No. 4 Goochland (3-1) at No. 6 Buckingham County (2-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: In Division 2A football, it doesn’t get much better locally than when these two squads from the James River District lock up. The Bulldogs and Knights always put together a thriller, and this early season clash should be no different with a pair of strong rushing attacks again matching up. This time its Kenneth Johnson’s solo act as the main runner for the Knights with a dash of Leon Ragland thrown in against the Bulldogs’ fleet of ball carriers. Four players have more than 150 yards for Goochland this year and that group doesn’t include two of the top projected rushers in Jordan Jefferson and Connor Saunders. The Bulldogs are more unpredictable than the Knights with all those running backs and Reid Chenault’s explosive five touchdown performance from last week. But this is going to be about who executes best down in Dillwyn Friday, and both squads are surely going to be trying to get an early leg up on the James River crown and a boost in the playoff seedings.
Key matchup: Buckingham’s secondary versus the Bulldogs’ play calling. Goochland has an entirely different group of arrows in its quiver with Chenault’s continued emergence as a playmaker. The Knights’ secondary has to help out on stuffing the run, but if they get sucked in too far, a quick throw by Chenault could end in a quick six. The Knights’ defensive backs are facing the toughest test of the year so far.
Who to watch: Goochland’s Jordan Jefferson. His return last week from an injury made the Bulldogs more dangerous and versatile on both sides of the ball. He’ll play a huge role in trying to slow down Johnson. Look for him to play up around the line of scrimmage more as the Knights look to grind it out.
The line: Goochland by 3. The defending state champion’s ability to go over the top with Chenault throwing gives them a decided advantage here.
Louisa County (1-2) at Charlottesville (2-1) 7:30 p.m., WINA radio
The basics: Arguably the most intriguing of the Jefferson District openers, this battle pits a Lions team that is coming of a hard to swallow loss on the road to King George marred by a series of penalty calls in the closing seconds, and a Black Knights squad that earned a bonafide victory as they rolled past winless William Monroe, 41-21. The question here as we open up JD play — between a pair of teams that were very close to one another in the standings at the end of 2012 — is what kind of pace can we expect and who’s going to set it. These are running teams with Charlottesville getting its offense so far on the big play and the Lions representing more of a ground and pound squad.
Key matchup: Charlottesville’s Chris Thurston vs. Louisa’s Deion Johnson. Dueling senior running backs, and when the situation permits, dueling defensive backs. The game hinges on which of these two can outduel the other. Both have help with other weapons being available, most notably with Rashard Brock for Charlottesville and Markel Groomes for Louisa. That should open up the field a little bit for both Thurston and Johnson. So which defense can find a way to slow one of these two down? Or, maybe, which one of these two another big play in them near the end?
Who to watch: Louisa County’s Trey Cherry. We’ll throw the Lions’ quarterback into the mix here wondering which if he can get it done in the air. It seems like both running attacks are going to get theirs, so if Cherry can come up with a few big plays in the air, that could be the difference for Louisa County.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. This is pretty much a pick’em considering that realistically its two 1-2 teams that have both showed great flashes and both dealt with some disappointments. We’ll give the edge to the Black Knights at home.
No. 10 Covenant (3-1) at Blue Ridge (0-3), 3:30 p.m.
The basics: Since a season opening stumble against Atlantic Shores, Covenant, ranked No. 6 in VISAA’s Division III and No. 10 in the CV Power Poll, has reeled off three straight victories while scoring 40 or more points in each win. The Eagles got off to a similarly hot start in 2012 before losing their footing again, and beating Blue Ridge on the road would go a long way toward making sure that 2013 isn’t a repeat performance. The Barons, on the other hand, are searching for their first win a year after a state title run, and played much better on offense against North Cross in a 54-40 defeat last week after a pair of losses to Hargrave and Blessed Sacrament. A win against the red-hot Eagles at home would certainly get the Barons back on track in a big way.
Key matchup: Covenant’s defense takes on Blue Ridge playmaker P.J. White. After a slow start to 2013, White picked his game up last week against North Cross, with the wideout doing most of his damage on the ground rather than through the air with eight carries for 215 yards and three touchdowns. White’s ability in the run game adds a new wrinkle to the Blue Ridge offense that could make things tough on the Eagles.
