William Monroe (1-0) at Madison County (1-0) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: Because of a scheduling anomaly, the last time the Mountaineeers hosted the Greene Dragons, Logan Terrell was a sophomore and Madison’s school property was vandalized. This is one of the most heated rivalries in Central Virginia, but it’s been one-sided for quite sometime as the Mountaineers have taken it to their Dragon counterparts. Last week Madison put together a slick comeback against Fluvanna County and Monroe snapped it’s nearly 2-year long losing streak. It will be interesting to see if this rivalry gets closer on the field or if it will be yet another year of bragging rights for the Mountaineers.
Key matchup: Monroe’s secondary versus the Madison passing attack. That’s right, the Mountaineers can throw, and after Ralph Yates and Maurice Gentry combined for 218 yards rushing last week, the table could be set for first year starting quarterback Dustin Farmer to whip the ball around to playmaking wide outs Rashad Bolden and Travis Warren.
Player to watch: There’s two. This game has the potential to be a game of dueling banjos between running backs. Keep an eye on Yates and Monroe’s Logan Forloines. How successful those two are will dictate the flow of both offenses.
Line: Madison by 4. The Dragons are making progress and the Mountaineers lost an awful lot from last year’s team, but it’s hard to argue with history on this one.
Fork Union (0-1) at Loyola Blakefield (0-1) 4 p.m.
The Basics: The Blue Devils continue their insane road stretch to open the season by following up Georgetown with Baltimore giant Loyola Blakefield, which fell last week to Dematha. The Dons boast a powerful passing attack and have two quarterbacks that can get the ball downfield, but the team struggled mightily against the run, surrendering more than 400 yards on the ground. It’s no secret that Fork Union likes to get the job done on the ground, and they’ll look to improve upon their 80-yard total from last week.
Key matchup: FUMA’s front five versus Loyola’s front seven. Given the losses up front, this will likely be a theme for Fork Union. Both Christian Hackenburg and Richard Quittenton can throw the ball, and Andre Parker and Richard Dyer are capable of burning up yardage on the ground, but that’s all moot if they’re all being swarmed.
Player to watch: Nick Naimool. The Fork Union wide receiver had the best day on offense last week with his 5-catch 96-yard game. If he can make big plays again, that should open doors for the rest of the offense.
Line: Fork Union by 1. The Blue Devils are a still getting it together up front, but Loyola is in a similar position trying to fill a lot of holes with just 10 seniors.
Goochland at Amelia County (1-1) 7 p.m.
The Basics: If Goochland cuts down on its mistakes, the Bulldogs should be just fine. A series of critical errors in their opener, which was supposed to be at home but was moved because of field conditions at GHS, cost Goochland a potential win. But it’s not like the Bulldogs will go back to the drawing board or anything. They’ve got a system they’ll stick with and just eliminate the miscues.
Key matchup: Goochland’s front seven takes on several solid offensive weapons for the Raiders, including Tyrell Evans, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore and earned first team All-James River honors along with Buckingham’s Maurice Taylor as a running back.
Who to watch: Goochland running back David McKenna. The Bulldogs lead back was one of the few ball carriers that didn’t fumble in the squad’s season opener against Benedictine. He’ll likely carry the load Friday against the Raiders.
Line: Goochland by 14. The Bulldogs bounce back in a big way against a rebuilding Amelia County program.
Woodberry (0-0) at J.R. Tucker (Richmond) 7 p.m.
The Basics: This will be the first official look at the revamped Woodberry Forest squad and they’ll be playing a little out of their element, playing on a Friday, under the lights in Richmond. The Tigers usually play on Saturday afternoons, so there’ll be an adjustment. For the Tigers’ sake, hopefully the poise that players like Rue Hockensmith and J.T. Hornyak gained playing in big games last year has a steadying effect on the rest of the roster. Tucker will surely be ready—they’re picked by some Richmond area pundits to finish second in the Colonial District.
Key Matchup: Woodberry’s playmakers take on Tucker’s seasoned defense led by safety Michael Mey and tackle Parker Cherlin. The Tigers have a lot of speed at wideout. Can Woodberry get to the edges with Mey prowling the backline and Cherlin trying to wreak havoc.
Who to watch: Hockensmith. Against a physical, fast Tucker squad, inside linebacker Hockensmith will need to be on his game from the opening whistle.
Line: Woodberry by .5. Hard to tell if Woodberry is ready for this test, and the teams don’t know much about each other, but the Tigers were the top private school team in the state last year and another private school, Benedictine beat Tucker the last three seasons.
Albemarle (0-1) at Western (1-1) 7 p.m.
The Basics: Western eked by Waynesboro, then played Turner Ashby tight before falling 27-10. Can the Warriors continue to get healthy and knock off their cross-county rival? Albemarle didn’t get a chance to get into a rhythm last week against Monticello when an early injury to the Patriots’ quarterback Lee Carneal forced Albemarle into a solely run-oriented attack. Senior running back Daniel Ricotta played well for the Patriots and had a kick return for a touchdown against Monticello, but the offense needs to find its stride and score some points.
