Still on a collision course

Tonight’s Jefferson District matchup pitting Orange County against Western Albemarle will mark the final home game for what Warriors coach Ed Pierce calls “a remarkable group” of seniors.

For three years now, many of those seniors have been playing together on the varsity squad and have been key contributors to Western’s best start in six years (8-0, 5-0 JD). Pierce touched on how tonight will be bittersweet and emotional.

“I think senior night is always a tough night, when you see guys that have meant so much to your program leaving,” he said. “At the same time, you want to celebrate them and honor them, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.

“We can’t let senior night festivities be a distraction from the game, because I think if they come out and they don’t play well [after the ceremonies], then they’re going to be very disappointed.”

There hasn’t been much disappointment to speak of so far this season for Pierce’s team. The Western defense has been dominant and heads into tonight’s showdown having kept opponents out of the end zone the past two games. The Warriors are outscoring their opponents 269-66 and have only given up double-digit points twice.

When asked if the unit has two more similar efforts left against two very capable offenses in Orange and Goochland over the next week, Pierce wasn’t sure exactly how to answer.

“I will tell you this — this defense loves to be challenged,” admitted Pierce. “They play great team defense, they’re relentless to the football, they don’t mind going up against bigger, stronger opponents. They really, more or less, take it personally when teams try to move the ball against them. It’s a proud unit, and they’re playing together very well.”

Orange County (4-4, 3-2), a team that was projected to make a run at the district title, is on a two-game winning streak (44-3 vs. William Monroe, 42-7 at Fluvanna County), and coach John Kayajanian believes that his skill players are gaining momentum at the right time.

“We’re coming around, we’re starting to click offensively.” Kayajanian said. “Our passing game is getting better, and [quarterback] Cameron Hughes is making some smart decisions, and that’s helping our run game get better.”

Pierce and his staff talked with the team earlier this season about how they would face “dangerous teams” down the road, and admits that Orange is a prime example.

“We told the guys last week that they’re a dangerous team themselves, and I think they believe that,” said Pierce. “If the tables were reversed, we feel like we would be a tremendous challenge for anybody to have to defend or try to move the ball against.”

Last season at Orange, the Hornets held on to beat Western 36-35 in a wild game. Kayajanian would love to give the Warriors their first loss of the season — which would make it three in a row in the series — and shake things up in the district standings and playoff race in the process.

“We’ve got to play our best game. [Western is] a very good team,” he said. “It’s the same team that has everyone back, that we had to go for two last year to beat, and they almost came back and won the game with a field goal. It’s a great chance for us, it would be a big thing if we could get a win, so we’re going to go down there and give it our best shot and hopefully, our kids will respond.”

Kayajanian said that the key to stopping the Western attack would be to try to contain the passing game. He says that the communication between senior quarterback Stephen Schuler and his group of disciplined receivers will present quite a challenge for his secondary.

Pierce said the mood of the team over the past week has been pretty even-keel, describing it as “a quiet confidence.”

“I think the kids understand the opportunity that’s in front of them,” Pierce said. “They’re confident in each other, and confident in their ability to achieve the goals they’ve set.”

Bulldogs face Dragons in pentultimate game

Goochland travels to William Monroe (0-8, 0-5 JD) this evening on a mission to win its fifth Jefferson District game in a row after dropping its first-ever such contest to Charlottesville on Sept. 25.

The Bulldogs have posted eye-opening wins over Orange, Monticello, Fluvanna and Louisa over the four-game stretch, proving to many that they are a force to be reckoned with and truly belong in Group AA.

With a win tonight, the Bulldogs (7-1, 4-1) could set the stage for a one-game playoff, so to speak, next Friday at home against Western Albemarle to decide which team will represent the district in the playoffs.

“I think the most important thing [the winning streak has done] is that it’s given our kids confidence, and that was the biggest thing that we were lacking earlier in the season,” said Goochland coach Joe Fowler.

Fowler added: “Right now, we’re playing well, the kids are pulling together and playing hard, and I think we’re doing a good job of staying within ourselves. We’re trying to focus on the things we do well and stay away from the things that we don’t necessarily do well.”

One thing the Bulldogs do well is run the football in the Wing-T offense. Goochland has already easily eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark as a team and averages over 250 yards a game on the ground.

“They’re a physical team with a very tough offense to defend, and of course they’ve got great running backs,” Pierce said. “We’ve got to take care of Orange first before we can even think about Goochland, but at the same time, our kids are aware of who’s out there.

“They realize that this is the time of year and the caliber of opponent that will really challenge them, and I really like the way they respond to challenges. It’s not going to be easy, but I think our guys will be ready.”