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Repeat after me?
All six VHSL football champions from the 2024 season still have a chance to repeat following the completion of first-round games.
Barely.
Phoebus kept its hopes of a fifth consecutive state title and the third in Class 4 with a 26-21 Region 4A squeaker over Churchland in a Saturday game in Hampton.
Meanwhile, two-time defending Class 3 state champ Liberty Christian escaped an upset bit at Broadway, edging the Gobblers 14-12 in a Region 3C first-round game.
Maury (Class 5), Graham (Class 2) and Essex (Class 1) all posted lopsided victories. Reigning Class 6 champion Oscar Smith drew a first-round bye in Region 6A.
Five of the six 2024 state runners-up remain in contention. Briar Woods (Class 5) dropped out with a 28-17 first-round loss to John Champe in Region 5D.
Other notable achievements:
Region 1C: Craig County registered the first playoff win in school history with a 27-0 victory at home over Bath County. The Rockets will be at home against 2024 state runner-up Grayson County in the second round.
Region 3D: Carroll County scored its second postseason win since 2003 and its third overall with a 27-21 decision at home over Northside. The Cavaliers will visit No. 1 seed Magna Vista on Friday.
Region 5C: Patrick Henry and William Fleming moved one step closer to a possible all-Roanoke matchup in the region final with lopsided home victories. PH can advance to a region final for the first time since 1994 with a second-round home game against Hermitage. William Fleming has a trip to face No. 2 seed Highland Springs.
Region 2D: Lebanon was blown out 42-6 by Virginia High two weeks ago. Friday, the Pioneers turned the tables on the Bearcats for a 38-34 win to earn a second-round game at Ridgeview. The other semifinal is a monster, sending Graham to undefeated Union, a rematch of the Bears’ 28-7 win over the G-Men on Sept. 11.
Region 4D: Jefferson Forest has not played in a state semifinal since 1997. The Cavaliers are two wins away after a 33-7 first-round victory over E.C. Glass. JF might have to win two road games to take the region, beginning with Saturday’s trip to Winchester to face No. 2 seed John Handley.
Region 2D: The last two region champions here — Glenvar and Radford — will meet in a second-round game in Roanoke County. The two teams won first-round games by a combined margin of 87 points.
Region 1D: Three of the four winners Friday — No. 1 Eastside, No. 3 Rye Cove and No. 4 Honaker — scored 50 or more points Friday. Second-seed Chilhowie chose the other route, pitching a 29-0 shutout of Twin Springs.
Region 6D: There are only six teams in the Concorde District. Four of them — Centreville, Westfield, South Lakes and 2024 Class 6 runner-up James Madison — comprise the region semifinals. Centreville (9-1) defeated each of the other three in the regular season.
VHSL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
CLASS 6
Region 6A
L.C. Bird 35, Western Branch 7
Manchester 38, Landstown 28
Second round
No. 4 L.C. Bird (7-4) at No. 1 Oscar Smith (9-1)
No. 3 Manchster (10-1) at No. 2 Thomas Dale (9-1)
Region 6B
Colonial Forge 35, Gar-Field 0
Woodbridge 41, Patriot 21
North Stafford 52, Independence 14
Battlefield 27, Forest Park 16
Second round
No. 4 Woodbridge (10-1) at No. 1 Colonial Forge (10-1)
No. 3 North Stafford (8-3) at No. 2 Battlefield (10-1)
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
No. 4 Fairfax (6-5) at No. 1 West Springfield (9-2)
No. 3 Lake Braddock (8-3) at No. 2 South County (8-3)
Region 6D
Centreville 42, George Marshall 31
James Madison 42, Langley 32
South Lakes 24, Yorktown 17
Westfield 56, Washington-Liberty 28
Second round
C3 James Madison (7-4) at C1 Centreville (9-1)
C4 South Lakes (6-5) at C2 Westfield (8-3)
CLASS 5
Region 5A
Green Run 36, Granby 14
