King George (0-2) at Louisa County (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Lions took down Chancellor with huge day on the ground for a 45-20 win against Chancellor last week. The Foxes struggled on both sides of the ball again, this time against Brooke Point in a 30-3 loss. This is a mismatch of offenses. Louisa has scored 80 points in two weeks. King George has scored 10 points in a pair of losses. The Lions defense? They’ve given up just 20 points and all of those when the game with Chancellor was well within hand. If you’re a gambler, you’re betting on Louisa to handle the job on both sides of the ball because on paper, it’s all there. That said, the Lions still have to walk the talk again.
Key matchup: King George’s offensive line versus the Louisa front eight. Foxes quarterback Sammy Delgrande and running back Javon Campbell have talent, but haven’t had the protection up front. So expect the Lions be extra aggresive and launch a full out assault inside the tackle box. With Brandon Smith in the middle they obviously have an athlete that the Foxes have to throw double and triple teams at. That should open up things for Austin Sims and company to have big days with their matchups. Don’t be surprised if the Lions get a lot of points off of turnovers in this one.
Who to watch: Louisa’s Alex Washington. Is this yet another developing weapon for the Lions? He’s got seven carries for 85 yards and three receptions for 24 yards. With Kalup Shelton and Jarret Hunter both picking up 100-plus yards last week and quarterback Rob Allinder showing poise as a passer, Washington looks to add another wrinkle for an offense that also has big receiver Mark Carter. It should be so easy for this offense to flourish like it has after last year’s mass graduation, but the Lions are finding a way to make it look simple.
The line: Louisa by 17. That adage that applies to the great programs might be in effect here — the Lions haven’t rebuilt, they’ve reloaded.
William Monroe (0-2) at Fort Defiance (1-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Dragons ran into a Spotswood team that got touchdowns rushing, passing and on special teams in a 39-10 defeat. The Indians bounced back loss to Buffalo Gap to take down Stuarts Draft 17-10. That’s a quality win for a Defiance team that had a 25-game losing streak going into last year. Of course that skid ended when it ran into a young and developing Monroe squad. Last year’s 35-28 loss has to itch the Dragons. They want that one back and with two of its toughest opponents on the schedule in the rear view, Monroe has to right the ship here to avoid the kind of start it had last season.
Key matchup: Monroe’s front seven against the run. The good news? The Dragons aren’t facing a pass happy team like they have the previous two weeks, both that had dual-threat quarterbacks and talented deep threats. Perhaps that’s been the issue for the Dragons against the run, having to play honest and avoid stacking the box against the run, having to account too much for nimble quarterbacks that can beat you in so many ways. That said, Monroe needs to shore things up on the line of scrimmage and make running back Trevor Bartley work for every yard. Fort’s key to success last week was running the ball and playing defense, a solid recipe for success, but also one that’s hard to do. A big game from Sam Hess and Zach Miller on defense would go a long way to putting the Indians in a tough spot.
Who to watch: Monroe’s Jaekwon Wayne. He had a nice interception last week, and always remains a big play threat on offense too at receiver. The Dragons need him to have a big game to open things up for this offense. Alex Kinsey is a quality dual-threat quarterback. Yes the Dragons are playing a different style on offense this year, so there are going to be growing pains. But if you’re trying to spead the ball out to your best ahtletes, you need arguably the best on the team to have those game changing moments. Wayne has all the ability on both sides of the ball to be that guy.
The line: Monroe by 1. The Dragons are better than they’ve shown. This group is sour about last year’s loss and have the talent to steal one here on the road.
Monticello (1-0) at Turner Ashby (0-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Mustangs didn’t want a bye week after a strong showing against William Monroe, but they got one. Now they get a team that’s trying to put things together after back-to-back losses to R. E. Lee and Eastern View. Monticello is facing a defense that’s given up 104 points so far, so considering this Monticello program’s penchant for offense, coach Jeff Lloyd’s history of building something quickly in a season, and Malichi Field’s debut at quarterback, there’s a lot going on here. The Mustangs got two weeks to fine tune the play book. That’s tough if you’re Turner Ashby.
