High school football: Midlothian delivers statement in Week 5 victory over Huguenot
One month into the 2026 high school football season, there are as many what-ifs as sureties.
Week 5’s action punctuated the point, nowhere bigger than at Huguenot High School, where the high-powered Falcons offense was shut out (yes, shut out) by a stingy Midlothian defense as the Trojans pulled off a stunning 17-7 win, knocking another team from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Who is still without a loss? Thomas Dale, Manchester, Petersburg, Armstrong, Collegiate and Louisa fit the bill. Varina, which handled Henrico on Friday, has a tie. Highland Springs has a loss to now one-loss Huguenot. Dinwiddie has lost three straight as injuries have decimated this perennial power. Even Benedictine fell to 2-3 after a 21-14 loss to Gonzaga.
Besides Midlothian’s masterpiece, other Week 5 results of note included: Matoaca defeating Dinwiddie at home for the first time in 20 years 20-16; Hopewell’s offensive rise continuing as the Blue Devils handed Meadowbrook its first loss 40-32; Glen Allen scoring with 8 seconds left to survive Hampton 48-41; and Thomas Jefferson righting the ship by knocking off unbeaten Booker T. Washington on the road 25-12.
Check out the complete Week 5 scoreboard and the latest RVA Sports Network Super 12 Poll below.
Week 5 standouts
Midlothian’s defense: Consider this: Huguenot had scored 130 points in three victories prior to welcoming the Trojans on Friday. The Trojans’ defense held the Falcons scoreless, with Huguenot’s only score coming on an interception return. The Falcons were 1 of 6 on third down and 0 of 4 on fourth down, and Midlo allowed just six earned first downs all game. More on the Trojans’ stellar effort below.
Jakeem Dandridge, Glen Allen: An insane night for the Jaguars’ running back, who rushed 40 times for 347 yards and three scores, including the late game-winner. Dandridge added 71 receiving yards and a touchdown reception as Glen Allen bested Hampton.
Damarion Wiggins, Mechanicsville: After returning the opening kickoff 70 yards for a score, Wiggins caught touchdown passes of 12, 46 and 27 yards as the Mustangs moved to 4-1 with a 48-14 triumph over Richmond High School For the Arts.
Shamar Bridgeforth, James River: On just 11 carries, Bridgeforth churned out 179 rushing yards, including scoring runs of 79 and 38, as the Rapids moved to 4-1, 35-10 winners over Clover Hill.
ShaDarus Pickett, Armstrong: The bruising back went for 192 yards on the ground, then added four tackles and two pass breakups for good measure as the Wildcats handed King William its first loss 49-14.
Unsung heroes
Armstrong’s offensive line: While your defense is containing a star performer such as King William’s K’Sean Hill, you lean on the big beef up front to grind out 305 rushing yards. Tackles Braxton Belin and Jemoine Terry, guards Chris Frazier and Kenneth Thompson and center Mosiah Vaughn were the catalysts of the 49-14 Wildcats victory.
Cannon White, Hanover: After the Hawks lost their best receiver to injury in the second half, White, a sophomore, got just enough of a block to spring J.K. Daniel, who turned a simple swing pass into an 80-yard pitch and catch to extend the Hawks’ lead to the eventual final of 21-7 over archrival Atlee to move to 3-1.
Game of the week
Grimsley, N.C. (5-0) at No. 1 Varina (4-0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: The final of three games against defending state champions, the Blue Devils, ranked No. 1 in the RVA Sports Network Super 12 poll, seek revenge after falling just short in a 21-14 battle last October in Greensboro, N.C. The Whirlies have outscored their opponents 196-16.
Other games we’re watching
No. 4 Manchester (5-0) at No. 6 Midlothian (4-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: No one has scored more than eight points against the Lancers’ defense. Cosby did hold the Manchester offense to just 18 points last week. Can the Midlothian defense lock down Jacory Moore-Carr similar to the way they did Huguenot’s Charles Scott? Can the Trojans also avoid an emotional letdown after such a big win?
No. 9 Huguenot (3-1) at L.C. Bird (3-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: Purely ironic that this week features the only team to beat Midlothian facing the team that just lost to them. The Skyhawks are coming off a 38-0 loss at Highland Springs. The loser of this contest will have to safeguard themselves psychologically lest their season begins to go sideways. Star Bird defender Chris Whitehead needs to disrupt Falcons QB Charles Scott Jr. early and often.
Phoebus (3-1) at No. 4 Highland Springs (4-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: The fourth of six home games for the Springers, who have been getting better week after week. The Phantoms are now led by one-time offensive coordinator Alonzo Coley, and though they aren’t the same team who saw a 51-game winning streak end in 2025, they are still a dangerous opponent.
Game under the radar
Heritage-Lynchburg (4-0) vs. Thomas Jefferson (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m., Hovey Field, Virginia Union: The Pioneers held the Vikings scoreless in the second half a season ago in a 25-7 win in Lynchburg. TeeJay shook off the rust and then some from its woeful showing at Hopewell to hand Booker T. Washington its first loss. The tricky part? Forget that you have the second half of the Armstrong game to play Monday evening.
Beyond the headlines
–The Trojan horse: The biggest question from fans this weekend is how did Midlothian keep Huguenot from scoring on offense in a 17-7 win?
