Preps Plus

High school is in session and with it high school football and The Daily Progress Preps Plus blog.

Who says the first full week of the high school football season is all about “preseason” tune-ups? Several Central Virginia teams are opening up their seasons with interesting inter-district matchups, including some intense and budding rivalries. (Western Albemarle had one of these games last week, hanging on to beat Waynesboro in the Battle of Afton Mountain.)

Here’s a look at a few games that fit the bill:

EASTERN VIEW AT LOUISA – This one falls into the budding rivalry category. The Cyclones out of the Battlefield District are entering their third season of existence and each of the past two years it has been tough losses to the Lions that kept EVHS out of the playoffs. This year both teams have district titles and playoff berths on their minds. Eastern View got off to a hot start last week, hammering cross-town rival Culpeper 46-6.

WHY I’D WATCH – Louisa’s defense has given the Cyclones trouble in the past. Two years ago when Eastern View visited, the Lions were able to hold star running back Stevie Strother to less than 70 yards and became the only team to hold him under 140 yards the entire season. Strother is gone, battling for a starting spot at Southern Illinois, but quarterback Simon Pendleton put up big numbers last year and threw for two touchdown passes in the opener.

MONTICELLO AT ALBEMARLE – Last season was tough for both the Mustangs and the Patriots and whichever team can get the season started with a victory can gain some all important confidence and momentum going forward. The similarities pretty much end there though. Albemarle and first-year coach Mike Alley have a tough road ahead in the Commonwealth District, which is one of the state’s toughest. Monticello coach Brud Bicknell has his program established and doesn’t figure to stay out of the playoff picture long.

WHY I’D WATCH – It’s always going to be interesting when these cross-county rivals get together and it will be very interesting to see what kind of improvement has taken place at AHS. Linebacker will be a strength for the Patriots with Michael Bernandino back and newcomer Brandon Rose impressing coaches. Albemarle is debuting a 3-5-3 scheme as an attempt to take advantage of depth at that position, but how will it do against Monticello’s pass-happy offense.

CHANCELLOR AT ORANGE – It seems that lately it doesn’t matter how much talent Orange has, the Hornets struggle against Battlefield District power Chancellor. The Hornets haven’t beaten the Chargers since 2006 and last year Chancellor took it to Orange, 45-14. This is a big rivalry for Orange, especially those Hornets that live in the northern part of the county and you can bet this group of seniors doesn’t want to leave school without beating Chancellor at least once.

WHY I’D WATCH – Chancellor is coming off a tough end to last season. The Chargers thought they were state title contenders going into the playoffs, but got handled by Powhatan. This year the Chargers have a ton of talent back and once again will be fun to watch. Oh, and Chancellor quarterback Micah Cunningham is one of the most electrifying athletes in Virginia.

EXTRA CREDIT: Three questions that will be answered Friday night.

1. Can anyone stop a speedy QB?
Eastern View’s Pendleton and Chancellor’s Cunningham can get it done with their legs and their arms and have a knack for turning broken plays into big gains. Western Albemarle’s Abbot Wallenborn got plenty of practice dodging defenders at the Jefferson District Lacrosse Player of the Year last spring. Last week it paid off on the gridiron as he rushed for 165 yards against Waynesboro. He’ll try to do it again at Turner Ashby.

2. Can defensive backs handle big-time wideouts?
Amir Waller is back after breaking his hand last season and might be the best pass-catching threat in the Jefferson District. It seems Orange always has an incredibly athletic offensive weapon (think back to the days of Bradley Starks and Quintin Hunter), and this year it’s a healthy Waller. Louisa gets a chance to prepare for it’s matchup with Orange later in the season by going against Eastern View’s Drayton Shanks. Shanks has height (6-4), speed and hands, a combination that has Division I coaches drooling.

3. Did William Monroe schedule for success?
The rebuilding process at WMHS continues, but it seems coach Mark Sanford has the Greene Dragons heading in the right direction after going winless a year ago. One way to build confidence is to schedule some beatable teams from outside the district and the Dragons open the season at home against East Rockingham, a new school that lost its opener 42-0 to Spotswood last week.

Follow Shane Mettlen at twitter.com/shanemettlen