Varina-Dinwiddie highlights scintillating slate of high school football playoff games
We're down to 96. That's 24 regions, four contenders each.
We enter region semifinal weekend after a first round filled with several blowouts and a few close games, setting the stage for one of the most exciting second rounds in recent memory.
But first…
Congratulations to Open High School, which captured the first-ever fall season girls flag football championship, handing previously undefeated John Marshall its only loss Tuesday night with a 12-6 triumph.
Nine total teams, eight from Richmond Public Schools and Varina, participated in the association, which is not yet recognized as an official sport by the Virginia High School League (VHSL). With flag football, including women’s, an official sport in the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028, and major support for the sport in this area and points north in Virginia provided by the Washington Commanders, this is the next sport to cement itself in the high school scene, much like lacrosse did in the 2010s.
Benedictine wins private school title
In the private school division, it was a second helping of revenge served cold. Repeating the formula that worked in 2023, Benedictine turned a regular season finale defeat at the hands of rival Trinity Episcopal into a state championship Saturday. A dominant defensive performance led the Cadets to their third consecutive Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I state championship with a 20-0 triumph.
The Cadets ended an 11-1 season with their sixth shutout of the year, just two weeks after giving up 26 in a loss to the Titans, their lone defeat of the season.
Benedictine earned the first state championship for Kurt von Bargen, who took over the program this spring following the retirement of longtime head coach Greg Lilly.
WEEK 12 STANDOUTS
Zion Boisseau, Dinwiddie: Wow. Five touchdown passes on 352 yards in the air, plus 57 rushing yards and another touchdown as the top-seeded Generals flew past Hanover 49-14.
Tyrell Allen, L.C. Bird: It was vintage Skyhawks Friday in their 35-7 win over Western Branch as Allen rode his offensive line to 273 yards on the ground, scoring three times as L.C. Bird punched its ticket to Oscar Smith.
Savion Hiter, Louisa: A season-high 24 carries for 158 yards and four rushing touchdowns, the longest being 56, as Louisa eliminated Caroline 42-7, advancing to host Huguenot.
Anthony Hansom, Armstrong: A repeat honor for Hansom, who just picked up an offer from Christopher Newport (which enters the NCAA Division III Football Championship at 10-0). Known as “Shug”, Hansom was 14-of-22 for 206 yards and four passing touchdowns, adding a rushing score in the Wildcats’ win over Nottoway 49-8.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Class 4, Region B Semifinal: #4 Varina (9-2) at #1 Dinwiddie (11-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
For all the talk about this region this season, there’s one subject that really hasn’t garnered attention. This game is a rematch of last year’s region final, where the Blue Devils put up 41 points and ended the high school career of Harry Dalton III.
Kaleb Wyche accounted for 366 yards and five of Varina’s touchdowns in that victory. Don’t think that Billy Mills has forgotten any of that. This year’s Generals defense has given up 10 points or more just three times, and 83 total points in 11 games.
Dinwiddie understands, given the stalwart defense that Varina brings to the field, that it will be its own defense whose performance will go a long way to determining who continues in this survival of the fittest. Also, will Varina be the team who finally slows down Zion Boisseau?
GAMES WE’RE WATCHING
Again, all of them! Let’s look at round two. All games are Friday at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted:
Class 6, Region A:
#4 L.C. Bird at #1 Oscar Smith: After a two-year absence, Oscar Smith claimed the 2024 Class 6 state title in thrilling fashion 21-20 over James Madison for its third crown this decade. They are the measuring stick, and the Skyhawks get their first crack at them in this era. If the run game can control the clock, L.C. Bird could shock the world.
#3 Manchester (10-1) at #2 Thomas Dale (9-1): It’s the fourth straight year the Lancers and Knights line up against each other in the postseason, with Manchester having won the last three. Thomas Dale only averages 26 points per game, and will likely need that much, maybe more.
Know that Knights head coach Kevin Tucker has watched the video of Manchester’s 38-28 win over Landstown last week trying to find ways to slow down Landen Abernethy and the Lancer offense. The bye week should help Thomas Dale in its quest to finally get past their county rivals in November.
Class 5, Region C:
#5 Hermitage (9-2) at #1 Patrick Henry-Roanoke (11-0): The top seeded Patriots have exactly one one-score victory. That was in week two against E.C. Glass. They will pose a significant challenge for the Panthers, whose only losses came against Varina and Highland Springs.
Hermitage got a fumble return for a touchdown from star Andre Clarke, Jr. to finally put away Midlothian on the road last week to be the only road team to win a quarterfinal in Classes 4 through 6. Avery Curtis must have a big game, and the Panthers must, like the Skyhawks, control the clock, for a shot at the upset.
#3 William Fleming (8-3) at #2 Highland Springs (8-3): There had to be a collective sense of dread at the new Kreiter Stadium at halftime last week when the scoreboard read Glen Allen 9, Highland Springs 7.
Then, it seemed as if a different group of Springers blitzed out of the locker room, completely stymied the Jaguars, and pulled away 28-9.
