Back in December, I truthfully was not sure we'd get to this point. Sure, the list of teams opting out of winter sports is in the ballpark of about 80. But a majority of teams from a statewide perspective are still playing and it's playoff time. It'll be a postseason unlike any other we've seen before, and this is coming off a year in which the State Championship games were canceled with the crowning of Co-Champs in five of the six classifications during 2020.
Already, a few programs - such as Class 3 title contender Western Albemarle, William Campbell, Liberty-Bealeton, Gloucester and Bassett - are unable to participate in regional action because of COVID-19. Of course, safety comes first and is of the highest priority.
My heart aches for all those kids not getting the chance to compete in the playoffs. It has to be a brutal feeling that nobody can probably fully comprehend unless you've been in their shoes. Nonetheless, here we are, pushing forward with a postseason that will have its fair share of storylines, exciting moments, perhaps a couple buzzer-beaters and upsets, and simply memories that'll hopefully last a lifetime during these times where sports always rescue us from the misery going on in certain segments of the world.
Enough of me babbling ... for now. Let's get to the final Top Tens through the regular season and district playoffs as regionals commence this week before State Semifinals next Tuesday, February 16th. The sprint to the finish line concludes on Saturday, February 20th.
*** Color coded sheet with list of Who's In / Who's Out Here ***
Note - All records are through games played on Sunday, February 7, 2021. *
Honorable Mention:
Annandale (8-2)
Woodbridge (8-2)
W.T. Woodson (9-5)
Battlefield (8-3)
Opted Out:
2. Western Branch
9. Oscar Smith
Opted Out:
3. Varina
4. Kecoughtan
6. Maury
8. Norview
9. Douglas Freeman
Honorable Mention:
Amherst County (7-3)
Opted Out:
1. King's Fork
2. Menchville
6. Woodrow Wilson
8. Jefferson Forest
Honorable Mention:
Fluvanna (10-4)
Independence (9-4)
Fort Defiance (9-3)
Opted Out:
7. Armstrong
Honorable Mention:
Ridgeview (8-6)
King William (2-2)
James River-Buchanan (5-5)
Opted Out:
1. John Marshall
3. Dan River
6. Brunswick
7. Martinsville
Honorable Mention:
Altavista (6-4)
Opted Out:
7. Colonial Beach
10. Lancaster
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 from 10 AM to Noon on 757 Saturday Sports Talk on ESPN Radio 94.1.
