Central Region Review - Week 4
Well that is pretty much a wrap on the non-district slate of the 2025 season. Sure, there will be more matchups outside of districts but for most, it is district battles from here till the playoffs start.
We had six matchups this week that featured teams playing others from outside of the region and the region represented. The region took four of those battles with just Henrico and Matoaca (ironically both Warriors) succumbing to their opponents.
We had ten matchups featuring Top 10 teams and 2 of those matchups pitted top ten schools against one another. Top team Varina took care of #4 Hermitage while #5 Thomas Dale held on to knock off #9 Glen Allen.
There were 6 shutouts this week and one team (Colonial Heights) got their first win of the season while another (Hermitage) lost their first game. At this stage of the season we have eight winless programs and seven undefeated teams.
If you were looking for a competitive game, look elsewhere. Only three games were decided by a touchdown or less. The average margin of victory was 29.5 points.
So how did we come to this conclusions? Let’s discuss.
Game of the Week
Meadowbrook 23, Deep Run 14
Meadowbrook’s defense came to play and had as much to do with this win if not more than that of Ricari Enoch Bailey who scored twice in the fourth quarter. You can read all about this game and the Monarchs first 3-0 start since 2011 here, Monarchs Rule 2nd Half To Remain Undefeated.
Must-See Matchups
By halftime of this one the score was the same as the final last year in what a defensive battle, 18-10. The Blue Devils tacked on a few more points thanks to a 33-yard run from Michael Farley and a 27-yard connection between DaMari Carter and his QB Kaleb Wyche. Make no mistake about it, for Varina this was all about the defense. The defensive line as a whole racked up 9 sacks including 2 from Raymond Hudson who also returned a fumble for a touchdown. Three Blue Devils had 2 sacks each as Varina flexed their muscle.
#5 Thomas Dale 14, #9 Glen Allen 8
It is only fitting that a game featuring teams big on defense comes down to a defensive play. Chris Ward will be the big man on campus this week after an interception to secure the win for the Knights. That interception followed a 41-yard run from Jaiden Hite with less than 2 minutes to go in this one. The Jags got on the board first courtesy of a Ralphie Pucinelli touchdown pass but that ‘Darkzone’ defense shut them out over the next three quarters. Jarvis Thomas Tucker was an absolute beast for the Knights. While Ward was the hero of the night, Jarvis was the wrecking ball with 12 tackles, 3 sacks and a forced fumble making it mighty tough on the Jags offense.
#8 Thomas Jefferson 35, Hopewell 20
Despite a trio of Vikings combining for 26 of the 50 tackles against Hopewell, the Blue Devils still managed to score 20 on TJ. Quameer Waters had a big game with 10 tackles, 3 quarterback hurries and an INT returned for a TD. Reginald Weston-Johnson & Amare Gough made up the other 26 tackles with Reginald recording the only sack and Gough also intercepting a pass. Reginald also had a hand on offense with 6 catches for 35 yards and a TD. A big night for several Vikings and not the night the Blue Devils had hoped for as they are now 1-2 on the season.
Hanover 9, Mills Godwin 7
What would you say if I told you the only touchdown for the Hawks came from their punter? Their punter who contributed in a multitude of ways from a 33-yard punt downed inside the 10 to scoring a TD on his way to 64 yards off 9 carries. Kayden Hughes also had 2 catches for 24 yards. As impressive as that is though, the Hawks offense through three games has been defined by defense. Patrick Liptrap had another big game (seems to be all he does) with 7.5 tackles and 3 sack. JJ Parker also turned in 2 sacks plus 3.5 tackles of his own. The Hawks quietly are 3-0 and a bit under the radar but for how long?
#7 Highland Springs 35, South Co. 14
The Springers needed a bounce back game after two close losses and they delivered. The Springers built a 21-7 lead by halftime and were never really threatened by the Stallions. 4 of the Springers 5 touchdowns came via the ground game where the Springers rushed for nearly 200 yards amongst 8 different guys including Eric Byrd who scored twice and Jonathan Carter & Rodney Hicks who found the end zone themselves. The other score came by way of the arm of Antoine Richardson who hit on 5 of his 8 passes attempts for 108 yards. The Springer defense held the Stallions scoreless for 2 quarters. The sky is not falling on Airport Drive but tough games still loom.
