Ah yes, the 2023 Virginia High School Football season begins tonight – Thursday, August 24, 2023 – with a partial slate of games of about 30 involving teams from around the Commonwealth.

There are a good six or seven from the Hampton Roads area, where we are back for another year with our Tidewater Predictions battle featuring yours truly, Matthew Hatfield, and my longtime radio now turned Podcast partner, Coach Ed Young.

If you missed the news about our Podcast with the great folks at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex and Hometown Sports Productions, watch our Debut Show here. You can also check out our 2023 VA Football Preview Show here.

Before we jump to this week’s Picks, let’s review the 2022 final tally, shall we?

High School Football Predictions Battle: The 2022 Regular Season Totals
Matthew Hatfield – 318-58 total (84.6%)
Matthew Hatfield – 217-31 on games with Tidewater teams (87.5%)

Coach Ed Young – 216-39 total (84.7%)
Coach Ed Young – 211-37 on games with Tidewater teams (85.1%)

Green Run at Kempsville . . . The Chiefs are at home in this series for the first time since 2019, believe it or not, as the past five meetings, two coming in the Region 5A Championship, have been on Dahlia Drive at Green Run. Throwing out a forfeit win from the 2020-21 abbreviated COVID school-year, Green Run has won 12 consecutive meetings on the field between these two teams with the last triumph on the field over the Stallions for the Chiefs coming by a 7-6 margin in 2012. In last year’s season opener, it was Eastern Michigan commit Caleb Turner icing the 27-14 victory for Green Run with a pick-six.

In last November’s region title game, Green Run wasted no time striking with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Tasean Young-Stieff on the first play from scrimmage. Kempsville answered with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the ensuing play, but the Stallions scored the next 43 points in a 50-8 romp.

Young-Stieff, Virginia Tech four-star recruit Keylen ‘Brodie’ Adams (97 catches for 2073 yards, 32 TD's the last two seasons) and Jayden Anderson headline a dazzling Green Run receiving core that will test the Kempsville secondary, led by Marshall commit Ryley McIntosh and fellow senior Darius Johnson. Keep an eye on the talent in the trenches, too. Green Run’s o-line is bolstered by 6’6” sophomore tackle Thomas Wilder, while Kempsville has 6’5” tackle and JMU commit Deacon Rawls.

Matt Hatfield Says – Green Run 41-20
Coach Ed Young Says – Green Run 30-18

Bayside at Salem-VB . . . Each team had a kickoff return for a touchdown in last year’s 15-8 win by Salem. This one could come down to what kind of pressure the Bayside defensive front can generate on Sun Devils QB Jason ‘Scooter’ Williams, who threw for 1706 yards and 17 TD’s as a sophomore. The Marlins have dropped three straight in this series after winning three in a row from 2016-18.

Matt Hatfield Says – Salem-VB 31-15
Coach Ed Young Says – Salem-VB 24-14

Princess Anne at Cox . . . Two coaches make their debut at the helm with longtime assistant Tyler Noe elevated to the lead chair at Cox, while former Oscar Smith record-setting QB Phillip Sims takes over at Princess Anne. Given that the Falcons have won 15 of the last 16 meetings dating back to 2002 and will go to battle with best prospect on the field defensive lineman Gerard Johnson (19 tackles for loss, 6 sacks last year), a Virginia Tech commit, it’ll probably be Noe happier after game one.

Matt Hatfield Says – Cox 28-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Princess Anne 18-17

Kellam at First Colonial . . . It’s the debut as Head Coach for Lemort Smith at First Colonial, which hasn’t beaten Kellam since 2011. While the Knights have won ten straight in this series, it’s not a foregone conclusion they make it 11, given the inexperience in some key spots. Kellam is starting nine sophomores, but a large offensive line – headed by Greece native Thomas Katopodis (6’9” 310 pounds) – will help their cause.

Matt Hatfield Says – Kellam 17-10
Coach Ed Young Says – Kellam 16-8

Ocean Lakes at Landstown . . . A trendy surprise pick in the Beach District is Landstown in year two under veteran Head Coach Robert Jackson, the man with more playoff wins from the city than anyone. Senior DE Avir Johnson can get after the quarterback, and best of all for Jackson’s returning starting QB in junior Zack Ruello, the entire starting offensive line from 2022 is intact.

