Prince George
County, VA

High School Football Power Rankings: Blue Devils still top of region


Matoaca moves up after 2-1 start

Autumn has officially arrived, and it brought Central District football with it. All seven teams in P-I coverage area begin district play this week, meaning that annual bragging rights between local rivals are up for grabs, and every snap becomes just a little more meaningful.

With just three games to consider last week, these rankings are not significantly different than what you saw here this time last week, save for an upward move by Matoaca.

A reminder: the goal of these rankings is to place the area teams in order based on how well they are playing right now.

Disagree with where you see your team? Happy with how the rankings turned out this week? Let sports editor Jeff Milby know how you feel with an email (jmilby@progress-index.com) and your thoughts could be used in this space in the future:

1. Hopewell (3-0)

Previous: 1

Last Week: 35-13 win at Henrico
This Week: at Colonial Heights (0-4)

While there are several notable players and performances across the P-I coverage through the first four weeks of the season, no one has stolen the show more than Hopewell’s TreVeyon Henderson. Here are his numbers through this point in the season (three games):

Rushing: 33 carries, 362 yards (11.0 yards per carry), 10 touchdowns

Receiving: 6 catches, 94 yards (15.7 yards per reception), 2 touchdowns

All-purpose: 502 yards

Defense: 16 tackles, one tackle for loss, two passes defended

The do-everything, four-star athlete has, in fact, done a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils, claiming headlines and raising eyebrows not just in the Tri-Cities but across the state of Virginia and indeed the country. He has scored five touchdowns in two consecutive games, and is on an early pace to score 40 touchdowns at his current rate. He is a bona fide star, and the Central District better be on high alert when number four in blue is on the field.

His teammates aren’t shabby either, and while his numbers leap off the page, his team has backed-up his outstanding play in claiming three wins to open the year. Hopewell’s first Central District opponent is Colonial Heights, who is without a win. Even with the game on the road, Henderson might not be on the field long enough to match his touchdown average in this one. Expect Hopewell to cruise to a fourth win.

2. Thomas Dale (2-1)

Previous: 2

Last Week: Bye

This Week: vs. Petersburg (2-1)

The Knights have had a week to mull their loss to Hermitage in week three, and that might spell trouble for a Petersburg team, though talented they may be. The key this week for the Knights will be domination up front, where Thomas Dale will have a decided advantage. Petersburg has just nine lineman, and Thomas Dale will bring talent and heft, led by 255-pound Malachi Madison and 258-pound Bryce Carter to the battle in the trenches. With two weeks to prepare, and a team that should be angry following an upset loss, expect Thomas Dale to take their third win of the season.

3. Matoaca (2-1)

Previous: 4

Last Week: 22-3 win vs. J.R. Tucker

This Week: vs. Meadowbrook (0-3)

After a struggle-filled season last year, the Warriors are off to a more-than promising start to 2019. Their defense has shone brightly in each of their wins, limiting Powhatan and J.R. Tucker to a combined 9 points. While a blowout loss to Varina will skew the defensive statistics, take that result with a grain of salt as Varina is one of the more explosive offensive teams in the state. It is clear that Matoaca is improved and will bring a physical tone to each game they play. While they certainly won’t be the favorites in every Central District contest, Matoaca should be expected the beat a Meadowbrook team that has yet to score through three losses to begin the season.

4. Petersburg (2-1)

Previous: 3

Last Week: Bye

This Week: at Thomas Dale (2-1)

The Crimson Wave failed in their first road test of the year, falling to I.C. Norcom two weeks ago, and while the Crimson Wave have talent across the skill positions that will worry many a Central District opponent, this week is a tall task. Petersburg tested Thomas Dale in a 28-24 loss last season, but the Knights have been dominant in the series, with Petersburg’s last win coming in 2000. The Crimson Wave had a strong chance to equal or better last year’s seven wins, but this week is unlikely to end in victory.

5. Prince George (2-1)

Previous: 5

Last Week: Bye

This week: at Dinwiddie (1-2)

Prince George at Dinwiddie might be the most interesting matchup of the week in the Central District, with Prince George riding high following a near-perfect start to the season, and Dinwiddie facing their first losing record through three games in seven years. While on paper Dinwiddie has the stronger program, the Royals will undoubtedly be the more confident bunch coming into the game. Can they make that count?

Dinwiddie has won 13-straight in the series, dating back to 2005. In that span, the Generals outscored the Royals 632-135, an average margin of victory of 38.2 points. That’s quite a gap to close, but with Dinwiddie licking early wounds, this might be Prince George’s best chance in a long time.

6. Dinwiddie (1-2)

Previous: 6

Last Week: Bye

This Week: vs. Prince George (2-1)

Dinwiddie certainly has the talent, coaching, culture, prestige and expectations to be higher in these rankings by season’s end, but the early results for the Generals have been uncharacteristic. Dinwiddie is 1-2 for the first time since 2012, and has its statistically weakest defense to this point in the season since 2005. As mentioned above, Prince George has typically been a punching bag for the Generals in years past, but the tables appear to be turned, if ever so slightly, this week.

On paper, this game appears to have “bounce-back” written all over it for Dinwiddie, but games are not played on paper. If Dinwiddie’s confidence is shaken, and their injuries have not yet healed, this game could be a lot closer than previous games with Prince George have been over the last decade.

7. Colonial Heights (0-4)

Previous: 7

Last Week: 44-20 loss vs. Southampton

This Week: vs. Hopewell (3-0)

The Colonials are looking down the barrel of an 0-4 start, and the going only gets more difficult with a Hopewell team coming in riding high. While Colonial Heights still has plenty of optimism in their camp, the result of their marchup on Friday looks already out of reach.

By Jeff Milby, Progress-Index Staff
Jeff Milby can be reached at jmilby@progress-index.com or 804-722-5151. Follow him on twitter @JeffMilby.