Prep Football Predictions for playoffs, Nov. 17-18

Fort Chiswell (5-6) at George Wythe (8-3)Time: 7 p.m.

Last meeting: George Wythe 55, Fort Chiswell 38 (Oct. 20, 2023 in Max Meadows, Va.)

This will be the first-ever playoff meeting between these Wythe County foes in a gridiron rivalry that dates back to 1964. … George Wythe rolled up 579 yards of total offense in the previous contest between the squads last month. Senior quarterback Tandom Smith passed for 221 yards and rushed for 136 more to lead the way. Trey Rainey (22 carries, 201 yards, two touchdowns) produced a big-time performance as well. … Smith is having one of the best seasons of any player in far Southwest Virginia and the numbers back it up: 862 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns; 1,263 passing yards, 13 TDs; a team-high 108 tackles from his linebacker spot. … Seventh-seeded Fort Chiswell entered the playoffs with three straight losses, but impressively dispatched Pioneer District champ Narrows in a 48-19 first-round upset. “It was definitely our most complete game of the season,” said head coach Zane Quesenberry of the Pioneers. … Layton Kennedy of Fort Chiswell has 1,565 all-purpose yards in 2023 and rushed for 176 yards and four touchdowns against George Wythe in the first meeting between the teams. “We couldn’t get stops and we made some costly errors,” Quesenberry said. “But we also did a lot of good things and moved the ball well.” … Fort Chiswell’s last win over GW occurred in the spring of 2021. GW has won 33 of the 43 all-time meetings. … Either Grayson County or Galax awaits the winner in next week’s regional finals.

Prediction: George Wythe 42, Fort Chiswell 25

Region 1D

Twin Springs (9-2) at Rye Cove (10-1)

Time: 7 p.m.

Last meeting: Rye Cove 29, Twin Springs 14 (Nov. 3, 2023 in Nickelsville, Va.)

As if this bitter rivalry needed more spice, this marks just the second-ever playoff meeting between the Scott County foes. … Rye Cove eked out a 28-25 win over Twin Springs in the first round of the 1988 Region D, Division 1 playoffs in that last postseason matchup between the programs as the Eagles overcame a 19-point halftime deficit. Allen Bowen’s touchdown pass to Tony Estep with 17 seconds remaining was the game-winner. Will there be late-game drama 35 years later? … Rye Cove controlled the final three quarters in beating Twin Springs in the regular-season finale to claim the Cumberland District championship. Sophomore fullback/middle linebacker Will Rollins supplied 66 rushing yards and eight tackles in that victory. … Rye Cove’s only loss came to unbeaten Honaker on Sept.8. The Eagles are averaging 39.4 points per game, while giving up 12.6 points per contest. … Both teams had to survive for first-round wins. Rye Cove scored all of its points in the fourth quarter in taking a 15-6 decision over Eastside last Friday. Twin Springs got big plays from Colten Kilgore and a strong defensive effort from Thomas Calhoun in a 28-21 overtime triumph over Chilhowie last Saturday. Abel Dingus (1,247 passing yards; 596 rushing yards), Colten Kilgore (1,574 rushing yards; 353 receiving yards), Colten Gilmer (457 receiving yards), Julian Pascual (733 rushing yards), Thomas Calhoun (87 tackles, five sacks) and Brodie White (65 tackles, six tackles) are leaders for the Titans. … Rye Cove quarterback Landon Lane is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark in two categories. He needs 72 yards to get to the 1K mark in passing and 15 to get there in rushing. He has 12 TD passes and 19 scores on the ground. … Rye Cove is balanced. Four guys have rushed for more than 250 yards and seven different dudes have caught passes. … Carter Roach-Hodge and Will Rollins spearhead the defense. … The only losses for Twin Springs are to Union and Rye Cove, teams with a combined 20-2 record and two teams still alive in the postseason. … In what area will Twin Springs be seeking the most improvement from the first matchup?. “We have to be more physical up front and win the fight at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” said Twin Springs coach Keith Warner. “We also have to clean up mistakes such as bad snaps and turnovers. It’s playoff football. You can’t have those mental mistakes.” …

A capacity crowd will be on hand in Clinchport. “It’s good for small-school football and it’s great for our area,” Warner said. “Some kids go their whole football career and never get to play in an atmosphere like this. These kids and fans need to take in every moment and not take it for granted.”

