Tidewater Predictions - Opening Week (Aug. 25-26)

It's back! High School Football has finally returned and the 2016 campaign is chock full of intriguing storylines. There are new coaches at some contending programs around the Tidewater area with Bill Dee taking over for Rich Morgan at Oscar Smith, Joe Jones leaving King's Fork for Ocean Lakes to take the spot vacated by Chris Scott (now at Bishop Sullivan), Shawn Wilson replacing Robert Jackson at Salem and many more.

Two teams from the '757' area code - Oscar Smith and Lake Taylor - played for State Championships in 2015. The Tigers fell in triple-overtime to Westfield for the 6A crown, while Lake Taylor was edged by Salem in double-overtime for the 4A title. Both want to get back, while there are others trying to make a playoff run as well.

There's no shortage of intriguing matchups on the opening weekend of the season, so let's jump right to it with three games on the docket for Thursday's play and 15 more for Friday, including two where Virginia squads face out-of-state competition . . .

DeMatha at Oscar Smith...

See a Full Game Preview with Predictions Here

Booker T. Washington at Denbigh . . . Coming from behind, Denbigh won last year’s opener with Booker T. Washington by a count of 24-18 in overtime after trailing by as many as 11. Prior to that, the Bookers won four straight in the head-to-head series with the Patriots dating back to 1999. These are two teams coming off losing records with new starting quarterbacks, both of which are sophomores.

Denbigh Head Coach Marcellus Harris III likes to air it out and will have Tyriq Henderson get the nod. Since he doesn’t have the experience that L.J. Taylor did a year ago, look for them to try to establish more of a running attack to set up the pass with seniors Keyshawn Chisholm and Monte’ Banks. Whereas Denbigh may have had the best run stopper on the field a year ago with Casey Vick, the Bookers probably can lay claim to that with senior Anthony Mitchell, an All-Region caliber linebacker.

The Patriots want to harass Booker T. triggerman Dytorius Fuller to the point where he won’t be able to get the ball to the likes of Tayeon Woods, Gary Bacon and their main playmakers in space. There’s a very good chance this one comes down to whichever defense comes up with the timely takeaway either right before half or after the break that gives their team’s offense a short field to use.

Matt Says: Booker T. Washington 20-16
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Denbigh 29-14
Coach Young Says: Denbigh 28-7

Churchland at Warhill . . . Churchland has won each of the three all-time meetings between the two schools. Warhill led by a count of 20-12 late in the third quarter a year ago before the Truckers scored the final 12 points, the winning score coming with 5:07 to play, to beat a Lions team that ran for 259 yards during the contest. Twice, the Lions turned it over in the red zone, something that’s a recipe for disaster and they can’t afford controlling the Time of Possession category and failing to capitalize.

Conversely, Alonzo Ricks’ Truckers know they have to do a better job defensively against Warhill’s wishbone style of offense. Only three starters are back on defense for Churchland. Senior DL Micah Brown and LB Dario Waters have stand out in this game in order to bottle up the Lions. Bryce Koob, who ran for close to 1000 yards last season as the #2 back to the now graduated Collin Bright, is the engine to Warhill’s attack.

Churchland wants to put the Lions - who threw for only 234 yards in all of 2015 - in third-and-long passing situations where they are most uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the Truckers threw for 273 yards on the Warhill defense in the opener alone, and although QB Corey Gause and their top receivers have moved on, the Lions know they need to be able to generate a better pass rush to come out on top. With 15 starters back total, Warhill will have more experience, perhaps helping in offset Churchland’s athleticism.

Matt Says: Warhill 26-21
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Churchland 28-20
Coach Young Says: Churchland 21-20

Wilson at Phoebus . . . The Phantoms, who last year made it to the Group 3A State Semifinals and lost to eventual State Champ Magna Vista, have won all three meetings with Wilson since 2004, including by a commanding margin of 41-6 a season ago. Under Ronnie Ratliff, the Presidents have made some strides in winning six games over the last two years following a 39-game losing streak.

