Gameday Notebook - NWD (Week 2)
The Sherando Warrior faithful will have to be out in force Saturday at Handley.
Photo By: Tim Barlow
Brock Lockhart proved to be a difference maker in last week's win over Millbrook. He will be counted on to produce this week also if James Wood wants to stay alive in the district title race.
Photo By: Jeff Schryver Photography
Jeremiah Wilson will have to lead the Handley Judges if they are going to beat the Sherando Warriors this Saturday.
Photo By: Jeff Schryver Photography
WINCHESTER, VA - The first official week of Northwestern District play is in the books. Some teams rose to the occasion and others fell short and will face an uphill climb for the remainder of the season. After this week's slate of games we will know even more where the teams in the district stand and who may be setting themselves up for a playoff run.
Hawks Soar over Central
Last season the Skyline Hawks started strong but simply were not ready to compete with the big boys in the Northwestern district. Their lone district win a year ago came against the Central Falcons (1 - 3). On Friday night the Hawks continued another strong campaign shutting out the Falcons 36 - 0 to improve to 4 -0 in 2008. A far cry from last year's 35 - 34 contest. The Hawks defense can be given much of the credit for the win, intercepting the Falcons twice in the ballgame, and limiting Central to just 136 yards of total offense for the game. Kieren Caison continued his hot start as he scored two rushing touchdowns in the game, while quarterback Nathaniel White added two touchdowns through the air.
Tigers Can't Overcome Slow Start
Brentsville went into Friday night's contest needing a win in a bad way, unfortunately for the Tigers they were matching up against one of the best teams in the region in the Broad Run Spartans. The Spartans took control early and never looked back. Three Spartan touchdowns in the first quarter proved to be too much for Brentsville. It was not until the Tigers were faced with a 46 - 0 deficit in the second quarter that they found the end zone. David Hammond was able to get through the Broad Run defense and score from 32 yards out and just before the half P.J. Borko hooked up with receiver Chris Spinks to make the score 53 - 13 in favor of the Spartans. The second half of the game was elementary with neither team being able to put anymore points on the board. With the loss Brentsville falls to 0 - 3 on the season, as they get ready for district play next Friday night.
Colonels Get Defensive against Pioneers
It was the James Wood (3 - 1) defense that proved to be the best asset on either side of the football last Friday night. Brock Lockhart blitzed on the first official snap of the game, after three consecutive penalties against Millbrook (2 - 2) that placed the ball inside the 5-yard line, and tackled running back Allen Silver in the end zone for a safety. Lockhart and the Colonels served notice that the game was going to be tough for Millbrook, holding the Pioneers to less than 200 yards of total offense, and limiting the impact of both Clayton and Calvin Rodney. Lockhart would also get it done offensively for the Colonels scoring from 7-yards out with under 8 minutes remaining in the first half to put James Wood on top 9 - 0. Millbrook would only have a couple more chance in the game, and it again was the Colonels defense that created trouble and gave the home team the 16 - 6 win.
Sherando Too Much For Wildcats
Warren County (2 - 2) has started the 2008 season better than last year and coming into Friday's game with the Sherando Warriors (3 - 0) they featured one of the best running backs in the district in Marty Haley. Haley, however, would miss this contest and the Wildcats were unable to find someone else to carry the load, falling to the home-standing Sherando Warriors 55 - 7. Roger Smith Jr. continued to impress, piling up 4 touchdowns and close to 190 yards rushing in just over 2 quarters of action. Senior quarterback Ross Metheny added 2 passing touchdowns, the first to Dalton Boyd and the second to Derrick Dehaney. The Warriors defense again proved why they are one of the best in the area, holding the Wildcats to just 74 total yards of offense.
Schedule for 9/26 & 9/27
Brentsville at Warren County - 7:30PM
James Wood at Central-Woodstock - 7:30PM
Skyline at Millbrook - 7:00PM
Sherando at Handley - 1:00PM, Saturday**
**Games Broadcast on The Gameday Radio Network
District Game to Watch
The undefeated Sherando Warriors will travel to Handley to play Saturday afternoon, in front of what could be a packed house at the Handley Bowl. There is no love lost when these two teams strap it up and face off with one another. The Warriors have gotten the better of the Judges over the past few years, including 23 - 14 last year, and Handley will be looking for the upset when they meet this week.
Sherando comes into the ballgame after three convincing victories, holding their opponents around the 100 yard mark for total offense in all 3 wins. The Warriors pose threats both on the ground and through the air. Roger Smith Jr. is off to a very fast start, scoring 4 touchdowns just a week ago. Ross Metheny has been just as efficient throwing the football, already accumulating 6 touchdown passes, to just under 45 passing attempts. Regardless of what the Sherando offense can do, it is the defense that should also garner some accolades. Led by experience and a hard-nose attitude the Warriors defense is yet again one of the best in the entire region.
Handley enters this contest with a chip on their shoulder. A home loss two weeks ago to the Park View Patriots still lingers in the minds of the players and coaches. Jeremiah Wilson has proven his ability to get the job done for the Judges this season, already totaling 8 touchdowns in just 3 games. The Handley defense has again cemented itself as one of the top in the district, holding Park View to only 1 offensive score in that game.
Two of the key match-ups in this game are: 1) Jeremiah Wilson against the front 7 of the Warriors. If Wilson is able to test the secondary of the Warriors the Handley Judges will be in good shape offensively in this contest. 2) Ross Metheny facing the Judges secondary. Metheny has the ability to change football games, however, so far this season he has not been asked to do so.
Gameday Prediction: A true rivalry game in all the sense of the word. There is one thing we know here at Gameday when it comes to rivalries, it doesn't matter about records or which team has better athletes, it comes down to heart and determination. To that effect we give the nod to the Warriors, who are hungry for a state title, and refuse to let anyone stand in their way this season.
