Thomas Jefferson ends long wait, makes T-D Top 10 football poll
For the first time in at least several decades, Thomas Jefferson is ranked in The Times-Dispatch top 10 football poll.
The Vikings (7-1) are ninth after beating Gretna 27-26 last week.
While poll records haven’t been kept until the past few years, it’s a safe bet TJ hasn’t been ranked since at least the 1970s. The Vikings were 6-5 in 1976. They didn’t have another winning season until going 8-4 in 2017, and they didn’t break into the poll that year.
TJ had back-to-back 7-3 seasons in 1971 and ’72. Its most wins came in 1952, when it went 9-1. The Vikings had several eight-win seasons in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s.
TJ, which holds the top seed in Class 2, Region A, plays J.R. Tucker this week.
In key matchups, No. 1 Highland Springs (8-0) plays Class 6 power Colonial Forge (7-1) in Stafford, and No. 3 Hopewell (8-0) travels to No. 8 Prince George (6-2). Highland Springs has won four consecutive Class 5 state titles.
The T-D top 10 for high school football
Record Prev.
1. Highland Springs 8-0 1
2. Manchester 7-1 2
3. Hopewell 8-0 3
4. Varina 7-1 4
5. Deep Run 8-0 5
6. Monacan 7-1 6
7. Benedictine 7-2 7
8. Prince George 6-2 T9
9.Thomas Jefferson 7-1 --
10. St. Christopher’s 8-1 8
Voters: Weldon Bradshaw, Gary Criswell, Lane Casadonte, Gary Hess, Jonathan Howard, Eric Kolenich, Tim Pearrell