The Scrimmage Play football preview makes a return, breaking down the Jefferson District today and Private Schools and Other Public Schools Friday.
Jefferson District
Albemarle
Albemarle is one of the Jefferson District’s biggest question marks this year. After four years of Amaje Parker and Noah Grevious putting up school record type numbers, the Patriots now have to turn the page and lean on a bunch of young, super promising players in key spots. Those young standouts will be meshing with senior lineman James Fugal, junior wideout Isaiah Harris, versatile seniors Jalen and Jordan Green, linebackers Thomas and Josh Lykins and sophomore Benny Morgan. The youth movement includes freshman running back Cam Wiliford, sophomore slot Abiel Ruffin, sophomore quarterback LaDonte Chapman, junior Xzaivon Carter, sophomore lineman Jassaun Massie and sophomore Jaden Gore, who could factor into a number of spots. Wiliford is a talented combo back with power and speed and Ruffin is an electric athlete. Finding a way to fit all those pieces together won’t be easy, but the Patriots are already hard at work on that. If the young stars come around, Albemarle could be a handful for opponents this season, but tough road games at Heritage and William Fleming start the year.
Player to Watch: James Fugal, Offensive Line. The 270-pound road grader is also a region champion and state semifinalist wrestler. He could help the young Patriots find their footing sooner rather than later.
Charlottesville
Only one Jefferson District football team has a new head coach this season but it’s a familiar face as long-time assistant coach Terrell Mulford takes over the reins for the Black Knights. With a revamped staff, the Black Knights are looking to settle in and create some consistency. That’ll start with three returners, defensive backs and wideouts Che Lewis (who also doubles as a key defender during basketball season), Josiah Patterson and Vitto Pallini. Pallini showed a lot of early promise on both sides of the ball before a leg injury ended his freshman season. Juniors Ryan Kish and Augustus Bryan should also be in the mix for the Black Knights with Kish factoring in at wideout and defensive back and Bryan at linebacker and tight end. Blocking up front is a work in progress, with Jaedyn Courtney back and D’Mere Knox looking to get in the mix in the trenches. All six of those skill position players are excellent athletes and carving out roles and executing consistently will be the most important things for the Black Knights this fall.
Player to Watch: Vito Pallini, Wideout and Defensive Back. On a team needing an injection of athleticism and energy, Pallini is well-suited to help out, giving the Black Knights a versatile, talented building block.
Fluvanna County
Fluvanna County went to the playoffs last year, an incredible turnaround in year one for Mitchell Pace after the Flucos went 0-10 just a year before.
Now Fluvanna will lean on some playmakers that emerged last year – led by William and Mary commit Benny Denby – while trying to rebuild in the trenches and replace District defensive player of the year Marcus Dickerson from last year’s roster. Christian Lambert, Lane Harris, Kyeron King and Linwood Perkins have graduated and the offensive line will have to lean on Zeke Johnson and CJ Johnson as they retool that unit. They’ll be blocking for returning starter and junior Will Lambert at quarterback, Denby at tight end and Logan Wade at running back. Sam Loving returns as a versatile piece, capable of playing fullback or wideout. Newcomer Matt Rea should help at running back while junior Ethan McPherson should help the linebacker corps that lost Perkins while Kyle Harris is slated to step in at free safety.
The Flucos went 5-5 in the regular season, with a strong 3-1 start and a huge win over Orange County in mid October helping vault them into the mix. They’ll need a similarly strong start this season, but they face road battles against Chancellor and Buckingham just after the Broadway home opener.
The key for the Flucos is the line. If that group comes along quickly, the Flucos could find themselves back in the postseason mix.
Player You Need To Know: Benny Denby, Tight End. Denby is a matchup nightmare at 6-foot-7. Look for teams to throw an array of different players to try and stop him.