Who to watch: Covenant’s Quan Washington had a tremendous game against Massanutten last week, seemingly scoring every time he touched the ball. He finished with three catches for 103 yards that all went for touchdowns and a punt return that also went for a score. One of the touchdown catches featured a spectacular run down the sideline. If Washington puts on a similar performance against Blue Ridge it could make all the difference for Covenant.
The line: Covenant by 1. If the Eagles execute, protect quarterback Jay Gaffney from Blue Ridge’s Ryan Etheridge and Jordan Edelman and keep White in check, the Eagles can leave St. George with a win.
Nansemond-Suffolk (3-1) at St. Anne’s-Belfield (0-3), 7 p.m.
The basics: Yes, STAB is still winless on the year. But the Saints aren’t making it easy on opponents like they were last year — far from it. The Saints took Trinity Episcopal to the wire last week, just a year removed from the Titans being the No. 1-ranked squad in Division II. Lee Parkhill’s emergence is a big reason why. The junior quarterback leads Central Virginia in passing with 741 yards and he’s got one of the area’s top wideouts, Jalen Harrison, going in a big way. That air attack could make things challenging for NSA, a team that had a result against Bishop Sullivan as STAB (44-20 loss for STAB, 42-30 for NSA) and blew out their other three opponents. Perhaps the early schedule seasoning can pay enough for STAB Friday night.
Key matchup: STAB’s run defense takes on NSA’s David Gough. Gough has rushed for 425 yards already this season at a clip of more than eight yards per carry. STAB is going to have to lock up the big back to slow down Nansemond Suffolk’s Wing-T oriented offense just a week after Trinity’s Abraham Ferrell-Logan rushed for 206 yards against St. Anne’s.
Who to watch: STAB’s Kareem Johnson. As defenses start to key on Harrison, Johnson, STAB’s second leading receiver, may have to be a bigger part of the equation as Parkhill goes through his progressions. If Johnson or Brodie Phillips can provide a credible threat — and both are more than capable — things could open up across the board for the Saints’ offense.
The line: Nansemond Suffolk Academy by 3. NSA took apart its first three opponents and the difference Friday might just be who knows how to finish the job and close out a win. Nansemond is more adept at that right now, but STAB could certainly get on track here.
William Monroe (0-3) at Warren County (2-1), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: William Monroe made things interesting last week against Charlottesville, but could not stop the big play and as a result comes into week four without a win. Warren County on the other hand, is just a 14-13 loss away from an unblemished record with back-to-back drubbings of Brentsville and James Wood. Getting that first win is going to require the Dragons’ defense to come to play as the Wildcats have put up 37 and 41 points up on the board in their last two contests.
Key matchup: The Dragons’ front seven take on Wildcats running back Demetrus Yates. He’s the featured back on a team that loves to keep the ball on the ground. He had 137 yards against James Wood on 16 touches, and in that contest Warren opened up the passing game a bit more than expected. With Monroe struggling so far against the run, Yates could be poised to have a busy night. On the other hand, if the Dragons can stop him or slow him down up front, their offense has a chance to make this interesting before Bull Run District play opens up.
Who to watch: Monroe’s Chris Glover. He was gone for a year and he’s back and coming off a big game against Charlottesville where he accounted for all three Dragons touchdowns. He’s got speed and hits the edge hard. If his offensive line can create a seal here and there Glover can help turn this into a bit of a barn burner.
The line: Warren by 10. The Wildcats offense sets the tone here with too much on the line and a solid back behind that group.
No. 1 Monticello (3-0) at No. 5 Powhatan (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: It may just be the opening week of Jefferson District play, but this one could have a major impact on the JD race right out of the gate. The Mustangs are coming in red hot after trouncing Turner Ashby last week to continue an early string of blowout wins. The squad’s offense looks special and the defense clamped down on T.A. Powhatan is also riding a 3-0 start, and picked up a tough win over Hopewell two weeks ago. The Mustangs still have something to prove, though the win against Fork Union and the Blue Devils offense is better than some think, and they could go a long way toward establishing their credentials with a win on the road against the Indians.
