540 Week 1 Preview 2023

 Having a hard time believing that we are already at the last week of the football season. Regardless it is where we are a lot of fates are already decided but their are still teams in the 540 that will have huge games involving their post-season fate.

       INTRIGUING MATCH-UPS

    #10 Brooke Point (0-0) at #1 King George (0-0)

So happy I don't need to wait until Friday night for the season to start. Brooke Point and KG are getting a game in a day early and there is plenty that makes this game intriguing. How will Brooke Point look against one of the more loaded rosters in the area? Jack Pearson will start his first game in nearly a year after getting injured early last season while he was at North Stafford. How will he look with such dynamic athletes at his disposal... And speaking of dynamic athletes how much will Brooke rely on 3 star RB Daniel Coles, teams had an extremely hard time bringing him down a season ago, this year he's stronger and has more experience.

Score Prediction  

Brooke Point 10  King George  28

                   

Liberty (0-0) at #3 Kettle Run (0-0)  

Score Prediction  

Liberty 31 Kettle Run 35

This intriguing matchup is one that many people living in the Eastern Corridor of the Fredericksburg Region don't know much about. These two programs are RIVALS, it may not be the Bird Bowl in terms of history in Fauquier County but these 2 teams have been the best football teams in Fauquier since at least 2011. In the past 3 seasons the Cougars have been a cut above Liberty, but even last year Liberty pushed Kettle Run and only lost that game by 7 points.  The Eagles have had some lean years the past 3 seasons, but make no mistake they still lead this rivalry 10-7 and have been the most consistent program in Fauquier county. For Kettle Run the Cougars will hope to have answers to the questions of who will be prepared to step up in place of the tremendous talent that the Cougars have lost to graduation over the past 2 years. Names like Jordan Tapscott (2023 grad) and Jacob Robinson (2022 grad), Abram Chumley (2022) and Beau Lang (2023). For the Eagles it will be more about their returning starters taking a next step forward. Names like (QB) Austin Mawyer, (DL) Keyon Flanagan and (DB) Dom Coles. I expect Liberty to try to use their big line to win in the trenches and for Kettle Run to continue to use the recipe that landed them in the State Championship last season

OTHER GAMES

* Projected Winners in bold

Woodbridge (0-0) at #2 Colonial Forge (0-0) 

(The First "Forge Friday" of the year is a reunion of sorts for Ethan Horne who transferred from Woodbridge last Spring)

#3 Riverbend (0-0) at Chancellor (0-0)

(Bears will look to build momentum this season and start with one of their biggest rivals in the county) 

#5 Mountain View (0-0) at Forest Park  

(The new look Wildcats face a stern test against a huge Forest Park Offensive Line)

#6 Eastern View (0-0) at Culpeper County

(Cyclones have never lost to its cross town rival since opening in 2009) 

Patrick Henry (Ashland) (0-0) at #7 Louisa (0-0)  

(Louisa looks to pick up where they left off and get back to winning games in the regular season) 

Courtland (0-0) at #8 Orange County (0-0)

(The #8 Hornets will be tested right away against a tough stingy Cougars squad) 

#9 Massaponax (0-0) at Independence (0-0)

(Probably one of the more interesting games of the week how will Independence stop Ponax's talented backfield and Triple Option offense ) 

Spotsylvania (0-0) at Lafayette (0-0)

(The Knights have one of the hardest openers of any team in the 540 hitting the road to Williamsburg to take on Class 4 power Lafayette) 

Stafford (0-0) at James Monroe (0-0)

(The Indians look to win the "Battle of the Bridge" for the second year in a row a feat they have only accomplished once since 1979)