The roads to Harrisonburg and Lynchburg will both take a detour to eastern Henrico County this Saturday.

Twenty-one was the lucky number for both Highland Springs and Varina in their region championships as the Springers (10-3), as they did a decade ago, denied rival Hermitage a berth in the Class 5 state semifinals with a 21-13 victory on Black Friday, setting up a showdown with Indian River (11-2) from Chesapeake, whom Highland Springs defeated in this round 10 years ago.

The Blue Devils (11-2) jumped to a 21-0 lead, then held on to eliminate Huguenot 21-12 to again capture the Class 4, Region B title on Saturday, advancing to play Jefferson Forest (11-2), from the town of Forest west of Lynchburg.

Both Varina and Highland Springs will be home this Saturday, thanks to having higher point ratings than their opponents in the regular season. 

Unfortunately, both games will kick off at 2 p.m., so fans will have to choose one or the other.

In Class 5, the Springers have the tougher road of the two to a state crown. Should they defeat the Braves, they would face the winner of Stone Bridge (11-1) and Maury (12-1) for the championship on Saturday Dec. 13th at James Madison University. Those two teams met in the Class 5 final in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Highland Springs is 3-1 all-time in championship clashes with Stone Bridge, and defeated Maury in the 2022 title game. 

If victorious, Varina would face the winner of the other Class 4 semifinal between Lafayette and Loudoun County next Saturday at Liberty University. 

A TIP OF THE CAP TO…..

–The aforementioned Falcons of Huguenot. Allowing Varina to build a 21-0 halftime lead was simply too much, though it didn’t stop Charles Scott, Jr. and the Falcons offense from trying. Scott’s five-yard touchdown pass to Michigan commit Markel Dabney got Huguenot (11-2) on the board in the third, while Cartier Canady capitalized on a Blue Devil turnover, finishing the ensuing drive with a short touchdown run.

But the Falcons missed an extra point, then a two-point conversion attempt, leaving them down 9 with time running out. Jayden Walker’s knockdown of a Scott pass on Huguenot’s final possession ended their hopes. Scott, only a sophomore, will lead the Huguenot returnees as they hope to, finally, vanquish Varina.

–Armstrong: A gritty battle between the Wildcats and defending Class 2, Region A champion Poquoson came down to the final Armstrong possession Friday night. The Wildcats, in Islander territory, could not provide quarterback Anthony “Shug” Hansom with a clean pocket, as Poquoson forced him to roll right on second, third, and fourth downs, each time forcing a throw that had to thread a needle to keep hope alive.

But the Wildcats fell short, ending their most magical season with a 12-1 record, still seeking an elusive region title and a chance to play football in December. Tailback Shadarus Pickett will lead a talented group of returnees next season.

–Petersburg: What a debut season for head coach Jerome Mathis. The Crimson Wave finished 9-4, their most wins since capturing the 1979 “Group AAA” state championship with a 14-6 win over Patrick Henry of Roanoke. Despite a two-touchdown margin of victory, Lake Taylor did not dominate Petersburg in the Class 3, Region A title game in Norfolk.

The 40-26 tally showed the Titans’ impressive offense, rushing for nearly 400 yards. But Petersburg’s performance showed that not only are they back, they plan to be a force in Class 3 for years to come.

–Thomas Dale: The frenzied energy generated a week earlier by the Miracle In Chester did not translate in the Class 6, Region A final as the Knights ran into the buzzsaw known as Oscar Smith, falling 48-7. Looking every bit like the defending Class 6 state champions, the Tigers excelled in all three phases, scoring on the ground, through the air, plus a punt return, and keeping Thomas Dale (10-2) off the scoreboard until late in the fourth.

The Knights will lose a lot to graduation, but head coach Kevin Tucker always finds a way to reload, not rebuild, on Route 10.

BIG RIVER RIVALRY ROSTERS SET:

The 11th annual Big River Rivalry, which pits top seniors from high schools north of the James River against their counterparts from schools south of the “dividing line” of Richmond, is set for Saturday December 20th at 12 p.m. The game will take place on Day Field on the campus of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland.

