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Playoffs heat up

VHSL Division 3, Region II semifinal: Western Albemarle (10-1) at Park View-Sterling (7-3) Friday 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: Talk about a rebound. Western Albemarle fell 23-0 to Goochland in its season finale but crushed Skyline 46-20 with an aerial assault on a sunny day at Monticello High. Park View had a bye week, and the Patriots’ coach didn’t necessarily want a week off — he indicated in one report after his team’s sixth win of the season on LoudounTimes.com that he’d prefer to play straight through. Now his Park View team has to slow down a suddenly — again — red-hot Western squad.

Key matchup: Western Albemarle’s high-powered offense takes on the Park View secondary. Park View hasn’t faced a passing attack like Western Albemarle brings to the table the last few weeks of the season, but the Patriots did come up with a pair of interceptions two weeks ago against Freedom in the Patriots’ regular season finale.

Who to watch: Park View dual threat quarterback Brandon Lee, the Division 3 Dulles district player of the year. Lee has put together some monster performances this year, including an early season three-touchdown performance against Liberty-Bealton, who knocked Louisa County out of the playoffs. Can Jefferson District defensive player of the year Mitchell Parks and Western’s defense slow down Lee and the rest of the Park View rushing attack?

SP’s line: Western Albemarle by 2.5. With the weather projected to clear up — but still be cold, Schuler and the Warriors should be able to get the passing attack going.

Division 3, Region II semifinal: Goochland (10-1) at Handley (10-0) Saturday 1 p.m.

The Basics: Now Goochland gets a massive test. An incredible first year in Group AA led the Bulldogs to this crossroads—a battle with Region II, Division 3’s only undefeated squad. And, better yet, Maryland commitment Jeremiah Wilson, previously out with a knee injury, returns to the mix in the Handley backfield, to take on a Goochland defense that has been in shutout mode lately, blanking Western Albemarle and Millbrook. Will the Goochland defense be up to the task once again?

Key matchup: Handley’s defensive front takes on that Goochland Wing-T. It seems like the Bulldogs’ offensive system comes up every week, but that’s because with a system like that, it’s a factor every week. Nobody gets a chance to consistently see the Bulldogs’ offense besides the Bulldogs’ defense.

Who to watch: Handley’s Wilson. If the talented back can make some noise, that could open up dual threat quarterback Geremi Long to work his own magic. Long has thrown for more than 800 yards and rushed for 528 on the year.

SP’s line: Handley by 2.5. Goochland could certainly pull the stunner here if they can shutdown the Handley offense, but the Judges appear to be the class of Division 3’s Region II.

VISSA Division 2 title game: Nansemond-Suffolk (8-3) at Blue Ridge (7-3) Saturday 1 p.m.

The Basics: All season, with a bunch of big-time athletes and tweaked, more aggressive schemes on both sides of the ball, Blue Ridge has been pointed at this Saturday — a state title game. And they won’t have to travel far to play it — a short walk from the dorms will do. The Barons take on a Nansemond-Suffolk team they’re quite familiar with. Blue Ridge has had NSA’s number the last few years when the teams lock up during the regular season series that ended this year. NSA last beat the Barons in 2004, with Blue Ridge winning 26-21 last season.

Key matchup: NSA running back Will Crenshaw’s big-play ability versus Blue Ridge defensive line including Isaiah Battle. Battle was constantly in Atlantic Shores quarterback Caleb Bailey’s face last week, but he and the Blue Ridge line’s task is different this week. They have to stop Crenshaw — a Division I lacrosse commitment — who rushed for 109 yards including a 75-yard touchdown in NSA’s 24-14 victory over Portsmouth Christian in the state semifinal last week.

Who to watch: Blue Ridge’s versatile Khalif Dandy. Dandy, a midseason addition, has been a favorite target of Barons quarterback Speedy McCauley at wideout, can play some tailback to spell David Coe and also factors into the return game.

SP’s line: Blue Ridge by 3.5. The Barons get their ring in front of their home crowd.

VHSL Group A Division I semifinal: Madison County (9-1) at Altavista (9-1) Friday 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: Both these schools have similar stories. Madison would like to forget last week’s drubbing from Clarke County, the top ranked Group A Division 2 school in the state, and Altavista would like to do the same with the only game they lost, their’s being against Gretna earlier in the year, the second best in Group A Division 2.

Key Matchup: The Colonels’ front seven versus Madison’s Logan Terrell. The Mountaineers were out of sorts when their running game faltered and the Colonels will look to try and do the same thing that Clarke did last week. If Altavista can stop the run Madison’s in trouble. If not, then expect Mountaineer seniors Antonio Childress and Dylan Shifflett to clean up with the matchups they’ll see.

Who to Watch: Terrell. Madison’s hopes are going to center around the senior’s night. If he has a big night, that likely means that Childress, Shifflett, Devon Boone and Dustin Kirby all have big nights as well.

SP’s line: Madison by 1.5. Coach Stuart Dean’s teams rarely lose two games in a row, and Altavista isn’t the Eagles team that the Mountaineers saw last week.

VHSL Group A Division 2 semifinal: Buckingham County (10-0) at Gretna (8-2) Saturday 1 p.m.

The Basics: Not too many undefeated teams wind up on the road in the first round of the playoffs, but with perennial powerhouse Gretna as the draw, those are the breaks for Buckingham. The Knights have their hands full with the two-time defending state champions. The two games that Hawks lost two were against Appomattox and private powerhouse Liberty Christian.

Key Matchup: Buckingham’s Maurice Taylor versus Gretna’s Andre Dickerson. For the Knights be successful they’re going to need another other worldly performance from Taylor and have to keep Dickerson from putting up a 163-yard night like he did last week at William Campbell. Dickerson piled up 1,029 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on the year. Taylor counters that with 1,218 yards on the year and 26 total touchdowns.

Who to Watch: Buckingham’s Taylor Boyers. To shut down or even contain the Gretna offense, the Knights are going to need the leader of their defense to be a menace. If Boyers, the James River District’s defensive player of the year, winds up spending more time at tight end then at linebacker, Buckingham’s going to have to a good shot in this one.

SP’s line: Gretna by 2.5. Just a really tough draw. An absolutely amazing year for Buckingham after finishing 5-5 in 2008. The Hawks are just a little too much and they haven’t lost at home in the regular season or in the playoffs since 2005.

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