Can Wilson take that next step? To do so, they need a signature win and to be able to compete with a team like Phoebus. Although the Phantoms have a new quarterback in Iziah McNair, their running game has the makings to be bruising with Daniel Wright and Kecoughtan transfer Dequandre Edwards behind an offensive line that Head Coach Jeremy Blunt says is bigger than they’ve had in recent years. How Wilson makes up the size and strength discrepancy is the big question.

Tailback Aaron Moore and utility guy Kevin Whitfield are two players that can deliver a lot of big gains and highlight reel moments for the Presidents this year. Getting at least one, maybe both, off against the Phantoms defense would give them a chance. That might be easier said than done though because that defense returns a lot of key parts, headlined by Second Team All-State performers Deshawn Pope and Shadarius Horne along with First Team All-Conference DB Johnathan Gregory.

Matt Says: Phoebus 39-13
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Phoebus 33-10
Coach Young Says: Phoebus 35-0

Bayside vs. Green Run at Virginia Beach Sportsplex . . . Bayside won six of the past seven meetings with Green Run, including by a margin of 47-28 in 2015 when Phillip Patterson – who’s now at Virginia Tech – scored three touchdowns, two of them coming on the defensive side of the ball. The winner of this one gets more than bragging rights in the city since the first annual Lighthouse Friendship Cup will be on the line, promoting peace between these two rivals.

It’ll be the coaching debut for Justin Conyers at Green Run, and in order for his Stallions to pull a major surprise, they’re going to need their offensive line to create running room for the backs, such as speedster Lamonte Perry, and give new QB Khalil Deloatch to find 6’3” receiver and fellow junior Dequan Hopkins. As good as Hopkins may become, the best wideout on the field probably is Bayside’s Armani Chatman, a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Two others that are likely to establish themselves as major cogs for the Marlins are sophomore RB Michael Martinez, perhaps the next great tailback in the Beach District, and junior LB Anthony ‘Tray’ Jones.

Matt Says: Bayside 42-14
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Bayside 24-17
Coach Young Says: Bayside 35-21

Tallwood at Cox . . . Tallwood hasn’t beaten Cox since a 7-0 shutout back in 2008. In fact, the Falcons have put up 30 points or more in five straight meetings on the Lions. Though Cole Johnson, a record-setting quarterback at Cox, has graduated and moved on to James Madison, don’t look for this offense to struggle putting points on the board. Senior A.J. Smith is an adequate replacement being recruited to play College Football by some FCS schools at safety.

To go with Smith, the Falcons have an experienced offensive line with three juniors and senior Jordan Williams, a terror on the defensive side of the ball who’s committed to Clemson. Plus, slot-backs Tayvion Robinson and Jake Wallace are chain movers that can find the end zone multiple times in this matchup. Tallwood has to be able to disrupt the timing and rhythm of the Cox offense with their defense and that begins up front, led by DE Cameron Washington, an Old Dominion commit.

On offense, the Lions feel good about the offensive trio of QB Adrion Wilson, RB Breon Moseley and WR Lamarr Gilbert. They better be able to block Williams or it’ll be difficult to sustain drives.

Matt Says: Cox 35-10
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Cox 27-14
Coach Young Says: Cox 30-0

Princess Anne at First Colonial . . . Despite being out-gained 196-130, Princess Anne beat First Colonial 18-13 last year to notch their first victory over the Patriots since 2002. Two of the key contributors in that win for Princess Anne, RB/DB D.J. Walton and WR/DB Darryl Jones, are back. Walton had a 60-yard scoring reception, while Jones returned a fumble 93 yards for a touchdown. Those are two prime weapons for the Cavaliers.

For First Colonial, junior WR Dauvieh Bradshaw is developing into a bona-fide playmaker. The Patriots have a new quarterback in senior Caleb Saar that will be looking to get him the ball, but Jones could be matched up on him and make it harder for him to get loose. On the other side of the coin, the Patriots know it’ll help their offense immensely if they’re able to get pressure on PA’s QB, Michael Vickers, and force him into some miscues.

In a close game, the Patriots are also confident about their kicking game with Josh Nardone, who last year made 8-of-10 field goals with a pair of 48-yarders included. But if Princess Anne is up more than three in the closing moments, that’s a non-factor.

