VA Playoffs

[MA Fan]

I'll restart this here. Third-round (quarterfinal) pairings are out:
http://www.vhsl.org/doc/upload/fb-2016-third-round-playoffs-schedule5.pdf

Finally we have serious matchups all throughout the brackets. I'll give some comments later. 

Highlights from the second round were LC Bird holding off Hermitage 27-24 in a 5A game, and South Lakes edging Centreville 22-20 in 6A.

Private school finals were last weekend, with Russell Wilson's alma mater Collegiate knocking off Benedictine 22-14 in the Division I final.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2016 by MA Fan

[ATLien12x]

Who are the top two teams In Virginia? DaShawn Hand is having a great year in reserves. Super excited for his time to SHINE next season in Tuscaloosa 

[MA Fan]

6A

Woodside (10-2) at Oscar Smith (11-1)--Oscar Smith looks to be back on track after cruising past Bayside last week. Woodside started their season by getting crushed against North Canton Hoover out in Ohio. Shon Mitchell broke the state record for career completions and passing yards last week and will be chasing the touchdown pass record this week.
Colonial Forge (10-2) at Manchester (11-1)--Manchester handed LC Bird their only loss of the season but they've also had a lot of close games, and they haven't been this far in the playoffs before. Colonial Forge eliminated Ocean Lakes in 2012, one of the biggest upsets in recent years.

South Lakes (11-1) at Lake Braddock (11-1)--Biggest game in years for South Lakes, while Lake Braddock tries to break a string of three straight years losing in this round. Along with Highland Springs-LC Bird the game of the week. Lake Braddock's only loss was to Centreville, who was eliminated last week by South Lakes. South Lake's only loss was to Hayfield, who lost last week to...you guessed it...Lake Braddock.
Westfield (10-2) at Madison (11-1)--Westfield's defense looks to have gotten over a midseason slump. Madison once lost a state semifinal game 76-14 to a Ronald Curry-led Hampton squad.

5A

Norview (10-2) at Hampton (11-1)--Hampton used a late touchdown and two-point conversion to edge Indian River 29-28 last week, avenging last year's playoff loss. Norview's only losses were to Highland Springs and Lake Taylor.
LC Bird (11-1) at Highland Springs (11-1)--LC Bird took the lead in their seven-year playoff series against Hermitage last Friday. It was a case of pick your poison for the Springers, whose last five playoffs eliminations have come at the hands of Bird or Hermitage.

Potomac Falls (10-2) at Massaponax (11-1)--When the VHSL did their big realignment four years ago, Potomac Falls was grouped in a district with four Loudoun powers and looked to be in for some tough times. Instead they've gone from 4 wins to 6 to 8 and now 10. Massaponax lost a regular season game for the first time since 2012, but their triple-option offense has put up over 500 points for the fourth straight year.
Stone Bridge (10-2) at Brooke Point (11-1)--No Jonathan Allen-types on the Stone Bridge roster this year, but they just keep winning. Brooke Point was 3-8 just two years ago, but has turned it around behind the running of Damone Drew, who's put up over 5,000 yards the last to seasons.

4A

Lake Taylor (11-1) at Dinwiddie (12-0)--Potential state championship game here. Dinwiddie crushed Lake Taylor 28-0 on their way to the 2013 championship, but Lake Taylor returned the favor the following year en route to their own crown.
Eastern View (12-0) at Lafayette (12-0)--Despite the unbeaten records it will be a monumental upset if the winner of this beats the Dinwiddie/Lake Taylor winner.

Dominion (9-2) at Woodgrove (11-0)--Woodgrove won the regular season meeting 24-14, their closest game of the year.
Salem (10-1) at William Byrd (10-1)--Salem smashed a Millbrook team with a gaudy record last week. William Byrd's junior running back Larry Basham is over 5,000 yards for his career and will make a run at the state record next year.

3A

Lakeland (7-5) at Phoebus (10-2)--Phoebus's only losses were to Hampton and Woodside, both still alive in larger classes; they have given up single-digit point in all ten of their wins. Lakeland held Oscar Smith to a respectable 17-0 win early in the season.
Brentsville (10-2) at Hopewell (9-3)--Brentsville continues the state's most stunning turnaround after breaking a 39-game losing streak at the start of the 2014 season. Last year was their first winning season since 2002, and last week's win over perennial powers James Monroe showed that they're for real. Hopewell is always a question mark since they play bigger schools during the season.

