High school football report: Thinning the ranks of the unbeaten

We are down to two unbeaten private school teams, Benedictine and Trinity Episcopal, who join Dinwiddie, Manchester, Thomas Dale, Louisa, Armstrong, Meadowbrook, Hanover and Caroline as teams still perfect as October arrives.

We’ll have a minimum of one less unbeaten come Friday night thanks to our game of the week. Meanwhile, Varina tackles its biggest challenge yet, while Highland Springs gets a Phoebus team that saw its 51-game winning streak end last week.

Week 5 standouts

Iveon Lewis, Huguenot: Caught five passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons torched previously unbeaten Midlothian.

Aaden Spencer, Monacan: Eight receptions for 179 yards and two scores helped the Chiefs knock off Powhatan in their first win under new head coach Justin Akers.

Fred Dolan, Benedictine: A 240-yard, three touchdown day helped the Cadets best St. Christopher’s to move to 5-0. The scoring plays were from 36, 45, and 81 yards.

Patrick Liptrap, Hanover: An “unsung hero” a few weeks ago, Liptrap continued his impressive defensive play with 10 tackles and a forced fumble in the Hawks’ 31-20 win over rival Atlee.

Unsung heroes

Kayden Hughes, Hanover: His statistics are not gaudy, but his presence as a rusher, receiver, and quarterback from the wildcat formation keeps opposing defenses off guard. He scored two rushing touchdowns in the Atlee victory.

The Patrick Henry Secondary: Three huge interceptions helped lock down the Mechanicsville passing game as the Patriots won their ninth consecutive Tomato Bowl, and tenth game over the Mustangs overall, 24-7.

Week 6 Game of the Week

#6 Thomas Dale (4-0) at #12 Meadowbrook (4-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

It’s the biggest homecoming for the Monarchs in over a decade as Meadowbrook seeks to conquer their rivals from Chester and position themselves as not only the surprise team in Class 5, Region C, but as the team to try to knock Dinwiddie off their perch in the Central District. The “Dark Zone” defense of the Knights will be tested, as Meadowbrook averages 43 points per game.

Games we're watching

Varina (4-1) at Grimsley (N.C.), Friday, 7 p.m., Greensboro, North Carolina

The trend of playing out-of-state teams looking for the best competition continues. This time it’s the Blue Devils who make the three and a half hour drive into the Tar Heel state to face the team currently top ranked across all divisions. The Whirlies, 5-0, have scored 131 points in their past two games.

Highland Springs at Phoebus, Thursday, 7 p.m.

The Springers come off a bye week where they witnessed Phoebus lose their first game since November, 2021. Will rested Highland Springs face a wounded, but angry, giant, or a team stunned by their loss to Warwick?

Games under the radar

Thomas Jefferson (4-1) at Heritage-Lynchburg (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

The Vikings also hit the road, taking on a Pioneer team that already holds an impressive 49-6 win over a good E.C. Glass program. They will be Thomas Jefferson’s best opponent since Armstrong, and it could be a track meet.

James River (4-1) at Powhatan (2-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

Very quietly, the Rapids have turned things around at The Swamp, currently tied for third in Class 5, Region C with Midlothian. If they want to be a playoff team with hopes of doing damage in November, James River needs to make Friday’s trip down Route 60 a business affair. But beware the Indians, who let one slip away to Monacan last week and are currently four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in Class 4, Region B.

Rankling over the rankings

In August, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) announced it had turned over the responsibility for creating and tabulating football rankings to their 24 individual regions. Until now, football was the only sport which was handled at the league office. 

So, no longer will we all patiently await a VHSL press release on Mondays or Tuesdays with the latest standings. We also are working on compiling how each region affecting the metro area is coming up with its formula.

Class 4, Region B released its first standings Sunday, and caused some social media fervor. The region is using the same formula the VHSL used for years. But while everyone expected to see Dinwiddie at the top, that wasn’t the case.

The Generals are third at 24.8 points, behind Hanover and Louisa, who are tied for first at 26 points. Caroline is fourth at 24.5, followed by Huguenot (24.25), Varina (23.8), Spotsylvania (23.75) and Courtland (22.5).

In Class 5, Region C, the surprises continued. Patrick Henry of Roanoke stood atop at 27.6, followed by Meadowbrook (26.5), then Midlothian and James River tied for third at 25. Glen Allen is fifth at 24.2, followed by Hermitage (23), then Highland Springs (22.75), with Franklin County eighth at 22.5.

For those unfamiliar with how these standings are determined, you receive a certain amount of points for each game you win, a lesser amount for losses, and bonus points of two per win from teams you have defeated who win games. You get nothing if a team you have beaten loses a contest.

In addition, if you play a team in a higher classification, you earn the points awarded at the higher level as a bonus. Add all the numbers and divide by games played, and there you have it.

Region 5C is also using the former VHSL model, save for certain instances with out of state or boarding schools. 

So, why are Varina and Highland Springs ranked so “low” according to some fans? The two biggest factors here are strength of schedule and victory. If the Springers can run the table and finish 8-2, Patrick Henry may have to go unbeaten, and then, it’ll be up to schedule strength. 

Varina’s tale is different. The loss to Maury hurts them now, but their strength of schedule (see this week) will aid them down the road, especially when Hanover and Caroline continue playing weaker schedules when compared with the Blue Devils. Varina also gets Hanover head-to-head this month.

The bottom line in this new era of regional rankings compilation is to take a deep breath, and let the games be played. The only rankings that will truly matter will come after November 7th.

They said it

“Dashaun Chisem has thrown for 911 yards and 11 touchdowns. We have been able to stay balanced in our attack, which is why we have been able to see success.”– Meadowbrook head coach Billy Rudd on how the Monarchs are averaging 43 points per game.

“Had an alright game. Back to practice to get better for next week.” – Hanover freshman defensive tackle Tavares Carter on his Instagram, working diligently to assist Liptrap and the Hawk defense, who are giving up just 10 points per game.

“My teammates do the dirty work. I gotta chip in some way.” – Dinwiddie quarterback Zion Boisseau explaining a viral photo taken by head coach Billy Mills after their win over Salem showing him sweeping out the locker room long after the final whistle.

Our final play

Lost in all the action last week was Tomato Bowl 67, the oldest rivalry in Hanover County. Patrick Henry used a stingy defensive effort to defeat Mechanicsville 24-7 for their first win.

It is also their ninth consecutive Tomato Bowl victory. The Mustangs, then known as Lee-Davis, last won in 2016. The Patriots now lead the series 36-30-1.

Technically, Patrick Henry has now won their last ten meetings with Mechanicsville. You may recall the Spring 2021 season that made up for the lost COVID Fall of 2020 saw Hanover schools play a six-game schedule, facing each county rival twice. 

But the schools agreed that only one of the two games would be considered a “Tomato Bowl” that year. Thus, the Patriots swept the Mustangs, but only once did they lay claim to a trophy.

This correspondent witnessed his first Tomato Bowl in 1982, and looks forward to a time where the rivalry can ascend again to the place it deserves, amongst the Battle of Chester and Varina/Highland Springs.