Thomas Jefferson ends long wait, makes T-D Top 10 football poll

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