Matt Says: Princess Anne 27-17
VHSL-Reference.com Says: First Colonial 21-14
Coach Young Says: Princess Anne 24-21

Kempsville at Landstown . . . Tommy Reamon’s Landstown Eagles have won six straight meetings with Kempsville, which includes shutouts last year (18-0) and in 2011 (34-0). Kempsville, operating under the direction of second-year Head Coach Nick Mygas, looks to break a 26-game losing streak that’s currently the longest among all Beach District teams.

Kempsville wants to play between-the-tackles football, running it with a myriad of backs, one of them being Brad Lee, who had more than a couple games last season where he hovered around 100 yards on the ground. Interestingly enough though, two of the better players on the Chiefs roster are junior WR/DB Dasamir Spriggins and 6’5” TE/WR Jacob Moore.

Ultimately, this one may come down to whether or not the Kempsville defense can contain Landstown from hitting big plays early on offense. Eagles junior QB Brent Stukes, the younger brother of former signal caller Bryson Stukes (now at Hampton University) is a dangerous runner that will make a defense look silly if they miss a tackle on him.

Matt Says: Landstown 20-6
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Landstown 32-13
Coach Young Says: Landstown 28-0

Ocean Lakes at Salem-VB . . . This marks the coaching debut for both Joe Jones at Ocean Lakes and Shawn Wilson at Salem. Jones previously was the sideline boss at King’s Fork, while Wilson was an assistant with the Sun Devils under previous Head Coach Robert Jackson, now the Athletic Director at Norcom, and last served as a Head Coach at Green Run in 2012.

Ocean Lakes has won 41 straight Beach District regular season contests. Their last loss to a team from within the city came in 2011 in the playoffs, ironically to Salem by a count of 62-28. When Jones was at King’s Fork, he liked to run the triple-option. It’ll be interesting to see what they come out in and how the Dolphins mesh and adapt to his philosophy as well as personality this year. Even though several players transferred to Bishop Sullivan, the cupboard isn’t completely bare.

The best chance for the Dolphins to win this game is controlling the Time of Possession category, breaking off three to four yard chunks with junior RB Tyler Browning and senior Eric Crosby, a four-star recruit committed to play defensive tackle in the SEC at Tennessee. Salem has some tough hitters up the middle on defense with LB Morris Vaughan, playing some safety now, and FS Taeyonn Reynolds. They’re not shy about blitzing either, so how the Dolphins handle that when they come after sophomore QB Nick Vogel will be crucial.

Both Crosby and junior DE Jaevon Becton are going to be hard for teams to block this year. Where Ocean Lakes has to prove itself defensively is on the back end with a bunch of new faces in the secondary as well as at that linebacker spot, where they have some untested juniors that will have their hands full corralling talented Salem RB Davonte Williams, who’s boldly setting the bar at 2000 yards for this season. Williams is good enough to dictate the pace in this one.

Matt Says: Salem-VB 28-12
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Ocean Lakes 28-17
Coach Young Says: Ocean Lakes 28-21

Granby at Warwick . . . It was Warwick prevailing by a count of 27-18 in last year’s rare meeting between these two schools, where they combined for 21 penalties. Neither team has been playoff bound the past three years, although Granby finished 5-5 a season ago and knows it would’ve reached the postseason had they been able to beat the Raiders. That, along with the feeling that they are being written off because their previous starting QB transferred, serves as enough motivation.

In Warwick’s case, the Raiders have the necessary pieces in the secondary with seniors Travis Williams, Elijah Anderson and Daniel Green to win this game and some others on the schedule. After all, they came up with seven interceptions on defense in one game last year late in the season against Gloucester. It’s going to be a matter of whether they get some linemen to develop and the offense, which also saw one of its QB’s transfer to Hampton in the off-season, to mature.

This is a true toss-up game, maybe the hardest one for me to call on the docket this week in fact, and it simply should be decided by which team makes the least amount of mistakes.

