New to Cardinal News? Sign up for one of our free newsletters to keep up-to-date:
The Virginia High School football playoffs went national Friday night.
Thomas Dale defensive back Vicente Chavarria not only made a game-winning interception return for a touchdown, he landed squarely on ESPN’s SportsCenter with the Play of the Day. (See the play.)
The Chesterfield County school was locked in a 21-21 deadlock with visiting Manchester in their Region 6A semifinal when Chavarria entered the spotlight.
With the ball at midfield and scant seconds on the clock, Manchester attempted a Hail Mary pass toward the end zone.
The pass fell just short and Chavarria intercepted it at the 1-yard line.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Chavarria cut up the left sideline, changed course and headed to the opposite side of the field. Then he cut back to the left and found smooth sailing for a 99-yard return untouched to the end zone.
The pick-6 gave Thomas Dale a 27-21 victory and a berth in the region final against reigning Class 6 state champion Oscar Smith of Chesapeake.
News of a different kind was made across the state as undefeated Union High of Big Stone Gap scored a 12-0 victory over 2024 Class 2 champion Graham in a Region 2D semifinal.
Union (12-0) played the game without head coach Travis Turner, who is the subject of a Virginia State Police missing persons report.
Turner, 46, was last seen on Thursday, wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses, according to the VSP website.
Elsewhere, Friday was a good night for Lynchburg and tough night for Roanoke.
Lynchburg city schools Heritage and Liberty Christian each won semifinals, ensuring a rematch between the two teams in the Region 3C final Nov. 28 at City Stadium. Heritage stopped Turner Ashby 35-14 while LCA, the two-time reigning Class 3 state champ, won 22-3 at Wilson Memorial.
Heritage (11-1) defeated LCA 35-33 on Oct. 31 to claim the Seminole District crown. A third Seminole team, Jefferson Forest, took a 14-10 victory over John Handley in Winchester on Saturday. JF (10-2) will next play at George Washington (11-1) in the Region 4D final.
Patrick Henry and William Fleming bowed out of the Region 5C playoffs with semifinal losses to Richmond-area schools. PH fell at home to Hermitage 28-25, while Fleming came up short by a 37-7 count in a trip to Highland Springs.
The Richmond area has teams remaining in five of the six classifications with Varina and Huguenot in Class 4, Petersburg in Class 3, and Armstrong in Class 2 joining Thomas Dale, Highland Springs and Hermitage.
Magna Vista joins GW as the two Piedmont District teams still in the hunt for championships. The Warriors (11-1) play at home against Lord Botetourt (9-3) in the Region 3D final.
Unbeaten Glenvar (12-0) carries the Three Rivers District banner in a home game against Gretna in the Region 2C final. Gretna escaped Floyd County 56-55 by stopping a two-point conversion attempt on Friday.
Class 2 still has three undefeated contenders with Armstrong joining Union and Glenvar at 12-0.
Essex (Tappahannock) and Eastside (Wise County) carry 12-0 records into region finals in Class 1.
Five 2024 state champions — Oscar Smith, Maury (Class 5), Phoebus (Class 4), LCA and Essex — are still putting on the equipment. Phoebus stretched its streak of consecutive playoff wins to 21 with a 49-35 victory over crosstown rival Hampton. The Phantoms have won four successive state titles, two in Class 3 and the last two in Class 4.