Key matchup: The Knights secondary takes on Monticello receiver Trenton Johnson. The senior is a deep threat. He’s also got the frame to go across the middle of the field. He’s also got the head on him to know when to break off a route and improvise. All-in-all, he’s exactly the target you want if you’re a developing sophomore quarterback like Fields is. The Knights have to take Johnson away from Fields. If that means devoting a pair of defenders to him at all times, so be it. You’d rather take your chances with Monticello’s back field beating you if you have the tape from the Mustangs’ win over Monroe. While Fields showed he can be a big time runner, you make him show that he can do it twice and you also ask running back Benson Hawkins to do the same. What you don’t do is let Johnson have any fun as a receiver. That’s going to be tough.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Tayshaun Minor. The big sophomore is playing on both sides of the ball on the line. He can maul down the field blocking and he can get off the edge and into the backfield as a defender. If he develops into a regular producer, the Mustangs will be in great shape as they gear up for Jefferson District play. His play will matter a lot on the line of scrimmage on most snaps.
The line: Monticello by 6. The Mustangs have never lost to Turner Ashby. They also are coming into this one healthy and with two weeks of preparation and a quarterback that feels a lot more confident than he did going into the season opener.
Amelia (2-0) at Buckingham (1-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Raiders had a second straight big showing offensively with a 47-12 win over Brunswick. The Knights rebounded nicely off their season opener with Appomattox to beat Chatham 27-0 despite missing Gerry Toney because of injury. This is the first of just four home games for Buckingham so there should be a solid crowd to great the Knights in their home debut, especially considering how many local familiar faces are back on the coaching staff. This is a tough one for Buckingham but worthy of note is that Park View narrowly beat a shaky Bluestone team last week and that Brunswick has given up 107 points so far. So while Amelia is 2-0, Buckingham does know that the Raiders haven’t played Appomattox. A win here would put the Knights in a nice spot.
Key matchup: The Buckingham secondary against Amelia quarterback Jalen Brown. The stat line speaks for itself, Brown was 6-for-6 passing with 195 yards and four touchdowns. The good news for Buckingham is that its secondary is pretty solid with Xavier Copeland, Jaylin Jackson and Dashwan Bartee. The Knights need to a good push from the pass rush upfront led by Thomas Test, but if the secondary can keep the big plays downfield from being easy, this game get a lot more simplistic.
Who to watch: The Knights quarterback situation and running back Walter Edwards. The Knights would love to have Toney back but have to make things work with Cameron Taylor if that’s not in the cards. Taylor filled in nicely and so that’s big for this offense. But Edwards’ 166 yards on 18 carries last week was the difference maker. If he can go into bellcow mode for the Knights, it will keep Amelia’s potent offense where Buckingham wants it, on the sidelines or double dutying it playing defense.
The line: Buckingham by 3. The Knights will have to scrap in this one, but they’ll be eager and are more than capable enough talent wise to pick up this win for home crowd that’s waited for two years for a Bucknigham squad to get above .500.
Central Lunenburg (0-2) at Goochland (2-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: Something seems of here. Usually the Chargers come into this matchup with some mojo but with back-to-back losses to Brunswick and William Campbell, Central doesn’t seem to be the same player it’s been in the past. Goochland on the other hand, seems to have kicked it’s first game woes after a dominant last three quarters against Fork Union led to a 38-7 win. The Bulldogs defense is for real. And it looks like the offense is finding it’s comfort zone now too. That’s not what Lunenburg wants to hear.
Key matchup: The Central running game against Goochland’s front eight. So far, nobody has been able to run against it. Not Fork Union. Not Thomas Jefferson. Also add to the mix that this group has been a turnover creating machine. The Chargers have to find a way to match Goochland’s physicality and guys like Justin Woodson, Sam Brooks and Kindrick Braxton make that really tough when they’re dynamic roving the middle the of the field. If Central can find a way to match Goochland’s attack up front, they’ll have a shot at keeping this thing closer. If not, the Bulldogs defense might have themselves another day in the park.
Who to watch: Goochland running back Connor Popielarz. When the sophomore got things going by running the ball up the middle, everything changed for this offense. The Bulldogs have Devin McCray and Quincey Snead to be those dangerous edge rushers. What they needed was what Popielarz gave them last week. If he stacks up those three and four yard runs up the gut consistently, that’s going to open things up for McCray and Snead to bust open some big runs.
