Gameday Notebook - Northwestern District
Nick Merchant, Michael Mullins, and Hunter Taylor have led an aggressive Sherando defense that is quick to the ball and very stingy on the scoreboard.
Photo By: Tim Barlow | VIEW GALLERY
Jeremiah Wilson ran for two touchdowns last week against Park View, although it was not enough Wilson is off to one of the best starts in the district.
Photo By: Jeff Schryver | VIEW GALLERY
Despite Phillip Johnson scoring his 2nd touchdown of the season the Tigers could not overcome the Pride in the second half of Friday night's ballgame.
Photo By: Marc Le Maitre | VIEW GALLERY
We are three weeks into the 2008 football season and this is the first edition of the Northwestern District Notebook. The notebook is the weekly inspection of the district, how teams fared, what games are on the slate this week, and one marquee game to watch this Friday / Saturday (I really like that Handley plays home games on Saturdays). So, sit back, relax, make sure the boss can't see the computer screen, and get ready to enjoy the Northwestern District Notebook for the week of September 19th, 2008.
Upstart Wildcats Take Care of Business
Warren County, who just one year ago struggled to find the end zone, scored early and often to top the Randolph-Macon Academy Friday night and improve to 2 - 1. Sophomore Jeremy Vogt started the game by taking the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, and the Wildcats seized that momentum and never looked back en route to their 25 - 13 win. Marty Haley found the end zone twice in the game and the running back now has 8 touchdowns in just 3 games this season.
Colonels Stunned In Front of Home Crowd
Despite a valiant effort on Friday night the James Wood defense could not make up for the offense's shortfalls. The Colonels were held to just 180 yards of total offense by a very tough Loudoun County defense. On two separate occasions the Colonels defense was up to the task of stopping the Raiders offensive dominance inside the red zone. Quarterback Trae Tinsman did throw for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort, which puts the James Wood Colonels at 2 - 1 on the young season.
Hawks Remain Unbeaten After Dominating Rams
Defense wins championships; well in this case it at least won the game. The Skyline Hawks were able to shut down the Strasburg Rams and hold them to just 57 yards of total offense for the game, and just 3 first downs. Senior wide receiver Andrew Throne caught two touchdown passes, one from 21 yards out and the other a magnificent one-handed grab from 6 yards. The Hawks offense, although somewhat banged-up still managed to gain 384 yards of total offense for the game and improve to 3 - 0 on the year.
Falcons Score Early, Can't Manage Anymore
John Baroncelli found tight end J.J. Armentrout and 55-yards later the Falcons were an extra point away from tying the ballgame against the Musselman Appleman. The extra point was botched and the Falcons never regained control, losing to Musselman 24 - 6. The Falcons offense could not get going except for the one play from Baroncelli, who entered the game after starting quarterback Matt Sherfey went down with an injury.
Tigers Valiant Effort Not Enough
After falling victim two weeks ago to the Freedom Eagles from Loudoun County, not many people gave the Tigers a chance against the Heritage Pride on Friday. Brentsville came out with the passion that head coach Dean Reedy expects, as the teams went into the locker room tied at 7 apiece. The lone Tigers score for the game came from senior running back Phillip Johnson, who scored from 30 yards out and led the Tigers with 70 yards on the ground. Despite their best efforts, Brentsville did not have enough to stop the potent offense of the pride falling 30 - 7, and dropping their record to 0 - 2.
Pioneers Get Back On Track in a Big Way
It was pure domination on both sides of the football Friday as the Millbrook Pioneers improved to 2 - 1 on the year. Along with Andrew Oates at quarterback, it was the Rodney's show (Clayton at wide receiver and Calvin at running back). Calvin started the game with a 72-yard run that setup a touchdown pass from Oates to brother Clayton two plays later. In the first two weeks of the season the Pioneers have had to come from behind, but after scoring on three consecutive possessions there was no doubt they would take home this win. Calvin Rodney would end the night with 14 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown to match that of his brother.
Warriors Prove Too Much For Eagles
From the start of the game it was very apparent that this game was headed one direction, a Sherando Warriors victory. The Hedgesville Eagles were not able to gain a first down until well into the 2nd quarter, when two encroachment penalties against the Warriors defense netted 10 yards. The win was the 2nd for Sherando, who remains perfect on the young season. Leading the way for the Warriors was Roger Smith Jr. who amassed 120 yards on the ground and two more touchdowns. Not to be outdone Kevin Vallejos proved he could run the football when asked to by the coaching staff. Vallejos would gain 157 yards and score two touchdowns in the second half of the game. The Sherando defense should get the most praise though, actually holding the Eagles to (-1) total yard for the entire game.
Verdict Still Out on Judges
A quick 2 - 0 start to the 2008 season had many in Winchester wondering if the Handley Judges were back to being dominant. After Saturday's game against winless Park View many are still wondering what life will be like after the loss of J.J. Dorsey. Jeremiah Wilson again led the Judges, scoring two more touchdowns to back up last week's 6 TD performance. Despite a 14 - 9 lead with only minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, the Judges defense simply could not stop the Patriots from marching down the field for the game winning score.
Game Schedule for This Week
Warren County at Sherando**
Millbrook at James Wood**
Brentsville at Broad Run**
Central at Skyline
Handley - Bye Week
** - Games can be heard on The Gameday Radio Network.
Northwestern District Game to Watch
Millbrook at James Wood
Millbrook is coming off a big win against Dominion, but some say that does not necessarily mean they are back on track. On the other side the Colonels are looking to rebound at home after a close loss to a Loudoun County team that could be in the mix in the Dulles District before the dust settles at seasons end.
The biggest key to this match-up will be in the backfield of both squads, in other words, which defense will step up and face the challenges of stopping the weapons on offense. For Millbrook the tandem of Clayton and Calvin Rodney must have productive games if the Pioneers want to walk away with the victory. For the Colonels it will be up to Trae Tinsman, who only threw for 100 yards against Loudoun County, but it accounted for all but 80 yards of the James Wood output for the game. The game will be won by whichever backfield can get it done against defenses that know what to expect.
It's time for one of the squads to separate themselves and prove to people around the district that there may be somebody lurking with a chance to take on the Sherando Warriors, who have not lost a regular season game in 2 years.
Gameday Prediction: James Wood 24 - Millbrook 14
