The heat (and humidity) return just in time for a red-hot week two schedule, featuring several big matchups, some more important in the long run than others.

St. Christopher’s led the area's private schools to a 4-0 combined start, holding then-No. 2 Huguenot to only six points, while Manchester and Caroline both hung 83 (!) on their opponents. Western Henrico looked strong with Glen Allen, Hermitage, Deep Run and Douglas Freeman all posting victories. 

Super 12 poll:

1) VARINA (1-0, was #1, vs Maury Friday, 7pm) – The Blue Devils took care of business in Roanoke, blazing to a big halftime lead and giving their quarterback the rest of the evening off. Now it's one of two games on the docket this week that, in the grand scheme of regional standings, matter, but not quite as much as you think. Win or lose, Varina gets big time points for playing Maury. Both will certainly be high seeds in their respective classifications. But it is 804 vs. 757, which is all the juice this battle needs.

2) HIGHLAND SPRINGS (1-0, was #3, vs Hough (NC) Friday, 7pm) – The same plot line applies here as the Springers welcome Hough from suburban Charlotte, who are 2-0 and began the season ranked second in the "8A" state classification poll presented by the Charlotte Observer. It's a relatively new school, having opened in 2010, and whose enrollment is around 2,500 students, more than any Richmond area high school.

3) BENEDICTINE (1-0, was #4, at Matoaca Friday, 7pm) – What a statement win for the Cadets in their opener, shutting out their VISAA Division I State Championship opponent from last year, St. Michael the Archangel, 38-0.

4) DINWIDDIE (1-0, was #5, at Granby Friday, 7pm) – The budgets are smaller at this level of football, so Zion Boisseau couldn't buy his offensive linemen expensive watches or a steak dinner after their sterling performance in the Generals' win over Colonial Heights. But he did bring donuts! We think the Generals have found the next in a continual series of offensive leaders that should continue to bring Billy Mills and Dinwiddie much success.

5) MANCHESTER (1-0, was #9, at Glen Allen Friday, 7pm) – No one would be truthful if they told you they knew before the Lancers' 83-13 win over Monacan that a 70-point difference was in the offing.

6) THOMAS DALE (1-0, was #6, vs. L.C. Bird Saturday, 2pm) – Step one in the reboot of a veteran Knights team is complete, scoring in all three phases of the game in their win over Cosby. Now, they get set to host the Battle of Chester this Saturday against a Skyhawk team still looking for their first score of the season after a 19-0 loss at Midlothian.

7) TRINITY EPISCOPAL (1-0, was #8, vs. Fork Union Saturday, 1pm) – An excellent start to the season with the win over North Cross. Now they prepare to host Fork Union, hoping the defense can hold them to less than the 28 points surrendered to North Cross in the opener.

8) GLEN ALLEN (1-0, was #10, vs. #5 Manchester Friday, 7pm) – What a dominant performance by the Jaguars in a game to be expected to be much closer. The Glen Allen offensive line had an outstanding night, enabling Ralphie Puccinelli to run wild to victory. Now, however, they take a big step up in competition as Manchester, the 83-point machine in Week 1, comes calling.

9) LOUISA (1-0, was #7, vs. Courtland Friday, 7:30pm) – Even without Savion Hiter, the Lions rolled up 42 points in their win at Mills Godwin. Now, the Jungle opens for the first time in 2025 with a huge early season test with Courtland, who are already making waves in Region 4B.

10) ST. CHRISTOPHER'S (1-0, NEW, at Episcopal Saturday, 1pm) --The Falcons blew so many opportunities last week, but St. Christopher's did not, including a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Saints must learn from this win, and quickly pivot to Episcopal.

11) HUGUENOT (0-1, was #2, BYE) – The Falcons have to stew for two weeks over their lackluster performance against St. Christopher's. I do feel sorry for their next opponent, Clover Hill, who hosts the Falcons on Thursday September 11. This is still a program with uber talent. Melding it into a team that can contend for a championship seems to be priority one.

