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Week Four Preview

Monticello (1-2) at Orange County (1-2) 7:30 p.m. ESPN840, WINA

The Basics: Orange County survived a tough schedule that included a defending state champ and a loaded Chancellor team. Now they host Monticello in what has become something of a Jefferson District rivalry game. What’s interesting is that despite Orange having Quintin Hunter and Bradley Starks at the helm over the last half decade plus, Monticello has won seven in a row.

Key matchup: Both teams’ run defenses. Both squads struggled to bottle up the rushing game last week. Whoever can do a better job tonight will likely have the edge.

Who to watch: Orange wideout Tyler Seal. Five catches against James Monroe shows the Hornets are turning to Seal as top option in the passing game. If he can break one or two of those for a big play with his top-end speed, Seal could ignite Orange.

SP Line: Orange County by 3.5. Tough road game for a young, banged up Monticello team.

Western Albemarle (3-0) at Fluvanna County (1-2) 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: The Warriors get back to work after a bye week while the Flucos try and bounce back from a second loss to another talented Group A squad, this time at home against Buckingham last Friday. Western will try and get its passing attack going again after a 3-0 start. Stephen Schuler has already thrown for 529 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Key matchup: Fluvanna’s offensive line against the Western front seven. The Flucos will have to protect better than they did against Buckingham and give Ryan Foster some time to operate. It’s clear the Flucos are working hard and scheming well, but the execution offensively has to improve, coach Rodney Redd has made that clear.

Who to watch: Western’s defensive unit. The Warriors have surrendered one touchdown in 12 quarters so far in a solid opening stretch to the year.

SP Line: Western Albemarle by 6.5. The Warriors could establish themselves as a major player in the Jefferson race against the Flucos.

Nelson County (0-3) at Lunenburg Central (2-1) 7 p.m.

The Basics: Lunenburg Central is a program trying to rebound from a one-win season in 2008, and so far the Chargers have nabbed a pair of victories. The Governors are still searching for a win after taking on some tough opponents including two of the area’s best Group A squads, Buckingham and Madison. This might be the week Nelson gets back on track.

Key matchup: Lunenburg’s backfield against the Nelson front seven. If the Governors can’t contain the run a little better than they did last week against Madison (the Mountaineers had 240 yards between their top three backs), they might be in trouble again. Of course, Lunenburg doesn’t have Madison’s Logan Terrell.

Who to watch: Nelson running back Trey Barnett. He’s the catalyst for the Governors.

SP Line: Nelson by 3.5. Nelson County gets back to business and stops its slide.

Buckingham County (4-0) at Chatham (0-2) 7 p.m.

The Basics: Buckingham appears to be the area’s biggest surprise in the early stages of the season, jumping out to a 4-0 record to start the year. While Tarian Ayers has played well at quarterback and the running game has been solid, it’s an aggressive, attacking defense that has been the key for the Knights.

Key matchup: Chatham’s defensive line against the Knights’ trio of runners. Maurice Taylor, Ja’Rodd Wade and Ayers can all hurt the Cavaliers on the run. If Chatham can’t contain the ground attack, Buckingham might be looking at a 5-0.

Who to watch: Buckingham’s Taylor Boyers. The linebacker has been a critical leader for the Knights on that side of the ball. If he can keep making plays, Buckingam will likely keep rolling.

SP Line: Buckingham by 7.5. The Knights continue their unbeaten start.

Trinity Episcopal (2-1) at St. Anne’s-Belfield (0-2) 7 p.m.

The Basics: St. Anne’s has stumbled in its first two contests, but Fork Union looked like a juggernaut and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes rolled past St. Christopher’s too 33-0. Now they face a Trinity team that got pounded by Collegiate (49-0) and gave a pounding to Norfolk Academy (48-19).

Key matchup: STAB’s secondary against Trinity quarterback Will White. White torched St. Christopher’s for 241 yards and five touchdowns in Trinity’s season opener. The Saints’ corners will have to be ready to limit the Titans’ gunslinger.

Who to watch:

> The Saints’ quarterback spot. Whether Jacob Rainey or Owen Van Arsdale plays signal-caller for St. Anne’s will have a big impact on what the offense looks like for the Saints.

SP Line: St. Anne’s-Belfield by 3. STAB picks up a win in home opener.

Albemarle (0-3) at North Stafford (3-0) 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: The bad news for Albemarle is that just as the Patriots are really struggling, the Commonwealth District is rolling. The Freelance Star in Fredericksburg reports that the other members of the CD are 16-5 against non-district competition. North Stafford is no exception at 3-0.

Key matchup: North Stafford’s defense versus the Patriots’ passing game. The Wolverines have surrendered just 12 points per game this season, and Albemarle has struggled to get the ball moving. If they keep struggling, district play is going to be a tough stretch for Albemarle.

Who to watch: Albemarle’s Andrew Frazier. The Patriots desperately need a playmaker to step up. Can Frazier be that guy? He definitely has the tools.

SP Line: North Stafford by 7.5. Tough way to start Commonwealth play for the Patriots.

Madison County (3-0) at Luray (1-1) 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: Madison stays out of district and looks to keep its early run going against the Bulldogs. The Mountaineers rolled over Nelson County last week 35-0 behind another strong rushing performance including five scores and 256 yards on the ground.

Key matchup: Madison’s secondary takes on Luray’s passing combination quarterback Will Logan and wide receiver Dylan Mayes. Logan is in position to break the school passing record held by his father.

