High school football report: It's getting crowded in Region 4B
There are some weeks when the status quo dominates. Teams that should win get the job done. Our game of the week lived up to its billing, as Thomas Dale found a way to hold off a gutsy Glen Allen squad in a battle of ranked teams 14-8.
Meanwhile, the 3-0 starts of Caroline and Hanover make an already rugged Class 4, Region B that more difficult, trying to nip at the heels of Dinwiddie, Varina, Huguenot, and Louisa. Week five promises fireworks in Hanover County, with the oldest rivalry, and most bitter rivalry, both on tap, while Henrico’s west end teams begin their round robin, and one ranked team gets its toughest test yet.
Week 4 standouts
Charles Scott, Jr., Huguenot: Threw for four touchdowns and 339 yards in a victory at Cosby. The Falcons have outscored their last two opponents 114-0.
Jordan Clarke, James River: A school-record 359 yards rushing and four TDs as the Rapids bested Monacan 34-27.
Brennan Ball, Mechanicsville: 23 carries, 234 yards, 4 TD’s in win over John Marshall, now has 540 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in his past two games.
Prince George Defense: Stymied Douglas Freeman, holding the Mavericks to 91 total yards, only six rushing, in a 23-10 victory to improve to 2-1.
Unsung heroes
MJ Crocker, Austin Robinson, and Drew Pendlebury, St. Christopher’s: Each player hauled in an interception to help the Saints go to 4-0 in a 17-10 win over Norfolk Academy.
Kevin Brown, Meadowbrook: Ten tackles, three of them for losses, 4 ½ sacks, and three forced fumbles as the Monarchs moved to 3-0 for the first time in fourteen years defeating Deep Run.
Kyle Bitsko, Douglas Freeman: Made a school-record 50-yard field goal in the Mavericks’ loss at Prince George.
Week 5 game of the week
#10 Huguenot (2-1) at #11 Midlothian (4-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Trojans step up, big time, in competition and their defense, which has been playing lights out so far, will be sorely tested, especially in the secondary. Charles Scott has become a young man on a mission, and has to be, while dueling with the likes of Zion Boisseau of Dinwiddie, Kaleb Wyche of Varina, Blake Morris of Caroline and Savion Hiter of Louisa as offensive leaders for the favorites in Class 4, Region B. Meanwhile, Midlothian stakes their claim as a top contender if Class 5, Region C should they emerge victorious, but would still be in the thick of the postseason race even with a defeat.
Games we're watching
Hanover (3-0) at Atlee (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Hawks and Raiders first clashed in 2003 and have produced a series of classics over the past two decades. It’s also, by far, the most heated rivalry Hanover County has to offer. Sam Rogers’ Hanover offense has only scored 16 points in its last two games, but won both thanks to superior defense led by last week’s unsung hero Patrick Liptrap. Atlee, after an 0-2 start, has righted the ship. The winner here takes a giant step closer to being in the playoff conversation in Region 4B as we turn to October.
#9 St. Christopher’s (4-0) at #2 Benedictine (4-0), Friday, 4 p.m.
Something’s gotta give. Do the Cadets poke holes in a stellar Saints’ defense, or can St. Christopher’s be the first team to slow down Luke Kincaid and the Benedictine attack?
Games under the radar
Powhatan (2-2) at Monacan (0-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Chiefs gave 3-1 James River all they could handle last week. Powhatan, like Atlee, needs a win to be 3-2 halfway home in Region 4B. The Indians haven’t looked the part of Powhatan the past two weeks and should be prepared to right the ship.
Hampton (3-0) at Glen Allen (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Credit the Jaguars for building a very impressive schedule. But after heartbreaking losses to unbeatens Manchester and Thomas Dale, Glen Allen faces a precipice Friday. The Crabbers are a perennial power in the 757. Win, and you’re not only back over .500, you’ll earn critical bonus points in the Region 5C race. Lose, and it’s a 2-3 record with all your west end rivals waiting to take their shot at you. Nothing postseason related is certain yet for the Jags.
Hot times on Cool Lane
The scores that haunt Jeremy Pruitt right now are “30-28” and “36-34.”
The Armstrong head coach is motivated by how the past two seasons ended, falling in a region championship in 2023, then a region semifinal eleven months ago.
So, while his program is pleased with its 4-0 start ahead of a Thursday night trip to new Class 2, Region A rival King William, to the Wildcats, the road is just beginning.