Matt Says: Granby 21-20
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Granby 23-10
Coach Young Says: Warwick 23-10

Heritage-Newport News at Lake Taylor . . . Fans of Heritage would like to forget last year’s 54-0 drubbing they received at the hands of the Titans over at Todd Stadium. This time, they come to Norfolk and hope they are better prepared for battle with a Lake Taylor team that has reached the State Championship game three times in the past four seasons.

Heritage will try to become the first Peninsula District squad to beat Lake Taylor since Phoebus did so back in the 2011 playoffs, coming from behind for a 20-17 victory on the road. Coach George ‘Chubs’ Massenburg is never lacking for confidence and likes what he’s seen out of his team this off-season, in particular the rapid rise of wideout Amonyae Watson as a guy being recruited by schools like Vanderbilt and Syracuse to name a couple.

Watson hopes to get his chance to test a Lake Taylor defense with some new faces since Wayne Davis moved on to Ohio State, Keyonve Bruton is now at Temple and J.T. Wahee went down the street to Norfolk State. But the bigger issue for Heritage is figuring out how to block that always tenacious, unrelenting Lake Taylor defense anchored by Notre Dame commit Darnell Ewell. In last year’s game, Ewell recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.

Ball security is a must for the Heritage offense, engineered by four-year starting QB and Naval Academy pledge Jeremiah Boyd. To be able to play the type of ball-control they want on offense, the Hurricanes have to get their defense to do a better job this time around of making Lake Taylor QB Tyrek Hughey uncomfortable. Lake Taylor had five conversions on third or fourth down a season ago, something that if they get again, it’ll be another win by a wide margin.

Matt Says: Lake Taylor 36-16
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Lake Taylor 41-6
Coach Young Says: Lake Taylor 33-14

Norcom at Maury . . . Aided by seven takeaways, the Maury Commodores prevailed by a count of 21-12 last year over the Norcom Greyhounds, a team that defeated them by 28 points the season before. This has been a competitive, back-and-forth series, with the two Eastern District members splitting the past eight meetings. To call the 2016 matchup unpredictable might be an understatement, but that’s what we’re supposed to do, right?

It’s hard to forecast what to expect from the Norcom offense with a ninth grader slated to get the start at quarterback in Jacoby Smith. Delveon Little, the leading rusher for Maury each of the last four seasons, is now longer in a Commodores uniform and Head Coach Chris Fraser doesn’t have a definite go-to guy, planning to split up the carries among four or four different players. Junior QB Kevin ‘Bam’ Mills may get his own number called a lot, too.

Arguably the most elusive and electric player in space for either team is Norcom senior RB/WR Kavante Dawson, someone the Maury defense must account for on every play. What the Commodores are most optimistic about is that all of their key linemen are back with seniors Zaire Barnes, Quiyon Allen and Devin Charles paving the way on the offensive front. Anything other than a down-to-the-wire finish would be surprising here.

Matt Says: Norcom 23-21
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Maury 27-21
Coach Young Says: Norcom 28-14

Norview at Great Bridge . . . It was an aerial assault by Norview in last year’s opener with Great Bridge as quarterback D.J. Mack threw for 425 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 84 yards and another score in a 56-6 romp. The Wildcats have a new Head Coach in Steve O’Neal and they have installed a new offense, running the Wing-T system in hopes of being able to play ball-control.

Gritty signal caller A.J. Frommelt is back and he’ll have to be careful not to try anything out of his limitations against a speedy and athletic Norview defense with several next-level prospects on it, including safety Anton ‘Tank’ Ashby and LB Kevin Marks, a commit to Buffalo at running back. Besides Marks and Mack, the Pilots have another Buffalo commit in Isaiah King, whose speed allows him to go the distance in a flash, whether he’s lined up in the backfield or at receiver.

While the Great Bridge defense got hit hard by the passing game in last year’s meeting, the Wildcats have five seniors that have seen the field before on the back end. They also have to be crisp in their tackling against the athletes the Pilots have or else a simple run can result in a long touchdown. Norview has a lot of advantages as long as they maintain focus.