The line: Goochland by 9. Yes preparing for the Chargers run-heavy offense requires patience but this Bulldogs defense is too talented not to be ready for it. And with the offense rolling now, Goochland is in a good spot here to improve to 3-0.
Eastern View (1-0) at Orange County (1-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: Orange County got off on the right foot last week by holding on for a 30-28 win over Culpeper. Both sides of the ball showed some serious potential with the offensive unit dominating the first half with big plays and the defense helping that lead hold up even as the offense sputtered in the second half. When Walker Johnson got the ball out efficiently and trusted his receivers like Jireek Washington, Chris Washington and Brad Smith, it made a huge difference for the Hornets. With teams stacking the box against Jaylen Alexander, defenses are going to have to lean on single coverage on the edge. That’s going to create opportunities in the passing game. On the flip side, Eastern View has become one of the state’s most respected programs for a reason and this year’s edition is as potent as usually offensively based on last week’s 66-14 win over Turner Ashby.
Key matchup: Orange’s linebackers take on Eastern View running back Tre Holmes. Last week Holmes exploded for 160 yards and two scores. The Hornets’ linebacking corps, by contrast, was rock solid against Culpeper, stuffing several key run plays and coming up with sacks on two consecutive plays to preserve a win over Culpeper. Whether it’s Kyrie Carter, Chance Williams or Tucker Hensley or Hylton Hale, the Hornets have a number of sure tacklers who could lock up Holmes and force Eastern View to find another way to move the ball.
Who to watch: Orange County’s Hylton Hale. Hale was a valuable stopper with nine total tackles on defense last week for a Hornets unit that only gave up two touchdowns — Culpeper’s others came on a pick six and kick return for a TD. If he, Kyrie Carter and Tucker Hensley can help the Orange defense play consistently like they did last week, the Hornets are going to be a problem for opposing teams all year.
The line: Eastern View by 1. If Hornets put together two halves of offense like the first half last week, they’ll be able to hang tight in this one and have a shot at the end.
Charlottesville (0-2) at Harrisonburg (0-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: These two teams couldn’t be in more similar situations if they tried. Banged up, dropped one game at home and another on the road. Both breaking in new signal callers and on and on and on. Someone is coming out of this one feeling a lot better about their season’s direction, and the Black Knights are coming in with at least a little momentum after Tamarius Washington and Sabias Folley combined for 354 yards on the ground against James Monroe last week. Harrisonburg, by contrast, got news that star running back Marcus Robinson-Jenkins is going to be out for at least another couple of weeks according to the Daily News Record. Charlottesville just needs to cut down on the turnovers after losing three fumbles against the Jackets.
Key matchup: Harrisonburg’s front seven takes on Folley. Last week, James Monroe ran into a different version of Folley, a version where he served as lead blocker for Washington. The Blue Streaks will need to stymie Folley either as a runner or as a lead blocker, however CHS uses their senior star. Folley is an old school player and Harrisonburg plays on grass — this could be a game where he really gets the Charlottesville offense going as the revamped offensive line heads into its third game.
Who to watch: Charlottesville’s Marcus Targonski. Targonski had three tackles for a loss a week ago against James Monroe and with Harrisonburg trying to work things out in the ground game, he could play a big role in preventing them from figuring it out for another week. Look for the junior to get in the mix right away.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. The Black Knights found some offensive rhythm last week. Hold on to the ball against the Blue Streaks and they could be coming home with a win.
Nelson County (0-2) at Craig County (0-2), 7 p.m.
The basics: Nelson County missed a big chance at Page County last week. With four minutes left the Governors trailed just 8-6 but a fumble at the edge of the red zone gave Page a chance to put it away and a 90-yard touchdown run on a reverse did in Nelson. Now the Governors have to shore up the turnover issue and keep developing because they’ll get another golden opportunity for a win against the 0-2 Craig County squad on the road.
Key matchup: Craig’s secondary takes on Nelson quarterback George Brown’s arm. Brown is going to grow by leaps and bounds in 2018. A tall, rangy signal caller who is a talented runner, he’ll test Craig’s defensive backs who’ll have to guard receivers but also be ready for Brown to come sprinting through the second level.
