Is the season flying by or what? It's already Week 4 in the Eastern Region and we have some compelling matchups this week as Bayside plays host to Ocean Lakes in what can be considered a pivotal game for each team's Beach District title hopes and playoff positioning in Division 6. Woodbridge out of the Northwest Region comes to Tidewater to take on surprising Granby for what should be a great test for both teams. Over in the Peninsula District, Phoebus takes on Kecoughtan with a couple of familiar people patrolling the sidelines for the Warriors, and Woodside battles Warwick in a matchup each squad could be terming a 'must-win.'

Before we start to break down the matchups, let's look back at the Eastern Region Prediction Standings with State Football Editor Rod Johnson, VHSL-Reference.com and Matthew Hatfield.

Through 9-9-12	Wins	Losses	Pct.
Matthew Hatfield	39	7	85%
VHSL-Reference	36	10	78%
Rod Johnson	36	10	78%

Hatfield's 16-3 week pushed him a game up on VHSL-Reference and Rod Johnson, both of whom went 15-4 last week. All three missed on Booker T. Washington/Warwick and Woodside/Maury.

Game of the Week:

#5 Ocean Lakes (3-0) at #8 Bayside (2-1) . . . Prospects will be aplenty in this game, and the stakes are rather high as neither team can afford to lose this game and feel great about their chances of winning the Beach District title. That's especially true in the case of Bayside, which lost to Salem 37-7 just two weeks ago. Ocean Lakes is off to a rousing 3-0 start and they have a showdown looming with the SunDevils on September 28. Being undefeated for that matchup is important.

Ocean Lakes' last win in the head-to-head series with Bayside came in 2009 in a game where they won on three field goals and a defensive touchdown, not scoring a single offensive touchdown. In 2010, Bayside scored on their final offensive possession to edge the Dolphins, and last year's game the Marlins won 26-21 thanks to a strong performance from five-star running back and UVA commit Taquan 'Smoke' Mizzell. In that contest, Mizzell rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.

Bayside's offense not only has a threat in Mizzell in the backfield who has rushed for 302 yards and four touchdowns to go with a scoring reception and kickoff return touchdown, but also four-year starting QB Deion Stitt (33 of 53 for 428 yards, 4-3TD/Int. ratio) and the Beach District's leading receiving in Quin Blanding, who has 15 catches for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Blanding is a future five-star prospect from the Class of 2014. Defensively, they are anchored by him and sophomore CB Jamez Brickhouse, who'll probably be matched up on Ocean Lakes WR Andre Dessenberg (14Rec. 220Yds. 4TD's).

The Dolphins have one of the state's most dangerous quarterbacks in Corwin Cutler. Nicknamed Turtle, the UVA commit Cutler has connected on 32 of 48 passes for 637 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions, proving to have the accuracy to go with the arm strength. What has helped Ocean Lakes greatly this year is their newfound diversity on offense, incorporating RB's Brandon Simmons and Jordan Bobo well. Those two have combined for 529 yards rushing and 6TD's. It doesn't end with those guys as DT's Derrick Nnadi and Demetri McGill are BCS-level recruits, and the same is going to ring true with Class of 2015 ATH Jason Lewis.

As many as 13 players figure to be FBS or FCS next-level players, meaning Division I-A as they used to be called College Football athletes. That's an unusually high number in one football game. From a raw talent perspective, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better matchup than this one.

Bayside's Keys:

#1 - - Contain Ocean Lakes' D-Line: The Dolphins have some tough hombres on the defensive line when you look at McGill, who's considering such schools as Maryland and Old Dominion to play his College Football, and Nnadi, also a player with ACC offers coming off a seven-tackle, 1.5 sack effort against Cox. Those two are run stuffers that clog the middle and can also get after the quarterback. Bayside gave up 10 sacks to Salem two weeks ago, and in the last two seasons has really been their only glaring Achilles heel. They have to keep Stitt upright against those two along with DE Javon Majors and any blitzers or else their entire timing will be screwed up and make the offense stagnant. Much of this falls on the interior o-line senior trio of Jordan Rubama, Tyler Hallman and Ryheem Norfleet.

