WILLIAMSBURG— “Friday Night Lights” is a series looking in on area high school football programs ahead of the 2025 season.
The Warhill High School Lions are hoping for a better season in 2025 after finishing with a 5-5 record in 2024.
“We always keep our expectations high. We knew we were losing a lot of seniors going into last year, we graduated 28 seniors. We knew we were coming into a season of a rebuild and we ended up starting five freshmen and six sophomores. We figured a good year for us would be anywhere between five and seven wins. We had quite a few close games, but we knew we needed a year to get the kinks worked out,” Jerome Rhodes, Warhill High School football head coach, explained.
Rhodes enters his seventh season as the head of the program.
The Lions lost three starters to graduation, two of whom are playing college football locally. Returning to the team this year include sophomore wide receiver, defensive back, and quarterback Devon Price; sophomore quarterback Cam Hassell; sophomore defensive and offensive lineman Kavon Compton; junior defensive lineman and tight end Larry Edwards; senior offensive and defensive lineman Thomas Black; sophomore offensive and defensive lineman Jackson Hays; senior defensive end and tight end Ryan Kline; senior running back and linebacker Braden Terns; junior defensive back and wide receiver Jamonte Jones; and junior defensive back and wide receiver Micah Mason.
Rhodes hopes to be a competitive team in 2025.
“We hope to win every single game this year. What we have coming back and the work that these guys are putting in, the expectation is pretty high for these guys. We’re still a young team, but they put in the necessary work to compete at a high level,” Rhodes explained.
According to Rhodes, a challenge will come during week seven.
“I think the toughest team we will face in the Bay Rivers is probably Poquoson. They are going to present a big challenge for us. They’ve added a lot of key pieces to their team and are training differently in the offseason,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes has been speaking with the team about the importance of “playing the next play” ahead of the 2025 season.
“We tend to return every year with play the next play. It’s always been that way for us. It’s been that way in the weight room, it’s been that way in the summer conditioning. We have to give a great effort every single play regardless of the outcome,” Rhodes said.
Warhill will open up its 2025 season on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. at home against Grafton High School.
2025 Warhill High School Football Schedule
- Aug. 28 — home vs. Grafton High School
- Sept. 5 — away vs. Lafayette High School
- Sept. 12 — home vs. Jamestown High School
- Sept. 19 — home vs. Smithfield High School
- Sept. 25 — away vs. York High School
- Oct. 10 — away vs. Bruton High School
- Oct. 17 — home vs. Poquoson High School
- Oct. 24 — away vs. New Kent High School
- Oct. 31 — home vs. Tabb High School
- Nov. 7 — away vs. Gloucester High School