Goochland
In the four post-initial COVID seasons, Goochland has made the playoffs each season. Even last year, with a 3-7 record, the Bulldogs managed to claw their way into the region mix, dropping an opening round game to Thomas Jefferson in a rebuilding campaign. This edition of the Bulldogs boasts a mix of returners and a big injection of newcomers from a junior varsity that had some success last season. How quickly the younger group adjusts to varsity play will likely determine the course of the season. There’s a lot of potential opportunity to go around too as four players could see time at running back and seven different wideouts (four seniors and three juniors) are in the mix at that position. Blayke Flaherty, Josiah Johnson, sophomore Justin Popeliarz and Jackson Myles are four options at running back. Josh Martin, Matt Martin, Owen Gordon, Nate Trent, Nafesse Summers, Caden Boddie-White and Jackson Bell make up the wideout corps. Coach Alex Fruth pointed to three different tight ends, junior Sam Farkas, Patrick Harlow and Malachi Montgomery as potential options. Early on at least, expect senior quarterback Isaac Hite to be throwing the ball to a pack of players as they continue to settle in. Up front, there’s a lot of room to grow too, led by seniors Trevor Olive and Charlie Darr with a large group of juniors teaming up. Defensively, Montgomery, Harlow and Zach Lewis will man anchor the defensive line while Farkas, Flaherty, Kinyon Ross, Johnson and Bell should see time at linebacker and JT Morris, Summers, Gordon and Trent are slated to strengthen the secondary. For the Bulldogs, it’s all about sorting out position battles and using that depth as an advantage in a district where a number of teams have shallower than normal depth charts. They’ll need to work fast though with an unforgiving early schedule that includes a pair of playoff teams and Collegiate School.
Player to Watch: Patrick Harlow, Tight end/Defensive end. Harlow is the a versatile athlete, having won Goochland’s first ever state championship in wrestling after taking the Class 3 215-pound title last February. Now he’ll be asked to help bolster the defensive line and play tight end on offense.
Louisa County
Louisa kept its Jefferson District title streak alive last year in what was, by all accounts, a rebuilding season. There were new faces all over the field for the Lions in 2023 and the vast majority of those young players are now back in the mix this fall, and that means expectations are, as usual, high in Louisa. There’s a lot to like with strong numbers in the county’s program all the way down to U9 – football is healthy around Mineral right now. Per usual, the Lions are going to find a way to run the ball and they’ve got the backs to get it done, starting with Jayden Seaberry who rushed for 1,400 yards a year ago. Big back Lavartrell Creasy is also an option in the ground game. At quarterback, Caleb Brady will finally get a chance to step in behind center for the Lions after a preseason injury knocked him out of the spot as a junior. He’ll be throwing to an array of receivers led by top producer Donovan Nelson who hauled in 308 yards on just 20 catches as just a sophomore. Look for Brady to be able to open up the offense that was largely tied to the ground a year ago, especially behind a seasoned line led by senior Braden McIntire, junior center Jahmere Ragland and sophomore Jaylen Jackson who were all three All-Jefferson District picks a year ago. Defensively, there are a few more question marks after some significant graduations, but look for the Lions to attack and utilize their depth on both sides of the ball to give teams trouble, particularly as the season wears on. On special teams, first team All-JD kicker George Albertson is back,
Player to Watch: Jayden Seaberry, Running Back. It’s the obvious call, but it’s also the right one. It’s not often that a team gets to return a 1,000-yard rusher and Seaberry was putting together nights last fall that were reminiscent of old school Louisa backs going over 200 yards twice, all at a clip of 7.3 yards per carry. Brady is poised to make teams respect Louisa’s passing game more than they did a year ago, so that should open things up for Seaberry even a touch more as teams can’t just roll everyone into the box.
Monticello
The Mustangs returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 last year and while the quality of graduations for Monticello is noticeable, the volume is low and 10 seniors, many of them two-way contributors, are back. That returning group seems intent on making sure the Mustangs stay back in the mix for the top spot in the district and firmly in the playoff race. Monticello will build up front around offensive and defensive linemen Brayden Rettig and Oziel Jara Castillo, both of whom earned first team All-Jefferson District honors a year ago. They’ll be trying to replace Christian Proffitt, who was the JD’s Class 3 Offensive Player of the Year a year ago. On offense, Rettig and Castillo will be clearing the way for returning running back Zeke Pour and newcomer Kemari Walker while protecting Owen Engel who returns as a the signal-caller. Pour rushed for 1,046 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago and Engel threw for 1004 yards and eight touchdowns. If Engel can make a leap, he’s got a slew of pass catchers high on potential like star return man and X-factor Tre Early, tight end D’hron Jackson, Zayden Simpson, Michael Zaney and Juelz Christmas Jackson. Throw in fullback Ty Woodson and sophomores Ian Feggans and Jaiden Walker and there are a lot of emergent weapons on offense. Defense will need to get on track with a lot of new faces fast. Look for Early, Juelz Christmas Jackson, Rettig, Castillo, Pour, Simpson and D’Rhon Jackson to play huge roles on a defense that should get a chance to grow early on while an experienced offense carries the load. Early and Rettig were first team All-JD honorees on that side of the ball last season.