#2 - - Maximize Mizzell's Touches: In their wins over Green Run and First Colonial, Smoke was a prime factor who made things happen with the football in his hands. In their loss to Salem, Mizzell ran the ball only four times, all in the first half. Of course, by the time the second rolled around, the score was out of reach, but the Marlins have to get him involved heavily in their offense early, get the tempo up and find a good rhythm so that the Dolphins' defense doesn't get settled. The more the opposition has to adjust to stopping one part, which in this case would be the run, will open up things for Blanding and Devante Batey at receiver and the passing game.

3 - - Third Down Defense: As Salem built a 27-0 lead at intermission, the SunDevils converted 7 of 8 third down tries against the Bayside defense. Other than on third down, Bayside's defense seemed to do okay as they got decent pressure on Bucky Hodges in that game and the likes of LB's Anthony Christman, Quanche' Sadler and Donte Hargraves as well as d-linemen Joshua Duhe-Harris and Corey Mayernik were in on positive stops. If Ocean Lakes moves the chains by converting third downs, it'll be another long night for Bayside. Games are often won and lost by a team's ability or inability to come up with clutch plays, and that's what the Marlins have to do in order to be successful.

Ocean Lakes' Keys:

#1 - - Establish the Run: Do this effectively, and it will help set up the play-action passing game to give Cutler a couple shots to attack down the field. Both Bobo and Simmons bring something to do the table running football. Simmons showed in their scrimmages great wiggle. They also have a short-yardage, goal-line factor in Mike Dunston, who scored a couple of touchdowns against Cox. When the defense has to stack the box or bring that safety down, which in this case would be a major playmaker in Blanding, that has to make the QB's and WR's eyes light up since that gives them a great chance to strike vertically.

#2 - - Get After Stitt: To take that next step as a program and truly be viewed as a regional and state title contender, Ocean Lakes needs to do on defense what Salem did just a couple weeks ago. That might be asking a lot, and Bayside could prevent that from happening by stepping up its play and blocking, but the Dolphins have to show their defense is able to dominate and control a game against an upper echelon team with the talent level of a squad like Bayside. Stitt is the general of the Marlins' offense and Ocean Lakes' defensive front wants to get him rattled and trying to buy time before he can operate and hit his receivers in stride.

#3 - - Make Bayside One-Dimensional: Which dimension do you want to take away from the Marlins? In my opinion, it's the ground game. Without Mizzell doing damage like he did to the Dolphins a season ago, that puts all the pressure on Stitt and his receivers to move the ball effectively down the field and score. Their kicking game probably isn't going to hurt you a ton either, so the mindset is six or nothing in most cases. The ideal situation for Ocean Lakes it to get up a touchdown or two, make the Marlins play from behind, abandon the run and force Stitt to throw Mizzell becomes a non-factor, which is precisely how things played out versus Salem. Being physical from the start is important in this effort.

Closing Thoughts: A team couldn't have started the season any better than how Ocean Lakes did, outscoring Tallwood and Princess Anne by a total margin of 111-0. They got a much better challenge by Cox last week, 28-14. Right now you get the feeling that this Dolphins team is clicking on all cylinders, similar to the one in 2008 with Justin Hunter (Tennessee standout) and company that made it all the way to the regional title game before being stopped by Oscar Smith. Their offense is evolving with a tremendous amount of balance and explosiveness, and defensively they don't appear to be the same group that got torched for 60-plus by Salem in a playoff game, although we'll see how they hold up against the SunDevils in a couple weeks. If Bayside can prove they've shored up its offensive line and protection issues, protect the football and win the turnover battle, they can definitely win this game. Both teams have tremendous talent and can play with anyone in the region or state. I lean with the Dolphins only because there are fewer question marks with them going into this game.