Salem-Virginia Beach 28, Bayside 19
Indian River 47, Kempsville 14
Frank Cox 42, Floyd Kellam 7
Second round
No. 5 Salem-Virginia Beach (8-3) at No. 1 Green Run (11-0)
No. 3 Indian River (9-2) at No. 2 Frank Cox (9-2)
Region 5B
King’s Fork 38, Granby 6
Bethel 28, Nansemond River 18
Warwick 43, Norview 0
Maury 64, Woodside 6
Second round
No. 5 Bethel (7-4) at No. 1 King’s Fork (10-1)
No. 3 Warwick (8-3) at No. 2 Maury (10-1)
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
No. 5 Hermitage (9-2) at No. 1 Patrick Henry-Roanoke (11-0)
No. 3 William Fleming (8-3) at No. 2 Highland Springs (8-3)
Region 5D
John Champe 28, Briar Woods 17
Potomac Falls 37, Lightridge 22
Second round
No. 4 John Champe (7-4) at No. 1 Stone Bridge (9-1)
No. 3 Potomac Falls (7-4) at No. 2 Riverbend (10-0)
CLASS 4
Region 4A
Hampton 59, Manor 0
Phoebus 26, Churchland 21
Smithfield 30, Warhill 22
Lafayette 40, Denbigh 0
Second round
No. 4 Phoebus (7-3) at No. 1 Hampton (10-1)
Smithfield (7-4) at No. 2 Lafayette (10-1)
Region 4B
Dinwiddie 49, Hanover 14
Varina 47, Courtland 6
Huguenot 52, Spotsylvania 10
Louisa County 42, Caroline 7
Second round
No. 4 Varina (9-2) at No. 1 Dinwiddie (11-0)
No. 3 Huguenot (10-1) at No. 2 Louisa County (10-1)
Region 4C
Heritage-Leesburg 26, Broad Run 18
Woodgrove 56, Tuscarora 10
Second round
No. 4 Heritage-Leesburg (7-4) at No. 1 Loudoun County (9-1)
No. 3 Woodgrove (7-4) at No. 2 Loudoun Valley (9-1)
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
No. 4 Sherando (8-3) at No. 1 George Washington (10-1)
No. 3 Jefferson Forest (9-2) at No. 2 John Handley (10-1)
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
No. 4 I.C. Norcom (6-5) at No. 1 Lake Taylor (9-2)
No. 6 Hopewell (5-6) at No. 2 Petersburg (8-3)
Region 3B
Kettle Run 63, Warren County 9
Brentsville 48, James Monroe 12
Skyline 22, Meridian 8
Culpeper County 49, Goochland 0
Second round
No. 5 Brentsville (5-6) at No. 1 Kettle Run (10-1)
No. 3 Skyline (8-3) at No. 2 Culpeper County (8-3)
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
No. 4 Turner Ashby (10-1) at No. 1 Heritage-Lynchburg (10-1)
No. 6 Liberty Christian (8-2) at No. 2 Wilson Memorial (10-1)
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
No. 4 Carroll County (9-2) at No. 1 Magna Vista (10-1)
No. 3 William Byrd (8-3) at No. 2 Lord Botetourt (8-3)
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
No. 4 Thomas Jefferson-Richmond (7-4) at No. 1 Armstrong (11-0)
No. 6 Southampton (9-2) at No. 2 Poquoson (10-1)
Region 2B
Central-Woodstock 31, Fort Defiance 7
Stuarts Draft 56, Madison County 18
Second round
No. 4 Central-Woodstock (7-4) at No. 1 Strasburg (9-1)
No. 3 Stuarts Draft (8-3) at No. 2 Buckingham County (9-1)
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
No. 4 Radford (7-4) at No. 1 Glenvar (11-0)
No. 3 Floyd County (8-3) at No. 2 Gretna (9-2)
Region 2D
Union 40, Lee 7
Graham 31, Gate City 14
Lebanon 38, Virginia High 34
Ridgeview 42, Richlands 14
Second round
No. 4 Graham (8-3) at No. 1 Union (11-0)
No. 6 Lebanon (8-3) at No. 2 Ridgeview (10-1)
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
No. 4 Northumberland (8-3) at No. 1 Essex (11-0)
No. 3 Rappahannock (9-2) at No. 2 Northampton (10-1)
Region 1B
Altavista 71, Cumberland 6
Buffalo Gap 21, Luray 6
Riverheads 42, Brunswick 6
Sussex Central 48, Surry County 0
Second round
No. 5 Buffalo Gap (5-6) at No. 1 Altavista (8-3)
No. 3 Riverheads (7-4) at No. 2 Sussex Central (10-1)
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
No. 5 George Wythe (7-4) at No. 1 Giles (9-2)
No. 3 Grayson County (7-4) at No. 2 Craig County (10-1)
Region 1D
Eastside 50, Rural Retreat 29
Honaker 56, Northwood 19
Rye Cove 61, Holston 14
Chilhowie 29, Twin Springs 0
Second round
No. 4 Honaker (7-4) at No. 1 Eastside (11-0)
No. 3 Rye Cove (8-3) at No. 2 Chilhowie (10-1)