The sea legs need to be back for Highland Springs, who will face the Colonels, who opened their season 2-3 (including a loss to Varina), but have won six straight, allowing just 34 points during that span. But, as Hermitage will learn, the trip from Roanoke to Richmond isn’t easy, and William Fleming will need some breaks should the “second half Springers” from last week hit the field from the opening kick.
Class 4, Region B:
#3 Huguenot (10-1) at #2 Louisa (11-0), Saturday, 1pm: Shockingly, Spotsylvania scored first on the Huguenot defense last Friday, then watched Charles Scott, Jr. and the Falcon offense zip up and down the field in a 52-10 victory, setting up a trip about an hour northwest into “The Jungle”.
Louisa started slow in their 42-7 win over Caroline, leading just 14-7 at the break. The Lions usually strike first and often, and will have to return to that type of performance because there are so few chinks in the Huguenot defensive armor.
The Falcons, and the football world, know all about Savion Hiter. Dyzier Carter, who missed the Caroline game, should be ready for Saturday. Huguenot’s top priority early will be to quell the huge home field advantage that Louisa will have, as high school football in Mineral isn’t a game, it’s an experience. The Falcons need to remember, this is a game. Let’s execute.
Class 3, Region A:
#6 Hopewell (5-6) at #2 Petersburg (8-3): The Crimson Wave have enjoyed a lot of firsts in 2025. A 20-12 win over the Blue Devils at Merner Field gave Petersburg its first victory over its rivals in over a decade, and clinched its first winning season since 2018.
Now, after winning their first-ever home playoff game last week over York, here come the Blue Devils, off a huge road win at New Kent where A.J. Monroe ran wild, scoring four times, including twice in the game’s first four minutes. With Hopewell being the program consistently in the postseason, the script turns on its head here as Petersburg becomes the hunted, while the Blue Devils look for revenge.
The winner advances to the region championship Thanksgiving weekend against the winner of #4 I.C. Norcom and top-seed Lake Taylor. The Titans will host with a victory.
Class 2, Region A:
#4 Thomas Jefferson (7-4) at #1 Armstrong (11-0): No wins in 2021. Four wins and a playoff bid the next year. In 2023, nine wins, including a victory over Thomas Jefferson in a regional semifinal, and, finally, a 10-2 mark last season, with the only regular season loss against…the Vikings.
That’s the road of the Armstrong Wildcats post-COVID. Now, 11-0 for the first time ever, here comes Thomas Jefferson, who has faced significantly more adversity during the season. And, lest we forget, this is a rematch of a wild Week 2 encounter that began on Thursday and ended on Monday, with severe weather, rumors of a forfeit, then, in the end, a continuation of a game won by the Wildcats 21-14.
There are future college standouts on both rosters, and both are different teams than what they were on Labor Day weekend. 21-14 might be the halftime score Friday night, but it won’t be the final. Expect points aplenty.
And kudos to the Vikings, who completely shut down K’Sean Hill and the King William offense in a 42-8 victory. Armstrong eliminated Nottoway 49-8.
The winner faces the winner of Poquoson and Central-Lunenburg. Armstrong would host the region championship next week, while Thomas Jefferson, being the lowest remaining seed, would have to travel.
OUR FINAL PLAYS
We want to give proper credit to some of the accomplishments of programs who have seen their seasons come to a close. Consider these bookmarks for 2026.
Meadowbrook and James River: Two schools not expected to be in the discussion for the playoffs, especially in Class 5, Region C, in Week 11, but they were. The Monarchs let a bid slip through their fingers in their season ending loss at Matoaca. The Rapids highly regret not scoring at Powhatan to win on the game’s final play in a video we showcased a few weeks back.
The Monarchs went from 3-7 to 6-4, the Rapids, 2-8 to 5-5, and both will be contenders next year.
New Kent: A new head coach, a 7-4 mark including their first home playoff game since 2003. The Trojans have quickly rebuilt their foundation, and will be fun to watch, and a threat in Class 3, Region A going forward.
Glen Allen: Forget about the final four games. The Ralphie Puccinelli injury during the Hermitage loss changed everything. And the Jaguars led Highland Springs to start the second half. Several other injuries stymied this team, who got no breaks, but will reload for 2026. The Thomas Dale script from this year moves to Glen Allen next year.
–We also say thank you to several wonderful talents who will be playing on Saturdays in the future. From Davion Brown and Darius Gray, Patrick Liptrap and Sir Paul Cheeks, whose knee injury cost him a senior year at Varina, to Ben Whitver, Blake Morris and Cullen Burch, there have been so many quality young men who have left their mark in the central region. We can’t wait to follow their journeys.
We are very excited about our social media coverage this weekend. We’ll feature all three Richmond Public Schools teams in action, with live reports and video highlights from Cool Lane Friday night when Thomas Jefferson and Armstrong do battle again, and from Louisa Saturday afternoon when the Huguenot Falcons try to tame the Lions.
Go to X (@TheRVASportsNet) or Instagram (@rvasportsnetwork) for all the action as we watch, perhaps, the best week of the high school football season unfold.