Staunton River (11-1) at Rustburg (10-2)--Staunton River dropped 67 points on defending state champs Magna Vista last week and are now up to 229 in the last three games. Like William Byrd, they feature a junior RB, Grayson Overstreet, who'll be making a run at state rushing and scoring records. Rustburg is another turnaround story after putting up a 35-77 record from 2004 to 2014.
Blacksburg (7-5) at Heritage-Lynchburg (8-4)--Blacksburg is rolling after a 2-4 start and has scored 119 points against higher-seeded teams in their two playoff games. RB Coleton Back has accounted for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns in those two games. Heritage's four losses were by a total of 13 points.

2A

East Rockingham (9-3) at Stuarts Draft (12-0)--Stuarts Draft won the regular season matchup 35-14
Clarke County (10-2) at Goochland (12-0)--Goochland with double-digit wins for the eighth time in the last 12 years. Clarke had a run to the state championship game last season after years of impressive regular seasons followed by playoff flameouts.

Union (11-1) at Appomattox (12-0)--Should be the toughest test in a while for defending champs Appomattox. Union's only loss was 28-27 to Richlands early in the season.
Richlands (11-1) at Graham (11-1)--Richlands also handed Graham their only loss of the season.

1A

Altavista (9-3) at Sussex Central (11-0)--2013 and 2014 state champs Altavista back in business after a down year. 
Colonial Beach (9-2) at Riverheads (10-1)--Colonial Beach, with an enrollment of under 200, is one of the smallest football-playing schools in the state, and didn't even play a VHSL schedule until 2007.

Fort Chiswell (9-3) at Galax (10-2)--Galax always seems to have a running back with huge numbers, and this year it's Dougie Peoples over 2,300 yards on the season.
Parry McCluer (11-1) at George Wythe (11-1)--After mentioning a few juniors with a shot a breaking state rushing records next year, let's not forget Parry McCluer's senior back Jeremy Nelson, who only needs 171 yards to break the career record this year. PM big underdogs in this one, however.

[PrepGridiron]

6 hours ago, MA Fan said:

6A

Woodside (10-2) at Oscar Smith (11-1)--Oscar Smith looks to be back on track after cruising past Bayside last week. Woodside started their season by getting crushed against North Canton Hoover out in Ohio. Shon Mitchell broke the state record for career completions and passing yards last week and will be chasing the touchdown pass record this week.
Colonial Forge (10-2) at Manchester (11-1)--Manchester handed LC Bird their only loss of the season but they've also had a lot of close games, and they haven't been this far in the playoffs before. Colonial Forge eliminated Ocean Lakes in 2012, one of the biggest upsets in recent years.

South Lakes (11-1) at Lake Braddock (11-1)--Biggest game in years for South Lakes, while Lake Braddock tries to break a string of three straight years losing in this round. Along with Highland Springs-LC Bird the game of the week. Lake Braddock's only loss was to Centreville, who was eliminated last week by South Lakes. South Lake's only loss was to Hayfield, who lost last week to...you guessed it...Lake Braddock.
Westfield (10-2) at Madison (11-1)--Westfield's defense looks to have gotten over a midseason slump. Madison once lost a state semifinal game 76-14 to a Ronald Curry-led Hampton squad.

5A

Norview (10-2) at Hampton (11-1)--Hampton used a late touchdown and two-point conversion to edge Indian River 29-28 last week, avenging last year's playoff loss. Norview's only losses were to Highland Springs and Lake Taylor.
LC Bird (11-1) at Highland Springs (11-1)--LC Bird took the lead in their seven-year playoff series against Hermitage last Friday. It was a case of pick your poison for the Springers, whose last five playoffs eliminations have come at the hands of Bird or Hermitage.

Potomac Falls (10-2) at Massaponax (11-1)--When the VHSL did their big realignment four years ago, Potomac Falls was grouped in a district with four Loudoun powers and looked to be in for some tough times. Instead they've gone from 4 wins to 6 to 8 and now 10. Massaponax lost a regular season game for the first time since 2012, but their triple-option offense has put up over 500 points for the fourth straight year.
Stone Bridge (10-2) at Brooke Point (11-1)--No Jonathan Allen-types on the Stone Bridge roster this year, but they just keep winning. Brooke Point was 3-8 just two years ago, but has turned it around behind the running of Damone Drew, who's put up over 5,000 yards the last to seasons.

