High school football report: Player of the year race remains wide open
In nearly a quarter-century of covering high school football, I don’t think there’s been a season where, this late into the campaign, not only is there not a clear-cut favorite for a prestigious Player of The Year award, the field is reminiscent of the first 10 seconds of the Kentucky Derby, with more than a dozen legitimate candidates seemingly bunched up, in position to try to break away and lay claim to the accolade.
Mentioned in this week's report are Antoine Richardson, K’Sean Hill, and Anthony Hansom. Then there’s Zion Boisseau of Dinwiddie, Charles Scott at Huguenot, Savion Hiter at Louisa, Jordan Clarke from James River, multiple players from Varina, Darius Gray at St. Christopher’s, Blake Morris at Caroline, Dashaun Chisem at Meadowbrook, Fred Dolan from Benedictine, and Avery Curtis and Andre Clarke at Hermitage.
Then there are players at schools who don’t have winning records, but are making their mark anyway. One is Brennan Ball, junior tailback for the Mechanicsville Mustangs and an accomplished student at Code RVA.
Ball has rushed for 1,171 yards on 188 carries with 14 touchdowns. He’s averaging 280 yards per game in the Mustangs’ three victories, but only 83 yards in their four defeats. Clearly, he is the focal point of every opponent.
He is not shy about appreciating what he’s done and how it plays into his hopes for the future. In an age where players are careful to speak publicly only about team results, Ball’s approach, because of his reasoning, is a breath of fresh air. It’s also not cocky.
“My (offensive) line is very important. We all respect each other,” Ball said. “I’m thankful for the line, my wide receivers, too, and my quarterback.”
If the Mustangs, 3-4, can win their last three games (King William, Atlee, Armstrong), they could earn their first winning season this decade. How do Ball and his teammates approach this goal, in spite of a playoff bid now being out of reach?
“It’s been hard for us, yes, but how we approach it? I make sure to be and push everybody to be at 100% during practice,” Ball explained. “I want everyone to win. I want everyone to succeed.”
Appropriate words from a player with great accomplishments in 2025. But only one will rise to the top, and this Player of The Year race, maybe unlike any other this area has seen, will be amazing to watch.
WEEK EIGHT STANDOUTS
K’Sean Hill, King William: The junior nearly reached rarified air against Mecklenburg, rushing for 417 yards and seven touchdowns in a 66-45 win. Hill was just 32 yards away from an all-time top ten single-game rushing performance in Virginia High School League (VHSL) history.
Anthony Hansom, Armstrong: An encore, you say? After the senior passed for 377 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another the week before, he dropped 323 yards passing with three scores, and 51 yards rushing and two more touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 38-0 win at Atlee to remain unblemished.
Antoine Richardson, Highland Springs: Looking for offensive efficiency? Try 102 yards of total offense that yielded two passing and two rushing touchdowns to lead the Springers over Friendship Collegiate 29-16.
UNSUNG HEROES
Alex Saunders, Douglas Freeman: His 30-yard interception return for a second quarter touchdown proved to be the winning margin as the Mavericks kept their playoff hopes in Class 5, Region C alive with a 21-14 win over Deep Run.
Stephen Ankiel, Matoaca: It’s been a tough season for Warrior fans, but they caught a glimpse of the future Friday as the 6’3” junior went 21-of-31 for 274 yards and four touchdowns, three to Kamari Cherry, in a 34-7 win over Colonial Heights.
Jahson Allums, Hermitage: After a Glen Allen kickoff return for a touchdown to cut the Panther lead to 13-7, Allums answered with a 74-yard return on the ensuing kick for a score to permanently establish Hermitage’s momentum in their 38-20 win over the Jaguars.
The Petersburg Defense: In their 36-0 shutout of Meadowbrook, the Crimson Wave stopped the Monarchs 14 of 16 times on third down, allowing just 114 total yards and forcing two turnovers in a statement win in Class 3, Region A.
WEEK NINE GAME OF THE WEEK
#4 Highland Springs (5-2) at #10 Hermitage (6-1), Friday, 7pm
After showing great tenacity and hunger on both sides of the ball in their 38-20 dismantling of Glen Allen last Friday, the Panthers return to Chester Fritz to battle an old nemesis in Highland Springs. The teams are currently in fourth and second place, respectively, in the Class 5, Region C playoff race.
Should the Springers run the table and defeat Hermitage, Varina and Hanover to end the season, they’ll likely be the top seed in the region. But they must stop Avery Curtis and Andre Clarke to get the most important win, the next one.
GAMES WE’RE WATCHING
#1 Dinwiddie (8-0) at Meadowbrook (5-2), Friday, 7pm
A flat performance no one saw coming puts the Monarchs a bit behind the eight ball, now coming home to face the top team in our poll and in the Class 4, Region B standings. Meadowbrook is tied for sixth with William Fleming in Class 5, Region C, nearly a point out of the top four and the first round home game that comes with it.
The Generals finish their regular season next week at Prince George, and will be on the sidelines on Week 11 as Louisa, Huguenot and others make their final push for the top seed.
James River (6-2) at Midlothian (5-2), Friday, 7pm
This is the biggest “Coal Bowl” in years. The Trojans need a win and losses by Hermitage and Glen Allen to stay a top three seed in Class 5, Region C, while James River finds themselves in the eighth and final playoff slot in the region with red-hot Douglas Freeman three-quarters of a point behind.