Key Matchup: Albemarle’s offensive line takes on Mitchell Parks. Parks didn’t dominate against Waynesboro two weeks ago like he did in last year’s season opener, but two things made that possible. One, Western was missing several defensive linemen and two, the Little Giants did a good job of doubling the senior linebacker. Albemarle’s young offensive line will have to be up to the task for the Patriots to win.
Who to watch: Albemarle’s quarterback situation. If Carneal is back, we could see a very different Albemarle team than the one-dimensional squad we saw against Monticello last week. But don’t count out first year head coach Mike Alley even if Carneal can’t go. With a week to work on it, Alley, a offensive guru who hatched one of the area’s best spread offenses at Blue Ridge, should be able to come up with something inventive.
Line: Western by 3 because they’re at home, but this one could be tight.
Huguenot at Monticello (1-0) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: Monticello’s running game is back in a big way with Jesse Ayres piling up 120 yards last week. But the Mustangs proved they’ve got an aerial attack, no matter who steps in behind center, Jahlil Mosley or Tyler Moneymaker. Both signal-callers tossed touchdown passes against Albemarle, and both give the Mustangs a different look when they ran the show.
Key Matchup: Monticello’s interior line takes on 360-pound Huguenot defensive tackle Jason Campbell. The Mustangs opened up a lot of holes against Albemarle, but they’ll have their hands full against Campbell. If Monticello can move him and get Ayres loose, the senior tailback should be able to do some damage.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Isaac Robinson. If Robinson continues to emerge as a fullback threat, he’ll keep opening things up for Ayres and that might make the two a formidable pairing.
Line: Monticello by 3. Huguenot will be big and tough, and the Falcons should be a solid test for a Mustangs squad riding high after romping past the Patriots last week.
Nelson County (0-1) at Riverheads (0-1) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: Nelson County will face a Riverheads squad that will be hungry for a win after getting burned by a late touchdown and two-point conversion in a 32-31 barnburner loss to Stuarts Draft last week.
Key Matchup: Nelson has a dangerous return man in Tyler Vest. Can he get loose on Riverheads on the road?
Who to watch: Riverheads’ running backs, including Daniel Weekly, fuel a run-oriented approach that can pile up yards.
Line: Riverheads by 3. Nelson should give the Gladiators a stiff challenge, but Riverheads gets the edge with homefield advantage.
James Monroe (0-1) at Charlottesville (1-0) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: Another top-notch opponent for the Black Knights could mean another rough home game. However, as was the case last week against R.E. Lee, the lessons learned this week could go a long ways as the Yellow Jackets are as tough as most any Jefferson District opponent that Charlottesville will see. Monroe is coming off a close loss to Group AAA Mountain View and blanked the Black Knights 34-0 last season. However, the Yellow Jackets are breaking in their new dual threat quarterback DeMontaz Brown which should give Charlottesville a window defensively.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’s linebacking corps against Brown. Keeping the sophomore quarterback in the backfield is going to be key. Monroe’s line struggled last week against the Wildcats so the Black Knights should look to get after Brown, but be sure not over pursue.
Player to watch: It’s Brown’s favorite target, A’Darius Brown. The dangerous wide receiver put up a whale of a game last week with eight catches and 156 yards. If Charlottesville’s secondary isn’t ready, he could replicate that performance.
Line: Yellow Jackets by 7. This may not be the same team from last year, but Monroe is a regular in the playoffs for a reason.
Louisa County (1-0) at Spotsylvania (0-2) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: The Lions survived a tough test from Eastern View last week while the Knights fell badly again to a Commonwealth District opponent in Riverbend. Spotsylvania was winless last year and has fallen in 15 straight contests, including last year’s 62-15 beatdown from Louisa. With the exception of a few understandable first week mistakes, the Lions looked pretty sharp on both sides of the ball and appear to be as balanced as many thought they would be coming into the year.
Key matchup: Spotsylvania’s entire defense versus Louisa’s running back corps. 452. That’s how many yards the Bears ran for last week against Spotsylvania. Now it’s the run-giddy Lions’ turn to see what they can churn up with Anthony Hunter, Rayshawn Jackson and Andre Mealy. Don’t be surprised if quarterback Kire Worley gets in the mix as well.
Player to watch: Mealy. The Lions’ sledgehammer took a while to get rolling last week, but made big plays in the clutch last week against the Cyclones. When he gets going down hill it takes a gang to bring him down.
Line: Louisa by 14. The Lions extend Spotsylvania’s winless streak.