12) THOMAS JEFFERSON (1-0, was #10, vs. Armstrong Thursday, 4:45pm) – A good shutout win over I.C. Norcom christened the Vikings' new era in Class 2. Now, a showdown. The Vikings host Armstrong, also new to Class 2, both in Region 2A, and both are favorites for the top seed. Thus, you don't need me to tell you just how big the first game of Week 2 is going to be. 

Week 1 standouts:

Kaleb Wyche, Varina: 17 of 19 passing, 277 yards, 4 TD’s; 3 carries, 20 yards, TD in 41-14 win over William Fleming

Kaden Jones, Meadowbrook: 4 receptions, 87 yards, 3 TD’s, two pick six interceptions totalling 165 yards in 60-0 win over Clover Hill.

Jamel Howard, Deep Run: 17 carries, 146 yards, 3 TD’s in 31-10 victory over Mechanicsville.

Help in the trenches:

The Glen Allen and Deep Run offensive lines both dominated opponents in their openers, as the Jaguars rode the legs and arm of quarterback Ralphie Puccinelli to a 49-6 romp over Prince George, while Howard took advantage of big holes for his three-score performance against the Mustangs.

The Jags feature Teddy Bonham and Nehemiah Ferguson at tackle, Emre Batuk and C.J. Sinclair at guard and Cannon Vernon at center. Their first-half performance put the game away early for Glen Allen.

Nemmy Okerulu, Ben Arroyo, Quinn Smith are the nucleus of the Wildcats up front, joined by seniors Ryan Dillman and Darryl Smith. They’ll look to continue their winning ways against Atlee on Friday.

Game of the week:

#5 Manchester (1-0) at #8 Glen Allen (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Games pitting the 804 vs. 757, or Virginia vs. North Carolina, are great to get the fans fired up, and serve as tremendous early season tests. Varina and Highland Springs have those opportunities.

But for our money, we look at a matchup whose result could have much bigger playoff implications for both teams, with Manchester still in Class 6, Region A, and Glen Allen back in Class 5, Region C. Not to mention a tremendous quarterback showdown between the Jaguars’ Puccinelli and four-year starter Landon Abernathy of Manchester.

If you missed out on tickets to either Varina or Highland Springs, do yourself a favor and get to Glen Allen Friday night. It promises to be something special.

Games we're watching:

Armstrong at Thomas Jefferson, Thursday, 4:45 p.m.

A week two rivalry showdown which could determine the top seed in Class 2, Region A? Absolutely. Advantage here to the Vikings for two reasons. First, they’re at home. Second, they had a much better week one opponent, shutting out I.C. Norcom 14-0, while Armstrong had little issue with Richmond High School for The Arts, winning 66-0. Coaches love to say you get your biggest jump improvement wise from week one to week two of a campaign. Let’s see who has the higher ceiling on Thursday.

Douglas Freeman (1-0) at Midlothian (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

The Mavericks scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to knock off Atlee 21-14 last week, while Midlothian handed L.C. Bird a rare shutout, as the Trojans prevailed 19-0. Along with Highland Springs, Hermitage, Glen Allen, these two teams look to set the pace in Class 5, Region C with a 2-0 start. Only one will do so. 

Game under the radar:

The Battle of Chester: L.C. Bird (0-1) at #6 Thomas Dale (1-0), Saturday, 11 a.m.

It’s almost unfathomable to believe that this titanic rivalry is a footnote on the docket this week. But with L.C. Bird’s slow start and Thomas Dale reworking the pieces from last year’s injury–plagued campaign, it has taken a bit of a back seat. But none of that will matter when the ball hits the air at Ed Karpus Field, and the Knights would love nothing more than to start 2-0, and, of course, knock their archrivals to 0-2, with Glen Allen on the horizon on September 19th.

The bots are back:

A new season, and the same old threat on social media. 

Across platforms, schools were sharing posts that claimed to have a link to watch their team live online. The only problem is they are scams, just waiting to collect your personal information.

The Virginia High School League (VHSL) has an agreement with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for video broadcasts of all of their sports. Some private schools broadcast on their websites, others on YouTube.

