Eastern Region High School Football Schedule Breakdown: BY MATTHEW HATFIELD --- Friday, June 17 th, 2005

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1 Eastern Region High School Football Schedule Breakdown: BY MATTHEW HATFIELD --- Friday, June 17 th, 2005 Welcome back friends! Another season of High School Football is still a little more than a couple months away. Last week the Virginia High School League ( released the 2005 schedule and we re here to break down the Eastern Region portion of it Team-by-Team Schedule Analysis: Beach District: Bayside - Bayside s only two wins last year came against the district s two bottom schools Green Run and Salem. Expect the Marlins to possibly equal their 2004 win total by the end of September led by QB E.J. Manuel and WR/RB playmaker Ollie Alexander. Cox - Steve Allosso s Falcons nearly made the playoffs two years ago, but fell to 5-5 last season. Not only does this team have the top senior running back in the district, but there are also a number of quality players on this team. The opener and finale are big for them. First Colonial pound QB Frank Berry was selected 2 nd Team All-District in 04. The senior thrives under pressure, which is good, because there will be plenty of it on him with four of the last five on the road after four of the first five come at home. Green Run - Ray Gatlin does not want to be known as the coach of a team that set the record for consecutive losses. Because of that, look for the Stallions to win a game this year and maybe right away with winnable games off the bat vs. Bayside PA. Kellam - How much of an impact will the loss of LB Demetrius Taylor (Va. Tech) have? Not as much as one would think. Kellam s got two good one s up front in Tyler Miller and Corbett Harris. Plus, under the radar playmakers want a 3-2 start before the bye. Kempsville - For the third straight year, Kempsville might have an undefeated showdown with Landstown, this one coming in late September rather than early-mid October. Jeff McGowan s Chiefs are playoff bound in Division 6 if they can avoid an upset and go 9-1. Landstown - Fresh off their D-6 State Championship, the Eagles play the tougher one s (Kempsville and Tallwood) inside the district on their territory. Another 10-0 district season and state title may propel HC Chris Beatty somewhere into the college ranks. Ocean Lakes - Jim Prince loses his two best runners - Scotty McGee and Joe Baptiste - and knows an 0-2 start coming out of their off week might spell trouble. That being said, this guy can coach so an 11 th straight.500 or better season is not out of the question. Princess Anne wide receiver/defensive back Tommy Cooper is one of the more underrated players in the area. From Oct. 7 th on it s not an easy road, and that s already having played Landstown. A 3-2 or 4-1 start would definitely thrill HC Kurt Brown.

2 Salem - Sun Devils super sophomore Kevin Whaley returns after rushing for 1,000 yards as a freshman and playing some tremendous defense on the basketball court. How he s running entering October could determine their fate the rest of the way. Tallwood - If you don t know who he is remember this name: Quinton Rainey. Tallwood s hard-hitting linebacker will be looking to lay the wood down vs. Landstown s athletes in the season opener, a game that if they won would be the school s greatest win could be a defining year for Landstown lineman Brandon Monroe on whether he plays ball at a Division 1 school or has to settle at a Division 1-AA college. (Photo Courtesy of VirginiaPreps.com/Rod Johnson) Eastern District: Booker T. Washington - Larry Stepney is 25 wins away from 100 at Booker T. Washington. His Bookers play four at home and six on the road, three of which are in a row. Nevertheless, the players will get better as the season goes along to inch him closer. Churchland - Interesting challenge in 2005 for Truckers Head Coach Carl Winckler. They ve got six at home, four on the road, and four of its first five at Churchland High before three straight road tests. Granby - Are the Comets better than last year? Granby s got defining home games every month: Western Branch in September; Oscar Smith in October; Booker T. Washington in November - potentially for the district crown. Lake Taylor - Hank Sawyer has to love what he s got in 1 st Team All-District defensive back Santonyo Jones, who s considering Oregon as a college destination, and instinctive linebacker Terrell Williams. I think the Indian River game in October will be a big one. Maury - Dealton Cotton doesn t have the longevity success school basketball coach Jack Baker does. However, Cotton was named our 2004 Eastern District Coach of the Year. A nice follow up would be winning the district by getting through October at least 5-3. Norcom - By playing a difficult September schedule (Deep Woodside, Maury Norview), the Greyhounds must set themselves up with a strong finish. They ve got the right guy to pose matchup problems vs. fellow competitors in athlete Ben Finney.

