District play has arrived and that means the stakes start getting higher as we close in on the halfway point of the regular season.
It’s Week 5 of the high school football season in Central Virginia, and in addition to district openers for many public school teams, this week’s slate also includes several high-profile private school matchups, including a rematch of last year’s VISAA Division II state championship game.
The schedule kicks off a day earlier than usual with a Thursday night matchup between Charlottesville and Albemarle. Playing on Thursday night allows the game not to go head-to-head with Friday night’s college football matchup between No. 8 Florida State and Virginia at Scott Stadium.
Here are five must-see games on this week’s Central Virginia high school football schedule.
St. Anne’s-Belfield at Roanoke Catholic
When: 7 p.m Friday
Records: STAB (4-0), Roanoke Catholic (2-2)
The skinny: The Saints have been impressive during their 4-0 start to the season, winning all four of their games by double-digit margins, including last week’s 33-14 victory over Virginia Episcopal. STAB’s offense has been firing on all cylinders, averaging 42.5 points per game. The Saints’ offense will be tested this week by the Roanoke Catholic defense, which has delivered shutouts in two of its four games this season, including last week’s 59-0 win over Covenant. The Celtics also have a stellar passing attack, led by quarterback Mason Williams, who passed for 325 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win over the Eagles.
Nelson County at Altavista
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Records: Nelson County (3-0), Altavista (2-2)
The skinny: The Governors have gotten off to a strong start under new coach Ben Butler, winning their first three games of the season, including two by double-digit margins. Nelson had its most impressive offensive showing of the season in last week’s 50-22 win over Cumberland. Things will get more challenging as the Governors open Dogwood District play against Altavista. The Colonels, who reached the VHSL Class 1 state semifinals last season, are off to a 2-2 start after playing a daunting non-district schedule. Altavista’s two losses have come to Class 2 Central (Lunenberg) and Class 3 Lord Botetourt, who are both undefeated this season. The Colonels have picked up wins over Riverheads and Blacksburg.
Blue Ridge at North Cross
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Records: Blue Ridge (3-1), North Cross (3-1)
The skinny: The Barons make the long trip to Roanoke to face the Raiders in a rematch of last year’s VISAA Division II state championship game. Both teams enter Friday’s matchup with three wins and one loss to a VISAA Division I program. Blue Ridge’s loss came against unbeaten Benedictine, while North Cross’ lone defeat came against unbeaten Trinity Episcopal in the season opener. The Barons will face a big challenge in trying to slow down Raiders quarterback Tristan Lange, who threw four touchdown passes and rushed for two scores in last week’s win over Atlantic Shores Christian.
Charlottesville at Albemarle
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Records: Albemarle (0-3), Charlottesville (1-2)
The skinny: The two longtime rivals both enter Jefferson District play in search of a much-needed win. Albemarle has struggled to produce points on offense this season, scoring just eight points total in its first three games. The Patriots will try to find their footing as they host the Black Knights for homecoming on Thursday night. Charlottesville earned its first win of the Terrell Mulford era two weeks ago with a 48-6 triumph over John Marshall. The Black Knights suffered a 42-20 road loss to Rocktown last week, but one of the bright spots for CHS was receiver Vitto Pallini, who hauled in a pair of touchdown catches against the Raptors.
Fluvanna County at Louisa County
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Records: Fluvanna County (1-2), Louisa County (3-0)
The skinny: The Flucos had a bye last week, giving them extra time to prepare for their Jefferson District opener against the unbeaten Lions. In its last game, Fluvanna earned a thrilling 35-34 win over Chancellor. The Flucos blocked what would have been the game-tying extra point with less than two minutes to play, then ran out the clock to secure the victory. Louisa has been dominant in the early part of the season, outscoring its opponents by a collective margin of 112-39 through three games. Lions running back Savion Hiter, a Michigan commit and the top-ranked running back in the country, missed the season opener but has rushed for 583 yards and seven touchdowns in Louisa’s last two games. Hiter is averaging an eye-popping 17.1 yards per carry.
John Shifflett
jshifflett2@dailyprogress.com
@John_Shifflett on X
C’ville Varsity
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
John Shifflett
Sports Editor
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today