Upset Alert
Are the Skyhawks back? After two ugly losses to start the season, it would appear the Skyhawks are beginning to take flight. Nothing characterizes Skyhawk football more than pounding the ball and rocking it on defense. That combo has led Skyhawks to many a win and this was no different. Marcus West & Kordell Chavis made it tough on the Indians defense as they combined for 13 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries. When they and the rest of the defense weren’t turning back the Indians offense, the run game was ruling the night. 241 of the 328 rushing yards came from the tandem of Tyrell Allen and Demetrius James with Allen finding the end zone not once, not twice but three times. Time will tell if the Skyhawks are truly back but with two straight wins, their future is looking brighter.
Rest of Region
Atlee’s strength is the run game and that was on full display in this one. Of the 6 Raiders TD’s, 5 came via the ground game by way of three different players. Barrett Bucholz and Kaden Wright inflicted the most damage with Bucholz scoring twice on his way to 103 yards on 6 carries. Wright found the end zone once touching that pigskin 12 times.
The Falcons imposed 608 yards of offense on the Titans while the defense suffocated them. It was the second straight season the Falcons blanked Cosby. In fact, over the past two seasons the Falcons have outscored Cosby 95-0. Charles Scott, Jr. threw 4 TD’s a week after setting a school record for passing yards in a game. On this night Scott threw for 339 yards hitting 17 of his 27 pass attempts. Randal Robinson brought it in the run game with 202 yards on the ground off 21 carries. The Titans were just overmatched in this contest.
James River 34, Monacan 27
Neither team had much in the way of defense to show for but the offense put on quite a show. Monacan looking for their first win of the season had an answer for just about every Rapids score except for the last one. Between the two teams, Monacan & James River amassed 888 yards of offense! Monacan might have been able to tie it up if not for a an interception with less than 4 minutes to go in the game. That interception came from Keane Freedman but make no mistake about it, Jordan Clarke was the playmaker on this night. Clarke’s 379 yards and 4 TD’s was a school record as he averaged 12.2 yards per carry. Jordan has been a force to reckon with and a big reason why the Rapids are now 3-1 on the season.
#2 Manchester 54, Clover Hill 0
The Lancers posted their first shutout since October 18th of last season when they played Clover Hill last. The Cavaliers have yet to score a point this season making the first 3 games of the season feel so much longer. While the defense led by Camden Chalkley handled their business, Landen Abernathy continued his hot start to the season throwing 4 touchdowns on his way to 162 yards passing. Simply put, the Lancers appear to be for real and not to be taken lightly.
Mechanicsville 61, John Marshall 0
For a second time in three games the Justice was shutout. For a second time in as many weeks, Brennan Ball had a ball rocking the house with his run game. Brennan scored four times while rushing for a game high 234 yards but he was not the only one piling on on for the Mustangs on this night. Tate Edmondson hit the century mark rushing and found the end zone twice. 6 TD’s on the ground is something but don’t overlook Cam Metzger‘s work in the passing game where he threw 3 TD’s and hit of on 6 of 7 passes for 122 yards. It was a big night for both sides of the ball for the Mustangs who are now at .500 thru 4 games.
#10 Midlothian 49, Richmond HSA 6
The Trojans had a 35-0 lead in the third quarter before the Bulldogs ever got on the board. Richmond might haven ended the shutout but it was much too late to rally. The Trojans scored in just about every way you can imagine. Gibson Gross completed half his passes for 155 yards and a TD. In addition to 5 PAT’s Brandon Snyder also kicked two field goals. DK Chapman scored twice on the ground on his way to 98 yards rushing. Then there was Bryson Whitlow scoop and score off a fumble. It was a banner night for the Trojans who improve to 4-0 with Huguenot on deck.