Key matchup: Monticello’s defense takes on Powhatan running back Logan Allen. Allen has rushed for 10 touchdowns and more than 500 yards in the Indians’ first three games. The Mustangs struggled to contain Fork Union’s Rashon Torrence, the only other top-flight back they’ve faced. The Mustangs need to find an answer for Allen early and force Powhatan to take to the air. If the Indians’ run game gets going, Monticello will have its work cut out for them.
Who to watch: Monticello’s tailbacks. There’s not one answer to Logan Allen’s production on the Monticello side. There are at least two and maybe more like four. Kyree Koonce set a Monticello school record for the best yards per carry in a single game by averaging more than 20 yards per touch last week against Turner Ashby. Koonce is just the tip of the spear with T.J. Tillery, Tyler Wagner and Darian Bates heavily in the mix. Monticello may need all four of them to get a big win on the road against Powhatan.
The line: Monticello by 7. The Mustangs are too dynamic on offense for Powhatan to handle.
Manassas Park (2-1) at Madison County (1-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: The Cougars fell last week in a defensive battle to Skyline, 14-8. Madison, on the other hand, came up with a huge win on the road against East Rockingham, 17-7, shocking a lot folks over in the Shenandoah Valley. The defensive showing against a really good Eagles team bodes well as they face a similar opponent, at least offensively, in Manassas Park. This should be an interesting battle of contrasting styles.
Key matchup: The Cougars secondary vs. Madison receiver Ashton Weakley. In 2010 and 2011, as Travis Warren went, so went the Mountaineers. Weakley is becoming that kind of impact wideout. When Weakley and his quarterback James Graves get together good things happen. Weakley’s a slippery receiver so its mostly about open field tackling and making sure he doesn’t get a good jump off the line. But that’s easier said than done. Is Manassas Park ready for it? Because there’s no question that Graves is going to find his favorite receiver whenever he can.
Who to watch: Madison’s Bray Lamb. He had a huge game against the Eagles last week with eight tackles, seven of them on his own and a fumble recovery. If Lamb can lead the Mountaineers defense against this Cougars ground game that runs out of tight splits, his team is going to be a great position. The East Rockingham game was a perfect set up for this Bull Run District opener. If Lamb and company come out with another strong showing this could slingshot Madison into a much different outlook than it had before last Friday.
The line: Madison by 3. The Mountaineers’ big play ability is huge against a ground team like the Cougars. And that this defense seems to have found its form bodes well at home.
No. 6 Albemarle (1-2) at Fluvanna County (0-3), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: Albemarle football begins its first trip through the Jefferson District on the road against a struggling Fluvanna County team. The Patriots are just a little bit of redzone execution away from being 2-1 right now and they’ve certainly got to shore up those issues around the goal line. But they’ve got the pieces in place to move the ball well against Fluvanna County. The Flucos are pretty snakebitten right now, including a rash of tough calls in last week’s Culpeper game that went against Fluvanna. Facing a squad like Albemarle that’s shown a ton of potential so far while facing tough opponents won’t make things easier on Fluvanna.
Key matchup: Albemarle’s front seven takes on Fluvanna quarterbacks Gavin Patrick and Austin Foster. Depending on what package the Flucos put out there, Patrick or Foster could be orchestrating things. The way Albemarle’s defense has been holding opponents in check though, it may not matter much. The Patriots clamped down on Stafford in their lone win and held Patrick Henry to just 14 points. Fluvanna’s offense needs its best effort of the season to given them a chance.
Who to watch: The Fluvanna offense’s playcalling. The Flucos are back in a groove of changing things up significantly and keeping the opposition guessing. If they can catch Albemarle off guard and stay close, they’ll give themselves a chance to snag a huge victory.
The line: Albemarle by 17. The Patriots have a chance to get some momentum this week if they can play sound football against the Flucos.
Nelson County (0-4) at Dan River (3-1), 7 p.m.