Prediction: Rye Cove 29, Twin Springs 14

Region 2D

Gate City (8-3) at Graham (10-1)

Time: 7 p.m.

Last meeting: Graham 61, Gate City 14 (Nov. 19, 2022 in Bluefield)

Last year’s second round playoff matchup between these traditional powers developed into a showcase for eventual Class 2 offensive player of the year Ty’Drez Clements from Graham. With a quick first step and array of cuts, the 5-foot-9 Clements rushed for 240 yards and three scores. The G-Men built a 34-7 halftime lead and finished with 409 total yards…Both teams enter the 2023 playoffs on win streaks. Since a loss at Tennessee High on Sept. 29, GC has averaged 30 points en route to five straight wins. The return of rugged sophomore fullback and linebacker Mason Hickman (5-8, 225) from an early-season knee injury helps on both sides of the ball. Sophomore running back Walker Hillman (995 yards rushing) and senior quarterback Luke Bledsoe (1,025 yards passing) are the leaders on offense…Defending VHSL Class 2 champion Graham has not lost since a 27-14 home setback to Union in week four. Clements was not at full strength in that game, but Union controlled the line of scrimmage en route to gaining 274 total yards. After earning the top seed in Region 2D last season, Graham was able to host four playoff games. The key to another playoff run is Clements, who broke Ahmad Bradshaw’s career rushing record of 5,252 yards in the regular season finale at against Richlands. First-year quarterback Dalton Roberts has thrown for over 15 touchdowns, while athletes Chris Edwards and Daniel Jennings have combined for 27 scores. Junior kicker Dylan Nash has contributed over 60 points, including three field goals…Clements rushed for 149 yards on just six carries in last week’s 56-14 defeat of Lee High. Look for more of the same tonight.

Prediction: Graham 35, Gate City 7

Saturday

Region 1D

Patrick Henry (8-3) at Honaker (11-0)

Time: 1 p.m.

Last meeting: Honaker 26, Patrick Henry 18 (Oct. 20, 2023 in Emory, Va.)

