Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø

The Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø has been publishing lists of players to watch at each position — look for linemen on Saturday — but let’s change things up and look at entire teams that warrant your attention. These squads either have several key returners and are liable to make deep postseason runs, or are burgeoning squads that showed growth last year and could develop further this fall.

Here are nine Timesland football teams to watch this season.

Alleghany

Stat to know: The Cougars have won 16 straight regular-season games and are 20-3 overall since Alleghany and Covington merged schools.

Player to watch: Des Jordan, senior quarterback

Notable game: at Riverheads, Oct. 24

3 key points:

1. This season begins yet another era for the Cougars, who waved goodbye to the Three Rivers District and are now in the Shenandoah District where they’ll face the likes of Riverheads, Wilson Memorial and Buffalo Gap. Their bye also comes Week 1, giving them extra time to prepare for playing every single week to November and possibly beyond.

2. Dual-threat quarterback Des Jordan returns for his final season. The Division I recruit amassed over 3,000 scrimmage yards and 50 total touchdowns last year. Alleghany does have to replace 1,000-yard receiver Xzavier Hayslett, but running back Carter Nicely is returning.

3. Alleghany has moved one place further in the playoffs the last two seasons, losing in the Region 3C quarterfinals in 2023 and then the region semifinals in 2024. The Cougars’ district schedule should battle-test them for the postseason, but moving a step further could produce a region championship clash with Liberty Christian, the two-time defending state champion who is riding a 28-game winning streak.

Blacksburg

Stat to know: The Bruins earned their first four-win season since 2019 last year and snapped a 24-game River Ridge District losing streak.

Player to watch: Jaxon Keys, junior running back

Notable game: vs. Christiansburg, Oct. 23

3 key points:

1. While they may not be a championship-caliber team or win the River Ridge, the Bruins do seem to be on the path back to relevance. They won two district games last year and managed to score in every contest. It may not seem like much, but for a former powerhouse that lost 29 straight games from 2019-2023 and had to forfeit their 2023 season finale due to lack of players, it’s significant.

2. Blacksburg returns a slew of weapons on offense, highlighted by junior running back Jaxon Keys, an FBS recruit who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year. Starting quarterback Sam Szefc is also returning for his junior year, as well as offensive linemen Connor McRoberts and Owen Castleberry, the latter of whom is a senior.

3. At the moment, the Bruins will face three of the teams they beat last year, currently playing a nine-game schedule. Should they repeat those wins and beat new opponent James River, which they traded Lord Botetourt for in Week 2, and turn back Floyd County, which beat them for the first time ever last year, they could be looking at their first winning season and playoff berth in six years. They could even start 3-0, opening against Giles, James River and Floyd County. This season’s “Battle of the Burgs� against Christiansburg could be a thriller, with last year’s meeting decided by 13 points.

Glenvar

Stat to know: Nine of the Highlanders’ 10 opponents this season had losing records last year.

Player to watch: Brody Dawyot, senior quarterback

Notable game: vs. Radford, Oct. 17

3 key points:

1. With Alleghany gone from the Three Rivers District, the title is there for the Highlanders to claim as their only regular-season loss last year was to the Cougars. They rolled over their other opponents in relative ease. Adding Northside and Martinsville to their schedule, the Highlanders are eyeing the possibility of their first undefeated regular season since 2015.

2. An All-Timesland Player of the Year front-runner, Brody Dawyot is back for his senior season. A 2,900-yard, 49-touchown passer a year ago, the Charlotte commit will be equipped with receivers Cooper Mullins, who racked up over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns receiving and rushing last fall, and brother Tre Dawyot, along with running back Ranger Swanson, who is coming off a 700-yard performance.

3. Glenvar finally broke through last year by snapping a four-year region championship loss drought and nearly knocked off eventual state champion Graham in the Class 2 semifinals, falling 28-24. With key returners on both sides of the ball, this is the best chance the Highlanders have of reaching the state title game for the first time since 2014.

Grayson County

Stat to know: The Blue Devils went on an unexpected run last year to reach the state final for the first time in program history, becoming the highest region seed across all six classes to make the title game.