The Trojans need a top four seed. A home game in the region quarterfinal would give them a much better chance to move forward in the postseason and take their program another step forward. The Rapids just want to make the top eight, and make a return to postseason play. The teams split their last two encounters.
GAMES UNDER THE RADAR
Thomas Jefferson (4-3) at Deep Run (2-5), Friday, 7pm
The Vikings are struggling, and not guaranteed a spot in the Class 2, Region A playoffs after entering the season as the favorites. There have been some tough battles between these two teams in the 2020’s, and though the Wildcats have lost five straight after a 2-0 start, Joe Mullinax’s crew is always looking big picture, knowing a win here could be the spark for a playoff berth, if not this year, in 2026.
Courtland (6-1) at #12 Caroline (7-0), Friday, 7pm
The Caroline Cavaliers have never been 7-0. Until now. They defeated Spotsylvania to jump to fourth in Class 4, Region B, and now host Courtland, currently the number six seed. A win here keeps hope for a top four seed alive, even with Varina breathing down their neck. They finish with King George (0-7) and Culpeper (5-2) while Varina has Atlee (3-4) Thursday, Highland Springs the following Thursday, and finish with Patrick Henry.
“D” IS FOR DENIAL
While it was the play of both the offensive and defensive lines that propelled Hermitage to a big win over Glen Allen Friday, the tone was set by the big beef on defense. It’s a group that head coach Timothy Jean-Pierre has been expecting to improve and become more cohesive.
The Glen Allen rushing attack simply didn’t. They held Jaguar quarterback Ralphie Puccinelli in check, and, late in the first half, intense pressure forced a hit as he passed, resulting in an interception and the end of Puccinelli’s night due to an injury.
Luke Perini did his best in relief, even getting Glen Allen within eight at 28-20 in the second half. But Hermitage finished strong, leaving Jean-Pierre pleased with his team’s performance.
“Due to some injuries early in the season, we got some guys into different positions that really made us really stout on the defensive line,” Jean-Pierre explained. “They’ve made a statement that our defensive line is just as critical as our offensive line, and it’s a great thing to have as a head coach to have guys not only willing and capable, but eager to continue to learn.”
With Jay Whitehead, a senior, the on-field mentor of junior King Williams and sophomore Darryl Woodson, and fellow 2026 Cameron Moore in the mix, look for these Panthers to be on the prowl every week, with a huge test trying to contain and pressure Antoine Richardson on Friday against Highland Springs.
PLAYOFF RACE – THE LATEST
In Class 6, Region A, Manchester opens a 1.7 point lead over Thomas Dale for the second seed and the bye that comes with it. L.C. Bird seems positioned for the #5 seed, while Cosby falls a half-point behind Landstown for the sixth and final berth.
Highland Springs jumps to the second spot in Class 5, Region C, and is in legitimate position to overtake Patrick Henry-Roanoke at the top of the bracket should they win out. Midlothian, Hermitage and Glen Allen are 3, 4 and 5, all three teams within a half-point of each other, all three with big matchups Friday. Meadowbrook’s stumble sends them to a tie for sixth with William Fleming, with James River eighth and Douglas Freeman hot on their heels.
Dinwiddie continues to do what they can to earn the top seed in Class 4, Region B, up a little over a point over #2 Louisa. Huguenot and Caroline are next around a point behind the Lions.
Varina’s win over Hanover leaps them above the Hawks to #5, with the Cavs and Falcons next in their sights. Courtland jumps into the conversation, currently seventh, if they hand Caroline their first loss Friday. Powhatan can’t afford another loss, otherwise this region’s drama down the stretch will be not who makes the playoffs, but the seeding matchups.
The surprising homes of drama right now are in Class 3, Region A and Class 2, Region A. In Region 3A, Petersburg’s romp over Meadowbrook sends them just two-tenths of a point behind another pleasant surprise, New Kent, for second place behind leader Lake Taylor, who seems poised for the top seed. On the strength of their schedule, and some wins, Hopewell is in solid position at the #5 spot, 2.3 points behind Tabb, who is in fourth. Colonial Heights is hanging on to the eighth spot, trying to stave off Heritage.
With Poquoson’s loss to Warhill, Armstrong may overtake them for the number one seed in Region 2A. Official numbers from the region had not been released as of Tuesday night. King William’s back to back wins get them back on track, now in a dogfight with Nottoway and Greensville for the fourth seed and the home game that comes with it in the region quarterfinals.
With #8 Southampton and #9 Windsor victorious on #7 Thomas Jefferson’s bye week, Friday’s clash at Deep Run looms large for the Vikings. Thomas Jefferson ends the year at Mills Godwin, then at Hermitage.
THEY SAID IT
“We want to approach every team, every game, as a big game. It’s a statement week for us, but more importantly, it’s a week to keep moving in the right direction.” – Hermitage head coach Timothy Jean-Pierre discussing his approach to the Highland Springs game Friday.
“It does matter to me…I want college coaches to be able to see that.” – Mechanicsville junior tailback Brennan Ball, when asked if he considers his personal accomplishments during a season.
