High school football preview: Varina, Huguenot are early favorites

On the eve of the 2025 season, high school football fans are being treated to unusual weather, teasing autumn, but which also represents a breath of fresh air. It’s a metaphor for a clean slate for teams across the area, dreaming of hoisting a state championship trophy.

Each week we’ll chronicle those journeys, from the biggest headlines to the untold stories, and hopefully add to your enjoyment of Friday night lights.

This week: A look at the games to watch this weekend, some high-profile college commitments, the full schedule and everything else you need to know before opening night. We'll start with the area's top teams.

SUPER 12 POLL

#1 -- VARINA (12-2 last season, Class 4 State Runner-Up): A star quarterback, an embarrassment of riches at running back, a stingy defense. It's a recipe for another run to Liberty University in December...except the Blue Devils are in the toughest region in the Commonwealth. They'll have to deal with the likes of Huguenot, Dinwiddie, Louisa, and many others.

#2 -- HUGUENOT (11-1, lost to Varina in Region 4B Semifinal): They're experienced, with ridiculous talent across the board, but the Blue Devils taught them why there's a big difference between the regular season and the postseason last year. Adding St. Christopher's to their schedule, whom they host this Friday, was a great move.

#3 -- HIGHLAND SPRINGS (9-4, lost to Oscar Smith in Region 6A Championship): They return to Class 5 this year, but don't think it makes it suddenly easier for them to return to a title. The Springers have a monster schedule, as always, and our "Feel Good" friend Sean Robertson says he's hearing echoes of 2017, when a group of "August unknowns" became December heroes when they captured their third of four straight VHSL championships.

#4 -- BENEDICTINE (9-3, VISAA Division I Champions): A changing of the guard over at Bobby Ross as Greg Lilly steps away as head coach after 94 wins, handing the reins to Kurt Von Bargen, who knows what he's got in quarterback Carson Lambert. Nothing will come easy for the Cadets, but they can win it all again.

#5 -- DINWIDDIE (11-2, lost to Varina in Region 4B Championship): Yes, the Harry Dalton era is over. Enter Zion Boisseau, who seems ready to step in and guide the Generals back into the playoffs. Fans should realize it might take a little time to get the offense in gear, but it'll do so. We believe better defense will be key to carrying Dinwiddie far in 2025.

#6 -- THOMAS DALE (6-5, lost to Manchester in Region 6A Quarterfinal): Everybody seems to be sleeping on the Knights. 2024 was a difficult campaign in Chester with a ton of injuries, but in a brutally tough Central District, never forget about Thomas Dale.

#7 -- LOUISA (9-3, lost to William Fleming in Region 5C Semifinal): We know they can run the ball. A good passing game and a better defense will be key to see if the Lions can finally climb the mountain in Class 4.

#8 -- TRINITY EPISCOPAL (5-4, lost to Benedictine in VISAA Division I Semifinal): Head Coach Sam Mickens has plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball, and plenty of gunpowder for the cannon to help the Titans achieve a return to recent past glory and, maybe, another state championship.

#9 – MANCHESTER (8-5, lost to Oscar Smith in Region 6A Semifinal): It's been a full offseason for head coach Jason Harrell, who has a fourth-year starter under center in Landon Abernathy. He's ready to prove that he is ready to lead the Lancers to a deeper postseason run, as well as proving he's ready for the next level. Highland Springs leaves Class 6, but L.C. Bird moves up, so that Oct. 10 trip to Chester looms large, as does a Sept. 5 trip across the river against the team right below them....

#10 -- GLEN ALLEN (10-2, lost to Highland Springs in Region 6A Semifinal): Of all the western Henrico schools, it's the Jaguars with the most momentum heading into 2025. The name to watch is junior quarterback Ralphie Puccinelli. If his line can keep him upright, look out for the Jaguar offense this season.

#11 -- THOMAS JEFFERSON (12-1, lost to Kettle Run in Region 3A Championship): An undefeated regular season. A three-point heartbreaking loss with a trip to the Class 3 semifinals on the line. A spectacular season for a Viking program that, a decade or so earlier, struggled to put a competitive team on the field. Now with their move to Class 2, the hopes and dreams of a state championship from Viking fans grows louder, and their team has plenty of reason for hope.

#12 -- MATOACA (10-2, lost to L.C. Bird in Region 5C Semifinal): Their youngsters must grow up fast, as the schedule is brutal, beginning with a trip to Hermitage Thursday, followed by fellow ranked teams in Benedictine and Louisa.

*******

ON THE CUSP: L.C. Bird, Hopewell, Midlothian, Hermitage, St. Christopher's, Armstrong, Powhatan, Douglas Freeman, Atlee, Hanover, Prince George, Caroline

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

L.C. Bird at Midlothian (Thursday): The Skyhawks have just three starters back from their state semifinal team, and have moved up to Class 6. The Trojans have an early chance to get a signature win to help them in the race for the playoffs in Class 5, Region C.

Hopewell at #3 Highland Springs: The Blue Devils, coming off a rare non-playoff season, have to head to eastern Henrico, where the Springers have had a quiet offseason, and, back in Class 5, look to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their first on-field state title with a repeat.

GAME UNDER THE RADAR

Henrico at Petersburg (Thursday): Former NFL wide receiver Jerome Mathis takes over for the Crimson Wave. Henrico will provide a good opening test for two programs which have rich histories, but recently have underperformed. 