Prince George 23, Douglas Freeman 10
In the third quarter Douglas Freeman scored their first touchdown since the first week of the season. Unfortunately for the Mavericks their defense found it tough to stop LJ Hewlett who continues to fuel the Prince George offense. LJ amassed 289 yards of offense with throwing for 128 and rushing for 161. That does not take into account his big special teams play, a 96-yard kick returned for a score. In all LJ accounted for 3 touchdowns on the night.
Outer Region Matchups
The Wildcats extended their win streak against the Bulldogs to four games albeit not in the explosive manner as they have some teams this season. 1 of 5 Wildcat TD’s came by way of the defense with Aladdin Sims taking an INT to the house. While the defense held the Bulldogs to one score, the offense was back to their antics with QB Anthony Hansom throwing 2 TD’s and 174 yards thru the air. Couple that with the run game of Shadarius Pickett who averaged 10 yards per carry on his way to 155 & a TD, you have a recipe for a win. Now the Wildcats are 4-0 on the season.
Colonial Heights 42, Southampton 8
The Colonials surprised many taking down an Indians team that a week prior handed Petersburg their first loss of the season. A Colonials team that had struggled to score on offense had little difficulty doing it on this night. Camaury Holmes & Andrew Pleasant combined for 164 yards on the ground and 2 TD’s. It was a much needed win with the Colonials facing the possibility of an 0-4 start. The defense held an Indians team that was averaging 39 points a game to just 8 behind Cameron Hartsoe‘s 6.5 tackles. Ny’Zier Claiborne, a freshman making his varsity start had an immediate impact with an INT and pass disruption to prove his worth. It was just the game the Colonials needed.
Churchland 65, Henrico 0
It was not a good night for the Warriors for a number of reasons. It could be the fact that Henrico lost their second straight home game making them winless at home not to mention 0-3 on the season. What about the fact that the Warriors defense gave up more than 60 points for a second straight game? Or is it the fact that Henrico was shutout for the first time since October 10th of last season. The Warriors might be just three games into the season but it is going longer by the week.
Dinwiddie had this one handled by the start of the fourth quarter. Any concerns of a letdown after an emotional and exhausting overtime win versus Highland Springs were put to rest by halftime with the Generals up 28-0. Zion Boisseau & Nyion Mason hooked up twice for the first two TD’s of the night for Dinwiddie. Zion would throw 2 more TD’s on the night on his way to 207 yards off of 12 passes. Overlooked is the fact that the Generals posted their first shutout of the season with Robert Pettaway and Shawn Hill leading the defense with a combined 13 tackles & 3 sacks. Another outstanding night for the Generals.
Well the good news for the Warriors is that they scored their first points of the night. The bad news for the Warriors is that they still lost. Trevion Mills scored the first Warriors TD of the 2025 season when he cashed in from 67 yards out. At that point the Warriors trailed just 14-7 but by the time Warriors scored again, so too had the Lions. Junior Joshua Beasley scored the longest TD yet this season for Matoaca when he returned a kick 98 yards to the promised land. The Warriors fought but their defense was no match for Savion Hiter who found the end zone four times. This might be a loss but Matoaca showed life and better days are ahead for the Warriors.
Nuggets of Knowledge
65 points given up by Henrico is the most for the Warriors since giving up 66 to Varina on Oct. 19th, 2012.
Manchester has shutout Clover Hill in 3 of their last 4 meetings.
Huguenot has back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 1997 season!
Meadowbrook is 3-0 for the first time since the 2011 season.
Douglas Freeman is riding a 3-game losing streak for the first time since the 2018-2019 seasons.
James River is 3-1 for the first time since the 2007 season.
Monacan is 0-4 for the first time since the 1992 season.
Matoaca is 0-3 for the first time since the 2018 season.
Thomas Jefferson’s win over Hopewell was the first for the Vikings in the series since 1960.
Varina’s 5-game win streak over Hermitage is the longest since they won 11 straight from 1992-2006.
Forecasting Accuracy
| Danny Lewis | Jared Jenkins | |
| Week 1 | 18-3 | 18-3 |
| Week 2 | 16-3 | 16-3 |
| Week 3 | 13-4 | 10-7 |
| Week 4 | 17-2 | 16-3 |
| Total | 64-12 | 60-16 |