Prediction:
Matt Says: Ocean Lakes 31-21
Rod Says: Ocean Lakes 28-20
VHSL-Reference Says: Bayside 26-24

#2 Oscar Smith (1-1) at Indian River (0-2) . . . Oscar Smith got back to its winning ways with a convincing 56-0 shutout of Great Bridge last week in which the backfield combo of DeShawn McClease and Marcus Smith approached 200 yards rushing on only 10 carries between them, QB Dashawn Blow looked much more poised in the pocket, and WR Zack Jones dazzled with a couple of incredible catches. Defensively, all eyes will be on junior stud lineman Andrew Brown, who transferred to the Tigers from Indian River. The Braves have to get their offense on track, and to do so they have to identify who their go-to guy is, whether it's RB Jaque Sawyer or a receiver like Richie Williams or Kevin Smith. James Spruill had a really strong game on defense for Indian River in their loss last week to King's Fork. Spruill, who had an INT TD in last year's meeting, will need plenty of help from his Braves teammates to slow down the Oscar Smith attack any. This is a Chesapeake rivalry game, and the Tigers will look to make a statement early.

Matt Says: Oscar Smith 49-0
Rod Says: Oscar Smith 48-6
VHSL-Reference Says: Oscar Smith 56-7

#12 Kecoughtan (2-0) at #3 Phoebus (2-0) . . . This game has been circled by both schools since the schedule first came out. There's plenty of familiarity to go around as Kecoughtan's first-year Head Coach Alonzo Coley previously served as the offensive coordinator on some of the Phantoms' state title winning teams. The Warriors' current defensive coordinator, Greg Narvid, had that same title at Phoebus for many years. Meanwhile, the rivalry was only heightened when linebacker Richie Staton transferred from Kecoughtan to Phoebus in the off-season. Since then, Staton has moved to defensive end, registering two sacks in each of the last two blowout wins for the Phantoms over Warwick (59-7) and Churchland (42-0). Kecoughtan opened up with wins over Churchland 20-14, prevailing despite four interceptions, and 27-13 over Denbigh thanks to another 100-yard rushing performance from Trenton Cannon and three interceptions by LB Kashawn Lynch.

Stopping Cannon, who has rushed for 327 yards and 4TD's, will be the primary objective of the Phoebus defense as they want to force either Kecoughtan QB, sophomore Nick Carrera or freshman Desmond Savage, to take risks in the passing game. Kecoughtan's defense wants to do the same thing and make Phoebus' freshman QB, Terrell Toliver, have to make plays through the air rather than see RB Tony Pittman (320 yards, 5TD's) bludgeon them between the tackles. That enormous Phoebus offensive line, anchored by Walter Brantley, will pose some problems, though, paving the way for Pittman. On defense, the Warriors will be without standout safety Will Wright, who has a shoulder injury, and that could potentially be a big loss.

Both squads will have a pretty firm handle on each other's tendencies and ought to be well-prepared. The edge in overall talent, experience and depth goes to Phoebus, and in order for Kecoughtan to keep this game close they'll have to minimize their miscues and be able to loosen up the Phoebus defense with the passing game, particularly converting third down situations.

Matt Says: Phoebus 26-13
Rod Says: Phoebus 28-7
VHSL-Reference Says: Phoebus 35-10

#4 Lake Taylor (2-0) at Wilson (0-3) . . . Hank Sawyer's Lake Taylor Titans are going for their third consecutive shutout after blanking both Indian River and Bethel. Wilson comes in not having done a whole ton offensively with just 18 points in three contests. Lindsey Rodgers and Jamze Merritt have combined for 25 receptions for 227 yards, so the Presidents are going to look to them. The problem is the Lake Taylor pass rush is fierce with Jalyn Holmes, Nyquan 'Big Money' Harris, Brandon Lynch, Jamel Spellman and crew. Their defensive backfield makes things happen, too with Nhyre Quinerly, Donovan Powell and Jakale Pinkney all capable playmakers back there. Wilson's defense has its hands full trying to defend Brandon 'Pork Chop' Moore and Daquan Davis, a tandem that has accounted for over 500 yards and eight touchdowns while QB Delmon Williams is proving to be accurate and decisive with his throws so opponents can't worry only about the run.