Player to watch: Kingston Cox, senior lineman

Notable game: vs. Virginia High, Sept. 26

3 key points:

1. The Southwest Virginia team that made it the furthest last season has to be on this list, drawing the attention of the region to see how they’ll follow it up. The No. 3 seed in the Region 1C tournament, the Blue Devils put together a stunning postseason run to make program history and get to Salem Stadium.

2. You never know what the Mountain Empire District, or Region 1C, which contains all the MED teams, might produce. It’s often a chaotic mix of close games and upsets, and anything can happen come November. Grayson County will open again against Alleghany (N.C.) and Carroll County — a pair of foes that beat Grayson in one-possession games last year — and added solid squads Tazewell and Virginia to its slate ahead of district play.

3. Two of the Goad brothers are returning, including quarterback Maverik Goad and receiver Makray Goad, both seniors who also play defensive back. The only one gone is graduate Mac Goad, a receiver and DB, as well as running back Aaron Peterson.

Jefferson Forest

Stat to know: The Cavaliers have lost in the Region 4D semifinals the last two years, both by one possession.

Player to watch: Slade Keesee, senior defensive end

Notable game: vs. Heritage-Lynchburg, Nov. 7

3 key points:

1. Fifth-year head coach J.T. Crews said during Seminole District Media Day his team is focused on breaking through to the Region 4D championship. After posting just six wins in three seasons from 2021-2022, Crews has guided the Cavs to 19 wins the last two seasons.

2. JF is deep at skill positions with running back/linebacker Thax Rowland and tight end/defensive end Spencer Sloan, as well as four usable ball carriers. Defensive end Slade Keesee, who has received three Division I offers, is also back but is switching from tight end to offensive tackle as the Cavaliers are tasked with replacing their entire offensive line. Dylan Marks, last year’s starting quarterback, also graduated.

3. Jefferson Forest replaced Halifax County in Week 3, a 56-7 win last year, with Mount Airy (N.C.), a squad that won its first 13 games before losing in the 1A West region championship. It will also rematch with its two regular-season losses from 2024: Liberty Christian in Week 5 and Heritage-Lynchburg in Week 11. LCA will be tough to beat, of course, but a revenge victory over Heritage in their regular-season finale could catapult the Cavaliers through the playoffs.

Magna Vista

Stat to know: Magna Vista is the only Timesland team playing opponents from four different classes and from out of state.

Player to watch: Ethan Dukes, senior running back

Notable game: at George Washington-Danville, Nov. 7

3 key points:

1. With the Piedmont District in a bit of a slump — only three of the seven teams had winning records last year — the Warriors are looking to bolster their resume in a season where they should have high expectations. They’ll open against North Carolina’s Rockingham, a .500 team from last year, host the Seminole District’s Rustburg, which went 7-4, travel to Class 5’s Franklin County and play against the Blue Ridge District’s Staunton River, which beat Magna Vista in Week 1 last season. The Warriors’ regular-season finale against GW-Danville, a captivating 42-36 defeat last year, will tell us a lot heading in the Region 3D playoffs.

2. Quarterback Simeon Moore and running back Ethan Dukes are set to do damage this fall in their senior seasons. They combined for over 2,600 scrimmage yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024 and provide a dynamic one-two punch. Moore will need a new primary receiver after Torian Younger graduated, and linemen Christian Holland and Caleb Martin have also departed.

3. The Warriors have been snake-bitten in the playoffs by larger, more battle-tested teams. That’s included an upset loss in the region quarterfinals at the No. 2 seed in 2022, a 31-7 drubbing by William Byrd in the region championship in 2023 and a 10-point loss to Lord Botetourt in the semifinals last year. In that most recent loss, Magna Vista and LB were tied 19-19 in the third quarter before the Cavaliers scored 17 straight to pull away. That may give the Warriors hope that they can compete in similar situations this year.

Patrick Henry

Stat to know: The Patriots won seven games last year, their fewest in a full season since 2018.

Player to watch: Cameron Hairston-Taylor, senior defensive back

Notable game: at E.C. Glass, Sept. 5

3 key points:

1. The Patriots’ youth last year largely contributed to an uncharacteristically subpar season, which included losses to E.C. Glass and William Fleming. A 7-4 season is nothing to shake a stick at, however, as they did still manage to lose just one game in the River Ridge District, to Salem, and average over 35 points per game.

