What to watch for in Central Virginia this weekend

The Jefferson District title picture will come into focus after this week’s slate, which features two matchups (Louisa County at Monticello and Fluvanna County at Albemarle) between teams that are 1-0 in district play.

Elsewhere, William Monroe, Madison County and Nelson County will look to bounce back from losses last week, while St. Anne’s-Belfield and Blue Ridge aim to continue their solid starts to the season.

In total, there are 12 games on the Central Virginia high school football schedule this week. Here is a look at each game:

The skinny: The Barons (3-0) had a bye last week to prepare for Friday afternoon’s tilt with the Raiders (3-2) in St. George. Blue Ridge has been dominant this season, earning three straight victories while outscoring its opponents by a combined margin of 172-44. The Barons will face a North Cross team that is looking to rebound from last week’s 34-7 loss to Benedictine. Blue Ridge and North Cross have had one common opponent so far this season, Nansemond-Suffolk. The Barons beat the Saints 48-0, while the Raiders earned a 15-13 victory.

The skinny: The Saints (3-1) are in the midst of a stretch of four straight road games. STAB has won the first two of those road contests in convincing fashion, topping Fork Union (35-7) and Smith Mountain Lake Christian (47-22). St. Anne’s will look to make it three road wins in a row when they travel to Waynesboro to take on Fishburne on Friday afternoon. The Saints will face a Fishburne team that is 0-4 and has struggled this season. The Caissons have lost all four of their games by double digits, including last week’s 46-6 setback to Hargrave Military Academy. The Fishburne defense is giving up more that 50 points per game, which could bode well for the STAB offense, which has an abundance of playmakers, including Ethan Horner, Austin Williford, Hudson Toll, Chance Mallory and Cam Williford.

The skinny: The Blue Devils (1-3) are hoping to put an end to their three-game losing streak. Fork Union was competitive in the first half of last week’s game against Collegiate, but saw the Cougars pull away in the second half to earn a 48-27 win. One key this week for FUMA will be getting more stops on defense. The Blue Devils have given up an average of 41.7 points per game during their three-game slide. The Blue Devils defense will face another big challenge this week from Norfolk Academy (5-0), which is averaging 44 points a game during its unbeaten start.

The skinny: Both teams opened Jefferson District play with convincing victories. The Flucos (3-1, 1-0) cruised to a 35-6 win over Charlottesville, while the Patriots (1-3, 0-1) picked up a 22-6 win over Orange County at Porterfield Park. Each team has strong senior leadership. For Fluvanna, Chazz Barksdale-White and Christian Lambert provide a veteran presence, while Amaje Parker and Noah Grevious help guide Albemarle. Parker scored three touchdowns in the Patriots’ win over Orange last Friday.

The skinny: This Jefferson District matchup features a pair of teams trying to get their seasons on track. The Black Knights (0-4, 0-1) have had their fair share of struggles in Coach Jeff Woody’s first season and have been held under 10 points in three of their four games. Goochland (0-5, 0-2) has had similar struggles scoring points this season. The Bulldogs have not reached double figures in any of their five games this season and have been shut out twice.

The skinny: This matchup could have big implications in the race for the Jefferson District title. Despite having a retooled roster with plenty of young players, Louisa (3-1, 1-0) has continued its winning ways. The Lions are averaging 256 rushing yards per game, led by the tandem of Isaiah Haywood (317 yards, four TDs) and Jayden Seaberry (290 yards, five TDs). They will take on a Monticello team enjoying a strong start to the season. The Mustangs (3-1, 1-0) opened district play with a road win over Goochland. Ezekiel Pour has been a big factor in the Mustangs’ success. He is averaging over 100 rushing yards per game and has scored five touchdowns.

The skinny: Both teams are looking to rebound after suffering losses to Jefferson District opponents last week. Orange County (3-2, 1-1) saw their three-game winning streak snapped with a 22-6 loss to Albemarle at Porterfield Park. Dwayne “Bubba” Wells scored the lone touchdown for the Hornets in the loss. Western Albemarle (0-4, 0-1) is looking for its first win under new head coach Seth Wilson. The Warriors are looking to tighten up defensively after giving an average of 41 points over their first four games.

The skinny: After winning two games in a row following a season-opening loss to Monticello, the Greene Dragons (2-3, 0-1 Valley District) have dropped their last two games, including last week’s 35-7 road loss to Spotswood in their district opener. William Monroe has some talented playmakers, including Jackson Wood, who has 794 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns through the first half of the season. The Dragons will face a Turner Ashby squad that has been on a roll this season. The Knights are 4-0 and have won all four of their games by double digits, including last week’s 50-6 romp over Waynesboro.

The skinny: The Mountaineers (2-2) wrap up the non-district portion of their schedule by hosting the Eagles (2-2). Madison is looking to bounce back from last week’s 38-21 road loss to Fort Defiance. The Mountaineers will lean on sophomore quarterback Aaron Fincham, who Coach Larry Helmick feels has the potential to be a special player. Fincham has several playmakers he can get the ball to, including William Acton Jr., who had two touchdown catches last week, and Jeremiah Brown, who had a pair of touchdowns against William Monroe two weeks ago. Westmoreland has yet to play a close game this season. The Eagles’ wins over West Point (38-16) and Nandua (57-6) were convincing, while their losses to Eastern View (76-6) and Rappahannock (41-22) were lopsided.

The skinny: The Governors (4-1, 1-0 Dogwood District) saw their four-game, season-opening win streak come to an end last week with a 27-14 loss to Chatham. Nelson struggled to contain the Cavaliers’ ground game in last week’s loss. Chatham racked up 333 rushing yards and built an early 21-0 lead. Nelson hopes to have better success against William Campbell (2-3) which is coming off a 33-28 loss to Altavista last week. The Generals’ two wins this season have come against Cumberland (46-16) and Randolph-Henry (46-0). Nelson also has wins over both of those programs this season.

The skinny: The Eagles (2-3) hope to put an end to its two-game losing streak when it travels to Quantico. Both of Covenant’s losses during its two-game slide have come against unbeaten teams, VES (3-0) and Christchurch (3-0). Jonathan Newton has been a steady force for the Eagles on both sides of the ball all season. He rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns last week on offense and had a forced fumble and fumble recovery on defense. Covenant will face a Quantico team that is still searching for its first win and saw last week’s scheduled game against VES cancelled.

The skinny: The Tigers (0-3) had a bye last week, giving them extra time to prepare for Saturday’s home tilt with unbeaten Landon (3-0). Woodberry nearly picked up its first win of the season against Georgetown Prep, but fell in overtime. Louisa transfer Savion Hiter, who recently received an offer from Alabama, has been a strong addition to the Woodberry offense. He is averaging 115 rushing yards per game and has scored three touchdowns. The Tigers will face a Landon team that has not given up a single point in its three wins this season.