Matt Says: Lake Taylor 45-6
Rod Says: Lake Taylor 44-0
VHSL-Reference Says: Lake Taylor 53-0

Bethel (1-1) at #6 Hampton (2-0) . . . You think the Hampton Crabbers will remember the 20-0 shutout loss they suffered at the hands of the Bethel Bruins? They are coached by Mike Smith, the man with more wins than anyone else in VHSL history. That means the answer is yes. Hampton got revenge for a playoff loss to Norcom just last Saturday at steamy Darling Stadium by beating the Greyhounds 28-13 in a game where QB Deon Newsome, a Virginia Tech commit, had a hand in all four touchdowns, either running or throwing. Tailback Marshawn Williams is likely to play after getting hurt in that game, but if he doesn't, the Crabbers have plenty of depth in that backfield with freshman Demetrius Strickland emerging. Bethel is coming off a 51-0 loss to Lake Taylor in which they couldn't get anything going offensively. The offensive line will have to create some rushing lanes for RB's Demetrius Dinkins and Jihad Hudson. D-lineman Ricky Walker, one of the area's top juniors, should return after sitting out last week due to injury.

Matt Says: Hampton 41-9
Rod Says: Hampton 38-7
VHSL-Reference Says: Hampton 35-10

Maury (1-1) at #7 Lakeland (2-0) . . . A year ago, Lakeland won 47-21 in a game where QB Zach Super was injured, tearing the ACL in his left knee. Thus far, the Cavaliers' quarterback has been his name, super, completing 30 of 37 passes for 338 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Receivers Antonio 'Noodles' Jefferson and Derrick Edghill have created one-on-one mismatches, and RB Raekwon 'Daddy' Johnson is no easy runner to bring down. Maury's confidence is clearly up after their 27-25 win over Woodside, despite allowing 400 yards rushing. You think Johnson's eyes get bigger hearing that statistic? Maury has a 1-2 punch with ATH Anthony Smith (169 total yards vs. Woodside) and Davion Taylor, a versatile playmaker who's coming into his own. Lakeland has a little bit more big-play capability, and that's the difference in this non-district battle.

Matt Says: Lakeland 42-18
Rod Says: Lakeland 28-14
VHSL-Reference Says: Lakeland 29-14

#9 Western Branch (2-0) at Hickory (1-1) . . . Hickory has won each of the last two meetings, including a 35-34 tight one a year ago. The Hawks could put a real dent in Western Branch's playoff hopes while aiding their own with a win. The question is can their defense slow Bruins star RB Josh Marriner? Through two games he leads all Southeastern District players in rushing with 406 yards, and is a viable candidate to win the Eastern Region rushing crown. Not to mention, in Greg Gibson's triple-option system, you can't key in on him exclusively because then others like QB C.J. Thomas and RB Donte Shepard could burn you. Hickory knows Time of Possession will be essential in this battle, and to win that category, their offensive line must be able to holds its own versus the Bruins defensive front so that tailback Andy Eaton chews up yardage slowly but surely. They're somewhat mirror images, though it appears the Bruins have more firepower in this one.

Matt Says: Western Branch 35-13
Rod Says: Western Branch 33-14
VHSL-Reference Says: Western Branch 28-14

Great Bridge (0-2) at #10 Grassfield (2-0) . . . Right now, Martin Asprey's Grassfield Grizzlies are glad to be 2-0 after squeaking out a win over Nansemond River by a count of 22-21 in which RB's Vince Lowe and Isaiah Harper were held under 50 yards combined rushing. That's very unusual for two of the faster players in the region. Quarterback Blake LaRussa stepped up with three touchdown passes, a pair of them to WR Paris Smith, a player that has developed into a reliable target this year. Great Bridge has been outscored 101-9 in two games and dearly miss injured left tackle Garrett Watts, who would've been a great blindside protector for young sophomore QB Ryan Bottoms. Last year, the Grizzlies won 15-12. Don't expect it to be quite as close this time around, although the Wildcats will be up to take on a Chesapeake rival and show their first two losses were against a couple of worthy opponents in Oscar Smith and Granby, so don't count them out completely if their defense can get off the field on third down.