2. Syracuse commit Cameron Hairston-Taylor is slated to return for his senior season guarding the back line of the defense. He also caught 40 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns, but PH will need to replace quarterback Seth Shepherd, who graduated. Starting running back Damarion Perdue will also be back following his inaugural season in the VHSL ranks, having transferred from Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø Catholic, as is Ra’qem Poindexter, a defensive end and tight end who collected 9.5 sacks last season.

3. The Patriots’ non-district schedule is workable, and a promising 3-1 or even 4-0 start isn’t out of the question. They’ll open in North Carolina against Southern Alamance in their first out-of-state game since 2012, then take on E.C. Glass and Franklin County, the latter of which will be the first time those squads have met since 2014, before hosting William Fleming in the 76th installment of the bitter rivalry.

William Byrd

Stat to know: The Terriers have won back-to-back region championships for the first time in program history and are 23-5 in the past two seasons, more wins than the previous five seasons combined.

Player to watch: Cannin Lutz, senior quarterback

Notable game: vs. Lord Botetourt, Oct. 24

3 key points:

1. William Byrd was left off this list last year under the notion that its remarkable 2023 campaign was a one-off. That was a mistake. The Terriers carried all the momentum from that season into 2024 and won another Region 3D title, this time as the No. 4 seed. There’s no reason to think they won’t challenge for that crown in 2025, armed with returning talent and their winning attitude.

2. Speaking of returners, senior QB Cannin Lutz is sure to sling it around this fall, coming off a 2,000-yard, 23-touchdown performance as a first-year starter. He has two receivers, Tate Kotz in the slot and Thomas Purcell at H-back/tight end, and running backs Jamez Toler and Gray Matthews, the latter of whom had his promising freshman campaign cut short by an injury, set to rejoin the lineup. Byrd will have to replace decorated offensive lineman BJ Cheatwood, defensive lineman Maurice Burnette, who had 26 tackles for loss, the co-Region 3D defensive player of the year in linebacker Jonathan Rosser and receiver/defensive back Ethan Haston, who caught four touchdown passes on offense, intercepted four passes on defense and is now at VMI.

3. Not much has changed as far as Byrd’s 2025 opponents, albeit for the program’s first matchup with Radford since 1969. That will come after a well-placed bye in Week 5, after which it’ll take on the gauntlet of the Blue Ridge District. The Terriers lost by eight points to Lord Botetourt in the regular season last year before clipping them 46-44 in the region championship, so their Week 9 meeting should be a blockbuster and could impact Region 3D playoff seedings. Their season finale with rival Staunton River, an overtime epic last season, could also have playoff implications.

William Fleming

Stat to know: Last year, the Colonels won 11 games in a season for the first time in 21 years.

Player to watch: Justin Barnett, senior defensive lineman

Notable game: vs. Salem, Sept. 12

3 key points:

1. The Colonels captured the attention of Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø with a sensational year in 2024. Even with several key players gone, the attention will remain on them to see how they’ll respond.

2. There’s no doubt that Malachi Coleman, a 2,000-yard running back now at Syracuse, was the dominating force behind Fleming’s run. The Colonels will need to replace Coleman’s production in their I-formation offense, which could come from a number of sources; junior Jayden Robinson, fullback Davion Faulkner or even returning starting quarterback Jycer Preston, who runs fast and throws out of play-action. Several other skill players, like K-Ron Furguson, Omarza Gray and Qasim Jackson, as well as multiple linemen, have also moved on. Look for guys like Jamari Hale, Jaylen Green and Justin Barnett, who combined for 29 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, to man the defensive line, while Kamharie Steelman, who had 63 tackles as a freshman, to roam at defensive back.

3. It’ll be a tough start for the Colonels, who host Class 4 state runner-up Varina in Week 1. That might be the challenge they need to face Salem, which they beat last fall for the first time in 22 years, and Patrick Henry, which they beat in the regular season for the first time since 2014, in back-to-back weeks. A good battle with GW-Danville is also on tap in Week 6 following their bye.