Matt Says: Norview 42-14
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Norview 35-13
Coach Young Says: Norview 45-0

Bethel at Indian River . . . These two squads met twice in 2015, the first coming in the season opener with Indian River rallying for an 14-8 win in a game where they had several starters sitting out. In the re-match that came during the opening round of the playoffs, the Braves rolled to a 47-7 victory.

The Braves look somewhat different with two of those fierce hitters on defense, Tavante Beckett (Va. Tech) and Jaquan Yulee (Marshall), having departed. That duo combined for 20 sacks and 17 forced fumbles last year. In their place, edge rusher Brandon Manley and sophomore Ah’shawn Moore, are assuming larger roles at linebacker. Oh yea, they also have some guy named Devon Hunter, one of the nation’s premier recruits who’ll do damage at free safety and can line up at several different spots on offense.

Bethel’s defense, which operates out of a ‘Bear’ front, was tops statistically in the Peninsula District last season and second-year Head Coach William Beverley has many of those components back. At the forefront is highly recruited FS/LB Jeremiah Owusu, a physical specimen that if matched up on Hunter will offer fans a great one-on-one battle well worth the price of admission.

There’s also beef up front on the Bethel defense in the form of Janaz Jordan (6-3, 295) and Solomon Luckett (6-5, 295). Indian River’s offensive line, which had some trouble in the first meeting last year, will have to be up to the task. The escape ability of new QB Kesyhawn Brown, formerly of Granby, gives the Braves an element on offense that should benefit them greatly along with the talents of Hunter. Meanwhile, the Bethel offense isn’t quite as explosive and still figuring out how to manufacture points on a consistent basis.

Matt Says: Indian River 20-10
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Indian River 27-21
Coach Young Says: Indian River 14-7

Smithfield at King’s Fork . . . This has the makings to be the shoot-out of the week as these two teams played to a 42-36 final in the opening round of last year’s playoffs with King’s Fork prevailing. They also met in the 2015 regular season opener, a game the Bulldogs won 24-17, despite Smithfield throwing for 315 yards and out-gaining them by 100 yards on the night.

It’ll be the coaching debut for Scottie Littles, a former State Champion player at Landstown, at King’s Fork. Junior Justin German won the two-man quarterback battle in camp, but in many ways more eyes will be on the running game. That’s because Deshaun Wethington, who ran for over 5000 yards in his Bulldogs career, is now at Towson. They’re pretty confident in what junior Darran Butts can do since he saw the field last year when Wethington was out a few games and performed reasonably well.

Smithfield has big-play capabilities with its offense, headlined by wideout Chris Pierce, who’s also a very effective linebacker. Pierce has made 89 catches over the last two years and is drawing recruiting attention from a host of ACC and Ivy League programs. They also have a 1-2 punch in the backfield with 1000-yard rusher William Robinson and Bayside transfer Caleb Brodie.

King’s Fork is huge up front with freshman Trey Mitchell, Austin Williams and Xavier Ramsey holding the fort – or better yet the Kennel – down. All eyes will be on these two offenses, one with a bit more of an unknown in the Bulldogs because of the new coaching staff and some personnel changes. However, the King’s Fork defense could very well possess better depth and that may help at home, especially if it’s high scoring again and tight.

Matt Says: Smithfield 38-34
VHSL-Reference.com Says: King’s Fork 25-24
Coach Young Says: King’s Fork 38-34

Menchville at Nansemond River . . . Menchville scored the first touchdown in last year’s season opener at Todd Stadium, but it was all Nansemond River from there as the Warriors scored the final 53 for a convincing win. The Warriors are coming off their best season in well over a decade and nearly beat Norview in the opening round of the playoffs, so this is a program in the Southeastern District that’s on the rise.

Nansemond River also has an identity of being able to run the football, something they should continue to be able to do even with 1000-yard rusher Terrence Lambert graduating. Junior JeVon Waller figures to step right in and be one of the area’s top runners to lead a backfield that hopes to mix in Anthony Oliphant and Ray Goodman, plus still find ways to get the ball in the hands of 6’3” receivers Gerard Stringer and Quincy Gregg.

Menchville feels better about their chances in the team’s second season under Head Coach Ray Savage. Turning those feelings into better results is now the main objective. That begins with identifying an offensive leader and getting all 11 hats to the football to improve a porous run defense.