Matt Says: Grassfield 34-10
Rod Says: Grassfield 20-13
VHSL-Reference Says: Grassfield 56-16

Woodbridge (2-0) at #11 Granby (2-0) . . . In the first ever meeting between these two schools, Woodbridge coasted to a 20-0 shutout last year in what was a defensive struggle much of the night. We might see another defensive battle, given the pieces these teams have on that side of the football. Granby is much improved, off to its first 2-0 start in 11 years. Their defensive front with d-linemen Tashad Charity and Sherrod Ryland as well as linebackers Quintin Brown and Caleb Wilson gets off the ball quickly. If Woodbridge's offensive line contains those guys, then the Vikings will get chances to stretch the field with their passing game and mix in the run game well, too.

The Vikings are no joke defensively with defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, who made 21 sacks in 2011. Hands might possibly be the #1 ranked prospect in the country from the Class of 2014, and has the ability to wreck any game for an opposing offense. That's what the Granby offense with QB William Smith and WR Sidney Fulford (5TD's total) has to guard against. The Comets have several different guys who can make plays. Woodbridge sophomore QB Mike Majette, who holds an offer from West Virginia, has led a Vikings offense that has put up 67 points total on Franklin County and Broad Run. In what could be another tight contest, don't be surprised to see Majette be the difference late.

Matt Says: Woodbridge 19-13
Rod Says: Woodbridge 27-17
VHSL-Reference Says: Woodbridge 24-17

#13 King's Fork (2-0) at Nansemond River (1-1) . . . These two Suffolk rivals are viewing this game as a big step towards making a playoff run in Division 5 this year. For King's Fork, they are off to their first 2-0 start and could be 4-0 when they take on Western Branch later this month if they win here and defeat Great Bridge next week. QB Uriah Adams and RB Charles Clark, a Virginia Tech commit who'll play defensive back at the next level, have combined for 371 yards rushing and 5TD's. Clark also is a factor in the return game on special teams. ECU commit and WR Davon Grayson returned to action last week after an injury and caught a touchdown vs. Indian River. Nansemond River's offense will go where RB Latrell Sandifer (349 yards rushing, 3TD's) takes them. The Warriors felt they should've beaten Grassfield last week, losing 22-21 late on a safety. Whichever team stops the run the best will have the upper hand, and last week the Warriors proved they can with LB's Marvin Branch, Damario Valentine and DE's Nate Wyche and Tiron Smith.

Matt Says: Nansemond River 20-14
Rod Says: Nansemond River 28-27
VHSL-Reference Says: King's Fork 27-17

Cox (1-2) at Kempsville (1-2) . . . The Cox Falcons have won six straight in the head-to-head series, including a 39-0 shutout last season. Their 1-2 record this year isn't the prettiest, but they faced Salem and Ocean Lakes and the one encouraging thing about those games is their offense was effective at times by putting up 23 on the SunDevils and 14 on the Dolphins. Cox will be a ball-control team led by QB Tommy McKee and RB Mike Demasi on offense, but they have the ability to throw the ball and find Brian Campbell and Tucker Curran, who scored on a 46-yard pass last week. Kempsville's offense went backwards in a 21-0 shutout loss to Princess Anne. The Chiefs are starting a freshman QB in Tyler Hatcher, and they finished with only 70 total yards against a Cavaliers defense that ranks near the bottom of the region. It's safe to say the defensive linemen and linebackers for the Chiefs will have their hands full trying to defend that triple-option offense of Cox.