“We actually have been talking for quite a bit with our kids about being able to play against anyone who steps on the field with us,” Midlothian coach Phil Gross told The Richmonder and connected that point to his team’s opening 32-8 loss at L.C. Bird and how they hit the delete button.
“We’re a highly capable team here, with potential to be highly successful, and our approach matters,” Gross said.
The reboot produced an impressive 28-14 win at Douglas Freeman, then victories over Powhatan and RHSA, setting up the showdown with the Falcons. The gameplan began with defensive coordinator John Fout.
“John’s been running a real stingy defense for quite a few years, so honestly, that type of defense for us, at least I hope, is nothing new,” Gross opined.
Sure, schemes, fake looks and individual defensive play all were a part of the Trojans success. But the offense did their part, scoring twice in the first half, including a Gibson Gross touchdown run right before the break. And, after Gross threw a pick-six to give Huguenot its only points of the night, that could have opened the floodgates. It did not.
Midlothian responded with a drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by Henry Pittman, a former soccer goalie. Then, a gamble paid off for the Trojans, as the recovered an onside kick to keep the ball out of Scott’s hands.
“We looked at film and thought, if (Huguenot) is averaging returning the ball to the 35, 40, 45 because they’re that good on specials with their return team, if we onside the ball, there’s not much difference.”
Huguenot had the ball with a first down at the Midlo 7 midway through the fourth but penalties, and more Trojans magic ended that drive on downs. A final Falcons drive ended with a turnover.
Gross now has an important win in his drive to move Midlothian from a good to an elite program, and the Trojans can make another statement when they host unbeaten Manchester on Friday. Not bad for a man who stepped away from coaching and was part of the Trojans fanbase that was disappointed when Matt Hutchings resigned after a 9-2 record in 2022.
“I was asked to help cover the weight room to help some coaches until they could make some decisions,” Gross recalled. “A lot of people in my life started coming up to me to say. ‘Hey, you need to put yourself out there, return to ball, and do this head coaching thing again.’ ”
Saying his return is going well in its fourth season would be, yes, a gross understatement.
–Shakeup in Region 4B: After five weeks, the lone unbeaten and untied team in this usually rugged region is Louisa at 4-0. Varina is 4-0-1. Upstart Mechanicsville turns the corner at 4-1, while Huguenot and Hanover are 3-1. The other 13 teams in the region have two or more losses.
Louisa’s wins are all by one-score margins. Are the Lions persevering, lucky or a bit of both? Former region stalwart King George is having a bounce-back season at 2-2. The biggest surprise? Dinwiddie, decimated by injuries, has lost three straight after a 2-0 start. Their next three games? At Hopewell, at Petersburg and at Thomas Dale.
–Region 6A check-in: With Oscar Smith struggling after losing its star quarterback to injury in preseason, Region 6A is looking like a two-horse race. They’re still in the backstretch, but Thomas Dale and Manchester may finally have a season where, if they continue their winning ways, they both can avoid a Thanksgiving playoffs trip to Chesapeake and, maybe, play each other for the region title.
The Tigers are 1-2-1 but are certainly not done with a rugged schedule toughening this crew as they head towards November. What if L.C. Bird beats Huguenot on Friday? The Skyhawks suddenly would be in the conversation as well.
They said it
“Let’s give all the credit to the O-line. You know we work hard, we work tirelessly with those guys because they’re young. The coaches? We remind them that we were once ‘you guys’ and we played lights out football, but they say, ‘No, we don’t believe that’, then we put YouTube up and showed them and they’re like, ‘Wow!’ ” – Armstrong coach Jeremy Pruitt on the growth of not just his offensive line but his team, even when the players are skeptical of his “back-in-the-day” discussions
“I just do me. The linemen try their best, then I just play football.” – Hopewell freshman quarterback Ar’King Holloway to Danny Lewis of Virginia Preps after the Blue Devils won a 40-32 shootout over Meadowbrook
Our final play
Many times we conclude this column with news about the sport, sometimes controversial. But this week gave us a moment to hold our breath, then reflect about why high school football on a Friday night is unlike anything else in American sport.
Midway through the third period of Hanover’s 21-7 win over Atlee, Raiders quarterback Scotty Tompkins was trying to turn the corner to get a first down near midfield. Kayden Hughes, who has made headlines weekly for his offensive prowess, made the tackle along the Hanover sideline.
What could not be seen, with a team filled with players standing between the play and the huge crowd in the stands, was how the play concluded. Seconds turned into minutes. Tompkins returned to his huddle. Hughes remained on the field.
Moments later, as trainers attended, then Hanover Fire and EMS, on scene for the game, came onto the field, all the disdain between the teams, the student sections and the fan bases immediately dissolved.
The Hawks knelt as a team in prayer. The Raiders did, too, then jogged over to the Hanover sideline in a show of unity, concern and support. An Atlee assistant coach and Hanover head coach Sam Rogers embraced.
The medical professionals did their work, and, 15 minutes after a seemingly innocuous play, Hughes was taken to a waiting ambulance, flashing the thumbs-up sign to everyone as he began his ride on the stretcher.
Only two and a quarter miles separate these two campuses in the heart of Hanover County. And, in that scary moment Friday, the two tribes became one community. It’s a good life reminder to love thy neighbor, even when they’re wearing the other team’s jersey.
