High school football report: Hanover stays unbeaten with big test on tap

On paper, the Week 7 schedule did not have the “wow” factor, but it produced important results in the race for the postseason. Atlee and Douglas Freeman both won to move to 3-3, the latter giving Thomas Jefferson their second straight defeat, making their status in Class 2, Region A murkier.

The undefeated teams stayed that way, but those ranks are guaranteed to thin by at least one this weekend. And traditional powers like Dinwiddie and Highland Springs began their ascent in their region standings, hoping to earn as many home playoff games as possible.

WEEK 7 STANDOUTS

Dashaun Chisem, Meadowbrook: The sophomore went 17-of-28 for 278 yards and four touchdowns as the Monarchs moved to 5-1 with a 32-22 win at Prince George.

Anthony Hansom, Armstrong: Calm and collected on Cool Lane, the senior passed for 377 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another in the Wildcats’ shutout of Greensville.

Robert Pettaway, Dinwiddie: Just another day at the office for this General, ringing up eleven tackles, five for loss, plus three quarterback sacks as Dinwiddie rolled past Petersburg.

Landen Abernethy, Manchester: How about seven total touchdowns for the senior, six through the air in a 49-14 win over L.C. Bird. He’ll be slinging the pigskin somewhere on Saturdays in the future, no doubt.

UNSUNG HEROES

The Atlee Raider Defense: In must-win mode weekly for playoff hopes in rugged Class 4, Region B, Matt Gray’s guys held Patrick Henry to just 82 yards of offense in a shutout victory. Now they’ll try to slow down Hansom and the Armstrong offense this week.

Caleb Fischer, Douglas Freeman: His one reception made the difference, a 14-yard touchdown grab in the fourth to lead the Mavericks to a 14-13 win over Thomas Jefferson to stay in the Class 5, Region C playoff race.

WEEK 8 GAME OF THE WEEK

#6 Thomas Dale (6-0) at #1 Dinwiddie (7-0), Friday, 7pm

Zion Boisseau and the high-powered Dinwiddie offense welcome the Dark Zone defense to Cannon Country (IYKYK) in a showcase of two rivals in bitter struggles for supremacy in their individual regions. 

For Dinwiddie, they moved from fifth to first in Class 4, Region B, with Hanover, Louisa and Huguenot all under a point behind. A win over the Knights, a Class 6 school with six wins under their belt, extends that lead. A loss brings them back to the pack. Thomas Dale is tied for second in Class 6, Region A with Manchester, both trying to catch Oscar Smith. That second seed is coveted because it earns you a bye to the region semifinal round.

GAMES WE’RE WATCHING

#12 Hermitage (5-1) at Glen Allen (5-2), Friday, 7pm

If the Class 5, Region C playoffs began this week, this would be the #7 at #2 region quarterfinal. It’s perhaps the biggest game in the decade and a half history of this rivalry, the Battle of Staples Mill Road. Avery Curtis looks to run through and around the Jaguar defense, while Ralphie Puccinelli is ready to put on another show to keep Glen Allen on pace to either catch top seeded Patrick Henry of Roanoke, continue to stave off Highland Springs, or both.

#11 Hanover (6-0) at #3 Varina (4-2), Friday, 7pm

Very few people outside Hanover County are giving the Hawks a chance to win on Route 5 Friday. Varina, coming off their bye week, is now down one key player as Sir Paul Cheeks is on the shelf after suffering a torn ACL. But with Wyche, Farley, and so many others still taking the field, the Blue Devils are determined to fight through the Region 4B gauntlet and return to the state championship game. This is step one.

GAMES UNDER THE RADAR

Midlothian (5-2) at Cosby (2-4), Friday, 7pm

The Trojans saw Highland Springs pass them for fourth place in Region 5C, and, with the next four teams below them within two and a half points, an eleventh game is not secured. But they travel to face a Cosby team locked in a battle with Landstown (Virginia Beach) for the sixth and final postseason bid in Region 6A. The two teams are currently separated by .04 of a point. The Eagles are on a bye this week.

