PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: New faces, new contenders

With new coaches (William Monroe and Fluvanna) as well as a new team (Goochland) there are a lot of unknowns in the Jefferson District this season.

But one thing is for sure — any number of teams could battle for the title.

And that includes an athletic Louisa County squad, which is hungry to make the playoffs again after just missing out last season.

The Lions, which return the majority of their starters, finished third in the district behind Monticello and Orange — both of which they lost to during the regular season.

But Louisa coach Mark Fischer said that the team is focused on its goals.

“They feel pressure that they’ve got to live up to standards,” he said.

Although they’re young, the Lions are experienced at a multitude of positions, including at quarterback, where Dillon Hollins returns. Louisa also has a host of athletes in the backfield who are adept at running the football, including Andre Mealy, Anthony Hunter and Rashawn Jackson. A group of seniors — Josh Giusto, Travis Johnson and Doug Grubbs — will anchor the line.

On defense, the Lions will have to replace leading tackler Kerry Wynn, now at the University of Richmond, but back to help fill the void are linebackers Chris Colvin and Brandon Ornduff, defensive end Ryan Bullock and cornerbacks C.J. Lambert and Brandon Payne.

Add to the mix sophomore quarterback Kire’ Worley, a transfer from Patrick Henry-Ashland, and Louisa has even more options in its offensive scheme.

CHS looks for turnaround

After a productive offseason and with most of its key skill players back, Charlottesville looks to get back on track following its one-win season last year.

“We’ve had a great summer in the weight room and great turnout,” said second-year coach Chris Fraser. “We did a passing league this summer and our kids did very well against Western, Monticello and Albemarle. We had a good summer.”

Freshman Benj Wilhelm will likely start under center for Charlottesville, but he will have plenty of support from his backfield. The Black Knights have a group of experienced running backs, which include Xavier Porter, Maurice Jackson and Daniel Chmil. Raymond Parker joins the team and provides depth at the position.

Fraser plans to use that to his advantage.

“I’m going to go back to my old-school stuff from where I came from,” Fraser said. ”We’re going to run some Wing-T. We have what I consider very good running backs.”

Fluvanna moves forward

Another team looking to creep back into the district race is Fluvanna County. With first-year coach Rodney Redd and its senior leadership, the Flucos have the tools to do so.

“Going into summer workouts, I wasn’t sure how the kids or community would respond, but I was pleased with the turnout and thus far have been pleased with the response from the community and school for our young program,” said Redd, a former assistant at Monticello.

Fluvanna, which went 3-7 last year under former coach Joel Gray, will rely on its experience from a large senior class. Leading the way will be quarterback Ryan Foster, who is a threat with his arm as well as his legs.

Other key players the Flucos have returning are offensive linemen Jamie McCloud and Ches Harlowe, wide receivers/split ends Chaz Patrick and D.J. Burton, defensive backs Kedarrius Bruce and Kyle Pillow, linebacker Tyler Denby and defensive lineman Chris Denby.

The new kid in town

Goochland, the newest member of the Jefferson, hopes to make its mark in its district debut. The Bulldogs, which moved up to Group AA from the Group A James River District, are no stranger to some of the area’s teams, having faced Fluvanna County, Louisa County and William Monroe in recent years.

“Our main goal is to compete in the Jefferson. And ultimately, the same as it is every year, to make the playoffs,” said coach Joe Fowler, who has guided his team to the postseason for the past five years, including a state championship in 2006.

Goochland returns four of five offensive linemen, including three-year starters Will Dinsmore, Austin Jordan and Kyle Tormey. The Bulldogs, who run the Wing-T offense, return four running backs, including senior Willie Ezell, David McKenna, Desmond Athey and Dustin Plummer, who rushed for a combined 1,614 yards last year as the team went 6-4 and fell in the playoffs to eventual state champion Gretna.

“We’ve got playoff experience,” Fowler said. “I think the region we’re coming out of [Region B] is the most competitive [in Group A] and I hope that will help us in Region II, Division 3.”

Monticello rebuilds

Monticello faces a daunting task after losing all but two of its starters from a team that won the district and Region II crowns before falling in the region semifinals last season.

The Mustangs have to replace quarterback Michael Graham, who’s now at William & Mary, as well as the multi-talented Jake Pelton, who served as a wide receiver and defensive back and handled the team’s kicking duties.

Defensive end Anthony Mangano and Aaron DiGregorio, a fullback/linebacker, are the team’s lone returning starters.

Battling for the quarterback spot are Tyler Moneymaker, Nathan DiGregorio and Kevin Archer.

While there are several positions to be filled, as usual Monticello’s strength will likely be its defense. The Mustangs have a strong group of linebackers in Aaron DiGregorio, Terry Glover, Damien Whindleton and Nate Valadez.

Orange still potent

Coming off its second-place district finish last season, Orange County looks to get back in the mix this year. The Hornets lost quarterback/defensive back Quintin Hunter, now at UVa, and most of its offensive line, but still have several offensive threats in their lineup.

Dominique Walker, a first team all district selection, returns to lead the way in the backfield. Walker rushed for 623 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Also back is Amir Waller, who had 55 receptions for 963 yards and 10 TDs last year. The junior may see time at quarterback this season.

Other key returners include Dakota Connell, a senior defensive tackle, Tyrone Ellis, a running back/kick returner, and Tyler Seal, a wide receiver/defensive back.

Newcomers to watch include quarterback Cameron Hughes and linebacker Brandon Vann, who move up from a talented JV squad.

Experience at Western

Western Albemarle went 4-6 a year ago, but is poised to get over the hump with numerous returning starters back in the lineup.

“We lost a couple of games we could have won, which disappointed those kids,” said Western coach Ed Pierce. “They’re hoping to rebound.”

On offense, key skill players return, including quarterback Stephen Schuler, a three-year starter. He’ll throw to a trio of solid receivers — Dom Losco, Tyler Ward and Christophe Drapanas.

Defensively, the Warriors return eight of 11 starters with Mitchell Parks leading the way. Parks, a junior linebacker who has started every game since he was a freshman, also led the team in tackles the past two years. Also back is Cody Davis, a three-year starter who provides speed in the secondary, and Hunter Mitchell, a senior linebacker.

“We’ve got kids who are seniors and in a lot of cases have been three-year starters, so they’re pretty experienced and I think those kids will play pretty well. They know what we’re trying to do,” Pierce said. “If we can get some of the younger guys, particularly linemen, to come around, we should be pretty good.”

A fresh start for Monroe

William Monroe has a new look this year under first-year coach Mark Sanford. Sanford joins the program after coaching Covenant for the past seven years and hopes to repeat the success he had with the Eagles in Stanardsville. That will mean changing the attitudes of the Greene Dragons, who went winless in 2008.

“First of all, what we’d like to accomplish is changing the atmosphere. They’ve had such little success for a long time,” Sanford said. “Part of our mission is to change the mindset, change the culture — convincing the kids that yes, we can win.”

Sanford will have his work cut out for him. William Monroe is young,  with a half-dozen seniors on its roster, most of whom haven’t seen significant playing time.

Returning members include center Dustin Foster, quarterback Mitchell Morris and lineman Zac Cummings. Sanford is expecting Jordan Gentry, a multi-talented wide receiver/defensive back, and Nick Dean, a fullback/linebacker, to make an impact in their first year on varsity.