Player You Need to Know: Tre Early, Monticello. Early returns punts and kicks, he plays defense at an all-district level and he rushed for 447 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago. He’s the definition of an impact player.
Orange County
There’s no question that like a lot of teams that missed the playoffs last year, Orange County has a lot of work to do. But if you’ve got a ground attack you’ve got something to build on and the Hornets have all the pieces to get the ground ground rolling. Bubba Wells is back at running back after a second team All-Jefferson District campaign. He’ll be running behind an offensive line that returns intact: Caiden Knapp, Lewis Lam, Andy Lee, Brandon Testa and Elijah Richardson. Throw in Jeremiah Wharton, a second team All-Jefferson District linebacker who steps back in at quarterback after playing the spot as a sophomore. They’ll continue to progress in the flexbone that the Hornets installed a year ago, look for the Hornets to do their best to control the clock and keep things on the ground, especially with Wells and Wharton both threats to run. On defense, Aliyas Carter is back up front and Cameron Webb and Wharton will anchor the linebacking unit. Derrick Payton, Seth Symns and C.J. Loveless are set to prowl the secondary.
Player to Watch: Jeremiah Wharton. Playing linebacker and quarterback is going to require toughness and Wharton has that covered. If the 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior handles his business, Orange might battle its way into the playoffs.
Western Albemarle
Western Albemarle’s 2023 campaign did not go as planned as a challenging year snowballed on the Warriors and they managed to go just 1-9 under first year head coach Seth Wilson. The program now largely gets a reset, with a ton of largely unknowns on a young roster set to lead the way. One of the few upperclassmen is junior quarterback Gray Heilman, who saw some time as a starter a year ago and will get the nod this year. There’s also senior Cooper Shelton, who’ll be a factor at linebacker, senior Drew Azzato who gives Heilman an option in the passing game while seniors Sani Reed and Kyler Snow should be in the mix in the trenches. Beyond that, it’s mostly newcomers being tasked with big roles for the Warriors including R.J. Corbey at wideout, Odin Erickson in a variety of roles, Kevin Dowling and Jaylen Sims at wideout and Jack Camblos up front. The Warriors are going to be relying on a lot of emerging talent this year though, so expect new names to rise to the surface quickly.
Player to Watch: Gray Heilman, quarterback. Heilman will need to settle in quickly as the new full-time starter, and he has some talented young weapons to work with.
Public Schools
Buckingham County
Buckingham rolled to a 9-1 record a year ago after dropping the Knights’ season opener, rolling up the James River District championship and then a playoff berth where they fall to Clarke County in the first round. This year, a bunch of those Knights’ return and you can bet they’re intent on running it back in the regular season and creating some noise in the playoffs. Jaden Maxey returns at running back and Emerson Edwards is back at tight end for the Knights at tight end and defensive end. Edwards was a first team All-District pick on both sides of the ball a year ago. Special teams also gets a big advantage with all-district kicker and punter Tanner Davis back as a senior.James River District defensive player of the year Avery Schaffer is back to anchor the linebacking corps, so the Knights have a strong foundation as they bring along the younger players. In addition to Edwards being back on the defensive line, Rayon Richardson should be an impact player again on that side of the ball after earning an All–District All-Purpose nod. Replacing two-way standout Kordonte Williams on the line won’t be easy but second team All-JRD pick Maurice Tyree is back up front on the defense too. Look for the Knights to stick to their identity and establish the run game early with a heavy dose of Maxey, and with the pieces they have back, they should be a major factor at the top of the district once again.
Player to Watch: Jayden Maxey, Running Back. Maxey was a first team All-James River District pick a year ago and should be an offensive focal point for the Knights as a senior.
Madison County
Madison County is starting to get back into gear now with a playoff appearance last season leading to a lot of optimism for the Mountaineers who are now in position to take the next step. The Mountaineers will have to replace wideout Billy Acton and linebackers Jayden Jenkins, Damajah Brown-Robinson and JJ Lamb as well as defensive end Wesley Woodward and four of the five offensive line starters. That’s a tall task, but an experienced skill group used creatively could help offset things while that offensive line grows up. Aaron Fincham returns as the starting quarterback while Jeremiah Brown is back at running back. Aidan Foster provides a threat in the passing game and should factor in at free safety while Will Dickey will also step in at wideout. There’s some experience back at linebacker too in seniors Wyatt Tompkins and Paul Hutcherson while Davon Frazier is back in the trenches and Bobby Wingate will play defensive back. At tight end, Lahman Carpenter should be in the mix and newcomer Eli Myers is a versatile piece at running back and linebacker. Senior transfer Rylan Neal will help anchor the offensive line along with Porter and a trio of juniors in Jaedon Lewis, Avry Settle-McCloud and Reagan Weakly. If that offensive line can come together, the Mountaineers could be headed right back to the playoffs again in 2024.