3 Norview - The tough defining stretch for the Norview Pilots last season - will come from September 16 th to September 23 rd. That s after a couple of winnable games with King s Fork and Gloucester that they have to travel to Booker T. and Hickory. Wilson - If you recall correctly, I said last season that the Presidents would be a force to be reckon with in the district and have a reasonable shot to win when all was said and done. Four roadies, six at home and four consecutive home games validate the statement. Southeastern District: Deep Creek - A perennial powerhouse in the Southeastern District for years, David Cox and the Deep Creek Hornets are motivated to make a ninth straight playoff bid. To do so, they can t lose more than two games to district players (Braves, Hawks, Bruins & Tigers). Great Bridge - Not an easy loss to swallow. That being quarterback Donny Kirby - the Southeastern District s top passer - deciding to transfer from Great Bridge to Landstown. Might have a winning home record, but breaking in a new QB will be tough on the road. Hickory - Brown brothers - Donnell and Ronnell - are aiming to carry this team to the school s first ever playoff trip. If they can eat up a manageable road slate, then it ll be in their grasps with Oscar Smith, Indian River and Western Branch all on the Hawks field. Indian River - Cadillac Harris has the benefit of playing in Division 5 rather than Division 6, which has been a helpful thing the last few years. Question is will 5-5 be good enough with tough roadies at Hampton, Deep Creek, and Hickory all before October? King s Fork - Coming into a new school is never easy. For coach Cecil Phillips, a proud Ferrum College grad, the goal is to go out there with more confidence and aggressiveness. Finding a way to score some points in the opener would be a superb achievement. Lakeland - Lakeland s defense was very good at times last year with the exception of a blow-up vs. Oscar Smith. They kept five opponents to 20 points or less and would ve been a top def. if not for that Sept. 24 th game. Circle the Norcom date, trust me. Nansemond River - Warriors are in a peculiar spot compared to the other teams in the sense they have the last week off. Their two non-district games are meaningful (Kecoughtan and Wilson) as are the matchups with Lakeland and Great Bridge. Oscar Smith - Tigers saw eight of their 22 starters (not including the kicker) graduate. Among those eight were Greg Boone, Andre Cook and Tommie Lawrence. Incoming quarterback Dexter Merritt s performance in October and November will be everything. Western Branch - Beat out by Deep Creek for the final playoff spot in Division 6, Western Branch is hungry to get revenge in what could be another playoff deciding match. It s also believable that the Bruins could falter and stunningly lose three games.

4 Peninsula District: Bethel - What s incredibly startling is the fact that Bethel doesn t play a road game until October 7 th vs. Gloucester. Take advantage of that excellent home cooking and you coach Tracey Parker could be in the playoffs in the ever competitive Division 6. Denbigh - Like they were in basketball, the Denbigh Patriots were a pleasant surprise in football, going 5-5 overall. For them to fare even better, a star player must emerge after the midway point vs. Hampton, Warwick, Bethel and Kecoughtan in a 31 day span. Gloucester - Tommy Reamon has produced NFL players and stepped down at Warwick last December after a record, including a 2000 playoff berth. If he anybody can mold over achievers it s him so beware an upset or two from early October on. Hampton - Mr. Mike Smith is a High School Football coaching living legend not only in the state, but in the country. He s been with the Crabbers since 1971, and the game that decides it all once again will be vs. Phoebus (Oct. 21). Heritage - Rock you like a Hurricane! The Hurricanes displayed three speedsters at the Peninsula Combine this past May. 22 different people applied for the job, but only one man got it - Jason Robinson. The new Heritage coach has six not-so-easy road tilts. Kecoughtan - In 2002 they went 9-3 and in 03 the team ranked 10 th or better in both points per game and points allowed. Offense line play mainly in the middle of the season will be key vs. strong district foes to get back over.500. Menchville - The district s lone winless squad from a year ago couldn t overcome a slow start on both sides of the ball. Menchville failed to score in double-figures in 04 so if they break that trend in one of their three September games it can certainly build confidence. Phoebus - Bill Dee s Phantoms are intent on not tripping up vs. Woodside this year like in Led by Aaron Ward, DeNathian Robinson and Brent Vinson on offense, and Matt Wright on defense, Phoebus should have a chance to get back to the State Championship. Warwick - Stan Sexton, a longtime assistant, offensive coordinator and graduate at Phoebus High School, is the new man in charge at Warwick. Games with Woodside (Oct. 8 th ), Booker T. (Sept. 9 th ) and Kecoughtan (Oct. 22 nd ) are highly important. Woodside - How well this team plays defense will determine whether or not a playoff return is in store. Of course, losing two-sport studs Willie Bell and Hargrave transfer Stefan Welsh doesn t help matters on offense either. At Bethel and vs. Warwick are key.