Matt Says: Cox 34-6
Rod Says: Cox 27-7
VHSL-Reference Says: Cox 41-12

First Colonial (0-2) at Green Run (1-2) . . . First Colonial is one of only two teams in the Eastern Region along with Gloucester that has yet to score an offensive touchdown. That's not what Sam Scarborough wanted to see after two games against Salem and Bayside, but the Patriots saw two of the better teams in the region right out of the gate and the schedule won't get much easier with Ocean Lakes following this one. Green Run led Bayside by a point at the half, 14-13 last week, then failed to generate any offense whatsoever in the second half. Tailback Anthony Scott leads the Beach District with 408 yards rushing so far, although word has it he may not be at 100% with a banged up shoulder. Whichever team's quarterback steps up has the advantage here. It'll be sophomore Bodie Sheehan filling in for the injured Joey Brown for FC, while Green Run will turn to either Breon Waters or Victor Everette. Keep an eye on the DB's as well; Raven Greene for FC and De'Quan Edwards for Green Run.

Matt Says: First Colonial 17-15
Rod Says: Green Run 21-14
VHSL-Reference Says: First Colonial 22-17

Kellam (2-0) at Tallwood (0-3) . . . After a bye week, the Kellam Knights look to move their record to 3-0 by beating a winless Tallwood team. A win here followed by one over Princess Anne and the Knights could be thinking a surprise playoff run at 4-0 going into a matchup versus Cox at the end of the month. Tailback Cole Bava is another pleasant surprise for the Knights with three rushing touchdowns and nearly 200 yards on the ground in two performances. Quarterback Pat Kagel's arm could get a workout in this one as the Lions defense has given up 103 points in three games, 60 of them coming in the season opener versus Ocean Lakes. Tallwood has to play keep away and set the tone with RB Rafael Moore running the ball, and getting the ball to WR Christian Byrum when they go to the air. Kellam's defense could put them in a lot of third down-and-long situations with DE Nick Edwards applying pressure off the edge.

Matt Says: Kellam 23-13
Rod Says: Kellam 28-6
VHSL-Reference Says: Kellam 21-12

Princess Anne (1-2) at Landstown (1-1) . . . It was a huge week of celebration for Princess Anne as they blanked Kempsville 21-0 to snap a 42-game- on-field losing streak. Now winning two in a row and putting together a winning streak? That'll be tough. They will lean on Konner Pritchard and Shelton Beale's running along with Jordan Glover's playmaking at receiver, and the likes of Aaron Glover and Jake Keech to stop the run. The Landstown Eagles are going to run the ball quite a bit, mostly out of the Wildcat with Shyheim Swinson and Trevon Byron until QB Keanu Reuben returns to 100% from an injury. Princess Anne's last victory over Landstown came in 2001 by a count of 36-32. Five of the last ten wins in the head-to-head series by Landstown have been shutouts. While PA's offense has proven to find the end zone, the Eagles have been pretty stout defensively in two games, holding Kellam and Tallwood to a total of 23 points.

Matt Says: Landstown 21-7
Rod Says: Landstown 14-13
VHSL-Reference Says: Landstown 27-14

Churchland (0-2) at GW-Danville (2-1) . . . In last year's first meeting between the two programs, Churchland prevailed 31-22 in Portsmouth. Now the Truckers hit the road to Danville to take on a George Washington team that has given up only 26 points in three games. Bobby Martin's team was held to six points in a loss to Amherst County their last time out, but they've shown the ability to heat up with 41 points in defeating Person (NC). Tight end Chris Burton, an NC State commit, will be one of the main targets for GW on offense along with running back Travis Jones. Churchland's offense may find it extremely difficult to move the ball on the Eagles' defense unless QB Malik Sexton is able to damage both running and throwing. Robert Boyd caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in their season-opening loss to Kecoughtan. If Sexton and Boyd make plays early, it'll quiet the crowd. Otherwise, home-field advantage and having the slightly stronger defense gives GW the nod.