4A

Lake Taylor (11-1) at Dinwiddie (12-0)--Potential state championship game here. Dinwiddie crushed Lake Taylor 28-0 on their way to the 2013 championship, but Lake Taylor returned the favor the following year en route to their own crown.
Eastern View (12-0) at Lafayette (12-0)--Despite the unbeaten records it will be a monumental upset if the winner of this beats the Dinwiddie/Lake Taylor winner.

Dominion (9-2) at Woodgrove (11-0)--Woodgrove won the regular season meeting 24-14, their closest game of the year.
Salem (10-1) at William Byrd (10-1)--Salem smashed a Millbrook team with a gaudy record last week. William Byrd's junior running back Larry Basham is over 5,000 yards for his career and will make a run at the state record next year.

3A

Lakeland (7-5) at Phoebus (10-2)--Phoebus's only losses were to Hampton and Woodside, both still alive in larger classes; they have given up single-digit point in all ten of their wins. Lakeland held Oscar Smith to a respectable 17-0 win early in the season.
Brentsville (10-2) at Hopewell (9-3)--Brentsville continues the state's most stunning turnaround after breaking a 39-game losing streak at the start of the 2014 season. Last year was their first winning season since 2002, and last week's win over perennial powers James Monroe showed that they're for real. Hopewell is always a question mark since they play bigger schools during the season.

Staunton River (11-1) at Rustburg (10-2)--Staunton River dropped 67 points on defending state champs Magna Vista last week and are now up to 229 in the last three games. Like William Byrd, they feature a junior RB, Grayson Overstreet, who'll be making a run at state rushing and scoring records. Rustburg is another turnaround story after putting up a 35-77 record from 2004 to 2014.
Blacksburg (7-5) at Heritage-Lynchburg (8-4)--Blacksburg is rolling after a 2-4 start and has scored 119 points against higher-seeded teams in their two playoff games. RB Coleton Back has accounted for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns in those two games. Heritage's four losses were by a total of 13 points.

2A

East Rockingham (9-3) at Stuarts Draft (12-0)--Stuarts Draft won the regular season matchup 35-14
Clarke County (10-2) at Goochland (12-0)--Goochland with double-digit wins for the eighth time in the last 12 years. Clarke had a run to the state championship game last season after years of impressive regular seasons followed by playoff flameouts.

Union (11-1) at Appomattox (12-0)--Should be the toughest test in a while for defending champs Appomattox. Union's only loss was 28-27 to Richlands early in the season.
Richlands (11-1) at Graham (11-1)--Richlands also handed Graham their only loss of the season.

1A

Altavista (9-3) at Sussex Central (11-0)--2013 and 2014 state champs Altavista back in business after a down year. 
Colonial Beach (9-2) at Riverheads (10-1)--Colonial Beach, with an enrollment of under 200, is one of the smallest football-playing schools in the state, and didn't even play a VHSL schedule until 2007.

Fort Chiswell (9-3) at Galax (10-2)--Galax always seems to have a running back with huge numbers, and this year it's Dougie Peoples over 2,300 yards on the season.
Parry McCluer (11-1) at George Wythe (11-1)--After mentioning a few juniors with a shot a breaking state rushing records next year, let's not forget Parry McCluer's senior back Jeremy Nelson, who only needs 171 yards to break the career record this year. PM big underdogs in this one, however.

This was awesome!

[ECHS05]

What I gathered is... go with LC Bird over Highland Springs in Pick 'Em?

[MA Fan]

Friday night scores

6A
Oscar Smith 13 Woodside 0--Two first-half touchdowns were all OS needed to advance to the regional final. Shon Mitchell tossed a TD pass to Khalik Perry to tie has now tied Philip Sims with 119 career TD passes.

5A
Norview 37 Hampton 31--Hampton down 30-17 comes back to take the lead on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 47 seconds left, but Norview takes it down the field and wins it on a pass from DJ Mack to Kavon Lawson with 7 seconds left. @757Teamz on twitter has video of the big plays.
Massaponax 42 Potomac Falls 29--Massaponax up 35-0 at halftime. No one knows how to defend the option anymore.

