Bethel (3-4) @ Menchville (0-6), 1 p.m.
Denbigh (4-2) @ Woodside (4-2), 4 p.m.
Bethel is ready for the challenge (Photo: Sam Mizelle/recruit757)
The Peninsula District has passed its midway point and teams are now jockeying for district and post-season positions. A key doubleheader in Newport News at Todd Stadium on Saturday afternoon will feature three teams whose playoff seeds for three different classifications (4A, 5A, and 6A) will be affected by a win or loss.
In the opening game, Menchville will play host to the Bethel Bruins.
Menchville has endured a long and trying season, one that began with a 53-7 loss to Nansemond River, and has been followed by five more double-digit losses. For the season, the Monarchs have been outscored 265-50, and with Hampton on the docket for next week, begin a tough two week stretch against teams that give up less than 17 points per game. In last week’s game, Menchville did tally a season-high for points, but lost to Gloucester 35-18.
The Monarchs woes have occurred on both sides of the ball. Prior to the Gloucester game, the offense averaged a mere 100.4 yards per game. In order to gain momentum on Saturday, running backs Malik Dixon and Torrey Guilford will need to have breakout games, which is no small feat against a Bruin defense that gives up a mere 112 yards per contest.
On defense, Menchville does feature Ray Savage at linebacker, but he will need more help from his supporting cast to shore up a unit that has allowed just over 44 points per game.
Bethel looks to rebound after a tough 28-13 loss to Woodside last Saturday. In that contest, the Bruins led 13-7 at halftime, but fell victim to three third quarter turnovers, two of which were returned for touchdowns by Wolverine cornerback D’Angelo Chesson (fumble recovery and interception).
Nevertheless, the Bruins face their own problems on offense. Their starting quarterback situation has not been cemented, and last week, Lekendrell Lowther opened the game behind center, before being relieved by Navarro Price, recreating the “changing of the guard” from previous weeks. The imbalance shows on the stat sheet, as Bethel QB’s have completed less than 35 percent of their 104 passes. DeAndre Gillis leads Bethel with 315 rushing yards. In all, Bethel averages less than 15 points per outing, and only 167 yards a game.
T.C. Chisley has stood out on special teams, setting up one Bethel touchdown with a 67-yard punt return last week.
In short, the team that reaches 21 points should win this game.
And at 4 p.m….
In the late afternoon game, Woodside (4-2) will face Denbigh (4-2), a team that has emerged as a quiet contender in the 4A East (Tidewater) section.
This matchup has an intriguing back-story. Denbigh quarterback L.J. Taylor will square off for the first time against his former Wolverine teammates. Last year, Taylor shared time at QB with Tyhier Tyler, who eventually settled into the starting role.
However, Taylor has been highly effective at QB with his new Patriot teammates. In last week’s 24-0 shutout of Warwick, the senior ran for 105 yards on 11 carries while scoring three times. Passing wise, Taylor was pinpoint accurate, completing 10 of 13 for 122 yards. For the season, Taylor is second in the Peninsula District with 724 passing yards, to go along with six touchdowns against only two interceptions.
Casey Vick is the featured back for Denbigh, with 350 yards and six touchdowns for the year. Defensively, Neil Anderson was the standout against Warwick, compiling 11 tackles (four for losses), as well as a sack. Overall, the Patriots defense is third in the Peninsula District with 178.3 yards allowed per game.
Woodside is a formidable opponent, and Denbigh will have to fire on all cylinders to win on Saturday. The Wolverine offense leads the PD with 333.0 yards per game, while the defense maintains a bend, but not break attitude. While Hampton’s Jovonn Quillen has captured more of the headlines this fall, it is Tyler who is compiling similar numbers in several key categories. The junior has completed just over 60 percent of his passes, compared to 57 for Quillen, as well as nine touchdowns, which ties him for the district lead with the Crabber QB. Quillen has more than double (592-215) Tyler’s rushing yards, but only two more rushing touchdowns (eight to six).
While Tyler leads the Wing-T offense, it is Tamir Walker who provides the spark. Walker, who scored five touchdowns in the first half against Warwick two weeks ago, is the leading scorer in the Peninsula District with 76 points. He is almost equally dangerous with seven rushing scores to go with five receiving. Walker also leads the PD in receiving yards (375 on 13 catches), while placing third on the rushing list with 537 yards through six games.
Demetri Banks has added 388 yards on the ground for the Wolverines, while Jacari Lee has 11 catches for 180 yards and four TD’s.
Denbigh is currently fourth in the 4A East (Tidewater) ratings, and will need a win to hold off Grafton, who played Warhill on Friday. Beating a 6A team such as Woodside could earn them critical points, which will be needed as the Patriots finish their regular season schedule with Bethel, Phoebus and Heritage.
Woodside, currently sixth in the 6A South (East) ratings, will not be an easy team to beat, and their high powered offense could be back on display Saturday after being held to a pair of touchdowns against Bethel. Denbigh will need to execute well on both sides of the ball to win this game.
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