These Hogoheegee District rivals played a tight contest last month as Honaker relied on its rushing attack in the fourth quarter to grind out the win. … Peyton Musick threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Parker Bandy with 9:39 left to give Honaker the lead for good, Nick Ball made a crucial fumble recovery and Aidan Lowe carried the ball in bulk on the final drive to seal the deal. The game was played on a soggy field with intermittent rain falling. “We missed a couple of open wide receivers in the end zone in the first half,” said Honaker coach Todd Tiller. “The weather definitely impacted the game at times.” … Honaker is averaging 46 points per game and has scored 40 or more points on eight occasions. The lowest point total in a contest for the Tigers was in that game against Patrick Henry. … Peyton Musick has thrown just two interceptions in 282 pass attempts. He has 2,844 yards and 44 touchdowns through the air. Aidan Lowe (875 rushing yards; 582 receiving yards; 62 tackles), Avery Musick (485 receiving yards), Parker Bandy (1,047 receiving yards, 15 TDs; eight INTs as a defensive back) and Tyler Cole (52 tackles) are among the team’s statistical leaders. “They have so many weapons it is unreal,” said Patrick Henry coach Seth Padgett. “They have one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Peyton Musick and he does a tremendous job of spreading the football around to different players so it is tough to just try and key on one guy because they get so many guys involved.” … Honaker held off an upset bid from eighth-seeded Rural Retreat in a 30-15 first-round win. The Tigers closed the game by rattling off 22 unanswered points. What stood out to Honaker’s boss? “The grit and physicality we showed in the second half of the game,” Tiller said. … Patrick Henry put together one of its most efficient performances of the season in a 49-8 first-round win over Grundy, avenging a regular-season loss to the Golden Wave. What were Padgett’s observations? “How dominant our offensive line was and how well our defense played,” said PH coach Seth Padgett. “They flew to the football and tackled in space and that was one of our biggest keys to that game.” …. Cam Goodspeed (2,332 rushing yards; 43 total touchdowns), Landon Steele (80 tackles), Tommy Hudson (58 tackles) and Tyler Barrett (57 tackles) have played well all season for PH. Goodspeed had 276 rushing yards against Honaker in the first meeting. “The first time we were able to keep the ball away from them in the first half, which is key against them,” Padgett said. “With their offense they can score on every play from anywhere on the field. They are a great football team and are very well coached we will have our hands full on Saturday.” … Padgett and Tiller have been friends since the former was an assistant coach at St. Paul and the latter held the same position at Castlewood. Padgett was an assistant on Tiller’s staff for two seasons when he led the program at Fort Chiswell. “When I got the Fort job, we were at a mutual friend’s NFL Draft party and I started talking to him about being on my staff and from then on we have talked almost daily,” Tiller said. “We would ride to work together when we were coaching together at Fort.” … Honaker has won 10 straight games at Fuller Field and homefield advantage could play a factor on Saturday afternoon.

Prediction: Honaker 36, Patrick Henry 28

Tazewell (8-3) at Union (10-1)

Time: 2 p.m.

Last meeting: Union 30, Tazewell 20 (Nov. 14, 2014 in Big Stone Gap)

Tazewell earned its first playoff win since 2008 in style last week. With junior Carter Creasy passing for 441 yards and five scores, the Bulldogs rolled past Ridgeview 54-18. The last road playoff win for Tazewell came in 1999 against Graham…Union fans are anxious to forget the end of last season. For the first time since Union School was created in 2011, Union failed to win a playoff game…For the season, the 6-2 Creasy has passed for a single-season school record of 3,183 yards for 36 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Six-foot-three senior Logan McDonald (53 receptions, 1,115 yards, 14 TDs) is the second-player in school history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Senior Brody Patterson and sophomore Walker Patterson have combined for 65 receptions for 1,015 yards and 11 scores. The Bulldogs average 313 yards passing and 103 rushing. Five-foot-nine senior AyvRee Ziegler has supplied 522 yards on the ground with seven scores. The only loss in the past seven games was a 49-6 setback against Graham in week nine. Tazewell has set a single-season school record with 408 points, but allows 28 ppg. Four-year starter Brock Alley has collected 82 tackles, with 6-3 senior lineman Kaizon Taylor adding 74 stops with 26 tackles for loss…The one loss for Union was a 27-6 decision to Science Hill in week three. The Bears responded the following game with a 27-14 win at defending Class 2 champion Graham. Behind creative senior quarterback Reyshawn Anderson, the Bears are outscoring foes by an average margin of 33-9. Anderson has rushed for 780 yards and generated over 1,900 total yards, while sophomore receivers Kam Bostic and Paul Huff have combined for over 1,110 yard receiving. Powerful sophomore Keith Chandler, who has rushed for over 350 yards the past three games, is one of the top two-way talents in far Southwest Virginia at linebacker and running back. Huff and sophomore Braxton Bunch have combined for 10 interceptions, while senior linebackers Brent Lovell, Izaak Keith and Keyshawn Anderson been dominant. Union committed four turnovers en route to that 21-14 opening round playoff loss to Gate City last season. Anderson rushed for 93 yards, but GC scored in the final 29 seconds. …The matchup between Anderson, Creasy and the Union secondary will be fun, but Union has too much balance for the Bulldogs.

Prediction: Union 35, Tazewell 19