VHSL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
CLASS 6
Region 6A
L.C. Bird 35, Western Branch 7
Manchester 38, Landstown 28
Second round
Oscar Smith 50, L.C. Bird 0
Thomas Dale 27, Manchester 21
Region final
No. 2 Thomas Dale (10-1) at No. 1 Oscar Smith (10-1)
Region 6B
Colonial Forge 35, Gar-Field 0
Woodbridge 41, Patriot 21
North Stafford 52, Independence 14
Battlefield 27, Forest Park 16
Second round
Woodbridge 35, Colonial Forge 34
North Stafford 21, Battlefield 6
Region final
No. 4 Woodbridge (11-1) at No. 3 North Stafford (9-3)
—
Region 6C
West Springfield 48, West Potomac 13
Fairfax 18, Alexandria City 13
Lake Braddock 34, Mount Vernon 13
South County 45, Falls Church 0
Second round
West Springfield 28, Fairfax 7
Lake Braddock 33, South County 24
Region final
No. 3 Lake Braddock (9-3) at No. 1 West Springfield (10-2)
—
Region 6D
Centreville 42, George Marshall 31
James Madison 42, Langley 32
South Lakes 24, Yorktown 17
Westfield 56, Washington-Liberty 28
Second round
James Madison 35, Centreville 34
Westfield 31, South Lakes 21
Region final
C3 James Madison (8-4) at C2 Westfield (9-3)
CLASS 5
Region 5A
Green Run 36, Deep Creek 14
Salem-Virginia Beach 28, Bayside 19
Indian River 47, Kempsville 14
Frank Cox 42, Floyd Kellam 7
Second round
Green Run 28, Salem-Virginia Beach 7
Indian River 42, Frank Cox 3
Region final
No. 3 Indian River (10-2) at No. 1 Green Run (12-0)
—
Region 5B
King’s Fork 38, Granby 6
Bethel 28, Nansemond River 18
Warwick 43, Norview 0
Maury 64, Woodside 6
Second round
King’s Fork 45, Bethel 28
Maury 42, Warwick 10
Region final
No. 2 Maury (11-1) at No. 1 King’s Fork (11-1)
—
Region 5C
Patrick Henry-Roanoke 38, Franklin County 7
Hermitage 26, Midlothian 14
William Fleming 46, Douglas Freeman 6
Highland Springs 28, Glen Allen 9
Second round
Hermitage 28, Patrick Henry-Roanoke 25
Highland Springs 37, William Fleming 7
Region final
No. 5 Hermitage (10-2) at No. 2 Highland Springs (9-3)
—
Region 5D
John Champe 28, Briar Woods 17
Potomac Falls 37, Lightridge 22
Second round
Stone Bridge 41, John Champe 0
Riverbend 56, Potomac Falls 0
Region final
No. 2 Riverbend (11-0) at No. 1 Stone Bridge (10-1)
—
CLASS 4
Region 4A
Hampton 59, Manor 0
Phoebus 26, Churchland 21
Smithfield 30, Warhill 22
Lafayette 40, Denbigh 0
Second round
Phoebus 47, Hampton 35
Lafayette 35, Smithfield 6
Region final
No. 4 Phoebus (8-3) at No. 2 Lafayette (11-1)
—
Region 4B
Dinwiddie 49, Hanover 14
Varina 47, Courtland 6
Huguenot 52, Spotsylvania 10
Louisa County 42, Caroline 7
Second round
Varina 34, Dinwiddie 0
Huguenot 34, Louisa County 11
Region final
No. 4 Varina (10-2) at No. 3 Huguenot (11-1)
—
Region 4C
Heritage-Leesburg 26, Broad Run 18
Woodgrove 56, Tuscarora 10
Second round
Loudoun County 14, Heritage-Leesburg 13
Loudoun Valley 31, Woodgrove 21
Region final
No. 2 Loudoun Valley (10-1) at No. 1 Loudoun County (10-1)
—
Region 4D
George Washington 44, Blacksburg 7
Sherando 56, James Wood 35
Jefferson Forest 33, E.C. Glass 7
John Handley 48, Liberty-Bealeton 0
Second round
George Washington 41, Sherando 21
Jefferson Forest 14, John Handley 10
Region final
No. 3 Jefferson Forest (10-2) at No. 1 George Washington (11-1)
CLASS 3