Who to watch: Nelson’s Felix Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a straight-ahead runner who averaged 6.1 yards per carry in the loss to Page. Getting him going again and early on would take some pressure off Brown.
The line: Nelson by 7. The Governors are due for a win and nearly knocked off Page a week ago. Look for them to get over the hump against Craig.
Lord Botetourt (1-1) at Western Albemarle (1-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: Last year this game that ended with a close loss on the road for Western seemed to indicate the Warriors were on track for a big season. Instead, things went off the rails a bit for Western. This year though, Western gets the Cavaliers at home and they may get a shot at the Cavaliers without star running back Hunter Rice, who left the game against Blacksburg last week in the second quarter and didn’t return. Still, this is a well-built Botetourt squad with Jesse Hanson, a Virginia Tech pledge, leading the way on the offensive line. They were in a shootout against the Bruins a week ago and blew out Harrisonburg a week before that. This won’t be easy for the Warriors.
Key matchup: Western’s front seven takes on Botetourt’s big offensive line. The Warriors are seasoned on defense, but they’ll have their hands full against Botetourt. Linebackers Aidan Saunders and Jack Lesseman will need to have a big game. While Broadway liked to air it out and that tendency led to six interceptions, Botetourt usually wants to get the ground game going.
Who to watch: Western’s Jack Weyher. The Warriors have a versatile weapon in the mix whenever Weyher is in the lineup, whether at tight end, as a defensive back or as a wideout. He had two picks last week and has major potential in the passing game. Look for Western to lean on Weyher.
The line: Lord Botetourt by 7. Botetourt has had a week to figure things out and there’s a reason why some people think they’re a state title contender.
STAB (0-2) at Kenston Forest (1-0), 7 p.m.
The basics: St. Anne’s-Belfield has to bounce back after a 62-60 loss to Coenant a week ago by traveling south to take on Kenston Forest who has been playing eight-man football for awhile. The Saints have to figure out how to get stops, though it’ll be slightly easier this week since Kenston Forest doesn’t have Rick Weaver pounding it up the middle. The Saints will instead look to stop Kenston Forest’s sophomore Jah’Tavious Houston who rushed for 308 yards and five touchdowns on 12 touches last week.
Key matchup: Kenston Forest’s linebackers try to stop STAB’s Amani Woods. Woods averaged 7.2 yards per carry last week, look for STAB to feed Woods early and often to open things up. Kenston Forest counters with Sam Hodges, who had 12 tackles and a sack against Brunswick Academy. He’ll play a big role in trying to hem in Woods.
Who to watch: STAB’s Elijah Jonhson. Johnson had two big catches including a touchdown against Covenant in the first half last week. If the tall tight end can get loose down the seam again, it’ll give the Saints’ a huge offensive spark.
The line: STAB by 1. The Saints have often found a way to shore up weaknesses right around this time of the season in the past. Look for a strong outing on the road.
Greenbrier Christian (2-1) at Covenant (1-0), 1 p.m. Saturday
The basics: Covenant got off to the best start it could’ve hoped for last week in a 62-20 blowout win over STAB to officially open its eight-man era. Rick Weaver was explosive in his return to the team after missing last year due to a knee injury. Weaver rushed for 154 yards and averaged 25.7 yards per touch. He’s a unique weapon in the eight-man game where gang tackling is a little more challenging because there’s so much space and a few less defenders. Now the Eagles host Greenbrier Christian as they look for their first home game of the year and Greenbrier counters with Hunter Davis, who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. The Eagles were ready for the Saints’ ground attack last week can they repeat that effort Saturday.
Key matchup: Greenbrier’s defensive backs look to track Jonas Sanker. Sanker got the ball in an array of different ways against STAB with four touches on the ground and a touchdown catch and run for 29 yards. Marking him as a defensive back takes a little bit of everything and Greenbrier will have its hands full.
Who to watch: Covenant’s Luke Sorenson. The Eagles weren’t sure exactly what they had in first-year quarterback Luke Sorenson and his debut far exceeded expectations. He rushed for 193 yards on 13 touches and made some big-time plays, including shaking off an almost sure sack and throwing a 2-point conversion for a completion. With all the other pieces they have in place, Sorenson’s emergence makes everything fit together nicely.