“They’ve learned how to stick together when things got tough,” Pruitt said when asked about his 2025 Wildcats, specifically, about the roller coaster ride that was their Week 2 win over rival Thomas Jefferson in a game delayed by weather and finished four days later.
“Coming out victorious then, it showed us we are a different team now,” Pruitt noted. “Our practice jerseys read ‘finish strong’. It’s a constant reminder that we can’t keep losing by two every year in the important games.”
Where Armstrong football is already a champion is on their campus on Cool Lane. Once an afterthought on many a Capital District schedule, Armstrong now has the ability granted by the VHSL in recent years to replace district games against teams who are, frankly, much better (i.e. Highland Springs, Varina) with more competitive opponents in classifications at or near your size.
Every week is a winnable week. They’ll face their first Capital District opponent in week six against Henrico. The vibe that has electrified campus in recent years when a program can build to be a perennial playoff participant has permeated every corner of the building.
“The program is so much further ahead. Some of my coaches work over at (Martin Luther King Middle) so they run what we run,” Pruitt explained, noting the benefits of bringing young men to varsity in recent seasons that don’t have to be taught the whole playbook.
“We’ve got teachers on the sidelines helping to get the kids water. The support system is unbelievable from both the student body and the staff,” Pruitt said.
So, a tip of the cap to Wildcat Nation, showing again the servant leadership pays big dividends, as Armstrong reaps the rewards both on the field and in the classroom.
They said it
“The two defenses were able to limit each other’s offensive opportunities. It was special teams that came up with a huge punt to flip the field and give our defense one more chance to get a stop.” – Thomas Dale head coach Kevin Tucker explaining the razor-thin difference in the Knights’ 14-8 win over Glen Allen.
“Personally, I’ve learned to be myself, take what the defense gives, and have fun. Remember, it’s a game. I’ve been playing since I was five years old, and pressure is a privilege.” – Huguenot quarterback Charles Scott, Jr. on what lessons he learned after the Falcons opening week loss to St. Christopher’s, which has helped him explode in the passing game.
Our final play
We were stunned by the news Tuesday morning of the passing of Thomas Dale football great Rudi Johnson just shy of his 46th birthday.
Johnson was formally inducted into the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame just last week. A successful stint at Auburn, in which he was named SEC Player of The Year in 2000, led him to the NFL, where he made the Pro Bowl as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for 5,979 yards and 49 touchdowns in his professional career.
Reports have indicated that Johnson took his own life. It is a stark reminder for fans to, again, fully realize the risks football athletes take, and how critical it is, in this age of enhanced analytics on concussions and similar issues, for no one to shake something off, or pretend it didn’t happen.
Our deepest condolences extend to Johnson’s family, friends, former teammates, and, of course, Knight Nation, which will enter the Homecoming game Friday against Prince George with heavy hearts.
This week's schedule
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25:
Armstrong at King William, 7pm
RSFA at L.C. Bird, 7pm
Meadowbrook at Hopewell, 7pm
Colonial Heights at Petersburg, 7pm
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26:
St. Christopher's at Benedictine, 4pm
TOMATO BOWL 67: Patrick Henry at Mechanicsville, 7pm
Matoaca at Dinwiddie, 7pm
Hanover at Atlee, 7pm
Henrico at Varina, 7pm
Hampton at Glen Allen, 7pm
Deep Run at Hermitage, 7pm
J.R. Tucker at Mills Godwin, 7pm
Booker T. Washington vs. John Marshall, 7pm, Hovey Field, VUU
Manchester at Cosby, 7pm
Clover Hill at James River, 7pm
Powhatan at Monacan, 7pm
Huguenot at Midlothian, 7pm
Prince George at Thomas Dale, 7pm
Collegiate at Paul VI, 7pm
Goochland at Orange, 7pm
Fluvanna at Louisa, 7:30pm
Caroline at Chancellor, 7pm
Smithfield at New Kent, 7pm
Cumberland at Charles City, 7pm
Rappahannock at Middlesex, 7pm
West Point at Northampton, 7pm
Mathews at Northumberland, 7pm
Amelia at Nottoway, 7pm
Buckingham at Prince Edward, 7pm
Central-Lunenburg at Randolph-Henry, 7pm
Spotsylvania at Culpeper, 7pm
Courtland at King George, 7pm
Eastern View at James Monroe, 7pm
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27:
Flint Hill at Trinity Episcopal, 1pm
