Teams to beat:
3C: LCA and Heritage
3D: Magna Vista
4D: Toss-up here with Salem, JF, Glass, and GW. All these teams are good and could do something special. One of these 4 squads will win the region.
Some other thoughts of mine:
1) Salem will be Salem. Tough schedule, but will outwork and out discipline every team they face, and translate it into a deep playoff run like we normally see from that squad.
2) The Roanoke area "Williams" both fall off a little from last season. Byrd finishes regular season 7-3 and gets crushed in the playoffs by a Botetourt team looking to avenge the region championship loss last season. Fleming finishes regular season 8-2 and takes a quiet exit in the second round.
3) Magna Vista wins 3D.
4) LCA struggles offensively to start the season without Gideon, but gets stronger as the season progresses. A 3-peat is possible, but another championship win is a much longer shot than the past 2 seasons have been for them. They finish the regular season 8-2.
5) Liberty-Bedford wins it's first game in a very loooooong time?
6) Graham will be in the hunt for a ring this year, and will be very good for a few years.