Matt Hatfield Says – Landstown 24-3
Coach Ed Young Says – Landstown 34-6

Menchville at Western Branch . . . The Bruins faithful are hopeful they shook off the cobwebs from a less than stellar preseason scrimmage at Norcom where turnovers seemed to derail scoring opportunities. Yet, Menchville is breaking in a new starting QB after Ksaan Farrar transferred to Green Run in the off-season, so the Monarchs will have to be opportunistic on defense and run the ball effectively to make the reigning Region 6A Champs start 0-1. Menchville also has to be able to contain speedy Bruins WR Devin Cook, a Wake Forest commit, on the outside.

Matt Hatfield Says – Western Branch 23-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Western Branch 24-14

Spotsylvania at Lafayette . . . Moving the ball and scoring points should not be a problem for Andy Linn’s Rams of Lafayette. They have a host of backs to go with QB Hayden Oleksy to put up over 34 points per game for a 13th consecutive season. Spotsylvania enters with a three-year starting quarterback returning in Mason Christopher and some capable options around him at the skill positions with FB Jefferson Paz, RB/WR Johned Benton and TE Ethan Mathena. Where this looks to be a daunting task is the Knights have an inexperienced offensive line, which will get tested by an aggressive Rams front.

Matt Hatfield Says – Lafayette 42-8
Coach Ed Young Says – Lafayette 40-0

Varina at Indian River . . . Since 1970, Varina has won 39 of its 53 season openers. They head to Chesapeake to take on an Indian River team that will look to put fierce pressure on new Blue Devils starting QB Linwood Johnson with DE/OLB Jordan Harris, one of the premier pass rushers in the Southeastern District who had 26 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four forced fumbles as a junior.

Ball security is critical for Johnson because the Braves have three other defenders in CB Deontae Shedrick, DB Trey Voskayan and LB Kamil Mason that combined for 13 interceptions a season ago. Varina wants to generate big plays from the slot spots with Liberty commit Eric Smith, Jordan Edwards and sophomore sensation Da’Mari Carter.

Indian River has to be able to sustain drives and finish third down situations as well as red zone opportunities behind QB Tyler Allison, a four-year starter. The Blue Devils bring back seven starters on defense, and although there isn’t one scary lineman, linebacker or defensive back that can wreck the whole game, it’s an athletic, fast and aggressive group that will test the Braves on their home field.

Matt Hatfield Says – Varina 24-17
Coach Ed Young Says – Varina 22-20

Oscar Smith at Hermitage . . . It remains to be seen who Oscar Smith goes with at quarterback, using a trio of senior Jamar Wright, junior Owen Kelly and freshman Lonnie Andrews III all pretty evenly. Hermitage breaks in a new starting QB themselves in sophomore Ben Yeanay, so with that in mind, this has the makings to be a lower-scoring, defensive battle. One of the matchups to watch is Hermitage DB Andre Clarke Jr., regarded as one of the best in the Class of 2026, checking some of the dynamic Smith receivers, such as Tray Jones, Jaden Dabbs and fellow 2026 D-1 prospect Travis Johnson.

Matt Hatfield Says – Oscar Smith 22-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Oscar Smith 24-6

Warwick at Grassfield . . . The Grizzlies are looking for better results than what 2022 brought, which was a 1-9 mark in the first season with Joe Jones at the helm. To spring an upset, establishing a consistent ground attack with senior Khamari Wilson and junior Willie Moore would take a lot of pressure off the passing game as well as the defense, which will be chasing a bevy of talented playmakers from a Raiders offense that led them to their first regional title in 32 years. Junior do-it-all athlete Messiah Delhomme (1252 all-purpose yards and 17 TD’s total as a sophomore) is one who can take a simple hand-off or hitch and turn it into an 80-yard TD for Corey Hairston’s bunch from Warwick.

Matt Hatfield Says – Warwick 48-16
Coach Ed Young Says – Warwick 40-6

Denbigh at Granby . . . It’s the coaching debut of Newport News legend and veteran Tommy Reamon at Denbigh, which will usher in a talented freshman QB by the name of Kevin Parker Jr. that will have a chance to turn some heads in the Peninsula District this year. Granby raised some eyebrows with its skill position talent during the Kellam 7 on 7 Passing League in the late spring and early summer, so new Head Coach Kendal Jefferson is not hurting for athletes. Getting senior QB Christian Post to be steady delivering the ball will be crucial.