Matt Says: Nansemond River 35-7
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Nansemond River 48-0
Coach Young Says: Nansemond River 42-14

Kecoughtan at Gloucester . . . Kecoughtan may be on upset alert here as Gloucester returns an underrated backfield with Marainte Morris, Rashaad Williams and Joren Brown, a trio that combined for 1187 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 2015. In the 2015 meeting that Kecoughtan won 47-21, the Dukes ran for 252 yards, but ultimately couldn’t stop the Warriors’ running game as they racked up 449 yards on the ground themselves.

The Dukes last win in this head-to-head series? It was a 23-6 triumph back in 2006. To get it, they’re going to have to run the ball effectively like they did a year ago and be able to do some different things defensively to keep Kecoughtan guessing on offense, unless this game turns into a shoot-out, which the makings are potentially there. The Warriors only bring back three starters on defense as well.

On offense, Kecoughtan has several new faces, including a tenth grader starting at QB in Jonathan Melvin. But one significant returnee is Keith Grady, a four-year starter at wide receiver with 13 touchdown receptions over the last two seasons. He’s the one guy on the outside that can give the Gloucester defense headaches and swing it in their favor, provided he’s able to score a long, demoralizing touchdown like we’ve become accustomed to seeing him do.

Matt Says: Kecoughtan 27-26 (OT)
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Kecoughtan 35-13
Coach Young Says: Kecoughtan 21-14

Woodside at GlenOak (Ohio) . . . It’s a trip to go out-of-state and face quality competition once again for Danny Dodson’s Woodside Wolverines, who last year went down to South Carolina and took on a Northwestern team that went on to capture a State Championship. Getting to check out the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton is just an added perk to their Ohio trip.

GlenOak has made the playoffs nine times since 2000 and finished with a 7-4 overall record last season. All five Inland District First Team players on that team graduated, including quarterback Brennon Tibbs and several linemen. One of the key names to know is 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior tight end Andrew White, who’s being recruited by Akron. The Golden Eagles run a pistol-formation style on offense and will use a host of ball carriers.

As for Woodside, the Wolverines have a lot of seniors who have been multi-year starter back in the mold, more than they’ve had in a while. Army commit Tyhier Tyler at quarterback has a firm handle of their system with Tamir Walker, Demetri Banks, Kendall Bell and D’Angelo Chesson all able to break a long run. Athlete-wise, it’s a core that can compete with some of the best and not be awe-struck.

For Woodside to win, a couple of things will be pivotal. Holding up well in the trenches may be most essential. The defense has to come up with timely stops when GlenOak is driving, particularly on third down, and a couple of takeaways would help in that endeavor immensely. Chesson, Bell and Delaware State commit Kamari Jackson at safety are vets that know what’s expected of them defensively.

Matt Says: Woodside 28-24
VHSL-Reference.com Says: N/A
Coach Young Says: GlenOak 28-14

Southampton at Poquoson . . . Lately, this has been a pretty one-sided series. Poquoson owns nine straight wins over Southampton with four of them being of the shutout variety. The Indians, who haven’t beaten Poquoson since 2006, hired Littleton Parker III as their new Head Football Coach back in May, replacing Willie Gillus. Parker coached them for 22 seasons from 1988-2009. Now his goal is to restore them to glory.

Poquoson had a large crop of seniors last year, none tougher to replace than QB Trey Hicks since that was a position without clarity to it during the summer. Look for the Islanders to return to their Wing-T routes as far as running the football most of the time with the likes of Robert Henesey and Cole Jackson. Much of the offensive line is back and that will help in establishing a steady ground game.

Southampton has a blue-chip recruit in 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman Tyran Hunt, who holds offers from Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and several others. It all comes down to defending the run for the Indians, which if they do, they can be in this one for the long haul.

Matt Says: Poquoson 32-8
VHSL-Reference.com Says: Poquoson 42-6
Coach Young Says: Poquoson 35-14

Matthew Hatfield has covered football and basketball since 2004 for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. 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 on ESPN Radio 94.1, plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.