Rod Johnson's High School Football Blog

Rod Johnson of Virginia Preps.com has agreed to submit a blog for us each Tuesday during the high school football season (and hopefully every Tuesday) for the rest of Rod's life. Got a question for Rod that you'd like him to answer in a future blog, e-mail me at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net and we'll pass along the question to him. Now heeeeeeeeeres Rod.

By the time this blog entry is being read, the countdown clock for the beginning of the high school football season on the front page of www.VirginiaPreps.com will be somewhere around the 23-day mark. That's right, just over three weeks until the first game in Virginia kicks off and, like most of you, I can't wait!
Like any other season, there's plenty of great storylines to track and plenty of questions to answer.
Let's take a look at some of them...
1. It's been seven years since the Central Region has sent a team into the Division Six state championship game but with both Varina and Highland Springs ranking among the top four teams in the Division Six preseason poll, is it time for a Richmond-area team to make a title run? Hard to say given that a state semifinal game against the top-ranked and reigning state champion Oscar Smith Tigers could be on the docket.
2. Speaking of Oscar Smith, on August 28th, the second day of the football season, the Chesapeake-based program will become the first Virginia school to play a nationally-televised game on ESPNU as they take on Venice High School from Florida. How well will the Tigers carry the flag for the Commonwealth? Tune in to see.
3. The Stone Bridge Bulldogs have built one of the most powerful programs in the state but lost 20 of 22 starters from last season's team. How will the young, relatively unknown youngsters answer the call this season. Can they carry on the tradition or is this the year that some programs get their revenge on a the Northern Region power.
4. The Osbourn Eagles played in two of the last three D6 state title games and now they dropped down to Division Five. Ranked the #3 team in the state in our preseason poll, what impact will they have on the championship picture?
5. Is Region I capable of sweeping the AA state championship games? Powhatan appears to be loaded and ready to severely test Amherst and Broad Run in Division 4 while defending champion James Monroe looks strong enough to repeat as Division 3 champs.
6. Broad Run won the Division 4 state championship this year but have a new challenger rising up within their own region as Division 5 Northwest regional champion Liberty-Bealeton has been re-classified as a D4 squad setting up what could be a classic regional final contest provided both advance that far.
7. All this talk about possible state champions leads us to the Amherst Lancers who ruled the roost in both 2006 and 2007 before losing the 2008 Division 4 title game. Ranked the #2 team in the state, they're certainly favored to get back to the title contest, but we'll all be watching to see if they are ready to recapture their stranglehold on the division.
8. Salem and Pulaski have split their last two playoff meetings in Region IV and with both ranked in the top ten preseason poll, are they lined up for a rubber match to determine who is the power program in the area now?
9. In Region A, is Essex, the top-ranked team in the Single A state set to cruise into the D2 state semifinals with no other in-region program ranked in the top ten while Sussex Central, Colonial Beach and defending state champion Franklin provide one of the more exciting races for the Division 1 regional championship?
10. Is a possible Region B sweep in order this year as William Campbell (D1) and Gretna (D2) ranked among the top three in the state for Single A ball? It was just two years ago when Gretna and Buffalo Gap pulled it off.
11. In Region C action, Giles appears to be a legitimate state contender in D2, but will an underdog candidate emerge in the D1 race with no teams ranked in the top ten? Holston, Eastern Montgomery, Galax and Bath County seem to have the most potential but there's room for plenty more contenders out there.
12. It's been five years since a Region D team has won a Single A state championship (Gate City, 2003); can preseason region favorites Gate City or Clintwood make a run at the D2 title?

Remember check out Virginia Preps for all your high school sports need, whether it is sounding off on a message board or reading the latest on recruiting, Virginia Preps.com quenches your high school sports thirst. Questions, comments for me, you can send to TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net