High school football: Panthers, Mustangs ponder victories that got away
As the calendar prepares to turn to November, margins for error get razor thin, and “what ifs” can, if you’re not careful, grow to monstrous proportions.
Hermitage is wondering how it let a two-possession lead in the second half slip away at Highland Springs. Mechanicsville fans are reliving a late blocked extra-point attempt by King William to preserve a wild 35-34 victory by the Cavaliers. Thomas Jefferson’s recent defensive surge came to a halt as unheralded Deep Run handed the Vikings a 31-21 defeat.
The big Tri-Cities showdown was dominated by Petersburg, which shut down the potent Hopewell offense in a 21-0 triumph. Thomas Dale and Louisa stayed perfect, and Varina, Midlothian, Huguenot and Douglas Freeman rolled to big wins.
John Marshall survived a trip to winless J.R. Tucker to record its second win as the Tigers scored with :24 left in regulation but missed the extra point to fall 7-6 and drop to 0-9.
Don’t look now, but Benedictine is playing its best football of the year, while Collegiate and Trinity Episcopal both got back to their winning ways as the VISAA playoffs approach.
Check out the complete Week 9 scoreboard and the latest RVA Sports Network Super 12 Poll below.
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Week 9 standouts
Connor Goad, Mechanicsville: It was an all-time performance for Goad, who ran for a school-record 394 yards, the eighth-most rushing yards in a Central Region game ever. But Goad left the game after his final carry with an injury, however, and his availability for Mechanicsville’s rivalry showdown with Atlee is uncertain.
K’Sean Hill, King William: The do-it-all quarterback for the Cavaliers had 233 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including one from 85 yards, and his 2-point conversion run gave King William its winning margin over Mechanicsville. Oh, and he threw a 67-yard touchdown pass, too. Combined, the Cavaliers and Mustangs put up 901 yards of offense.
Wyatt Jessup, Thomas Dale: Jessup makes the list again with 215 yards passing with a touchdown and eight carries for 51 yards and a score in the Knights’ win over Patrick Henry. Dale has scored 80 points the past two weeks and now will prepare to face a very impressive Petersburg defense.
Jayvion Oliver, Meadowbrook: Seventeen carries, 177 yards, a touchdown and five tackles on defense helped lead the Monarchs to a 23-7 win at Dinwiddie. It was Meadowbrook’s first win over the Generals in 14 years, and it kept Meadowbrook in the eighth and final playoff spot in Region 5C. The Monarchs are trying to hold off William Fleming and Prince George, who both also won Friday.
Midlothian’s defense: In a one-sided Coal Bowl, the visiting Trojans held James River to 39 yards on 41 plays and only two first downs in a dominant 37-0 performance.
Unsung heroes
William Bostic and Jayven Parham, Prince George: The tandem combined for 12 tackles to help the Royals stay alive for a playoff bid with an impressive 28-14 win at Matoaca.
Paxton Hastings, Deep Run: Details below.
Game of the week
No. 5 Petersburg (8-0) at No. 3 Thomas Dale (8-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: With all due respect to the top two teams in our Super 12 Poll, who also collide Friday, neither of those teams are undefeated. Let’s set the table. The Crimson Wave seized the top seed in Region 3A by shutting out second-seeded Hopewell. Coach Jerome Mathis’ Petersburg defense has allowed 32 total points this season. As mentioned earlier, the Knights’ offense is back on track with 80 combined points in their past two games. Lest we forget, Kevin Tucker’s Dark Zone defense is awesome, too, only allowing 43 points in eight games. This has all the makings of a rock fight. Ball security will be huge here, and it all may come down to a field goal or an extra point.
Other games we’re watching
No. 2 Highland Springs (7-1) at No. 1 Varina (6-1-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Always one of the top games on the regular-season calendar, this contest again has major playoff implications. Last December, both teams reached their respective state-championship games. Varina won, while Highland Springs fell. After Friday, the bitter rivals again will galvanize the eastern half of Henrico to root for two stat titles. A Springers win would all but seal the top seed in Region 5C as No. 2 Midlothian only has one game remaining. Varina is clinging to the top seed in Region 4B. So both need this one badly.
No. 8 Douglas Freeman (7-1) at No. 10 Hermitage (5-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Mavericks enter this West End showdown as the third seed in Region 5C, while the Panthers are seventh. Having lost to second-seeded Midlothian in Week 2, Douglas Freeman is fighting to stay in the top three, as Patrick Henry-Roanoke lurks just behind. Hermitage, thanks to strength of schedule, could easily jump from seventh to fifth with a home victory. The more-disciplined defense should take this one.
