The final regular season weekend in the Shenandoah District will mainly be about trying to send the seniors out on a winning note and hoping to keep the playoff-bound teams healthy. It appears that the field is set for the playoffs in both 2-A, Region B and 1-A, Region B, although I get the idea that there might still be possibilities for some jostling of position.
I personally had been assuming that Wilson was walking a tightrope, after losing to East Rock and probably being an underdog at Buffalo Gap this weekend. But according to the people that understand this system better than I do, the Hornets are a solid "in," regardless of how they fare against the Bison.
Therefore the 'Doah will occupy five of the eight spots in 2-A, as I believe was the case last year, with East Rock, Luray, Lee, Gap and Wilson all advancing. In 1-A, Riverheads will of course be there and like it or not, so will Stonewall, despite its 0-10 record. But as we have addressed, this will be the last year for that to happen, due to the expansion in the future of Region B at the 1-A level.
Some folks will be of the opinion that the playoffs are too "watered-down" if 7 teams out of a 9-team district all make it to the playoffs, especially considering that the other two made their own noise at one time or another during the season. But that is the system we are stuck with and we should all pull for the best possible success for our district.
But first things first, so let's wrap up the regular season with this slate of games:
Luray at East Rock: There was a time earlier in the season when this one might have looked like a real challenge for the Eagles. Luray coasted through the first half of the season unbeaten, but the Dogs were muzzled by Lee and Riverheads on consecutive weekends to drop out of contention for the district title. They may still have enough talent to make some noise in the playoffs but they will not pose a serious threat to Senior Night in Elkton. J'wan and Company will win by a minimum of four touchdowns.
Riverheads at Page: Although they will miss the playoffs, the Panthers have to appreciate the progress they made this year. They won four games, one of which was their first win over an Augusta County team in a number of years. Not only that, but they accomplished it on the road and then came pretty darn close to duplicating that feat on two other trips down south. So with a lucky bounce or two here and there, the Panthers could have finished with a winning record and be headed for the playoffs. That should give them serious motivation for the future. Now will they pose any kind of threat to Riverheads on Friday? Well you guys understand that I at least have to assume that no, they won't. The Gladiators will understandably be on an emotional high after gaining revenge against Lee and Central, but Coach Casto can re-focus a team pretty effectively and he will not allow his troops to suffer a letdown. If there has been such a thing as an "average" Riverheads/Page game over the years, it has been your 47-6 kind of game. But on two occasions in the last decade, the teams turned it into a track meet and combined for 103 points (61-42 in 2009 and 73-30 in 2015.) So with the talent that Page has shown on occasion, we could see that kind of game again, which would be fun for the fans. But I will officially go with something in the middle........RHS 56-20.
Wilson at Buffalo Gap: As mentioned above, I see Wilson as the underdog in this one, but maybe not by much. The Gap will want to send Rivenburg and his classmates out on a winning note, so I think spirits will be high in Bisonland. Wilson will make them work for it, but I see about a 34-21 Bison victory on the horizon.
Lee at Stuarts Draft: This could be the closest of the four games this week. Lee has been on again/off again this season whereas the Cougars have a young but improving team. Their highlight reel game was their wild 35-34 comeback win over Buffalo Gap and you can bet that they will put out that kind of effort again, so as to maximize their excitement for next year. A Cougar win is a distinct possibility, but I will go with the odds and say the Leemen by a touchdown.
Stonewall has finished at 0-10 but due to the playoff requirements will have to suit up one more time on Friday night the 9th. I believe they will travel to either Central Lunenburg or Altavista. Then next year, they will try their luck in the Bull Run District.
I personally had been assuming that Wilson was walking a tightrope, after losing to East Rock and probably being an underdog at Buffalo Gap this weekend. But according to the people that understand this system better than I do, the Hornets are a solid "in," regardless of how they fare against the Bison.
Therefore the 'Doah will occupy five of the eight spots in 2-A, as I believe was the case last year, with East Rock, Luray, Lee, Gap and Wilson all advancing. In 1-A, Riverheads will of course be there and like it or not, so will Stonewall, despite its 0-10 record. But as we have addressed, this will be the last year for that to happen, due to the expansion in the future of Region B at the 1-A level.
Some folks will be of the opinion that the playoffs are too "watered-down" if 7 teams out of a 9-team district all make it to the playoffs, especially considering that the other two made their own noise at one time or another during the season. But that is the system we are stuck with and we should all pull for the best possible success for our district.
But first things first, so let's wrap up the regular season with this slate of games:
Luray at East Rock: There was a time earlier in the season when this one might have looked like a real challenge for the Eagles. Luray coasted through the first half of the season unbeaten, but the Dogs were muzzled by Lee and Riverheads on consecutive weekends to drop out of contention for the district title. They may still have enough talent to make some noise in the playoffs but they will not pose a serious threat to Senior Night in Elkton. J'wan and Company will win by a minimum of four touchdowns.
Riverheads at Page: Although they will miss the playoffs, the Panthers have to appreciate the progress they made this year. They won four games, one of which was their first win over an Augusta County team in a number of years. Not only that, but they accomplished it on the road and then came pretty darn close to duplicating that feat on two other trips down south. So with a lucky bounce or two here and there, the Panthers could have finished with a winning record and be headed for the playoffs. That should give them serious motivation for the future. Now will they pose any kind of threat to Riverheads on Friday? Well you guys understand that I at least have to assume that no, they won't. The Gladiators will understandably be on an emotional high after gaining revenge against Lee and Central, but Coach Casto can re-focus a team pretty effectively and he will not allow his troops to suffer a letdown. If there has been such a thing as an "average" Riverheads/Page game over the years, it has been your 47-6 kind of game. But on two occasions in the last decade, the teams turned it into a track meet and combined for 103 points (61-42 in 2009 and 73-30 in 2015.) So with the talent that Page has shown on occasion, we could see that kind of game again, which would be fun for the fans. But I will officially go with something in the middle........RHS 56-20.
Wilson at Buffalo Gap: As mentioned above, I see Wilson as the underdog in this one, but maybe not by much. The Gap will want to send Rivenburg and his classmates out on a winning note, so I think spirits will be high in Bisonland. Wilson will make them work for it, but I see about a 34-21 Bison victory on the horizon.
Lee at Stuarts Draft: This could be the closest of the four games this week. Lee has been on again/off again this season whereas the Cougars have a young but improving team. Their highlight reel game was their wild 35-34 comeback win over Buffalo Gap and you can bet that they will put out that kind of effort again, so as to maximize their excitement for next year. A Cougar win is a distinct possibility, but I will go with the odds and say the Leemen by a touchdown.
Stonewall has finished at 0-10 but due to the playoff requirements will have to suit up one more time on Friday night the 9th. I believe they will travel to either Central Lunenburg or Altavista. Then next year, they will try their luck in the Bull Run District.