1. L.C. Bird 7-0
Cosby kept things interesting for a while in this game scoreboard wise, but were never really that close to scratching the armor of L.C. Bird. The Titans do get a feather in their cap for trailing by two scores deep into the fourth quarter, and for also, scoring on the vaunted Skyhawks first team defense.
Otherwise, the game was business-as-usual for the Skyhawks who should cruise into the postseason with a 10-0 record with three extremely winnable games in George Wythe, Huguenot and James River. They should also cruise to the top seed in the 5A South Bracket, meaning they would avoid playing Hermitage or Highland Springs until the region championship game.
Running back J.B. Wright, quarterback Jalen Elliott and standout linebackers Rayshard Ashby and Isaiah Moore all handled their business this past weekend. Wright rushed for 141 yards and two scores, Elliott tossed two touchdown passes, and Ashby (12 tackles, sack) and Moore (8 tackles, 4 for loss, sack) wreaked havoc on Cosby all evening.
Next Up: Home vs. George Wythe (homecoming) 7:30pm
2. Thomas Dale 6-1
Thomas Dale’s defense aided them to get premium field position all night along against Petersburg. Short fields led to lots of scores and the defense came close to pitching a shutout as the Knights won 52-6 over the Crimson Wave.
The key for Thomas Dale’s continued success is offensive balance, and the continued improvement of an offense that only includes a few seniors. When the offensive line gels more (and they have come a long way) that will open lanes for Max Oxendine and company, while junior quarterback Matt Lawton has started to settle in, making throws as needed.
The Knights are currently ranked 2nd in their half of the 6A South bracket, behind Colonial Forge. The Knights have one of the toughest schedules to end the season- starting with Meadowbrook, then with games against Hopewell and Matoaca. Arguably, those are the three best Central District teams besides Thomas Dale.
Next Up: The route 10 rivalry, home vs. Meadowbrook, 7pm.
3. Monacan 7-1
The Chiefs have played eight games, while rest of their peers in the rankings have only played seven. Regardless, Monacan dispatched George Wythe 60-6 to kick off homecoming weekend last week. Sophomore quarterback Syour Fludd enjoyed his second straight game with three touchdowns, tossing six since his return from a high ankle sprain.
Left on the schedule for Monacan are two games. First, a match-up with Midlothian, then a showdown for what would have been the second place game this year in the Dominion District with Manchester. That should be a great game. Afterwards, they get a week of rest before the playoffs begin.
Key for the Chiefs will be execution. Both their offensive and defensive lines have played well all season. They have more weapons on offense than they get credit for (Khaliek Hamlin, Korey Bridy, DeAndre Williams, Gee Ross and more) and a good quarterback in Fludd. Regardless of the outcome, it seems as if Monacan is poised for a solid postseason run as long as they execute.
Next Up: At Midlothian, 730pm
4. Matoaca 5-2
The Warriors’ ranking could be fluid over the next couple of weeks, depending on whether or not they take care of business. After a 21-14 loss to Meadowbrook that basically boiled down to a couple of late turnovers, Matoaca must rebound quickly with Hopewell on the schedule Friday.
With all things considered, Matoaca still has a very potent offense, and figures to be able to keep up with the Blue Devils. Currently ranked 7th in the VHSL standings in 5A South, the Warriors need to win two more games to basically guarantee a playoff berth. Colonial Heights is on the schedule for next week, and then a showdown with rival Thomas Dale. Pick two games and win them and Matoaca is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. If the Warriors only win one game, it gets very interesting.
Watching Jamison Harrison run the wild cat was one of the more exciting things I’ve seen this year and could be a valuable weapon to generate offense or put teams away down the stretch.
Next up: Friday, October 19 at Hopewell 730pm
5. Hopewell 5-2
After dropping out of the Top 5 a couple weeks ago, Hopewell returns after a rock-solid victory over Meadowbrook in which they came from behind to win 28-22, scoring at one point, 28 unanswered points.
What makes the Blue Devils go is a number of offensive weapons. What they lack in size, they burn in pure speed. Quarterback Cameren Hill is a junior, but the unquestioned leader of the team. Pound-for-pound, he’s one of the toughest players around. Factor in a slew of running backs in Ronnie Walker, Nas Cooper, Anthony Crawford, Notorious Smith, along with wideouts Ronnie Monroe and Victor Figueroa, Hopewell is loaded.
Currently ranked second in the Conference 26/28 rankings behind powerhouse James Monroe, the Blue Devils can gain ground as they still have Matoaca, Thomas Dale and Prince George on the schedule. One of the benefits of a schedule stacked with teams in higher classifications is more power points for Hopewell to slide up the rankings.
Next up: Friday, October 19 vs. Matoaca 730pm
Other Team Updates:
Manchester falls out of the top five, but could really be listed as “5B.” They managed to come back a fair bit on Hermitage in the second half despite going down 27-0 and being dominated early by Panthers quarterback Elijah Odom, who finished with six touchdowns. The Lancers are working out kinks with quarterback play, and have battled through injuries. Starting running back Bryce Hall was injured again the week he came back from injury. Frank Boyd has been a solid replacement.
Dinwiddie took care of Prince George to improve to 4-3 as the Royals playoff’s hopes continue to fade away. Bryce Witt had another solid game, but the Dinwiddie defense forced five turnovers- four interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Zyan Sturdivant.
Cosby and James River are both 3-4 after the Titans fell to L.C. Bird and the Rapids defeated Midlothian. Both Cosby and James River have beat up on the bottom half of the Dominion District, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top this Friday when the two lock horns. Playoff seeding is also on the line, as Cosby is ranked 8th in 6A South this week, while the Rapids are ranked 9th. Big time game.
Clover Hill picked up it’s second win in a thriller over an improved Huguenot squad. Petersburg and Prince George fell in their games this week to Thomas Dale and Dinwiddie respectively. Along with Midlothian, all of these teams have totaled two wins on the season.
