> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.richmonder.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# High school football: Panthers bare their claws as Highland Springs looms in Week 9
- URL: https://www.richmonder.org/high-school-football-panthers-bare-claws-as-highland-springs-looms-in-week-9/
- Published: 2026-10-19T01:48:18.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-19T01:53:33.000Z
- Description: Hermitage's running game was unstoppable in Friday's rout of Glen Allen
- Author: Rob Witham
- Tags: Sports

Command performances, a season-saving upset and some expected results. Week 8 set the table for the final furious three weeks of the regular season that lie ahead.

Hermitage played its best game yet, throttling rival Glen Allen and giving the Panthers big momentum as they head to Highland Springs on Friday. The Springers took care of their last-minute replacement, St. Frances Academy of Maryland.

Varina ran away from Hanover, Thomas Dale’s offense returned in force in a 42-6 win over Dinwiddie, Hopewell scored 40-plus for the sixth straight week, and Midlothian, Petersburg, Huguenot and Douglas Freeman all took care of business on their respective marches to the postseason.

Atlee overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to stun Armstrong, and don’t look now, but Benedictine is roaring back in the private-school ranks, getting a win Friday while counterparts Trinity Episcopal and St. Christopher’s lost on Saturday.

Check out the complete Week 8 scoreboard and the latest RVA Sports Network Super 12 Poll below. 

[RVA Sports Network![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/favicon-46f43464-0abc-4b28-a31c-31f65769bcd2.ico)robwitham![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/RVA-logo_opt-4811e9c3-3824-4d65-a3d6-a8446f59afca.png)](https://rvasportsnetwork.blogspot.com/)

### Week 8 standouts

**Hermitage’s rushing offense:** How about 410 total yards, with Jahson Allums accounting for 192 and two touchdowns as the Panthers completely stymied Glen Allen 41-7 to solidify their playoff position in Region 5C.

**Devin Boisseau, Varina:** He’s spent a couple of weeks starting at quarterback while Kaleb Wyche has nursed an injury. Wyche returned for Friday’s 55-14 win at Hanover, but Boisseau saw some impressive time under center, going 7 of 8 for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a fumble recovery from his usual secondary position.

**Wyatt Jessup, Thomas Dale:** The Knights are getting healthy, and the junior quarterback has benefited, going 16 of 25 for 235 yards and four passing touchdowns in Thomas Dale’s victory

**Dyson Coleman, Midlothian:** While Cosby held the Trojans to 155 total yards, Coleman maximized his opportunities, opening the scoring on a 70-yard interception return, then hauling in a 41-yard pass from Gibson Gross for 6 as Midlothian bested the Titans 28-7.

### Unsung hero

**Walker Pasowicz, Atlee:** Talk about the epitome of doing your job. After hearing coach Matt Gray’s halftime talk (see below), the junior not only blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown, he switched places and returned a blocked field goal attempt to set up Atlee’s game-winning touchdown in its victory at Armstrong that keeps the Raiders’ playoff hopes alive.

### Game of the week

**No. 11 Hopewell (6-1) at No. 5 Petersburg (7-0), Friday, 7 p.m.:** It’s the biggest game between these Tri-Cities rivals in a generation. Both teams have created separation in Region 3A, with the Blue Devils, ranked 11th in the RVA Sports Network Super 12 Poll, a quarter point ahead of the Crimson Wave. For all the talk of Hopewell’s young, explosive offense and Petersburg’s relentless defense, it’s Hopewell’s defense that must meet the moment if the Blue Devils want to seize first place in the region.

### Games we’re watching

**No. 10 Hermitage (5-2) at No. 2 Highland Springs (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.:** The Panthers fell one score short in last year’s Region 5C championship game against the Springers. Both teams put on brilliant performances in Week 8, and both will have a lot to say in this region again come November. Highland Springs leads by more than a point over Midlothian, while Hermitage jumped over Glen Allen and James River to take over fifth place.

**King William (6-1) at No. 12 Mechanicsville (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.:** The Mustangs put up 42 points in a row before pulling their starters in a win over Henrico. But now they must contest with the Cavaliers’ all-everything quarterback K’Sean Hill in one of the biggest assignments for Mechanicsville’s defense this season. Both teams are in fourth in their respective regions but not comfortably. This game may decide which school gets to host a first-round playoff game.

**No. 4 Midlothian (7-1) at James River (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.:** This will be one of the biggest Coal Bowl games in its three decade-plus history. The Trojans enter in second place in Region 5C, while the Rapids are in seventh. James River begins a three-game gauntlet here, with Huguenot and L.C. Bird still to come. Midlothian is rooting for Hermitage to knock off Highland Springs to give the Trojans a shot, with a win, to take over the top region seed.

