Worley. If Patrick Henry has answers defensively, this is definitely a game they can win because their running game with J-Kwon McFail can be really hard to handle, especially for a Virginia High defense that still has some improvement to make.
Hat Says – Virginia High 27-18
