Gametime Henrico: Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023

The Mavericks football squad suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Glen Allen (4-1) 35-7. Down 14-0 at the start of the second quarter, quarterback Jadyn Reece attempted to make things interesting with a 17-yard passing touchdown to star running back Kevin China. But this was the only time the Mavericks would see the end zone due to a dominant effort by the Jaguars in the run game, and by the Jags defense.

With so many one-loss teams in Region 5C at the halfway point of the season, every game from this point on will be crucial in order for Freeman to take the one seed. Next up on the schedule for the Mavs is a 4-1 Hermitage team coming off of their fourth consecutive victory. They will face the Panthers this Friday at home.

Glen Allen High School

The Glen Allen football team did more than get back on track last Friday, showing exactly how well they respond to adversity. After a 3-0 start to the season, the Jags saw their perfect record vanish following a 27-7 loss to Thomas Dale two weeks back. Last week, they ended Freeman’s chance at a perfect season with a dominant 35-7 victory. Running back Dallas Chavis had another monstrous performance. Chavis scored from 30 yards out in the first quarter, then scored from 10 yards out to give the Jags a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. Following a Freeman touchdown pass, Chavis immediately responded with an 80-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 21-7. Before the end of the half, quarterback Nana Utsey would take it in from six yards out to make it 28-7. The final score of the night came in the third quarter, where defensive back Kam Tiller returned an interception 40 yards to the house. Chavis finished the night with 150 rushing yards, and Utsey would finish the night with 105 yards of total offense. To put Glen Allen’s performance into perspective, they managed to score more points on the Mavericks in one game than the Mavericks had allowed all season heading into this matchup. This offense is electric, and will look to keep things rolling in what should be a great matchup versus Varina (3-1) in their next game this Friday.

Godwin High School

The Eagles football team found themselves back in the win column last week, where they defeated Tucker (1-4) 28-6, and improved to 5-1 on the season. It was a slow start for both teams, as the score was tied up at zero by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Godwin found themselves down 6-0 after a quick touchdown by Tucker. But the Eagles immediately took complete control, as junior running back Jackson Eakes returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown. After that, it was quarterback Daniel Viener who scored a rushing touchdown from three yards out in the third quarter, Isaiah Brown who crossed the goal line from two yards out in the fourth quarter, and then Viener threw a 15-yard passing touchdown to wideout Hank Piersol to seal the deal. The combination of a strong run game and relentless defensive effort by the Eagles was the difference in this one. Viener, Brown and Roman Parker combined for 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Brown was also a major factor defensively, totaling 10 tackles on the night and forcing a fumble.

The remainder of their schedule this season will be a test, and will show us the type of threat Godwin will be in the postseason. Thomas Jefferson sits at 4-0 and has outscored its opponents a whopping 214-19. Freeman, sitting at 5-1, may have the best run game in Region 5C, and Glen Allen sits at 4-1, coming off a dominant victory over the Mavericks. Despite the offensive explosion these remaining teams are capable of, this Godwin defense is leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last season, allowing just 13 points per game. Though the offense has had many memorable moments so far in 2023, this defense may just be the difference when the postseason begins. For their next match-up, the Eagles will host Thomas Jefferson.

Henrico High School

The Warriors football squad improved to 2-3 in the season after shutting out a previously unbeaten Armstrong Wildcats team (4-1) by a score of 17-0. Quarterback Lavell Winston had a solid day under center, completing 58 percent of his passes for 120 yards and 1 passing touchdown. On the ground, it was running back Darren Williams creating the most issues for an Armstrong defense that allowed just 16 points in the year prior to this game, averaging five yards per carry, totaling 75 rushing yards and finding the end zone once. The Warriors will now face Highland Springs (4-1) on the road for their next game this Thursday.

Hermitage High School

The Panthers football team continued their impressive start to the season with a dominant 36-0 victory over the Deep Run Wildcats (1-5) last Friday. Running back Earlonte Winston had another monster game on the ground, rushing for 215 yards on the night, making it the second consecutive game that Winston has rushed for over 150 yards. In the air, the young star receiver Andre Clark Jr. put on a show, catching five passes for 130 yards and finding the end zone twice. Quarterback Steven Bowers had a solid day, completing 50 percent of his passes and throwing two touchdowns. The win puts the Panthers at 4-1, which is tied for the second best record in Region 5C. The strength of their schedule for the second half of the season will tell us all we need to know about the potential of this Hermitage team, which presents several playoff implications. They will face Freeman, Glen Allen, Highland Springs, and Varina in order these next four weeks, who have a combined record of 16-4. The hunt for the number one seed starts this weekend on the road versus the Mavericks (5-1) this Friday.

Tucker High School

The Tigers football squad fell to 1-4 on the season after a tough 28-6 loss to the Godwin Eagles (5-1) last Friday. After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers found themselves on the board first when quarterback Chase Roberts connected with senior wideout Jaiden Blue on a 10-yard passing touchdown to go up 6-0 in the second quarter, following a missed extra point attempt. From there, it was an offensive explosion from Godwin's offense, and the Tigers defense would allow 158 rushing yards on the night. They will look to get things back on track with their next game on the road versus the Deep Run Wildcats (1-5) this Thursday.

Varina High School

The Blue Devils football team raised the bar this past weekend, dominating all phases of the game in a 60-0 victory over Mechanicsville (1-4). The offense totaled more than 400 yards for the night, had five different ball carriers find the end zone, and had three different receivers haul in touchdowns. On the ground, Naseer Smith led Varina with 85 rushing yards and one touchdown. Running backs Shaun Banks, Taevon Gilpin, and Marquel Harris had one touchdown apiece. Quarterback Linwood Johnson also ran in a touchdown, and threw three touchdown passes to receivers Damari Carter, Jordan Edwards and Dennis Giles. Edwards was the leading Varina receiver with 65 yards for the night. This win makes Varina 3-1 on the season, and they are ranked as the fourth best team in Virginia 4A, according to MaxPreps.com. They will face a red-hot Glen Allen team (4-1) on the road for their next game this Friday.