### Game under the radar 

**Mills Godwin (3-4) at No. 8 Douglas Freeman (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.:** The Eagles enter this heated West End rivalry in ninth place in Region 5C, one point behind Meadowbrook for the eighth and final playoff berth. Godwin has had two weeks to prepare for a potent Mavericks offense, who put at least four scoring threats on the field on every down. Freeman is in third place, trying to keep Patrick Henry-Roanoke at bay.

### Beyond the headlines

**– Joy in the journey:** Our “Under the radar” game last week proved to be the best of Week 8\. How did Atlee come alive after being down 14-3 at halftime at Armstrong’s homecoming? For coach Matt Gray, it had nothing to do with scoreboard watching.

“This summer, I traveled to Louisville. I visited the Muhammad Ali museum. I asked this team, who is the greatest heavyweight of all time?” Gray explained. “I told them I was really interested in researching the fighter. What is he made of? And that’s now the team’s mindset. They’re just fighters.”

The psychological process Gray and his team is utilizing certainly has similarities to the now legendary process of former Alabama coach Nick Saban. No scoreboards. It’s play by play. It worked to perfection Friday.

Lance Heizer kicked three field goals, including two in the third quarter to cut Atlee’s deficit to 14-9\. Then came the Walker Pasowicz punt block, returned by Kaden Wright for a TD to take the lead. Wright would catch a Scotty Tompkins touchdown pass in the fourth to extend the lead. Armstrong answered back and was driving in the final moments when the Raiders’ defense got a stop and sealed the win.

“At 14-3 at halftime, I said we’ve just got to be the best second-half team we’ve been all year,” Gray noted when discussing his locker-room talk. 

This is a young Atlee squad. Juniors and sophomores are all over the depth chart. Gray describes the 2026 Raiders as “fun”. Even when falling in their first three games by a combined five points, they haven’t quit.

“The big word is fun. It’s been a fun year,” Gray explained. “Forget the record. That’s not the measure of joy that we have here.”

**– Playoff races:** Time to update the area’s regional playoffs outlook. First, though, we hand out a bouquet.

A new website on the scene, [harpcrate.com](http://harpcrate.com), has taken on the giant task of finding a way to quickly parcel, add, divide and determine all the power points statewide to finally give fans a place to keep up with standings.

We reached out to their founders, and they politely asked that they could stay out of the limelight. They call themselves a group of “Virginia parents, coaches and volunteers helping VHSL staff, regions and schools with rankings.”

This resource has been needed literally for decades, and we find it an oasis in what has been a desert of information once you get to this point of the season. Bravo, harpcrate! They are the source of the standings we analyze now.

Thomas Dale and Manchester are in the Region 6A playoffs, where six teams qualify and the top two seeds get a quarterfinal bye. The Knights are 1.29 points ahead of the Lancers, with Oscar Smith sneaking up in third. L.C. Bird currently holds fourth by less than half a point over Landstown. Cosby is still seventh, but only a third of a point behind Grassfield, which clings to the sixth and final playoff spot.

Highland Springs and Midlothian can rest easy, having clinched Region 5C bids. Douglas Freeman is third, more than a point behind the Trojans, and Patrick Henry-Roanoke remains fourth. Hermitage jumped Glen Allen for fifth, while the Jaguars are in sixth, just ahead of James River. Meadowbrook holds the final spot, but a Mills Godwin upset of Douglas Freeman on Friday could change that, even if the Monarchs win at Dinwiddie. Strength of schedule can do such a thing. Matoaca has life, too.

No one could have foreseen Louisa topping Region 4B with three weeks to go. But the Lions are only .81 of a point ahead of second-place Varina. Louisa’s strength of schedule is hurting its chances of staying number one. Five of its seven wins are against teams with losing records. If Varina wins out, the road to Salem for the state-title game may still have to go through Dawkins Stadium. Huguenot lurks in third, then there’s a significant dropoff to Mechanicsville in fourth (more than three points). Courtland, Hanover, Spotsylvania and King George round out the top eight, but Atlee is a little more than half a point behind the Foxes in ninth. A 2-1 record versus their final three opponents (Varina, Mechanicsville, Henrico) could be enough to steal a bid from King George, whose last three games come against teams with a combined record of 4-17.

Hopewell and Petersburg, as mentioned earlier, are No. 1 and No. 2 in Region 3A with the victor of their showdown Friday grabbing the inside track for the top seed. Both teams have already sealed postseason spots. New Kent (4-3), after its win at Bruton, is in sixth, while Colonial Heights holds onto eighth place, .69 points ahead of Heritage of Newport News. In Region 3B, Goochland (3-4), despite its 7-0 loss to Western Albemarle, is in sixth place. Two wins in their last three games will not only send the Bulldogs to the playoffs but they still could be in play for the fourth seed and a home quarterfinal.