Matt Hatfield Says – Granby 28-12
Coach Ed Young Says – Granby 14-7

Grafton at Norcom . . . The Clippers of Grafton, under co-Head Coaches Max Bolton and Creighton Incorminias, will head to Portsmouth with a pair of running backs that hit over 1000 yards a season ago with Colton Sandiford (1113Yds. 10 TD’s) and Atlantic Shores transfer Emmanuel Williams. Question is can they run it on Norcom and simultaneously contain the Greyhounds perimeter pieces? Junior WR Matthew Outten looks primed for a big year catching for the football for Norcom.

Matt Hatfield Says – Norcom 33-9
Coach Ed Young Says – Norcom 28-8

Petersburg at Booker T. Washington . . . Even though Petersburg brings back QB Stanley Green, who threw for 1046 yards and nine touchdowns over nine games as a freshman, the Crimson Wave welcome back just a total three starters on offense and two defensively. That’s not a recipe for beating Booker T. Washington in Norfolk. The Bookers added a significant player to its secondary in Woodside transfer Makai Frisby, who has 13 career interceptions.

Matt Hatfield Says – Booker T. Washington 26-10
Coach Ed Young Says – Booker T. Washington 24-14

Bethel at Nansemond River . . . The Bruins boast one of the area’s more electrifying return men and speedsters in Victor Romain Jr. Problem is can the Bethel offensive line block a Nansemond River defensive front that will be coming fast and furious, led by JMU commit Immanuel Ezeogu? Nansemond River believes it the offense will have quick-strike capabilities behind dual-threat QB Alkendric Overton, a constant factor with his arm and legs.

Matt Hatfield Says – Nansemond River 34-8
Coach Ed Young Says – Nansemond River 38-6

Smithfield at Norview . . . What’s in store for year two at the helm of Smithfield for Tracey Parker? He’s hoping an improved defense after surrendering 30.8 points per game on their way to seven-game losing skid to close out 2022. There are only five seniors on the roster for Herb Lawrence in his second season at Norview, so underclassmen will have to grow up quickly and deliver.

Matt Hatfield Says – Norview 28-19
Coach Ed Young Says – Smithfield 20-18

Gloucester at Kecoughtan . . . After going just 2-15 the past 17 games, the Dukes have a new Head Coach in Noah Crouch. He can be comforted by the fact that his current Gloucester team doesn’t have to block David Anderson, a former Kecoughtan standout who’s now at Duke. Yet, the Warriors return more talent from an 8-4 team than what Gloucester boasts for a surprise to occur. Expect Kecoughtan to move to 27-6 in the all-time series.

Matt Hatfield Says – Kecoughtan 40-14
Coach Ed Young Says – Kecoughtan 32-12

Hampton at Woodside . . . The Wolverines were hit hard by the transfer bug in the off-season, leaving new Head Coach Brek Hall pretty thin in terms of experienced talent on the roster. He’s going to lean on linemen like Jerel Butler and Jayden Laubach until some of the skill position players and defenders get more comfortable. Hampton ought to fare better in Woodrow Wilson’s second season, mainly because of a healthy Khaioz Watford at QB with some pieces to do damage around him in RB Calvin Chester Jr. as well as WR Daron Baugh and Jamarrie Lumpkin.

Matt Hatfield Says – Hampton 20-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Hampton 18-12

King’s Fork at Churchland . . . It might be hard for King’s Fork fans to believe, but they are 0-3 all-time against Churchland with those defeats coming in 2009, 2010 and 2019. The Truckers may be getting slept on because dual-threat QB Brandyn Hillman is now playing DB in the Big Ten at Michigan. They have a strong o-line to pave the way for the running game, keyed by Dontavius Booker. King’s Fork has a stud ball carrier of their own in JaVon Ford, a junior with plenty of offers, and a defense looking to make its mark with some impact newcomers like Kaveon Blanding (Green Run transfer) and Darryl Wilson Jr. (Norcom transfer).