Player to watch: Aidan Foster, free safety and wideout. Foster was a first team all district pick as a sophomore on both sides of the ball while also earning All-Region nods at both. He’s a foundational player for the Mountaineers that should continue his upward trajectory
Nelson County
Nelson County football took a big step in the right direction last year in coach Jack Baker’s second year with a 4-6 record. Now the Governors look to build on that success with a strong quartet of seniors back in the fold and several promising young players who could make Nelson a dynamic presence over the next couple of years. Senior Colton Baker returns at quarterback and defensive back while classmates Demetrius Bell and Lekota Shaver are slated to handle most of the running back duties with sophomore newcomer Eli Durant also in the mix for carries. Houser Boyette is back as a senior tight end and sophomore Dylan Butler returns at wideout. Cody Banton is slated to anchor the offensive line with help from sophomore Xavier Jacques. Up front on defense, Shaver and Banton should be major pieces of the puzzle while Boyette, Bell and Jacques could form the linebacking corps. Baker and Butler will provide experience and energy in the secondary. While that group of seniors is the foundation, the rest of the roster is young, so working out their growth is going to be crucial for the Governors.
Player to Watch: Colton Baker, quarterback and defensive back. Any time a squad brings back a senior quarterback, it’s a huge advantage. Baker’s experience and steady hand should be a major positive for the Governors.
William Monroe
Make no mistake about it, this is a revamp for William Monroe football this year. The Dragons graduated out a class of nearly 20 seniors from a playoff team and that’s going to be tough to replace, But with the middle school program back and running and a lot of young energy in the mix, the next few years could be bright for the Dragons. Monroe will be, predictably, young and a lot of teams say that, but the Dragons are really young. Seven freshmen dot the varsity roster and another 13 sophomores are also suiting up. One of those sophomores is Cale Hamblin at quarterback. Seniors include Kenny Hamblin at fullback and linebacker and Ryan Mannion at tight end and defensive end. If the Dragons can bring along the young talent quickly there’s a lot to like, but they’ll have to get started quickly with a season opener against Monticello followed by two road games against Manassas Park and rival Madison County to start the year.
Player to watch: Kenny Hamblin, linebacker and fullback. Hamblin’s experience and seasoning is probably his most valuable asset to the young Dragons this year and he’s in position to be a major building block for Monroe.
Private Schools
Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge is ahead of schedule. Clint Alexander’s reclamation projects usually take more than two years to start firing on all cylinders, but the Barons punched their ticket to the state final in just year two, where they ran into North Cross. The Barons couldn’t prevent North Cross from repeating as state champions, but it’s pretty clear that Blue Ridge has the momentum going. Several key players from the state runner-up squad have graduated including linebacker Cedric Jungmann, cornerback Xavier Terrell, wideout Kameron Martin and running back Malachi Terrell. But two big-time playmakers are back – all-state tailback and 1,000-yard rusher Darius Stafford and wideout D’Myo Hunter. That’s a strong couple of building blocks on offense, and Elliott Nahon, Yariel Cruz and Tristan Fitzpatrick add some more experienced punch to the group of pass catchers. Expect a heavy dose of the ground game with Stafford back in the mix, but the line is going to need to develop quickly. Newcomer Lukas Wuhrer is set to take the reins at quarterback while Derrius Jones adds some punch to the passing attack at tight end and Jett Rose could make a difference as another option at wideout. Demetrius Allen and Cory Shorts return to strengthen the linebacking corps and they’ll also gett help from newcomers Linkin Stevens and Jimmy Keseday. Defensive lineman Erik Carroll will be a building block up front on defense while Michael Roman and Ty Collins are set to roam the secondary. The Barons have work to do with a much more challenging schedule that features a trio of Division I teams out of the gate, but they were ahead of schedule last year – expect another step in improvement from the Barons this year.
Player to Watch: Eliott Nahon. Nahon came to St. George from Marseilles, France and has developed into a strong slot receiver and an outstanding kicker and punter. That’s an impressive development and a versatile piece of the puzzle for the Barons.