The line: Covenant by 14. The Eagles just have too many weapons, too many options on offense to not take care of business here.
Hargrave (0-1) at Blue Ridge (0-1), 2:30 p.m. Saturday
The basics: Blue Ridge endured a lightning delay and two separate trips to Suffolk to get one game with Nansemond Suffolk Academy. A shootout ensued and while the Barons came up short, a tough battle with the a perennial state title contender NSA isn’t going to derail a really talented Barons squad that should be able to do some big things this season. They’ll need to take a step forward against Hargrave.
Key matchup: Hargrave’s secondary tries to lock down the Barons’ pass catchers. Michael Asher is a reliable standout on the edge and he’s just the tip of the iceberg because Iceysis Lewis, Prophecy Kisamore and Maliq Brown are all potential scoring threats on passes from where ever they line up in the formation. The Tigers’ defensive backs will have their hands full.
Who to watch: Blue Ridge’s Xavier Kane. Kane was one of the few known quantities at quarterback locally and he got off to a solid start despite tough circumstances in the NSA game. He threw for a score, ran for another. He’s an established dual threat and he’s still the engine that makes the Barons go.
The line: Blue Ridge by 14. The Barons should get on track here with a win at home.
Fork Union (0-1) at Bullis (1-0), 1 p.m. Saturday
The basics: The Blue Devils will look to shake off a 38-7 loss to Goochland that riddled with turnovers. The Bulldogs are coming off a 44-8 win over Archbishop Carroll to try and start a state title defense. Fork Union’s schedule up front is loaded which is tough for a team trying to figure things out and build chemistry. But of course that should help them when they hit Prep League play.
Key matchup: The Fork Union defensive line against Bullis running back Eric McKan. The senior had 18 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns. He’s a hard runner and the Blue Devils had some struggles in the second half against a hard runner from Goochland in Connor Popielarz. FUMA played well defensively in the first half and was simply up against too much with the offense turning the ball over six times and putting the defense up against the wall too many times. William Henry is a big cog for the Blue Devils and if he can disrupt McKan’s ability up the middle that will be a huge help.
Who to watch: Fork Union’s quarterback situation. Drew Hackenberg moved the ball well early in the passing game. Kenyon Carter showed a lot of ability in the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils will give both plenty of reps under center again and work in Ian McGlamery too if they can. The key for all three is getting receivers Larry Elder, Caled Moss and Elijah Hawks the ball in space. Hawks in particular played well against Goochland. This receiving corps is too talented for these FUMA quarterbacks not to be succesful and settle in on what they want this offense to be. It’s just going to take a little time and experimentation.
The line: Bullis by 7. The Bulldogs are really tough on defense and fundamental on offense. But playing this type of competition should only help Fork Union build going forward.
Woodberry (0-0) at Charlotte Latin (2-1), 4 p.m. Saturday
The basics: The Tigers got a glorified quarter of a full tilt scrimmage against Georgetown Prep before their season opener was cancelled because of weather. Both units got tested early against a very, very good team, but only getting a portion of the game in leaves something to be wanted. In the Hawks, the Tigers are basically getting an extension of that game. Woodberry knows how good Charlotte Latin is, this isn’t a new opponent as they’ve played in years past. The added challenge here is that the Hawks have been playing full games. Woodberry will all too happy to get their first four quarters under its belt.
Key matchup: The Latin secondary takes on Woodberry’s Dequece Carter and Kyle Bilodeau. The senior receiver and tight end are the established members of this offense that new starting quarterback Ben Locklear needs the most out of. Hopefully running backs Kalenga Muganda and Rhys Logan can be productive in the ground game to make things easier for Locklear to get deep throws to Carter and receptions to Bilodeau in the middle of the field where he’s just a moose.
Who to watch: Woodberry’s offensive line. What will newcomers Graham Goodwin and Oscar Servellon look like against another top notch defensive unit? The Tigers need the two big interior linemen to throw their size and weight into a defensive front that will be pinning its ears back to get after Locklear. If they can show that they can hang in this game, the Tigers will be in great shape going forward.
The line: Charlotte Latin by 6. The Tigers are up against a team that’s outscored its last two opponents 66-0. That’s tough for basically is another season debut on the road.