Game under the radar
Atlee (3-5) at Mechanicsville (6-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: It’s The Stew Bowl as a Mustangs squad suddenly without multiple key players will battle a Raiders team that must win here, beat Henrico next Friday, and hope King George stumbles in its next two games to have a shot at the No. 8 seed in Region 4B. Mechanicsville’s loss to King William dropped the Mustangs to fifth in the region, with Hanover and Spotsylvania each within a half-point of Mechanicsville. Should the Mustangs win out and fourth-seeded Courtland loses its last two, Mechanicsville may still get a first-round game at home.
Playoff standings
Thanks to our friends at harpcrate.com, here’s the region standings of local interest with two weeks to go in Virginia High School League action.
Region 6A: 1. Thomas Dale 32.5; 2. Manchester 31.0; 3. Oscar Smith 30.12; 4. Landstown 25.88; 5. L.C. Bird 25.56; 6. Cosby 24.0; 7. Grassfield 23.81
Should Thomas Dale win out, the Knights can play up to three home games in the Class 6 playoffs. They’d have home field in the six-team region tournament, and this region’s champion will host the Region 6C champion Dec. 5 regardless of power points. Manchester needs Petersburg and/or Hopewell to beat the Knights, and the Lancers must beat RHSA and, ahem, Huguenot, to steal the top seed. Cosby’s 7-6 upset of L.C. Bird on Friday vaulted the Titans into the sixth and final seed. Cosby needs to beat Monacan and Powhatan and get Hickory (6-2) to knock off Grassfield to feel good about a playoff berth.
Region 5C: 1. Highland Springs 31.62; 2. Midlothian 30.67; 3. Douglas Freeman 29.0; 4. Patrick Henry-Roanoke 28.38; 5. Glen Allen 26.0; 6. James River 25.38; 7. Hermitage 25.19; 8. Meadowbrook 24.5; 9. William Fleming 23.56; 10. Prince George 22.12
The top four teams are safely in the postseason. The top eight make the postseason. A Springers win at Varina clinches the top seed, but it’s possible Highland Springs can be No. 1 with a win over Hanover next week. The intrigue begins at No. 5. Glen Allen hosts Trinity Episcopal, then goes to Douglas Freeman in Week 11. James River has Huguenot and L.C. Bird remaining. A Hermitage win over the Mavericks, depending on other results, could see the Panthers move to fifth. Can they catch PH? Likely not. Someone from Richmond will be heading to Roanoke for a region quarterfinal.
Region 4B: 1. Varina 29.29; 2. Louisa 29.25; 3. Huguenot 27.75; 4. Courtland 24.38; 5. Mechanicsville 23.62; 6. Hanover 23.38; 7. Spotsylvania 23.12; 8. King George 22.5; 9. Atlee 20.62
Eight teams advance, so a Mechanicsville win over Atlee on Friday will set the field. Week 11 would be about seeding. Would wins over James River and Manchester be enough for Huguenot to challenge for the top seed? Possibly, but only if Highland Springs beats Varina, and Louisa would have to lose at least once. Two wins for the Blue Devils may be enough to hold off a 10-0 Louisa. After the top three teams, a lot could change with the teams in fourth to eighth within two points of each other. Interestingly, there are no more games pitting two of those five teams against each other.
Region 3A: 1. Petersburg 27.5; 2. Hopewell 25.88; 3. Tabb 25.0; 4. Booker T. Washington 24.38; 5. New Kent 22.5; 6. I.C. Norcom 20.86; 7. Colonial Heights 19.88; 8. Lake Taylor 19.44; 9. Heritage-Newport News 18.5
The Crimson Wave planted their flag atop these standings with their win over Hopewell. The Blue Devils suddenly see Tabb in their rearview mirror, and they will need to win out (Matoaca, Thomas Dale) to ensure two home playoff games. New Kent is surging with four wins in a row but may not have enough time left to catch Booker T. Washington for the fourth seed and a first-round home game. Colonial Heights, now 3-5 after a 3-0 start, is clinging to No. 7 with battles against Meadowbrook and King William ahead.
In Region 3B, Goochland (3-5) has dropped to seventh, .76 ahead of Skyline. The good news is there is a huge gap between Skyline and No. 9 William Monroe, thus, the top eight teams currently look to be safely in the postseason.