Covenant
Covenant returns for another year of eight-man football and a young roster last season is looking a year older and more mature coming off a 7-3 record where they lost in the VISFL semifinals. The senior class is poised to do the heavy lighting with Jonathan Newton back at running back and safety, Carter White set to play center, Landon Johnson at tackle and Will Wolfe and Grant Cook poised to anchor the linebacking corps. Wolfe will also see time at wideout while junior Hudson Reese and sophomore Tommy Sanker return as running backs who double as defensive backs. Remy Kuecker will play guard and defensive end while Jay Lineweaver plays linebacker. The newcomers are also promising as sophomore Phillip Venton plays defensive back, freshman Noah Estes could be a factor at quarterback and defensive back. Other freshmen that should facto in are Cole Cook at wideout and linebacker, Phoenix Maton at receiver and linebacker and Alvin Hoffman at running back and defensive back.
Player to Watch: Jonathan Newton. Newton is a four-year starter for the Eagles at running back and will also be a major factor at safety. He’s fast and should be a centerpiece for Covenant this year.
Fork Union
Fork Union enters year two of the Eddie Handsome era and they’re going to be looking to turn the page after a challenging year one. Competing in the Prep League is no easy task and the Blue Devils absorbed some challenging losses while Handsome looked to reset the culture. Coming off that 2-8 campaign, the Blue Devils will feature a new quarterback in Xavier Buckles leading a squad that is going to be bringing a lot of new pieces together. The offense last season managed to get going with strong scoring outputs against Collegiate and Blue Ridge, but the Blue Devils struggled to slow down opposing offenses, surrendering an average of 42 points per games. Expect Fork Union to put a focus on improving the defensive side of the ball.
Player to Watch: FUMA’s front seven. The Blue Devils know that stopping the run was challenging last year, so the defensive front seven is a critical spot to watch for Fork Union this year. If they improve, the entire outcome for the Blue Devils could improve.
St. Anne’s-Belfield
There’s a lot of work to be done this season at St. Anne’s-Belfield, but make no mistake – there’s a lot to like about the Saints too. Let’s start with one of the things causing the work – the departure of 19 seniors, plus three other key standouts. This is a complete rebuild for STAB, who last year managed to post a 6-3 record, one of its best results since returning to 11-man football, but still out of the playoff picture. Still, as we stated, there’s a lot to like. For starters, former NFL and UVa standout Heath Miller takes over as the head coach for the Saints on an interim basis. The Saints return senior tight end Matthew Morgan, senior linebacker/tight end Forrest Balette, junior quarterback Ryan Steeper and senior two-way lineman Logan Henyon. Beyond that quartet, a host of newcomers will factor into the mix with senior wideout Wes Martin, junior running back Jonah Brent and offensive lineman Mattias Kass. Brent could be an early focal point of the offense. Joining Henyon and Kass up front will be sophomore offensive and defensive linemen Dani Agardi and Tyson Boyd. On defense, there is a ton of speed, so if the younger linemen come along quickly – and they have the tools to do so – the defense should settle in quickly. With three of the first four games on the road, the Saints will get something of a baptism by fire and the back half of the schedule isn’t a cakewalk by any means. Like we said, there’s a lot of work to do, but look for the Saints to have a high ceiling in 2024.
Player to watch: Ryan Steeper, STAB. For years, STAB’s program has taken athletes from other sports and transformed them into strong quarterbacks, and Steeper is a stud junior baseball player. It’s possible another build out is underway.
Woodberry Forest
Woodberry Forest is unique among local football programs as they operate with a slightly different set of circumstances from everyone else. There’s no playoff picture to consider, the Tigers play that challenging Prep League slate every year and then square off with archrival Episcopal to finish the season. This year the boarding school led by third-year coach Jackson Matteo will build around a quartet of athletes with local ties after going 5-5 last year. Savion Hiter, Dyzier Carter, Sheldon Robinson and Lukas Sanker are all slated to be in the mix, with Hiter poised to be a bell cow running back while Carter and Robinson should play a variety of roles for the Tigers. Sanker has emerged as a standout defensive back, but he’ll have his hands full with the receivers in the Prep League. Clearing the way for Hiter will fall to a large group of linemen anchored by senior William Eesiah and junior Buddy Wegdam, and they’ll be busy as the offensive gameplan will feature Hiter and the ground game. The Tigers, as usual, have some other key pieces to fill in the cracks, but their core of dynamic athletes should give them a buffer as other aspects of the team develop in the early going.
Player to watch: Savion Hiter, Running Back. He’s the obvious choice here as the four star junior’s offer list reads like a who’s who of national powers including Georgia and Ohio State. Hiter is a special, locally grown talent and these next two years watching him at running back have the potential to be special for local football fans.