Matt Says: GW-Danville 28-20
Rod Says: GW-Danville 24-14
VHSL-Reference Says: GW-Danville 27-14

Deep Creek (0-2) at Norcom (1-2) . . . The Norcom Greyhounds have won four in a row in this series, all by double-figures, and cruised to a 44-0 shutout over the Deep Creek Hornets in 2011. Norcom is reeling after two straight losses to a couple of quality teams in Western Branch and Hampton where the formula for success was simply for each - - run the ball. The Greyhounds hope to have linebacker Antony 'Tweety' Styles back soon to anchor the middle part of their defense, and they will look for d-linemen like Matayas Mitchell and Marques Harvey to step forward with big efforts. Offensively, RB Traquan Martin has rolled up 231 yards rushing. For Deep Creek to be competitive, it all starts in the trenches with Ben Lounsbury, Matt Milner, Tristan Ledbetter and the rest of that line. They must not only be solid, but really put their fingerprints on games like these so it takes the pressure off some of their skill position players like RB Armond Askew and WR Deon Terrell.

Matt Says: Norcom 37-8
Rod Says: Norcom 33-6
VHSL-Reference Says: Norcom 31-3

Menchville (1-1) at Denbigh (0-2) . . . This isn't a game where the winner is thinking playoffs, but if you're the Menchville Monarchs, you have to see this as an opportunity part of the schedule with Gloucester the following week, meaning a chance to start the year out 3-1 overall. That would be huge for second-year Head Coach Melvin Moore and company. Last week in their 19-12 win over Wilson, Raymond Jones was a threat both running and receiving. The defense was relatively sound with DE Joron Foster headlining that group. And then of course, special teams is one of their strong points with the great leg of kicker Dillon Christopher, who drilled a pair of field goals. Denbigh simply wants to taste what winning at this point as their last victory came in the 2010 regular season finale against Gloucester. Quarterback Michael Curtis (219 yards passing, 1-2TD/Int. ratio) will get his chances through the air; he and his receivers just have to capitalize on them.

Matt Says: Denbigh 20-17
Rod Says: Menchville 20-14
VHSL-Reference Says: Menchville 27-16

Heritage (1-1) at Gloucester (0-2) . . . Other than First Colonial, Gloucester is the only team in the Eastern Region that has yet to score an offensive touchdown. Against a Heritage defense that held Hampton to just 16 points and kept Norview to 10, it won't be easy for the Dukes to find the end zone because the Hurricanes send all 11 hats to the football. Clearly, James Scott (30 carries, 142 yards) will be Gloucester's focal point offensively. Heritage has a real catalyst on the ground in Khalid Abdullah. So far this year, Abdullah has 35 carries for 272 yards and 4TD's, placing fourth at the moment in the Peninsula District. This should be a spot where Coach George Massenburg and the Hurricanes mix in the passing game some, experimenting with what they could do against some of the better teams in the PD, and get some of their younger sophomore receivers a chance to soak up some valuable experience.

Matt Says: Heritage 37-9
Rod Says: Heritage 35-10
VHSL-Reference Says: Heritage 34-10

Woodside (1-1) at Warwick (0-2) . . . These are two teams in great need of a victory to keep playoff hops alive, especially in the case of Warwick as a loss would drop them to 0-3 and put them in an incredibly hard hole to dig out of still having to play Hampton and Kecoughtan in the coming weeks. Each lost by a slim margin a week ago; Maury edging Woodside 27-25 in a strange game where the Wolverines got four takeaways and rushed for over 400 yards, while Booker T. beat the Raiders 24-21 on a field goal in overtime. The key to this game might be Warwick QB Josh Butler, who's nursing a knee injury and is expected to play. Having him effective to go with star RB Cardon Johnson is important. Meanwhile, Woodside's offense is led by RB Tyris Walker (422 yards, 6TD's). It's a bit of an upset pick given how much Warwick has struggled defensively through two games, however, I see them stacking the box and not shutting down Woodside's vaunted ground game, but getting a couple of stops in the second half to win a shoot-out.

Matt Says: Warwick 34-28
Rod Says: Woodside 30-13
VHSL-Reference Says: Woodside 28-13

Matthew Hatfield has covered Eastern Region Football & Basketball since 2004 for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network. Check out Hatfield's Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don't forget to listen to him on the VirginiaPreps.com Hour every Saturday at 11AM on ESPN Radio 94.1 plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.