Region 3A
Lake Taylor 49, Colonial Heights 6
I.C. Norcom 20, Tabb 7
Hopewell 27, New Kent 14
Petersburg 40, York 7
Second round
Lake Taylor 42, I.C. Norcom 13
Petersburg 20, Hopewell 7
Region final
No. 2 Petersburg (9-3) at No. 1 Lake Taylor (10-2)
—
Region 3B
Kettle Run 63, Warren County 9
Brentsville 48, James Monroe 12
Skyline 22, Meridian 8
Culpeper County 49, Goochland 0
Second round
Kettle Run 35, Brentsville 12
Skyline 14, Culpeper County 13
Region final
No. 3 Skyline (9-3) at No. 1 Kettle Run (11-1)
—
Region 3C
Heritage-Lynchburg 49, Western Albemarle 10
Turner Ashby 42, Alleghany 16
Liberty Christian 14, Broadway 12
Wilson Memorial 41, Fluvanna County 29
Second round
Heritage-Lynchburg 35, Turner Ashby 14
Liberty Christian 22, Wilson Memorial 3
Region final
No. 6 Liberty Christian (9-2) at No. 1 Heritage-Lynchburg (11-1)
—
Region 3D
Magna Vista 56, Abingdon 10
Carroll County 27, Northside 21
William Byrd 38, Bassett 10
Lord Botetourt 42, Cave Spring 7
Second round
Magna Vista 64, Carroll County 28
Lord Botetourt 35, William Byrd 21
Region final
No. 2 Lord Botetourt (9-3) at No. 1 Magna Vista (11-1)
CLASS 2
Region 2A
Armstrong 49, Nottoway 8
Thomas Jefferson-Richmond 42, King William 8
Southampton 44, Central-Lunenburg 30
Poquoson 44, Greensville County 6
Second round
Armstrong 42, Thomas Jefferson-Richmond 14
Poquoson 42, Southampton 6
Region final
No. 2 Poquoson (11-1) at No. 1 Armstrong (12-0)
—
Region 2B
Central-Woodstock 31, Fort Defiance 7
Stuarts Draft 56, Madison County 18
Second round
Strasburg 35, Central-Woodstock 6
Stuarts Draft 20, Buckingham County 13
Region final
No. 3 Stuarts Draft (9-3) at No. 1 Strasburg (10-1)
—
Region 2C
Glenvar 50, Nelson County 0
Radford 44, Appomattox County 7
Floyd County 26, James River-Buchanan 21
Gretna 36, Dan River 7
Second round
Glenvar 27, Radford 3
Gretna 56, Floyd County 55
Region final
No. 2 Gretna (10-2) at No. 1 Glenvar (12-0)
—
Region 2D
Union 40, Lee 7
Graham 31, Gate City 14
Lebanon 38, Virginia High 34
Ridgeview 42, Richlands 14
Second round
Union 12, Graham 0
Ridgeview 35, Lebanon 16
Region final
No. 2 Ridgeview (11-1) at No. 1 Union (12-0)
CLASS 1
Region 1A
Essex 1, Charles City 0, forfeit
Northumberland 7, Middlesex 3
Rappahannock 1, West Point 0, forfeit
Northampton 43, Colonial Beach 8
Second round
Essex 40, Northumberland 14
Rappahannock 55, Northampton 18
Region final
No. 3 Rappahannock (10-2) at No. 1 Essex (12-0)
—
Region 1B
Altavista 71, Cumberland 6
Buffalo Gap 21, Luray 6
Riverheads 42, Brunswick 6
Sussex Central 48, Surry County 0
Second round
Buffalo Gap 52, Altavista 29
Riverheads 29, Sussex Central 12
Region final
No. 5 Buffalo Gap (6-6) at No. 3 Riverheads (8-4)
—
Region 1C
Giles 39, Auburn 20
George Wythe 48, Narrows 19
Grayson County 42, Parry McCluer 7
Craig County 27, Bath County 0
Second round
George Wythe 27, Giles 8
Grayson County 34, Craig County 13
Region final
No. 5 George Wythe (7-5) at No. 3 Grayson County (8-4)
—
Region 1D
Eastside 50, Rural Retreat 29
Honaker 56, Northwood 19
Rye Cove 61, Holston 14
Chilhowie 29, Twin Springs 0
Second round
Eastside 46, Honaker 8
Rye Cove 21, Chilhowie 13
Region final
No. 4 Rye Cove (9-3) at No. 1 Eastside (12-0)