Class 5 Top Ten - #10 Patrick Henry-Roanoke

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What to Know: When Patrick Henry-Roanoke pulled the first round upset of the 2021 playoffs as a No. 7 seed by knocking off No. 2 seed Massaponax 42-27, it was a sign of things to come. That night, they flashed their quick, big-play potential with a whopping 509 yards from scrimmage on just 43 plays. They followed that 8-4 campaign by going one better in the form of 9-3 and advancing to the regional semifinals for a second consecutive year in Region 5D, though would once again be ousted by Mountain View by double-figures.

Certainly one of the highlights was beating state power Salem, 17-7, to mark the program's first victory over the Spartans since 1994. Some significant players have moved on to the next level from that team, namely speedster Carmelo Taylor to Penn State and Jahzae Kimbrough to Kent State. However, no need to shed tears for Head Coach Alan Fiddler in his 13th season at the helm because the Patriots are still well-stocked with talent, headed up by Rivals four-star linebacker and Notre Dame commit Bodie Kahoun (6-3, 215).

Also an accomplished lacrosse player, Kahoun can be one of the most disruptive defenders in all of Class 5 if he stays healthy with his instincts, smarts and explosiveness. To say he's made a successful conversion from safety, where he once played, to outside linebacker would be putting it mildly. Additionally, an offense that put up a school-record 420 points, 35 per game, a season ago should not suffer a serious drop-off, thanks to a wealth of experience in the form of six three-year starters and three others who will be four-year starters.

Senior triggerman Joey Beasley (6-3, 195) is one of those three-year starters and performed quite well in 2022 by connecting on 61.4% of his passes for 1810 yards and 21 touchdowns. Beasley was also a member of the school's basketball team that reached the Class 5 State Finals last March. Among his main targets will be Isaiah Swain (5-10, 165), who hauled in a touchdown pass in their regional quarterfinal victory over Briar Woods, then grabbed five passes for 66 yards vs. Mountain View in the region semis.

There are other major components to the offense, such as senior RB/LB Chuck Webb (6-0, 210), a 2nd Team All-Region selection who holds offers from such FBS and FCS programs as Marshall, Sacred Heart and VMI. Webb burst onto the scene with 1387 yards and 14 TD's as a sophomore. Another player on the radar of D-1 colleges is junior WR/DB Kwalei Carter (5-11, 180), eager to flash the type of dynamic skills out wide that Taylor and Kimbrough did in recent seasons for PH.

To make it all click the way they envision, solid blocking is important and the Patriots have four returnees in the trenches. Seniors Chris Faulkner (6-4, 290), Aiden Cloud (6-2, 290) and Thomas Fowler (6-0, 230), an outstanding long-snapper, are the mainstays on the o-line. Plus, junior TE Carson Derey (6-2, 222) is another three-year starter who will effectively double in an edge role at outside linebacker or defensive end. Derey earned 1st Team All-State honors as a sophomore in lacrosse.

Pound for pound, one of the grittiest linebackers around is PH senior Troy Brown (6-0, 200), who was in on 141 total tackles a season ago on his way to 2nd Team All-Region accolades. There are a few unproven spots on the defensive line and in the secondary, but they aren't lacking talent. Remember, they reached the regional semis in 2021 with nine starters who were sophomores or freshmen.

Patrick Henry walks into a brand new region - which is Region 5C - that feels in many ways wide open, at least since there isn't a giant favorite like a Highland Springs previously or Stone Bridge like in their previous region. The schedule will test them with back-to-back trips to Lynchburg to start the season in visiting Brookville, who nipped them 35-27 last year, and E.C. Glass, a State Playoff participant at the Class 4 level. To secure a top playoff seed, conquering September tests with Albemarle (Sept. 8) and at Salem (Sept. 22) will be pivotal for a program seeking its 12th straight postseason trip.

Final Class 5 Rankings from 2022:

#1 - Highland Springs (15-0)

#2 - Stone Bridge (12-2)

#3 - Maury (10-2)

#4 - Green Run (13-1)

#5 - Kempsville (11-2)

#6 - Mountain View (11-2)

#7 - Patrick Henry-Roanoke (9-3)

#8 - Cox (9-3)

#9 - Riverbend (9-3)

#10 - L.C. Bird (9-4)

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher 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.