In their last home game of the year, the Patriots watched McDougle run wild as the Indians walked away with a 37-14 victory.

Over the next two weeks, Albemarle’s father-son tandem that has been a fixture on the sidelines — since Zach joined his dad when he became the Patriots’ ball boy as a fourth-grader — will play out their final two games together. It’ll start with the pair’s final home game Friday night against Stafford, their 29th together of what will soon be an even 30 contests.

Albemarle dropped their second straight district home game to the Panthers 28-13, leaving the Patriots, who started the season 3-1, with a 3-3 record and a 1-2 district mark that’s going to make the final stretch of the season an uphill climb.

The Eagles built a big second-half lead from which the Patriots couldn’t recover en route to a 45-23 Commonwealth District win.

Much has been made of Albemarle’s offense and its big play ability, but four games into the season, the Patriot defense has done its share of the heavy lifting as well.

Albemarle excelled in all areas in its blowout win over Charlottesville this past Friday, but the Patriots know they have to kick it up a notch as they enter Commonwealth District play at North Stafford this week.

Albemarle used a well-rounded team performance and excelled in all three phases of the game in a win over a battered and outmanned Charlottesville team Friday night.

Jones was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin’s lymphoma and wasn’t given a particularly optimistic prognosis by his doctor — a 20 percent chance of survival. Stage IV is the most severe progression of Hodgkin’s, a stage where the infected cells have moved into organs other than the lymphatic system — Jones’ disease had already spread to his lungs.

Albemarle used a second-half surge, powered by its effective passing game, to pull away from a pesky Western Albemarle team on Friday night.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. county rivals Albemarle (0-1) and Western Albemarle (1-2) will get a chance to test out all their new elements against an old rival as the two meet at Western.

Yet with the exception of two stoppages in play to tend to cramping sessions in each of his legs, the two-way standout from Albemarle that is listed favorably at 155 pounds had done his part.

Albemarle is loaded with great team speed this season, from the skill positions down to some quick linemen who will rely on being technicians in the trenches. The Patriots are fast just about everywhere, and you can guarantee coach Rick Vrhovac is going to find a way to use that quickness.