4A
Dinwiddie 29 Lake Taylor 15--LT was up 15-14 late, but Dinwiddie took the lead on a 36-yard pass from Bryce Witt to Tye Freeland. LT kickoff return for a touchdown on the ensuing possession was negated by a holding call. They drove inside the Dinwiddie 30, but a pick six by K'Vaughan Pope sealed it for Dinwiddie.
Dominion 30 Woodgrove 23--Another wild finish, as unbeaten Woodgrove took a 23-21 lead on a field goal with 2:42 left, only for Dominion to go back in front with a 31-yard FG by Ramon Blas with 54 seconds remaining. Woodgrove moved downfield and lined up a 43-yard attempt to win it, but the kick was blocked and returned for a touchdown to give Dominion the upset win.
Salem 24 William Byrd 17--WB came back from a 17-3 halftime deficit to tie it, but Salem pulled it out with a late score.

3A
Staunton River 55 Rustburg 22--Make that 284 points in 4 weeks for Staunton River, as top-seeded Rustburg didn't fare any better against the single wing. Grayson Overstreet with 319 yards and 5 touchdowns, which should give him the state single-season scoring record.
Blacksburg 24 Heritage-Lynchburg 17--Five-loss Blacksburg hot at the right time of year.

2A
Stuarts Draft 44 East Rockingham 31
Goochland 28 Clarke County 14
Richlands 34 Graham 16

1A
Sussex Central 28 Altavista 14
Riverheads 55 Colonial Beach 20
Galax 41 Fort Chiswell 0
George Wythe 35 Parry McCluer 14

 

[MA Fan]

Video highlights from last night:

Oscar Smith-Woodside

Norview-Hampton

Dinwiddie-Lake Taylor

Salem-William Byrd

Staunton River-Rustburg

Blacksburg-Heritage

Stuarts Draft-East Rockingham

Goochland-Clarke County

Richlands-Graham

Sussex Central-Altavista

Riverheads-Colonial Beach

Galax-Fort Chiswell

George Wythe-Parry McCluer

[The Comish]

1 hour ago, MA Fan said:

Video highlights from last night:

Oscar Smith-Woodside

Norview-Hampton

Dinwiddie-Lake Taylor

Salem-William Byrd

Staunton River-Rustburg

Blacksburg-Heritage

Stuarts Draft-East Rockingham

Goochland-Clarke County

Richlands-Graham

Sussex Central-Altavista

Riverheads-Colonial Beach

Galax-Fort Chiswell

George Wythe-Parry McCluer

MA fan,. You are making excellent contributions to the board.  

Please get an Avatar so we can take you more seriously, as we will know you aren't just a "drive by" poster.

your local knowledge is valued and important to the National development of the other posters.

-The Comish

[MA Fan]

Thanks for bringing that to my attent

5 hours ago, The Comish said:

MA fan,. You are making excellent contributions to the board.  

Please get an Avatar so we can take you more seriously, as we will know you aren't just a "drive by" poster.

your local knowledge is valued and important to the National development of the other posters.

-The Comish

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I randomly selected a photograph from the internet and I hope you will find it acceptable.

[HawgGoneIt]

11 minutes ago, MA Fan said:

 

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I randomly selected a photograph from the internet and I hope you will find it acceptable.

You are no longer a creepy shadow person. 

 

 

[MA Fan]

Saturday games:

6A
Colonial Forge 27 Manchester 19--Manchester outgained CF 401-168, but Forge forced four turnovers, jumped to a 24-0 lead after three quarters, and held off a late rally. Forge will look to avenge 2013 and 2014 losses to Oscar Smith next week.
South Lakes 40 Lake Braddock 22--LB marched right down the field for a touchdown on their first possession, but after that it was all South Lakes. The Seahawks totally shut down Virginia-bound running back Lamont Atkins, who came into the game averaging almost thirteen yards a carry, limiting him to 19 yards on 10 carries. Fourth straight year that LB has lost in this round--in that period they haven't lost a regular season game by more than a field goal, but they've been blown out of the playoffs three years in a row.
Westfield 31 Madison 13--Westfield...always Westfield. Six weeks ago they were seconds from dropping to 4-3; they pulled that one out and have been on a roll ever since. Not a high-powered offensive team, but they got kickoff and interception returns for touchdowns today.

5A
Highland Springs 34 LC Bird 20--Juwan Carter ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as Highland Springs pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Stone Bridge 48 Brooke Point 21--Stone Bridge racked up 547 yards of offense to advance to the state semis for the eighth time in twelve years. Brooke Point scored twice in the last five minutes to make the score more respectable.