The 2025 rosters were released Tuesday evening, and can be seen here.

This year’s game proceeds will benefit Feed More.

SIGNING PERIOD UNDERWAY

Wednesday marks the beginning of the first official signing period for high school football seniors.

Once upon a time, the future college players would have to wait until the first Wednesday in February to sign on the dotted line. In 2017, the NCAA moved to allow a three-day open window for commits in December, usually a week to 10 days before Christmas.

The current structure means some top talent, like seniors at Varina and Highland Springs, are still playing their final scholastic seasons, creating a balance that must be struck by the players, parents, and coaches to celebrate a decision while not letting it affect game preparation for the student-athlete as well as the team.

Over the years, the February signing period has been significantly muted. And, as the transfer portal has exploded in the new age of college athletics as a whole, it has made decisions at the high school senior level even more critical.

Huguenot’s Markel Dabney is set to join Louisa’s Savion Hiter in signing with the University of Michigan. Varina’s DaMari Carter will put pen to paper to head to the Virginia Cavaliers.

But the big headlines have come from Blacksburg as new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin has been able to convince a group of former Penn State commits to come down Interstate 81 south with him.

That includes Trinity Episcopal’s Davion “Fat Rat” Brown, perhaps the most talented wide receiver in this year’s class in the Commonwealth. Benedictine offensive lineman Maddox Cochrane, who decommitted from the University of Wisconsin two weeks ago after verbaling to the Badgers in April, said yes to the Hokies over the weekend.

Jojo Johnson of Benedictine flipped from Coastal Carolina and will head to the Big Ten with the Purdue Boilermakers, while Hanover standout lineman Brayson Bristow will stay home and sign Wednesday with the University of Richmond Spiders.

Other expected signings include Thomas Jefferson’s Amare Gough to Syracuse, Hiter’s Louisa teammate Dyzier Carter to Rutgers, Powhatan’s talented wide receiver Ben Whitver to James Madison, while Varina’s Sir Paul Cheeks and Manchester’s Jayden Ballard will head to West Virginia University.

OUR FINAL PLAY

There have been numerous storylines of great interest in this 2025 high school football season. 

From the emergence of Petersburg, great turnaround seasons for Meadowbrook and James River and bold in-season scheduling by the likes of Varina and Highland Springs to the continued rise of Richmond public school teams and what feels like a new age in transfers, though the Virginia High School League (VHSL) rules regarding that have not changed, it certainly feels like a new era in the sport.

Add to that the success of RPS’ girls flag football league (plus Varina), its inevitable recognition of the sport from the VHSL, and support from the Washington Commanders, and the future is bright, indeed.

But there are programs seeking answers, and ways to “pull a Petersburg” come 2026, maybe none more so than in Hanover County.

The Hanover Hawks again maximized talent and parlayed a 7-0 start into the Class 4, Region B playoff berth, but were defeated by Dinwiddie handily in the first round to finish at 7-4.

Atlee ended 5-5, while Patrick Henry and Mechanicsville both struggled to get to 3-7. As recently as 2021, the Patriots were a play away from a region title, while the Mustangs have struggled since the pandemic.

Having covered teams in the county for almost 25 years, it is not a matter of having a new school split up rosters. Hanover is the “newest” school in the county, having opened in 2003. Some believe the success of both men’s lacrosse and baseball, especially at Atlee and Hanover, and the rise of “one-sport specialization” have negatively impacted football.

As we’ve stated before, that as a rejuvenated set of programs in Richmond Public Schools is good for the high school football scene overall, a renaissance by our neighbors just to the north would be highly beneficial, too.

Add to that winless seasons for Henrico and Clover Hill, John Marshall’s continued struggles, and disappointing seasons in Colonial Heights and Goochland despite playoff bids in Class 3, and there will be many headlines for the 2026 campaign long before it kicks off in August.