The 2022 Virginia High School League football season is underway and we have plenty of compelling storylines to follow on the quest to Championship Saturday in December.
Compared to this time a year ago when teams were coming off a shortened off-season because of the condensed season in the spring since the pandemic pushed Fall Sports back on the calendar, it truly feels more like what we've become accustomed to in the past. Many have told me this is the most excited they are for gridiron action 2019, if not longer.
At the top of the rankings are defending State Champs in Class 6, Class 4, Class 3 and Class 1. In the case of Oscar Smith, it's off back-to-back state titles. As for Riverheads, they've won six consecutive crowns and own a 50-game winning streak, longest in all of Virginia and closing in on the VHSL record set by Phoebus.
Familiar teams with multiple state titles in recent years leaped to the No. 1 spot in Class 5 - arguably the deepest of the six classifications - and Class 2. Those would be Highland Springs and Appomattox.
Final VHSL Top Ten Football Rankings for 2021
See Final Playoff Brackets from 2021 Here
As things move along, the Top Ten will be adjusted on a week-to-week basis. A full look at those 60 teams ranked in our initial rankings can be seen by clicking on the hyperlinks of the schools listed.
In thinking about the process, I can't help but go straight to the weather. We start with temperatures in the 80's and 90's in August, but they will gradually dip as the calendar turns to September, then October, November and December when it is sure to hit the 20's and even teens in some parts of the Commonwealth.
Anyhow, check back here on VirginiaPreps.com for periodic updates, and to see results, make sure you visit our Scoreboard Forum as well as the VHSL's Football page.
Without further ado, let's get to it -- our Preseason Top Tens for each classification...
Note - This list was published on Friday, August 26, 2022
Honorable Mention:
Fairfax
Madison
Robinson
Chantilly
Westfield
West Potomac
West Springfield
Manchester
Yorktown
Franklin County
Honorable Mention:
Salem-Virginia Beach
Midlothian
Woodgrove
Massaponax
Indian River
Honorable Mention:
GW-Danville
Warhill
Eastern View
Kettle Run
Deep Creek
Honorable Mention:
Abingdon
Brentsville District
Goochland
Booker T. Washington
Magna Vista
Hidden Valley
Waynesboro
Honorable Mention:
Tazewell
Glenvar
Poquoson
Strasburg
Randolph-Henry
Buckingham
Honorable Mention:
Patrick Henry-Glade Spring
Buffalo Gap
Chilhowie
George Wythe-Wytheville
Westmoreland
Sussex Central
Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to Cavs Corner and 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 from 10 AM to Noon on 757 Saturday Sports Talk on ESPN Radio 94.1.