4A
Lafayette 48 Eastern View 21--Believe it or not, this was scoreless until the last minute of the first half. Virginia Tech commit Hezekiah Grimsley got Lafayette going with two long touchdown runs in the third quarter, and they closed it out with two defensive touchdowns in the fourth. Lafayette is 13-0 but will be big underdogs against Dinwiddie next week.

3A
Phoebus 21 Lakeland 0--Phoebus limited Lakeland to 103 yards and 5 first downs.
Hopewell 44 Brentsville 21--Ronnie Walker, one of the top juniors in the state, ran for 206 yards as Hopewell cruised.

2A
Appomattox 43 Union 0--Defending champs look to be on a different level than everyone else.

 

[Cossacks]

10 hours ago, HawgGoneIt said:

You are no longer a creepy shadow person. 

 

 

Just creepy! No longer a shadow.

And great write up. Good to hear about some VA football. My BIL lives in Fairfax, although his kids are probably more interested in  Barbie and Ken and leaning towards the Ken side so not much gridiron there.

[MA Fan]

Semifinal pairings:
http://www.vhsl.org/doc/upload/fb-2016-state-semifinals-schedule1.pdf

I said at the start of the playoffs that this was more wide open than usual, but there's a good chance the 6A and 5A finals will both be rematches from last year. Five of the six defending state champs are still alive.

Is @BigDrop on the South Lakes bandwagon yet? Really impressive win over Lake Braddock last week.

[MA Fan]

duplicate...

[BigDrop]

I've lived 50 yards from the back of South Lakes football field since 1990 walking by one of northern VA's prettier brick stadiums several days a week.  I saw the game  against Centreville but not Lake Braddock.  I plan to go to Westfield but honestly expect South Lakes to surprise and win.  DeMatha's late August five td to none roll over Westfield left me believing that Westfield would develop but they could be beat.  Note the next week DeMatha crushed Oscar Smith and they have not lost a game yet since.

I expect South Lakes to Win and then play Oscar Smith.  This whoie season has been outstanding for South Lakes.  Several thousand or more now show up at home games-the homecoming parade had a thousand or more people in it!

Wish South Lakes the best this coming Saturday at Westfield.

[MA Fan]

Going to be out of town this weekend, so enjoy some preview articles and features:

Oscar Smith vs. Colonial Forge: Oscar Smith defensive backs are thriving; Shon Mitchell: Spectator to Record Breaker

Westfield vs. South Lakes: Virginia 6A North region football final preview: South Lakes vs. Westfield; Andrew Funaki’s versatility sparks South Lakes football’s historic playoff run

Highland Springs vs. Norview: Norview's unsung hero coming up big for the Pilots; Highland Springs players wear purple to keep Angie close to their hearts

Massaponax vs. Stone Bridge: Virginia 5A North region football final preview: Stone Bridge vs. Massaponax; High school football: Stone Bridge at Massaponax preview capsule; In a familiar place: Stone Bridge prepares to square off against Massaponax; 5A football playoffs: Latest Mihota brother leading Massaponax in playoffs

Dinwiddie vs. Lafayette: Football preview: Undefeated teams Lafayette and Dinwiddie to meet in 4A state semifinals; Dinwiddie, Lafayette's opponent, has become a perennial power under Coach Billy Mills; Lafayette's versatile linebackers critical in postseason advancement for 13-0 Rams

Salem vs. Dominion: Spartans Winning Tradition Continues Into State Semifinals

Staunton River vs. Hopewell: Hopewell Football Preview - Mission: Get over the hump; Staunton River continues to rumble through playoffs, making history along the way; Jones takes wing as Staunton River tailback

Phoebus vs. Blacksburg: Sprint champion running back powers Blacksburg, Phoebus' opponent Saturday; Beck, Blacksburg found fast lane just in time for football playoffs; Phoebus’ Johnathan Gregory named 3A East football Defensive Player of the Year

[MA Fan]

Semifinal recaps:

6A
Oscar Smith 27 Colonial Forge 20--Shon Mitchell's 22-yard touchdown pass to Khalik Perry on fourth down with 16 seconds left proved the difference as Oscar Smith advanced to another state final. The pass also gave Mitchell the state record for career TD passes. Forge, who never trailed until the final seconds, had fumbled the ball away a few plays before the winning score.
Westfield 42 South Lakes 12--Just like last year, Westfield is playing their best ball at the right time, and rolled to a 35-0 lead on their way to an easy win. South Lakes was burned in pass defense in both their losses this year, this time seeing Westfield's Rehman Johnson throw four first-half touchdown passes, three to Sean Eckert.

