The Shadow
In a battle of the undefeated – the outright Three Rivers District champion and No. 3 seed Alleghany heads to Bridgewater on Friday night to play the outright Valley District champion, the No. 2 seed Turner Ashby in a Class 3, Region C playoff semifinals.
The winner not only clinches a spot in the regional championship, they also secure a trip to the state tournament.
This is the game that has been building since the initial VHSL regional rankings first came out.
Both Alleghany and Turner Ashby enter their semifinal clash 11-0 and have made it look easy on the football field.
It’s the tale of two football programs that have been dominant since the initial kickoff to open the season.
For Alleghany and Turner Ashby, no one has come close to defeating them. Both the Cougars and Knights have won all 11 of their games by double digits.
The two teams are evenly matched both on the field and on paper. When examining both teams, neither team has seen an opponent like the other.
Arguably the toughest game Alleghany has had this season came against the reigning Class 2 State Champion Radford Bobcats when they played at the midway point of the season and defeated them 27-9.
Meanwhile Turner Ashby’s toughest test came against Wilson Memorial during week 2 when the Knights were battling injuries to key players. Yet the Knights still defeated the Green Hornets 24-7. The same Green Hornets that Alleghany beat last week in the regional quarterfinals.
This is a game for the making.
In mentioning that neither team has seen an opponent like the other, Turner Ashby has one of the most dominating defenses in the state. The Knights are giving up less than six total points a game. TA has only allowed 60 points in 11 games. That includes wins over Spotswood (last year’s Valley District champions), Staunton, Wilson Memorial, Broadway, and others.
Yet Turner Ashby has not seen the formidable opponent that Alleghany is. The Cougars are nearly just as good on defense as they are giving up just under 10 points per game. These also include wins over Radford, Glenvar, Carroll County, and Floyd County to name a few.
While both teams’ defenses are great, so too are their offenses.
Turner Ashby’s offense can explode in seconds and before you realize it, they’re on the scoreboard. The Knights are led by a one-two punch in seniors Beau Baylor and Micah Matthews, both who are headed to Division I-A football programs.
Matthews, a wide-receiver, had 13 D-1 offers to play collegiate football, but committed this past summer to continuing his football career at the next level at Virginia Tech. Matthews once was a South Carolina D-1A baseball recruit.
Baylor is the anchor to the Knights defense but is also a guy in the backfield that can take a direct snap and find a hole and burst through it into the end zone. The senior has not committed to any school but has received numerous offers.
Not to mention sophomore Ethan Farrish, who can control a game on his own. Farrish absolutely obliterated Rockbridge County a few weeks ago where Farrish had two rushing scores, blocked punt, forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
All the talk for Turner Ashby surrounds Baylor and Matthews, however Farrish and senior running back Braylen Fields are going to have to be the key players if the Knights are going to beat Alleghany.
The Knights are loaded, but so too are the Cougars.
Much like Turner Ashby, Alleghany has a long list of playmakers.
It all starts with their man under center in Des Jordan. The junior quarterback has thrown for nearly 2,500 passing yards on the season. Not only can Jordan torch you with his arm, but he can also burn defenders with his agility and speed. Yet, he’s not just an offensive player, Jordan, also can cause you nightmares in the secondary as he’s recorded a pair of interceptions.
While Jordan is an issue both in the passing game and rushing attack for opposing defenses, so too is Carter Nicely who has rushed for over 1,000-yards. Nicely can run defensive lineman into the ground.
If Turner Ashby is to be successful in the secondary, then they’ll have to stop Xzavier Hayslett. Hayslett has torched secondary’s all season long with over 60 receptions, 1,000-yards receiving, and a baker’s dozen 13 touchdowns. The Knights will be in for a long night if Hayslett gets going or if it’s man-coverage. A ball in the air one on one will be won by Hayslett 10 out 10 times.
Those are just some of the playmakers for Alleghany, not to mention Gavin Via, who is the anchor to the Cougars defense. Via leads the team in tackles but also can get you in the running game as he’s rushed for over 300-yards this season.
With mentioning a key player for Turner Ashby, one key player to look out for for Alleghany is senior Nick Frye. Frye in the last few weeks had made noise in secondary, offense, and special teams. Frye has caught a pair of touchdowns, a kickoff return, interception, and fumble recovery in the last few games and could be a key player if the Cougars are to get past the Knights.
We can talk shop all day long with playmakers and stats from both teams. What comes down to it is who can outlast the other for 48 minutes of football. We are in for a real treat Friday night.
The one thing for both teams is not falling behind. Neither team has been in a situation where they’ve been down a significant amount of points where they needed to rally. If either team gets put in a situation where they have fallen down double digits, they’ll find themselves in a tough spot as both teams are so dominant with double digits lead that they won’t let up and let teams back into the game.
This is a coin flip game that can go either way. What might be the breaking point is who can control and maintain momentum throughout. That could determine who’s advancing and who’s going home.
The other regional semifinal game sees No. 4 Heritage-Lynchburg at No. 1 Liberty Christian Academy.