Deep Run (2-4) at Douglas Freeman (3-3), Friday, 7pm

The Wildcats have lost four straight, are presently 13th in Class 5, Region C, and are in must-win mode, especially since their opponent is one of the teams they must leapfrog in order to clinch a playoff berth. The Mavericks are in ninth, just one-third of a point behind William Fleming for the eighth and final postseason berth. Deep Run needs to dig deep, and hope Prince George, Franklin County and Albemarle each lose Friday.

PLAYOFF RACE – THE LATEST

In Class 6, Region A, Oscar Smith remains two points ahead of both Thomas Dale and Manchester. L.C. Bird is in fifth, followed by the aforementioned Cosby/Landstown showdown.

Glen Allen stays in second in Class 5, Region C behind unbeaten Patrick Henry of Roanoke. Meadowbrook lurks in third, less than a half point behind, followed by surging Highland Springs, Midlothian, James River and Hermitage. The Panthers have a one point edge over current #8 William Fleming.

The biggest hype from fans continues to be talk about the Class 4, Region B race. Dinwiddie, by virtue of a win over a four-win Petersburg team, shot up to the top spot, just .143 ahead of fellow unbeaten Hanover. Should both teams win Friday, the Generals lead would actually widen some, playing a six-win school from Class 6. A Class 4 team playing a Class 6 team automatically earns four bonus points.

Louisa and Huguenot are neck-and-neck in third and fourth, both under a point behind Dinwiddie and both suddenly Thomas Dale fans this week. Louisa travels to 3-3 Albemarle (Class 5) while the Falcons host fellow Region 4B foe Powhatan (3-3). The Indians and Atlee are the two teams outside the top eight with any realistic chance of making a run at a bid.

Caroline, 6-0 for the first time in school history, is fifth, followed by Courtland, who stunned Spotsylvania late in their game Friday knocking the Knights to eighth, and, yes, Varina. The Blue Devils are tied for sixth with the Cougars, and seek separation come Friday.

Class 3, Region A standings were delayed due to the gunfire incident just off-campus near the end of the Churchland/I.C. Norcom game on Friday. The contest, with only :39 left, was scheduled to resume Tuesday evening. New Kent, Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights are all looking to earn bids.

Poquoson continues to lead Class 2, Region A by nearly three points over unbeaten Armstrong, while Thomas Jefferson slips into a sixth place tie with King William, who defeated Halifax Friday.

THEY SAID IT

“We had a great week of preparation and practice. Being in high pressure moments, I feel, helped us this week against Prince George. We knew they were going to use heavy and unbalanced formations with a dynamic run game, but our guys did what they have done all season by trusting the schemes and doing their job.” – Meadowbrook head coach Billy Rudd on how his Monarchs matured in their heartbreaking loss to Thomas Dale, and how those lessons paid dividends on the road against the Royals on Friday night.

“I wanted to work on the passing game, because we haven’t been clicking on all cylinders. I know our running game was good, so I wanted to open with the pass, and I thought tonight we were successful with some things.” – Armstrong head coach Jeremy Pruitt speaking to ESPN Richmond after the Wildcats moved to 7-0 with a 59-6 win over Greensville.

OUR FINAL PLAY

There is something to be said about the ability to “run the table” and finish a season undefeated. But we’ve seen many 10-0 teams get tripped up in their playoff opener and see a season with so much success come to a jarring close.

So, just for fun, of the undefeated teams remaining entering week eight, who, in our estimation, has the best chance to head into postseason play 10-0, with a chance at that elusive 15-0 mark that would signify an unblemished state champion?

Strength of the remaining schedule, we believe, is a great barometer for judgement, but so are the names of the teams you must still face.

First, four of the teams face off: Thomas Dale and Dinwiddie Friday, Benedictine and Trinity Episcopal on November 1st. In addition, two more, Hanover and Armstrong, do battle October 30th, but the Hawks are underdogs at Varina this Friday.

Louisa seems to have the best path outside those four, with four district rivals with a combined .500 record, followed by Manchester (though they finish the regular season at Huguenot), Armstrong (Atlee, Hanover, Mechanicsville), Caroline, and then Hanover, who have Varina this week, then Henrico, Armstrong and Highland Springs.

But every coach in this group will tell you they’ll trade that “0” in the loss column for five straight wins after the regular season, and the state title trophy that comes with it.