5A
Highland Springs 28 Norview 25--Each team scored four touchdowns, but conversions were the difference as the defending champs advanced to the final again. Juwan Carter ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third for the winners, while Norview's Derriel Mack tossed three touchdown passes in a losing cause.
Stone Bridge 27 Massaponax 21--Stone Bridge roared back from a 21-12 deficit to knock out Massaponax for the second year in a row. Josh Breece ran for 93 yards and two scores, including the winner in the fourth quarter.

4A
Dinwiddie 28 Lafayette 14--Zyan Sturdivant rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and Tye Freeland pulled in two TD passes from Bryce Witt, as Dinwiddie kept their hopes of a second undefeated state championship in four seasons alive.
Salem 38 Dominion 22--Dominion had the first score of the game as Vashon McCants intercepted a Noah Beckley pass and took it back 89 yards for a touchdown. Beckley had the last laugh though, throwing four TD passes of his own as Salem took a 28-7 lead and held on comfortably.

3A
Staunton River 62 Hopewell 36--Staunton River's single wing continued to be unstoppable, putting up 55 points in the first half en route to a convincing win. TJ Tester needed just four carries to rack up 177 yards and three touchdowns, while Grayson Overstreet added 204 yards and three scores on nine carries, giving him 2,817 yards and 48 touchdowns on the season.
Blacksburg 26 Phoebus 12--Visting Blacksburg leapt to a 17-0 first-quarter lead and was never threatened. Cole Beck ran for 191 yards including a 79-yard score. Safe to say the Phoebus is finished as a power. 

2A
Appomattox 45 Goochland 13--Appomattox won their 29th straight with with a decisive win over previously unbeaten Goochland.
Richlands 24 Stuarts Draft 23--Richlands drove 84 yards to score the winning points with 12 seconds left, as John Luke Asbury threw a 25-yard touchdown pass which Scottie Ball pulled in over two defenders, and the pair hooked up again on the next play for the winning two-point conversion.

1A
Sussex Central 8 George Wythe 7--George Wythe had only been held below 40 points once all season, but was limited to less than 200 yards of offense. Malik Delk's 41-yard touchdown run and ensuing two-point conversion provided the winning points for Sussex, who advance to their first state final since 2003.
Riverheads 63 Galax 21--Riverheads emphatically avenged last year's state championship game loss.

So after a regular season that looked wide open in the larger classes, we have championship game rematches in 5A and 6A, and the defending champs playing the 2013 champs in 4A. As the saying goes, tradition never graduates.

[MA Fan]

Video highlights:

Oscar Smith-Colonial Forge

Westfield-South Lakes, "artistic"

Stone Bridge-Massaponax

Highland Springs-Norview, Dinwiddie-Lafayette, and Blacksburg-Phoebus

Salem-Dominion

Staunton River-Hopewell

Blacksburg-Phoebus

Appomattox-Goochland

Richlands-Stuarts Draft

Riverheads-Galax

[PrepGridiron]

25 minutes ago, MA Fan said:

Blacksburg 26 Phoebus 12--Visting Blacksburg leapt to a 17-0 first-quarter lead and was never threatened. Cole Beck ran for 191 yards including a 79-yard score. Safe to say the Phoebus is finished as a power. 

Will probably be overlooked here, but for those that have been following for long enough, this is kind of shocking. 

[MA Fan]

32 minutes ago, PrepGridiron said:

Will probably be overlooked here, but for those that have been following for long enough, this is kind of shocking. 

They'll continue to have good records and make deep playoff runs, because their district is thin and they can make the state semis in 3A without beating any good teams. But five years ago the though of a Blacksburg or a Magna Vista or any other 3A team even playing on the same field as Phoebus would have been unimaginable, and now they're rolling into Darling Stadium from the other side of the state and smacking them around. It's like Notre Dame somehow getting knocked down to the Division II playoffs, and finding out that they can't even beat Ferris State.

[BigDrop]

I believe Mike Smith has now won 456 games at Hampton, 25 and 3 for the last two years.  Phoebus had an incredible run for ten or so years.