Teams, coaches and social media managers must be alert to “lookalike” social media account “handles” that can fool people into believing the link provided on the bot post will actually work. In truth, it is a phishing expedition.

The VHSL is found on X as @VHSL_ , on Instagram as vhsl.official, and is at facebook.com/virginiahighschoolleague .

NFHSNetwork.com is where you’ll find actual video links. You’ll need a subscription to watch.

For example, one team shared an Instagram post boasting about a broadcast. The account was “vhsl.officiall”. One extra “l” at the end. Beware of the scammers.

Year of the Quarterback?

Only one game in, and signal callers across the region are making immediate impacts.

In addition to Wyche, Puccinelli and Abernathy, Zion Boisseau of Dinwiddie, Anthony Hansom of Armstrong, and Gibson Gross of Midlothian all turned in stellar performances. And, when Benedictine starting quarterback Carson Lambert went out with an injury, backup Luke Kincaid answered the bell and threw four touchdown passes as the Cadets rolled over their state title opponent of a year ago, St. Michael the Archangel, 38-0.

It could be worse:

Football Scoop reports Whitlow High School in Ohio, after a 1-0 start, stumbled in the first half of game two, having three touchdowns called back due to penalties. Their head coach, Andrew Berry, then made an unusual halftime decision. 

The team stayed on the field and did “bear crawls”, which are accompanied by a mandatory push-up every five yards. It worked, as Whitlow went on for a 36-7 victory.

It would be interesting to find out the reaction of the fans watching this impromptu practice/punishment, and, especially, if there, what the marching band thought about it.

They said it:

“Luke was confident and the kids responded around him. He’s our starting catcher in baseball so big moments aren’t new to him.” – New Benedictine Head Coach Kurt von Bargen of Kincaid’s big day replacing the injured Carson Lambert.

“They’re the reason I get to do my job on this offense, and it’s a blessing to have guys like that going to war every snap.” – Glen Allen quarterback Ralphie Puccinelli

Our final play:

Our thanks to all the coaches and staff who sent in statistics, star performances, and hidden gems from the first week of the season. Keep them coming in, as we want to spotlight as many student-athletes, and other team members, as possible as the year unfolds.

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

Week 2 schedule:

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4:

Armstrong at Thomas Jefferson, 4:45pm

Meadowbrook at Kecoughtan, 7pm

I.C. Norcom at Petersburg, 7pm

Caroline at Colonial Heights, 7pm

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5:

Collegiate at Potomac, 4:45pm

Atlee at Deep Run, 7pm

Monacan at Hanover, 7pm

Hough at Highland Springs, 7pm

Maury at Varina, 7pm

Hermitage at Henrico, 7pm

Mills Godwin at Patrick Henry, 7pm

Goochland at Mechanicsville, 7pm

Manchester at Glen Allen, 7pm

Prince George at J.R. Tucker, 7pm

Benedictine at Matoaca, 7pm

Dinwiddie at Granby, 7pm, Powhatan Field

Douglas Freeman at Midlothian, 7pm

Southampton vs. John Marshall, 7pm, Hovey Field, VUU

Cosby at James River, 7pm

RSFA at Powhatan, 7pm

Mecklenburg at Hopewell, 7pm

Courtland at Louisa, 7:30pm

New Kent at Poquoson, 7pm, Poquoson MS

Amelia at Franklin, 7pm

Mathews at Colonial Beach, 7pm

Westmoreland at King William, 7pm

Middlesex at Northumberland, 7pm

West Point at Rappahannock, 7pm

Randolph-Henry at Arcadia, 7pm

Nottoway at Greensville, 7pm

Cumberland at William Campbell, 7pm

Central-Lunenburg at William Monroe, 7pm

Surry at Lancaster, 7pm

James Monroe at Charlottesville, 7pm

Culpeper at Eastern View, 7pm

Spotsylvania at Massaponax, 7pm

King George at Orange, 7pm

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6:

Fork Union at Trinity Episcopal, 1pm

St. Christopher's at Episcopal, 1pm

BATTLE OF CHESTER: L.C. Bird at Thomas Dale, 11 am