The basics: The Governors ran into a much different looking Hargrave Military squad than in years past as second year coach and former Fork Union offensive coordinator Ben Paris has that program headed in the right direction. As a result, Nelson remains winless as it heads to play one of the top dogs in the Dogwood District on the road in Dan River, a team that edged Martinsville 32-28 last week.
Key matchup: Nelson’s front nine versus Dan River back Terrell Edmunds. If that last name looks familiar, it’s because just like his older brother Trey (now at Virginia Tech) did two years ago, the younger Edmunds is running wild over opponents. Take last week’s showing, a 344-yard, five touchdown performance on just 29 carries. The Governors have to keep Edmunds from breaking off the big run like he did last week or it’s going to be a rough go.
Who to watch: Dan River’s offensive line. Nelson has to do something to disrupt this unit up front that is just plowing through defenses so far. The Governors roster depth hurts here as this group of lineman are wearing down opponents. Nelson has to be able keep this front five and Edmunds from owning the clock and keeping the Governors offense on the sideline. The one weakness the Wildcats have so far is that they’ve given up an average of 21 points a game, but none of that matters if Nelson’s defense can get penetration against the offensive line and force a punt here and there.
The line: Dan River by 14. Too much Edmunds here for the Governors on the road.
Orange County (0-3) at No. 2 Western Albemarle (3-0), 7:30 p.m. Streaming on JDsportstv.com
The basics: Western Albemarle had a week off to heal up from some physical matchups including a hard-hitting challenge with Fort Defiance that Western proved up to in a 41-6 victory. The Warriors jump into Jefferson District play by rekindling an old rivalry with Orange County for the first time in three years. The Hornets are 0-3 and struggling again to score, with 26 total points on the year while giving up 35 or more each game. Still, the Hornets’ schedule — Liberty-Bealeton, Riverbend and Eastern View — didn’t do them any favors. The Hornets need to protect quarterback Garret Johnson. With a little protection, he tossed a 66-yard touchdown pass last week against Riverbend.
Key matchup: The Hornets’ secondary takes on Western’s deep receiving corps. Whether its Steven Hearn, Chase Stokes or Tre Banks, the Warriors have found a lot of options in the passing game with Kent Henry pulling the trigger on the offense. If Nic Drapanas got healthy during the bye week, the Warriors are going to be electric and the Hornets’ defensive backs will have their hands full. Isaiah Ferguson will have to play a big role for Orange keeping tabs on those wideouts.
Who to watch: Western’s Hearn. He’s a critical defender and the Warriors’ leading receiver. When Hearn has a big game, the Warriors tend to be one of the area’s most explosive squads. The edge he brings to the game on both sides of the ball gives Western a dose of attitude that makes them tough to beat.
The line: Western by 14. The Warriors have too much firepower in the passing game for the Hornets.
Woodberry Forest (2-1) at Flint Hill (1-2), Saturday 3 p.m.
The basics: The Tigers defense was large and in charge in leading the way to a bounce back win against Paul VI. Woodberry was without its starting quarterback for most of the game and still was never threatened. The Tigers are going to learn a lot about how they stack up against the rest of the Prep League as Flint Hill fell to Collegiate 30-7 last week after losing to Episcopal the week before that and beating Paul VI in week one.
Key matchup: Flint Hill’s linebackers versus Woodberry running back HT Minor and James Hewell. If there’s one thing that was lost last week between the Tigers defense being so strong and the loss at LCA two weeks ago is that Minor and Hewell are making the most of their touches. Hewell never seems to lose yardage and just grinds out first downs while Minor has that second effort and homerun speed that can’t be taught. A stout Tigers ground game this week would do in Flint Hill because scoring on this Woodberry defense is going to take an incredible effort.
Who to watch: Woodberry’s special teams. This could be the back-breaker as this Tigers unit just missed last week on a pair of touchdowns last week. When special teams have been good at Woodberry its been curtains, just go back to 2011 and 2010. You can’t afford to give field position to this defense or even and offense that was getting into a rhythm on the ground despite missing its starting quarterback.
The line: Woodberry by 7. Strength in the trenches for the Tigers defensively is too much for the Huskies.
