As we enter Thanksgiving weekend, two Fredericksburg-area high school football teams are still alive in the Virginia High School League playoffs.
Commonwealth District rivals Colonial Forge and Riverbend will play for regional championships Friday afternoon. Below are previews of each of those games:
Region 6B Championship
Colonial Forge (9-3) at Patriot (9-3)
When: Friday, 2 p.m.
Where: Patriot High School, Nokesville
Last week: In the Region 6B semifinals last Friday, Colonial Forge defeated North Stafford 17-6 and Patriot beat Battlefield 10-7.
Last meeting/Series history: Colonial Forge defeated Patriot 35-27 in Week 4 of the regular season on Sept. 20. The Eagles lead the all-time series 5-1, with the Pioneers’ lone win coming 49-21 in the Region 6B semifinals on Nov. 18, 2022.
What to know: After losing more than two regular-season games for just the third time since 2014, Colonial Forge appears to be peaking at the right time.
The two main reasons for the Eagles’ playoff push? A powerful running game and physical defense.
In last week’s 17-6 regional semifinal victory at No. 2 seed North Stafford, Forge quarterback Brock Brimhall rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. The junior had five runs of 10 yards or more, including a 14-yard scoring scamper early in the third quarter that buoyed the sixth-seeded Eagles to the win.
Two weeks ago, running back Josiah Bryson ran for 116 yards and four TDs to push Forge past No. 3 seed Stafford, 45-24, in the regional quarterfinals.
Last week, the Eagles defense held North Stafford to 267 yards of total offense, harassing Wolverines QB Chase Sullivan to the tune of four sacks and a pair of interceptions. North entered that contest averaging 30.5 points per game.
Employing a similar formula as Forge’s, fifth-seeded Patriot ended No. 1 seed Battlefield’s undefeated season last week.
The Pioneers defense limited the Bobcats to just 212 yards of total offense, picking off QB Ethan Stowell twice. The latter of those INTs came by Aiden Pagonis in the end zone on a fourth-down play with just over a minute left to play, sealing the victory.
Offensively, Sean Coleman rushed for 68 yards and Patriot’s lone TD.
Emmanuel Opare connected on the eventual game-winning field goal from 22 yards out with 9:19 remaining in the contest.
While the Eagles defeated the Pioneers 35-27 at Forge on Sept. 20, this game could look a bit different.
Patriot standout RB Jackson McCarter, who ran for 275 yards and a pair of scores in the first meeting between the two squads, has missed the Pioneers’ last four contests due to injury. McCarter has amassed 1,372 yards and 25 TDs through eight games.
With McCarter out, Patriot will look to Coleman for tough yards on the ground and try to get dynamic wideout Diasian “Buddy” Noakes the ball in space. Noakes caught 11 passes for 111 yards against Battlefield, just one week after he had seven receptions for 119 yards and a score in a 19-14 win at fourth-seeded Gainesville.
Noakes has 1,196 yards and 13 TDs receiving so far this season, and QB Tyler Knutson has thrown for 2,136 yards and 27 scores.
Bryson has rushed for team-highs of 805 yards and 16 TDs for Forge. Brimall has thrown for 2,159 yards and 19 scores, while TaySean Jones is the Eagles’ leading receiver with 879 yards and 10 TDs.
Forge is seeking its sixth regional title, while Patriot is in search of its first. The winner of this game will advance to play the winner of Highland Springs-Oscar Smith in the Class 6 state semifinals on Dec. 7.
Region 5D Championship
Briar Woods (8-3) at Riverbend (8-3)
When: Friday, 1 p.m.
Where: Riverbend High School
Last week: In the Region 5D semifinals last Friday, Riverbend defeated Stone Bridge 35-21 and Briar Woods beat Massaponax 39-27.
Last meeting/Series history: In the only previous matchup between the two schools, Briar Woods won 48-18 in the Region 5D semifinals on Nov. 17, 2023.
What to know: Riverbend has used a five-game winning streak to reach the doorstep of the first regional championship in program history.
Running back JoJo Thomas ran for 145 yards and three TDs in the top-seeded Bears’ 35-21 regional semifinal victory over No. 5 seed Stone Bridge a week ago. The senior found the end zone on runs of 3 and 6 yards in the first half, buoying the hosts to a commanding 28-7 lead at intermission. He tacked on a 4-yard scoring scamper in the fourth quarter to punctuate the historic victory.
Riverbend also benefited from a 40-yard fumble return for a TD by Tristan Greene and a 7-yard scoring jaunt from QB Camden Simmons.
Second-seeded Briar Woods blitzed No. 6 seed Massaponax for 27 first-half points last week en route to its regional semifinal win.
Falcons QB Brady Carmical accounted for five total TDs, throwing for four and running for another. All four of his TD passes came in the first half, with three of them going to Colin Capistrant.
Carmical has been a dual threat for Briar Woods this year, passing for 2,029 yards and 17 scores while also leading the Falcons in rushing with 629 yards and nine TDs.
Capistrant is Carmical’s favorite target. He’s tallied 825 yards and six scores.
The Bears will undoubtedly look to Thomas on Friday, as they have all year long. He’s rumbled his way to 1,861 yards and 25 TDs on the ground.
Simmons complements Thomas well in Riverbend’s run-heavy offense. The speedy sophomore has 510 yards and five scores despite missing three games earlier this season due to injury.
The winner of this game will play the winner of L.C. Bird-William Fleming in the Class 5 state semifinals on Dec. 7.