Culpeper (0-2) at Orange County (0-1) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: Last week the Hornets fell in the fourth quarter to Chancellor while the Blue Devils took another drubbing, this time from Faquier County. Orange’s offense was slowed after looking pin-point sharp against Madison County in a benefit game two weeks ago. For the second straight week, Culpeper struggled against the pass which doesn’t bode well as they face a team that big time receivers in Amir Waller and Tyler Seal.
Key matchup: The Blue Devils pass rush versus Cameron Hughes. As Orange coach John Kayajanian made clear before the season began, to beat his team you’ve got to get after his strong-armed quarterback. The Chargers did so last week. To make this a game, Culpeper will have to do the same.
Player to watch: Hughes. On paper this looks like it should be the junior quarterback’s big chance to pile up some numbers. Hughes should be well prepared after going up against the defense he saw last Friday.
Line: Orange by 14. Hughes, Waller and Seal go wild.
Buckingham County (2-0) at Prince Edward (0-2) 7:30 p.m.
The Basics: The Knights put together a well balanced performance against Nelson County last week while the Eagles had a rough go of it in a 28-3 loss against Cumberland. After getting burned on the ground by Fluvanna the week before, it was the passing game that cooked the Eagles in their second loss. In their first two games, Buckingham has shown that they get things done offensively on Maurice Taylor’s legs or Tarian Ayers’ arm. But so far the Knights’ defense has stood out more than anything, and that’s saying something.
Key matchup: The line of scrimmage. Maurice Taylor has piled up 330 yards in two games for Buckingham and he could well get close to the 500 mark if Prince Edward doesn’t find a way to fill the gaps. The Knights young offensive line made progress from their first game to the second.
Player to watch: Buckingham’s Antonn Briley. The wide receiver has developed a strong connection with Ayers, putting up more than 200 yards over two games. With the Eagles having to focus on Taylor, when Briley’s number gets called it could mean big plays and points.
Line: Buckingham by 14. Way too much for PE to handle here.
Covenant (0-2) at Flint Hill (0-0) 2 p.m.
The Basics: For the second straight season, the Huskies kick off their season against the Eagles. The first two weeks of the year have been tough on Covenant as they’ve been had by both Norfolk Christian’s and Atlantic Shores’ rushing attack. Last year the Eagles picked up a double-digit victory when they hosted Flint Hill and this team could use a similar victory to build confidence. As tough as it may have been these past two weeks for Covenant, this game has the potential to be a rallying point.
Key matchup: The Eagles rush defense against the Huskies running backs. Covenant needs to stop the bleeding to give its offense a fair chance. Finishing tackles and filling the gaps would help the Eagles avoid falling into the holes they’ve fallen in during their first two games.
Player to watch: He may be responsible for blocking, but fullback Fred O’Connor showed well as a ball carrier, bouncing off of defenders and earning yardage in a physical manner. If the senior gets some touches again he could help Covenant establish an identity on offense.
Line: Covenant by 3. We know we said it last week, but the Eagles have had enough and get things headed in the right direction now.
Hargrave (1-0) at Blue Ridge (0-1) Saturday 2 p.m.
The Basics: Blue Ridge melted down last week against North Cross late after rallying in the third quarter. The Barons need to right the ship now with Hargrave, who scored 45 points last week in a barnburner with Carlisle, coming to town.
Key Matchup: Hargrave’s front seven against Blue Ridge quarterback Andre Roberts. North Cross bottled up the Barons’ athletic signal caller last week, if Hargrave does the same it’ll go a long way toward slowing Blue Ridge’s offense.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge running backs Mayn Francisco and Robin Moore. Despite the loss to North Cross, both Francisco and Moore ripped off big plays, Moore on a long touchdown catch, Francisco on a hard run down the sideline. If the talented pair continues to develop, the Barons should be able to move the ball much easier.
Line: Blue Ridge by 3. The Barons appear to be talented not to rebound against a Hargrave squad that went 1-8 in 2009 after a frustrating performance on the road last week.
St. Anne’s-Belfield (1-0) at VES (0-1) Saturday 2 p.m.
The Basics: St. Anne’s got off on the right foot last week against Bishop Sullivan with a 27-7 road win. Virginia Episcopal—on the other hand—went 2-8 last year and fell 31-2 last week to Christchurch. If the Saints get started right, this one might get out of hand quick for VES.
Key Matchup: St. Anne’s defensive front four against VES’ revamped line. Two local products, Orange County natives Aaron Murphy and Joe Kaiser, joined the VES offensive line this year. Though the offense sputtered against Christchurch, they should continue to come together as the season wears on.
Who to watch: STAB quarterback Charlie Murray. The tall signal caller scored a pair of touchdowns last week with one through the air and another on the ground, and he’ll need to remain a threat to prevent opponents from loading the box against the run.
Line: St. Anne’s-Belfield by 14. With the run game already going strong, STAB’s opponents will have to buckle down. That’ll be tough for VES to get done.
