Blue Ridge
Barons look for return to glory
Barons
Much of Blue Ridge’s struggle in 2018 was simply finding appropriate opponents to play after a slew of VISAA Division 2 programs bolted and started up the 8-man VISFL. The Barons, who were undergoing some rebuilding already, suddenly found themselves lining up against the bigger Division 1 programs like Benedictine and Bishop O’Connell. The dust has settled on that front for the Barons and their 2019 slate looks a lot more like the kind of schedule a Division 2 program should have. That’s good news for head coach Jimmy Wills in his second year and he gets some help with former coach Tim Thomas back on staff as a defensive coordinator. The Barons will look quite different on the field offensively as both quarterback Xavier Kane and running back Sammy Fort are gone and their production will be missed. Newcomer Kenyon Carter is poised to take over at quarterback. He has a pair of quality receivers to work with in Iceysis Lewis and Maliq Brown, both of whom had standout years at the position. Tanner Rocha is a newcomer at running back and will be key to helping the Barons establish the proper balance on offense along with fellow back Cameron Kewley. Jack Dickey and Tramell Thompson both had strong seasons in 2018 on the
9/6 9/14 9/21 9/27 10/4 10/11 10/19 10/26 11/2
offensive line and are back in their roles. The addition of Isaiah McNeal should help offer some depth on the line as well. On the other side of the ball, things look pretty good for a team that doesn’t get a lot of time in practice to prepare for its first opponent. The Barons have an excellent pass rusher in Andy Nwaoko who sports an athletic frame at 6-foot-5. Kewley and Thompson anchor the linebacking corps and should get some help from Lance Gaskins. As is usually the case in St. George, the Barons are particularly talented in the defensive backfield with Lewis, Brown and Carter offering senior experience and great athleticism to help bring along Rocha who will roam back there with them. The Barons have some explosive pieces to work with here, particularly in the passing game. Should they get the proper protection for Carter to work downfield to Lewis and Brown, this will be an awfully fun team to watch. But the key will be staying healthy and maintaining depth on the offensive and defensive lines. Blue Ridge can easily improve upon its win total from 2018 and if things blend well on offense, this team could easily be a serious competitor back in the Division 2 playoffs. ✖
Eagles begin state title defense A few injuries here and there aside, it’s hard to imagine Covenant’s foray into the 8-man VISFL going any better. The Eagles finished 10-0 and did so in convincing fashion. With a blend of physicality and skill, Covenant simply overmatched their opponents in one department or the other, or more often, in both. There’s no question that the class of 2019 leaves a huge void — with running back and defensive lineman Rick Weaver leading the charge on both sides of the ball. But there are a lot of other changes. With Luke Sorenson gone, there’s a new need at quarterback. Wes Arrington, Riley Willetts and Connor Poindexter were versatile role players on both side of the ball. And yet, what the Eagles return still outweighs the loss. Coach Seth Wilson believes Jonas Sanker is the best football player in the state and he has just cause to believe so. He’s been playing at the varsity level since eighth grade and has been electric ever since. He now takes over at quarterback and while his legs are bound to be the feature, Wilson is particularly excited about his ability and smarts as a passer. Joining him in the
backfield are Alex Vangelopoulos and Cole Finley. They should see a huge upswing in carries with the former also able to play on the line. In Jack Meaney, the Eagles have a solid tight end and then Nick Sanker has been a reliable game breaking receiver his entire career at Covenant. The addition of Michael Asher only adds depth to the receiving corps. With the offensive line under going the biggest readjustment, the Eagles will look to Nathan Weaver to help lead the charge. On the other side of the ball, Nick Sanker is as good of an edge rusher as you’ll find in the VISFL and he’ll be counting on Weaver to help cog up the middle. Jonas Sanker in the secondary is a ballhawking problem and he’s joined by newcomers Cole Finley, Lorenzo Allorto and Asher. At the end of the day what Covenant has is options on both sides of the ball schematically. The versatility that the Sanker brothers provide on both of those sides combined with their leadership abilities and football IQs makes the Eagles a complex problem to try and solve. This team’s success will largely be linked to its health because everything else it needs to do well is in place. ✖
Old Dominion, 2018 record: 3-6 @ vs. vs. @ @ @ vs. vs. vs.
Hargrave Fishburne Christchurch North Cross Northfolk Christian Atlantic Shores Roanoke Catholic Randolph-Macon Benedictine
Who’s Gone: Xavier Kane (qb/DB), Sammy Fort (rb/lb) Who’s Back: Jack Dickey (Ol/dL), Iceysis lewis (wr/Db), Maliq Brown (wr/DB), Andy Nwaoko (Dl), Tramell Thompson (Ol/lb), Cameron Kewley (rb/LB) Who’s new: Kenyon Carter (qb/DB), Lance Gaskins (wr/lb), Isaiah McNeal (ol/dl), tanner rocha (rb/db)
Covenant
Eagles
Virginia Independent, 2018 record: 10-0 9/13 9/20 9/27 10/4 10/12 10/18 10/26
@ Kenston Forest @ Hampton Roads vs. Brunswick Academy vs. South Hampton vs. Virginia Episcopal @ St. Anne’s-Belfield @ Greenbrier Christian
Who’s Gone: Ricker Weaver (RB/DL), Luke Sorenson (Qb), Riley Willetts (ol/DL), Wes Arrington (wr/DB) Who’s Back: Nic sanker (WR/dL, pictured below), Jonas Sanker (Qb/Db), Jack Meaney (Te/DL/LB), Alex Vangelopoulos (Ol/RB/DL) Who’s new: Nathan Weaver (Dl/OL), Michael Asher (Wr/DB)
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