Throughout the month of August, VirginiaPreps.com will begin previewing the upcoming 2018 High School Football season. As part of our comprehensive coverage, we will be counting down the Top Ten Rankings for each classification.
#1 - Riverheads Gladiators
What to Know: Coach Robert Casto is entering his 23rd season at the helm of a Gladiators program that continues to fill up its trophy case. Last year's team put forth a dominating effort in blanking Chilhowie 42-0 to capture the program's fifth State Championship since 2000. Five of the nine players named 1st or 2nd Team All-State are back. Furthermore, it's a much more experienced group than the 2017 team as they will field 17 seniors and 11 juniors on the roster, most of whom either played or started a season ago.
Riverheads will have a new starting quarterback, although that position is more of a caretaker given how much they are committed to running the football. To prove that point, in their last two state title wins, the Gladiators 101 rushes for 773 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to just three pass attempts. Leading rusher Dalton Jordan, who put up 1459 yards and 19 touchdowns, graduated, but they remain well-stocked with running backs. The primary rusher looks to be Devin Morris (5-8, 150), who earned 2nd Team All-Region honors while rushing for 1001 yards and 12 touchdowns on 140 carries as a junior.
Morris has plenty of help. Zac Smiley (5-9, 175) had seven rushing touchdowns and nearly 700 yards rushing as a freshman and also adds punch to the backfield. There's also fullback Cameron 'Moose' Lee (6-0, 210), a 2nd Team All-State performer in the all-purpose spot as he ran for 275 yards and five scores to go with 72 yards receiving and a touchdown, plus will play some linebacker. Sophomores Trevor Roberts (5-11, 190) and D'ante Gray (5-8, 145) are being groomed in that rushing equation as well.
There are four quarterbacks listed on the roster in senior Justin McWhorter (6-0, 200), juniors Elijah Dunlap (6-0, 165) and Avery Boehm (6-0, 165), and sophomore Cy Cox (5-8, 145). When Riverheads does go to throw, which again will be seldom, tight end Forrest Shuey (6-1, 200) is a reliable target that received the nod as a 1st Team All-Region pick on offense as well as 1st Team All-State from his defensive line position. Senior split-end Drew Bond (6-3, 155) gives them a tall weapon on the outside and figures to play extensively in the secondary.
Two All-State offensive linemen - Alex Diehl and Chandler Branch - graduated. Yet the likes of senior tackle Jacob Greer (6-4, 210), junior guard Jameson Shover (5-10, 235), junior tackle Gage Maxfield (6-2, 275), junior Deacon Moore (5-10, 195), sophomore center Colin Armstrong (5-10, 215), senior guard Davis Cogar (6-0, 210 and junior guard Blake Davis-Hodges (5-7, 185) were all among the two-deep on the line last year. Special teams looks strong with junior place-kicker Peyton Skillman (5-7, 140), a 2nd Team All-State selection that converted 66 of 67 extra point tries along with 6-of-9 field goals.
Nine starters return on defense for Riverheads, which welcomes back Class 1 State Defensive Player of the Year Blake Smith (5-10, 175) in the secondary. Morris and Boehm are likely candidates to complement him on the back end. McWhorter made his presence felt in the State Championship game with nine tackles, two for loss, and was named 1st Team All-State. Jaden Phillips (5-10, 180), another 1st Team All-Region performer, joins him at linebacker.
With eight of the ten regular season opponents for Riverheads being Class 2 members - the marquee matchups being at East Rockingham (Sept. 14), home against R.E. Lee-Staunton (Oct. 19) and home versus Central-Woodstock (Oct. 26) - Casto's crew will be more than battle-tested by the time they go into postseason play in Region 1B. Anything less than a State Semifinal appearance would be totally stunning, and close followers may even tell you they'd be surprised to see anyone beat them in the Final Four or state title game round.
Other Class 1 Top Ten Previews:
#2 - Chilhowie Warriors - Read More Here
#3 - Essex Trojans - Read More Here
#4 - Galax Maroon Tide - Read More Here
#5 - Narrows Green Wave - Read More Here
#6 - William Campbell Generals - Read More Here
#7 - Patrick Henry (Glade Spring) Rebels - Read More Here
#8 - Parry McCluer Fighting Blues - Read More Here
#9 - Sussex Central Tigers - Read More Here
#10 - Washington & Lee Eagles - Read More Here
Final Class 1 Rankings for 2017:
#1 - Riverheads (11-2)
#2 - Essex (12-2)
#3 - Sussex Central (10-3)
#4 - Chilhowie (11-4)
#5 - Galax (10-4)
#6 - Narrows (11-2)
#7 - William Campbell (9-3)
#8 - Covington (8-4)
#9 - Washington & Lee (8-4)
#10 - J.I. Burton (7-6)
Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. 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 every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.