Matt Hatfield Says – King’s Fork 27-14
Coach Ed Young Says – King’s Fork 30-8

Warhill at Manor . . . Previously an assistant for football and interim Head Basketball Coach, Tony Newbold is ushered in as the Head Football Coach for the Mustangs in this one. While he’s excited about the future, especially with freshman RB Carlek Phillips, the Lions have more been there, done that dotted across its roster. Warhill goes as its Big 3 of Delaware State commit Liam Francisque, RB Jaedyn McAdoo and North Dakota State commit Taylen Eady take them.

Matt Hatfield Says – Warhill 36-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Warhill 28-8

Nottoway at Jamestown . . . One of the surprise teams in Region 2A just might be the Cougars of Nottoway under Head Coach Glen Pettis. If freshman QB Benjamin Sykes grasps the system behind a veteran o-line that features a couple of four-year starters, look out. Regardless, it’s hard to envision a Jamestown defense that gave up 46.3 points per game a season ago containing the Nottoway ground attack.

Matt Hatfield Says – Nottoway 34-15
Coach Ed Young Says – Nottoway 21-14

Southampton at Poquoson . . . This could ultimately end up being one of Elliott Duty’s best teams at Poquoson as they are clearly thinking they can repeat as Region 2A Champs behind a strong offensive line, multiple rushing options in their Wing-T with Chase Bullard and Baker Green, plus a nimble, shifty QB in multi-sport standout Eli Tyndall. All that likely adds up to Poquoson notching their 15th straight win over Southampton since 2007.

Matt Hatfield Says – Poquoson 20-10
Coach Ed Young Says – Poquoson 28-12

Northampton at Bruton . . . Even though Trey Corbin graduated after rushing for 1529 yards and 23 TD’s a season ago, the Bruton Panthers are optimistic it can build off of last year’s 5-2 start from 2022 with several returnees for 2023. One of them is Brandon Freeman, a multi-sport athlete moving from QB to wideout while also lining up at defensive back. Northampton’s numbers aren’t substantial enough to give a Panthers program short on depth fits. Look for Bruton to extend its win streak to 10 in the series.

Matt Hatfield Says – Bruton 28-7
Coach Ed Young Says – Bruton 24-20

Camden (NJ) at Lake Taylor . . . Hearts are heavy over at Lake Taylor with the recent passing of Head Coach Hank Sawyer’s mother as well as one of his best friends, longtime assistant Theo Ford. Sawyer, who is 229-58 in 24 seasons, has a tough task in the opener against a talent-rich Camden squad that is one of New Jersey’s finest.

At quarterback, 2025 prospect Deante Ruffin is a three-star for Camden with offers from Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia. On the defensive line are two next-level studs in DE Dylan Seay (6-5, 235) and DT Richard ‘Wink’ James (6-1, 265), a West Virginia commit. Braheem Long is a three-star corner with offers from Akron, BC, Kent State and others. Long could be given that challenging assignment of having to cover Titans monster 6’7” wideout Elijah ‘Moss’ Washington, who earlier this summer gave a pledge to Syracuse after hauling in 43 balls for 877 yards and 16 TD’s as a junior.

This game probably comes down to a couple of things. Camden has to be able to contain the run game, and the Titans twin-veer is tricky with QB Jamir ‘Sporty’ Freeman a threat to break a long run in addition to the backs. Like Lake Taylor, Camden wants to blitz on defense, but their offense is going to have to hit some big pass plays when they are there against the Titans. The matchup that most intrigues me is how Lake Taylor’s o-line with Roy Norfleet, Keyontae Arrington (6-8, 355), Trevor Hesson and company do against that d-line of Camden that collapses the pocket well.

Matt Hatfield Says – Camden (NJ) 34-30
Coach Ed Young Says – Lake Taylor 21-12

Tabb at Heritage-NN . . . John Byron is back as a Head Coach after spending a decade-plus as an assistant at Lafayette. Before that, he served as Head Coach at Menchville. In taking over Tabb, he knows he has his work cut out for him. In this game, it’ll be able to keeping the Heritage passing combo of Derrick Gurley to Sterling Anderson at bay. The Hurricanes prevailed in last year’s matchup, 27-21 in overtime.

Matt Hatfield Says – Heritage-NN 26-13
Coach Ed Young Says – Heritage-NN 28-20

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, and be sure to Subscribe to Hometown Sports Productions where you can hear his Podcasts.