Region 2A: 1. King William 25.5; 2. Central-Lunenburg 25.25; 3. Poquoson 24.71; 4. Thomas Jefferson 24.12; 5. Southampton 21.5; 6. Armstrong 21.25; 7. Nottoway 19.89; 8. Randolph-Henry 19.62; 9. Westmoreland 17.88
What a difference two weeks make. The Cavaliers’ wild win at Mechanicsville launches them to the top of the standings. However, the unbeaten Chargers’ remaining strength of schedule means they’ll take the No. 1 seed even if King William finishes 9-1. Poquoson, the four-time defending region champions, lurks closely should both teams stumble. Thomas Jefferson and Armstrong are in the playoffs but nowhere near the seeding they expected to have by this point.
Barring a loss in the final two weeks, Essex will be in its usual top-seeded position in Region 1A. Its win over Northumberland brings it to the verge of clinching. Defending Class 1 state champion Rappahannock holds second.
Girls flag football
At the VHSL group board meetings in Midlothian on Oct. 15, discussions took place concerning the designation of girls flag football as an “emerging sport”. This would begin a three-year period where the league would cultivate the game in schools and regions where it has not been developed yet in order to create enough participation to give it an official sport status, and thus, host state championships.
“There were discussions. … But I haven’t seen anything yet to see if we are moving forward classifying it as an emerging sport,” VHSL Director of Communications Mike McCall said in an email to The Richmonder, adding, “I see little reason why it won’t happen.”
The 2026 fall club seasons continue, as L.C. Bird and Cosby remain the lone unbeatens in Chesterfield, each at 4-0. At the Varina Jamboree on Saturday, the host Blue Devils bested Cristo Rey of Richmond 32-20, Petersburg shut out RHSA 19-0, and Richmond Community defeated Henrico 20-6.
They said it
“We played a good game in all three phases, although we couldn’t stop their run game. This was a great test to prepare us for (the) playoffs. We just tried to keep it simple and control the clock.” – King William quarterback K’Sean Hill on his team’s classic win at Mechanicsville
“Any success we’re having right now is a credit to the kids’ daily focus on winning the moments. It validates the scouting, the prep, the process, the schemes and the culture. Our crew are willing to play harder, for as long as it takes.” – New Kent coach Scott Girolmo discussing his team’s four-game winning streak
“I think, honestly, it just came down to coaching. Coach believed in me, said you got this, and just gave me the rock, and (I) just had to perform.” – Highland Springs quarterback Dashaun Chisem to Jack Fitzpatrick of 106.1 ESPN on how he bounced back from a rough first half to lead his Springers to a win over Hermitage
Our final play
Sadly, lost in the headlines of an extremely busy Week 9 was an impressive performance by the Deep Run Wildcats, who upset Thomas Jefferson 31-21 in a back-and-forth battle.
Despite being just 2-6, watching a good part of this game (among many others) made us wonder just how big this result could be in the grand scheme of things for the Wildcats on Twin Hickory Road.
After parting ways with Joe Mullinax after the 2025 season, George Earle was named ead coach in February. Entering Friday at 1-6, it would be easy, especially for the senior class, to mail it in down the stretch. But Friday’s win proved a seed is germinating at Deep Run.
“The challenge to the guys this week was let’s put all three phases together,” Earle explained Sunday, recalling injury issues earlier in the season that stymied the offense and a decision to change quarterbacks.
Enter one of our “Unsung heroes”: Paxton Hastings.
There’s a twist here. Hastings wasn’t the new quarterback. He was the one replaced.
Sophomore Thomas Sanborn took the reins, rushing and throwing for touchdowns in Friday’s victory. Hastings, a junior captain, focused on his defensive work in the secondary and gave a fantastic example to his teammates, his coaches and his program, what a servant leader does.
That mentality also motivates members of a senior class that has certainly seen ups and downs during their time in a Wildcats uniform.
“Nobody thought we’d be 1-6 going into our next to last home game,” Earle noted. “It’s sometimes hard when you don’t have success, especially right away, for a senior. But I think they played really hard, really well Friday.”
And as for Hastings? He’s solidifying his role as a captain, and a leader, as Earle prepares for a full offseason with his team. The junior varsity is 5-3. Five sophomores played Friday’s game on defense.
“You could not ask for a kid to handle that better,” Earle said of Hastings’ reaction to the signal-caller change. “All he wants to do is win, and he doesn’t care what he has to do. He’s played corner, he’s played safety, tight end, running back, receiver. He’ll do anything. That kind of mindset, the team first, it’s huge, and that’s why he’s a captain for us.”
He’s also the kind of cornerstone you want when the goal is taking a head-turning victory late in October this year, and making it the moment a program changed its fortunes for next year and beyond.