Who to watch: Madison County quarterback Dustin Kirby. Kirby went 8-for-12 for 109 yards and if he can continue to develop as a passer it will only make Madison more dangerous offensively.

SP Line: Madison County by 7.5. The Mountaineers keep it rolling.

Charlottesville (1-2) at Goochland (3-0)

The Basics: Goochland makes its long awaited Jefferson District debut against the Black Knights who got exactly what they wanted out of their first three games—at least one win. Now Charlottesville has to try and stop a Bulldogs squad that’s building up a good head of steam behind a dynamic rushing attack.

Key matchup: Linebacker Daniel Chiml and the Charlottesville defense against Goochland’s misdirection-based Wing-T. The Black Knights have to play responsibility football and stay at home or the Bulldogs will be off to the races.

Who to watch: Goochland’s Dustin Plummer. He’s not the only running back Charlottesville has to contain, but he’s a home run hitter and the Black Knights would be wise to keep an eye on Plummer.

SP Line: Goochland by 4.5. The Bulldogs seem to have too much on both sides of the ball for the Black Knights to make it two in a row.

Louisa County (2-1) at William Monroe (0-3) 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: The Lions took a big knock against Courtland last week in a 26-0 loss, but the box score and yardage numbers indicate that things aren’t too bad in Louisa (the Lions outgained Courtland 165 to 156). The Lions will definitely be looking to take out some frustration on a Monroe team that struck first last week against Eastern View, but lost control of the game after that.

Key matchup: Monroe running backs Markees Towles and Logan Forloines take on Louisa’s quick, hard-nosed front seven. Towles and Forloines have shown great potential in flashes, but they’ll have a tough task trying to pound the ball against a hard-hitting Louisa squad.

Who to watch: Louisa’s Glen Cosby. There’s a chance this could be a breakout game for Cosby, who is averaging 6.9 yards per carry, if Mark Fischer decides to unleash him for four quarters. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound back has big-time potential. If it doesn’t come this week, there’s a good chance someone in the next couple of weeks is going to get a big dose of the senior.

SP Line: Louisa County by 10.5. The Lions are a little rattled after the Courtland loss, but expect a nice recovery against Monroe.

Covenant School at Liberty Christian Academy 7:30 p.m.

The Basics: Liberty Christian blew past Blue Ridge last Friday and now they’ll host a Covenant team coming off a bye week. The Eagles needed that extra time to come up with a scheme to stop the Bulldogs, who appear to be one of the top teams in the state despite losing star quarterback and Louisville commitment Michael Rocco to injury earlier this year.

Key matchup: Covenant’s defense against LCA running back Desmond Rice. Rice can’t just hurt the opposition in the running game , he can get it done in the passing game too. Covenant will have to watch him on every play.

Who to watch: Covenant’s Sam Patterson. The wideout needs to make some big plays in the passing game in order to give the Eagles a shot against a powerful Bulldogs team that has no trouble in the big play department as Blue Ridge saw last week.

SP Line: Liberty Christian by 10. The Bulldogs are tough, talented and motivated despite their injuries.

Fork Union (3-0) at Episcopal (1-0) 1 p.m.

The Basics: Fork Union takes its show on the road again Saturday against Episcopal. The Blue Devils dominated during their two-game homestand and still haven’t been scored on this season, outscoring the opposition 109-0. Look out Episcopal.

Key matchup: Fork Union’s big, speedy defense against Episcopal’s dual threat at quarterback Hunter de Butts. The signal caller had 52 yards on the ground and another 73 through the air as the Maroon cruised past Flint Hill 31-0 last week.

Who to watch: Fork Union’s Louis Litkett. Litkett has the most carries on the team with 24 touches for 170 yards. He’s one critical piece of the Blue Devils multi-dimensional backfield that has flourished behind a monster offensive line.

SP Line: Fork Union by 14. Blue Devils should coast to 4-0.

McDonogh School, Md. (3-0) at Woodberry Forest (1-0) 2 p.m.

The Basics: This is a clash of interstate squads that are solid, strong and fundamentally sound. Expect a well-played game up at Woodberry. The Tigers are coming off a big win over a talented Bishop Ireton team, and look loaded.

Key matchup: Woodberry’s front seven against the McDonogh rushing attack. Can the Tigers match last week’s dominance against Ireton in Woodberry’s home opener.

Who to watch: Woodberry running back Ed Reynolds. Can he follow last week’s incredible outing (11 carries for 208 yards) with another explosive performance?

SP Line: Woodberry by 7.5. The Tigers pick up a win before setting their sights on Fork Union next Saturday in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year.

Flint Hill (0-2) at Blue Ridge (1-1) 2 p.m.

The Basics: Blue Ridge stumbled against Liberty Christian, but that may have had more to do with the Bulldogs than the Barons. Blue Ridge has to get things going a little more quickly, so they may attack Flint Hill with a more vertical passing game to get A.J. Williams more involved.

Key matchup: Blue Ridge’s run defense against Flint Hill’s tailbacks. If Blue Ridge can’t do a better job against the run than they showed against LCA, the Barons could have a dogfight on their hands.

Who to watch: Blue Ridge running back David Coe. If Coe moves the chains, the Barons can take care of business against Flint Hill.

SP Line: Blue Ridge by 3.5. Barons get back on track after LCA loss.

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