[ECHS05]

Whats the venue for the championships?

[MA Fan]

3 hours ago, ECHS05 said:

Whats the venue for the championships?

5A-6A are at Hampton University, 4A-3A are at William & Mary, 1A-2A are in Salem.

[MA Fan]

Championship games are Saturday, 1A/3A games at 12:00 and 2A/4A at 4:30. 5A and 6A games are a little different, starting at 12:07 and 4:07, because they're televised. All the games should be available on NFHSNetwork.

6A: Westfield (12-2) vs. Oscar Smith (13-1)--Westfield beat OS for both the football and basketball championships last year. Oscar Smith's Shon Mitchell has had the spotlight on him since freshman year, but Westfield's Rehman Johnson has quietly tossed 31 touchdown passes this season. With the championships moving from Charlottesville to Hampton this year it will be close to a home game for Oscar Smith.

5A: Highland Springs (13-1) vs. Stone Bridge (12-2)--Another rematch from last year, when Highland Springs won 27-7. HS's Juwan Carter has thrown for 24 touchdowns and run for 19, while Stone Bridge's single wing ground game features Josh Breece (1,415 yards, 12 TD) and Bradley Block (963 yards, 18 TD). Historically Stone Bridge played a weak schedule and got off to slow starts when faced with high-level opposition deep in the playoffs, but that has changed since the realignment a few years ago and now the Bulldogs are battle-tested, including a 34-16 win over Westfield in September.

4A: Dinwiddie (14-0) vs. Salem (12-1)--When the VHSL did their big realignment, the eastern teams were expected to dominate 4A, and that's exactly what happened the first two years, with Dinwiddie and Lake Taylor winning their championship games 56-14 and 41-16. Last year, however, Salem showed that the West was a force to be reckoned with when they upset Lake Taylor in overtime, and now the Spartans are back for their third straight championship game appearance. Salem's Noah Beckley has thrown 26 touchdown passes, 15 of them to Viante Tucker. Dinwiddie also features a 26-touchdown passer in Bryce Witt, while Tye Freeland has hauled in 11 touchdown passes to go with his 11 rushing scores. Zyan Sturdivant adds 1,135 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns for the Generals. 4* recruit K'Vaughan Pope leads the Dinwiddie defense.

3A: Staunton River (13-1) vs. Blacksburg (9-5)--Long trip to Williamsburg for both teams. Staunton River has now scored 272 points in their four playoff games, and they've been easing up in the second half. The rushing numbers are crazy, with Grayson Overstreet (2,804 yards, 48 TD), Kalip Jones (1,702 yards, 26 TD, and TJ Tester (1,086 yards, 17 TD) leading the way. Blacksburg began the season throwing the ball, not punting, and doing onside kicks, but after a 2-4 start they went back to basics, giving the ball to a back (Cole Beck) who was state champ in the 100 and 200 last spring, and they're 7-1 since then. Roanoke paper says the Blacksburg QB picked up an injury against Phoebus and may not play.

2A: Appomattox (14-0) vs. Richlands (13-1)--Appomattox looking to close out their second straight 15-0 season has outscored their playoff opponents 196-46. Their only close playoff game in that dominant two-year stretch was last year's 27-21 win over Richlands, and now the Blue Tornado, fresh off a miracle win last week, are back for another shot. Richlands brings a high-powered passing attack led by QB John-Luke Asbury, who has thrown for over 6,000 yards and 90 touchdowns the past two seasons. Their top receiver will miss the game after being ejected last week, but Scottie Ball, who caught the winning touchdown and two-point conversion, will look to pick up the slack. Appomattox is led by QB Javon Scruggs (26 TD passes) and running back Phillip Fleshman.

1A: Riverheads (12-1) vs. Sussex Central (13-0)--After avening last year's state final defeat to Galax, Riverheads looks to close the deal on their first state championship since 2010. Harrison Schaefer has put up over 1,700 rushing yards for the Gladiators. Sussex Central's option game is led by QB Malik Delk and RB Mack Prosise.

[MA Fan]

Halftime scores in the early games:

5A: Stone Bridge 13 Highland Springs 7. Highland Springs's only score came after Stone Bridge went for it on 4th and 7 from their own 23. Stone Bridge missed a short field goal shortly before halftime.

3A: Staunton River 14 Blacksburg 7

1A: Riverheads 28 Sussex Central 6