5 One Rule: Maximum selection for one school is two games (my rule) Note: Plenty of other good games that did not make the list! Fans of Eastern Region Football? Here are ten must-see games: Thursday, September 1 st --- Landstown - I was there for the Eagles trouncing of the mighty Lions. In that game, Landstown had countless turnovers and penalties that would ve cost them vs. any other ordinary team (i.e. an Oscar Smith, Hampton or Phoebus). They do it again this time and it ll be a lot closer. Friday, September 9 th --- Booker T. Washington - Hickory at Maury could turn out to be tight as many Western Granby. Game is magnified here and let me tell you why. You ve got a good matchup as Warwick is installing a new power running attack and Booker T. should be a dangerous aerial team. Contrasting styles early in the season has an impact on the playoff picture. Why? There s always the Division 5 tie-breaker that comes into play, and it just may here. * Friday, September 23 rd --- Landstown - For the third straight year these two might met with unblemished marks. In last year s bought, Kempsville struck first with a TD, but saw the game slip away in the 2ndQ after some special teams errors. Key will be Kevin Simmons and whether the Chiefs can mustard up a decent enough passing attack if the Eagles are able to slow him down. * Friday, September 30 th --- Western Oscar Smith - A couple of other good options such as Booker T. Deep Creek, Indian Hickory, and Phoebus on Saturday. Like the week before with Kempsville vs. Landstown, though this has the makings of a bought between two undefeated schools. Saturday, October 8 th ---- Woodside - I ll be honest, I m partly choosing this game over Deep Creek to create balance within all districts. But don t discount the possibility of a very good finish. Last season the Raiders were 3-2 prior to their visit to Todd Stadium on a Saturday against Woodside. Wolverines won the defensive battle by a count of Friday, October 14 th --- Lake Indian River - If there s an out of district rivalry you want to see, consider the following game. In 2003, the Braves survived a regular season overtime game and beat the 8-2 Titans, 28-0, later on in the playoffs. Both are hungry to return to the postseason after missing it in *** Friday, October 21 st --- Hampton - If you live on the Peninsula and love this is a game that you absolutely have to see. It s unquestionably the best rivalry in the region, if not the state. * Friday, November 4 th --- Oscar Hickory - What was arguably the most exhilarating game from start to finish in the region last year, Oscar Smith provided its share of thrills and spills. Despite an injured and ill-effective Greg Boone, the Tigers were able to pull it out, in double overtime. Now it ll be played at Hickory.

6 Thursday, November 10 th --- Granby - Last season the Commodores capped a.500 season by upsetting a resting Granby team. This year the Comets aren t going to be resting at all and may be playing a playoff elimination game. It s been a basketball rivalry for years and years and years. Does it become a football battle now? ** Friday, November 11 th --- Deep Western Branch - This is the second best rivalry in the region (next to Phoebus-Hampton) and clearly the most celebrated one in South Hampton Roads. It s kind of like Ohio State vs. Michigan, especially when you consider the fact those Bruins helmets are eerily identical to Michigan s. Kempsville wide receiver/defensive back Dante Barnes had an excellent showing at the Nike Camp in Blacksburg. His scintillating, sensational speed could be an asset in the Chiefs pivotal October 14 th game with Tallwood. (Photo Couresy of Rivals.com)