Region 2A is a hot mess. The last unbeaten, Central-Lunenburg (7-0), is in the top spot by almost a point over Thomas Jefferson, which was off in Week 8\. Poquoson is surging in third, a half-point behind the Vikings, followed by King William. The top three here can punch their tickets to the postseason. King William would, too, with a win at Mechanicsville. Suddenly, Armstrong is in fifth with just two games left after this coming week’s bye, against Hanover and Arcadia.

Essex’s win over Rappahannock returns the Trojans to the top of Region 1A. The Raiders are second, followed by Northumberland. All three teams have clinched playoff berths.

**– Anatomy of a touchdown:** Already up big approaching halftime, Huguenot defensive back Cairee Smith suddenly made a highlight-reel play.

A completed pass by Powhatan was fumbled near the goal line. Smith picked it up, ran right, then cut left towards the sideline, juked by two Indians players, cut back to the middle of the field then returned to the right side accompanied by two teammates on the final leg of a 97-yard journey for a touchdown in the Falcons’ 75-6 win.

Watching the play, we wondered, what goes through your mind in a moment like that, and how do you feel when a signature play of your high school career unfolded so unexpectedly?

“Man, they threw a slant and almost scored. I see the ball punched out and rolling, so I ran and got it,” Smith said. “I took a minute to read where to go and saw that crease and took off. My brothers were blocking for me. I made a few guys miss, and we made it to the end zone. When I got there, I was tired, but it felt great as it was my second touchdown of the game.”

In less than a minute, everything changed.

Just ask Hanover.

The Hawks scored with 36 seconds left in the first half to cut the Varina lead to 14-7 Friday night. The Blue Devils see 36 seconds as an opportunity. They scored in just two plays as Hanover went to the locker room down 14 points and sapped of momentum instead of trailing by just a touchdown to the top-ranked team in the area.

Varina won 55-14.

### They said it

“We played physical, trusted each other and got the stop. Every stop builds confidence, and I was able to finish the play with the tackle. At Hermitage, our motto is ‘play the play’, no matter what happened on the previous one.” – Hermitage senior defender Blake Lewis discussing a four-down goal-line stand from the 2 that ended any hopes of a Glen Allen comeback in the Panthers’ win Friday.

“All of us were starting on varsity as underclassmen and learning how to play against older players. Now we’ve matured and have played at this level for several years, which has really helped. The seniors have been focused for the last six years on making this year our time to shine.” – Mechanicsville senior Eli Maxie, who blocked a Henrico punt and returned it for a touchdown in a win Friday for the 6-1 Mustangs 

“In order to be a state-championship contender or a state-championship program, you have to have a state-championship defense. We take pride, man, no matter where the ball is, we’re coming to hit you.” – Petersburg coach Jerome Mathis, interviewed by ESPN Richmond’s Jack Fitzpatrick after their 26-15 triumph at Meadowbrook

### Our final play

With most homecomings now in the books, attention begins to turn to the final weeks of the regular season.

But for the Class of 2027, whether now or in the postseason, players begin to really experience the “lasts” of a career.

The last bus trip to a road game. The senior night walk. The last storming of the home field.

To a man, they’ll say that it felt like yesterday that they were scared freshmen just trying to make the junior varsity roster. Now, they face the end.

So, please indulge my request. If you are the parent or grandparent of a senior player, a teammate who is an underclassman, a teacher or just a friend, be ready to support them as the emotional rollercoaster of the next several weeks unfolds.

This happens to players in every sport. But I think it’s a little different when it comes to football. The gladiator mentality that’s needed. Sacrificing your body for your brother’s so he can make the play. Team building from the heat of August to the chill of November.

The overwhelming majority of high school seniors see their organized athletic career conclude when they graduate. The latest numbers from the NCAA indicate that just 8.1 percent of scholastic football players go on to compete at the collegiate level.

Thus, when that final whistle is blown in just a few short weeks, that feeling of camaraderie, of brotherhood, one that you tangibly feel pulsating through your body in the pregame locker room, will conclude.

Thinking about this milestone moment, I thought it appropriate that the first thing the seniors will take off after the final game will be the helmet. For, after building and protecting one’s psyche, it’s time to expose it so it can lap in the final walk off the field.

Then, when the team begins to depart the locker room for the final time, the jersey slips off, the chest protector and shoulder pads are cast aside, and the heart is exposed.

Through the inevitable tears of that moment, I hope each senior realizes that their heart, thanks to football, is so much different and so much better, and the sport has helped prepare them for whatever may lie ahead.