Class 5 Top Ten - #10 Varina

Throughout the month of August, VirginiaPreps.com will begin previewing the upcoming 2019 High School Football season. As part of our comprehensive coverage, we will be counting down the Top Ten Rankings for each classification.

What to Know: Coach Stu Brown of Varina enters his 12th year at the helm of Varina, where he's compiled a record of 82-41 overall. That includes an 8-3 finish a season ago that saw the Blue Devils earn their eight playoff appearance in that stretch. Their losses came to Henrico and Highland Springs, the two squads that faced off in the Region 5B Championship. This has the makings to be one of Brown's best teams with seven offensive starters returning from last year's attack that put up 43 points per game.

At the forefront of their offense is slot receiver Isiah Paige (5-8, 150), a four-year starter who is committed to play his College Football in the MAC at Kent State. Another talented weapon in the slot is James Reid (5-9, 175), a senior with 23 career starts. Reid has been offered by nearby Virginia State. Anchoring the offensive line will be seniors Alonzo Ford (6-3, 290) and Makei Hamilton (6-2, 265). Across the board, they average 6-foot-2, 280 pounds up front. That bodes well for the running game, keyed by powerful downhill runner Brysen Ross (5-9, 190), a senior.

One of the question marks is the lack of experience at the quarterback position, but junior Bobby Dunn (6-1, 170) is an athletic dual-threat type that Brown believes will give them the ability to remain effective in the passing game as they look to get their speedsters the ball in space as well as use play-action to stretch the field vertically. As potent as the offense might be, what could be the difference for Varina in advancing in the playoffs is the defense, which brings back eight starters from a group that pitched four shutouts in 2018.

Headlining the defense is Ford, who has been offered by the likes of Army, Boston College, James Madison, Old Dominion and several others. On the edge, the Blue Devils have another scholarship prospect in Lorenz Terry (6-6, 240), while the likes of Hamilton, senior Roshard Phipps (6-0, 227) and junior DT Omarion Robinson add depth in the trenches. Defensively, their strength looks to be a fast and aggressive linebacker core that'll bring the boom with All-Region returnee Nazeer Jordan (6-0, 220), plus juniors Jaiden 'Goldie' Carthorn (5-11, 190) and Caleb Kirk (5-10, 180).

A newcomer that Brown is excited about is junior linebacker Jailin Walker (6-2, 180). All of Varina's defensive backs from last year return with a quartet of seniors in Paige, Reid, Barry Hill (5-10, 160) and Linard Scott (5-6, 145), who had six interceptions as a junior. Perhaps the under estimated aspect of Varina's team will be the special teams unit with Kamden Reed at kicker, Marvin Holmes at punter and Caleb Gosney as the long snapper to go with one of the most lethal return men in Paige.

Varina will be quite battle-tested with a much tougher schedule this year in facing reigning State Champs Manchester and Highland Springs as well as last year's Class 4 runner-up Lake Taylor. Playing on Thanksgiving weekend for the first time in seven years seems like a distinct possibility for the crew on Messer Road.

Final Class 5 Rankings for 2018:

#1 - Highland Springs (15-0)

#2 - Stone Bridge (12-3)

#3 - Maury (12-2)

#4 - Indian River (12-1)

#5 - North Stafford (10-3)

#6 - Broad Run (11-2)

#7 - Henrico (10-2)

#8 - Massaponax (11-2)

#9 - Salem-VB (9-3)

#10 - L.C. Bird (9-3)

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 weeknights from 6-7 PM on The 757 at 6 as well as every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.