THREE POWER FOUR COMMITMENTS

Last week, the top-rated running back of the Class of 2026, Savion Hiter of Louisa, verbally committed to the University of Michigan, ending a recruiting odyssey that saw even Bill Belichick find his way to Mineral for a visit.

Friday night, St. Christopher’s star lineman Darius Gray chose South Carolina over Ohio State, Tennessee, Clemson and LSU. Gray is ranked as the best offensive lineman nationally in the 2026 class.

Another offensive lineman, T-Ron Richardson of Hopewell, a three-star recruit, declared the University of Oklahoma his future home in a ceremony on Tuesday evening. 

Of the three, only Richardson had an in-state program among his finalists: Virginia Tech. It is fantastic that the level of talent, both in the 804 and across the Commonwealth, continues to grow. It will be even better to see some of the riches stay close to home. This isn’t an indictment on these young men and their decisions. They’ve done what they and their families believe are best for them, which should always be the case.

It’s more an indictment of the current state of both the Hokies and the Cavaliers, teams fighting to get out of the bottom half of the overcrowded Atlantic Coast Conference. 

STATE TITLE DROUGHT ENDS?

No Richmond-area school captured a VHSL state championship in either 2023 or 2024. Who is best suited to end the drought?

With Highland Springs moving back to Class 5, the Springers’ path to December is only marginally better. The biggest roadblock, again, will be Maury from the 757, two-time defending champs. The Springers have two-time defending Class 4 champion Phoebus on their schedule October 2.

Ironically, it’s the Phantoms who beat Varina in Class 4 last December in the final, and will have to be vanquished if the Blue Devils, or Huguenot or Dinwiddie, want to lift a trophy. Varina faces Maury next Friday. Both Maury and Phoebus went undefeated each of the past two seasons.

With Thomas Jefferson and Armstrong moving from Class 3 to Class 2, both believe their dreams are alive, well, and maybe improved, as they move away from Liberty Christian, the back-to back champions in Class 3. 

The drought has not extended to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA), as Benedictine and Trinity Episcopal have dominated the Division I private school scene post-COVID, and hope to do so again this year.

FOOTBALL PARTICIPATION STEADY

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) released their 2024-25 sports participation numbers this week. Football remains at the top with just over 1.03 million student-athletes for the third straight year. 

The rising star on the scholastic scene is girls flag football, moving from 20,875 participants in 913 schools nationwide in 2022-23 to 68,847 players in 2,736 schools last year. That number includes the burgeoning flag football scene in our area, led by Richmond Public Schools.

The VHSL currently does not recognize the sport, but with Fairfax County Schools considering the sport for 2026 and a push elsewhere in Northern Virginia by the Washington Commanders to grow the game, expect it to happen in the near future.

The addition of women’s flag football to the Games of The 34th Olympiad in Los Angeles come 2028 will only add fuel to the growth.

OUR FINAL PLAY

This space will feature not only top and key performances by student-athletes each week, but we want to dig deeper. We’ve asked coaches to identify hidden gems. Those are players who may play positions that do not produce many statistics, a second-teamer pressed into duty and rising up to meet the challenge.

If you know of a player deserving of a moment in the spotlight from your favorite school, please let us know. 

And let’s always remember, no matter how high the stakes are on the scoreboard, our focus should only be on making the high school sports experience for student-athletes life changing. The lessons learned both on the field of play and off can transform teenagers into young adults, so long as the rest of us, separated from our high school years by the ravages of time, keep ourselves centered as coaches, parents, and fans.

Week 1 full schedule

THURSDAY AUGUST 28:

St. Michael the Archangel at Benedictine, 4pm

Mechanicsville at Deep Run, 7pm

Atlee at Douglas Freeman, 7pm

Henrico at Petersburg, 7pm

Prince George at Glen Allen, 7pm

J.R. Tucker at Caroline, 7pm

Matoaca at Hermitage, 7pm

Louisa at Mills Godwin, 7pm

I.C. Norcom vs. Thomas Jefferson, 7pm, Hovey Field, VUU

Franklin at John Marshall, 7pm, Armstrong

Thomas Dale at Cosby, 7pm

Monacan at Manchester, 7pm

James River at Greensville, 7pm

L.C. Bird at Midlothian, 7pm

Clover Hill at Meadowbrook, 7pm

Powhatan at Orange, 7pm

Dinwiddie at Colonial Heights, 7pm

King William at Amelia, 7pm

New Kent at Gloucester, 7pm

Charles City at Lancaster, 7pm

Cumberland at Mathews, 7pm

Middlesex at Surry, 7pm

Altavista at Central Lunenburg, 7pm

Randolph-Henry at Nelson County, 7pm

Rappahannock at Nandua, 6pm

Brooke Point at King George, 7pm

FRIDAY AUGUST 29:

Trinity Episcopal at North Cross, 4pm

Richmond School For The Arts (RSFA) at Armstrong, 7pm

Hopewell at Highland Springs, 7pm

St. Christopher's at Huguenot, 7pm

Patrick Henry at Bethel, 7pm, Darling Stadium

Varina at William Fleming, 7pm

Collegiate at Albemarle, 7pm

Goochland at Nottoway, 7pm

Colonial Beach at West Point, 7pm

Northumberland at Northampton, 7pm

Westmoreland at James Monroe, 7pm

Massaponax at Courtland, 7pm

John Handley at Eastern View, 7pm

Chancellor at Riverbend, 7pm

Fluvanna at Spotsylvania, 7pm

This article's headline was updated to reflect that Huguenot is the No. 2 team in the area.