The Virginia High School League’s newly-structured postseason alignment has left many football coaches scrambling this week to scout their unfamiliar opening-round opponents.
York’s Doug Pereira, whose team travels to play Hopewell at 2 p.m. on Saturday, is among them.
Jamestown’s Lee Williams is not.
Williams got a first-hand look at his team’s first-round opponent – Dinwiddie – back in September when the Generals handed the Eagles a 55-7 loss in both teams’ season opener.
Dinwiddie (10-0) has continued to mow down its opponents having outscored the opposition by an average of 49-9 en route to earning a No. 2 seed in the 4A South Region playoffs.
The No. 15 Eagles (4-6), who made a late playoff push by winning two of their final three games — including a dramatic upset of Tabb in double-overtime — will enter the rematch as heavy underdogs once again, but Williams says the pressure is not on his team, but their opponent.
“I told the guys no one expects us to win,” Williams said following Thursday’s practice. “There shouldn’t be much pressure. I asked them, ‘What’s the worst that could happen? You lose? That’s happened to us before … We’re 4-6.’ We just need to go out there and have fun. We’re successful when the guys play loose.”
Jamestown has been solid offensively this season when it limits the penalties and turnovers, but it’s Dinwiddie’s high-scoring offense that Williams is most concerned about, particularly standout running back Sadarius Williams, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound back who has rushed for more than 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns and is averaging better than 9yards per carry on the season. Against Jamestown, Sadarius Williams rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
“They just ran all over us,” Williams said. “When they weren’t breaking off long touchdown runs, our [defensive] line was getting driven back 10 yards at least every other time.”
Generals’ Quarterback Ronald Kearney has been equally as dangerous for the Generals with his arm and legs. He’s totaled 21 touchdowns (14 passing, nine rushing) in addition to throwing for 1,442 yards (144 ypg) while completing 57 percent of his passes.
The loss of two-way standout Braxton Miller (TE/LB), who tore several ligaments in his knee three weeks ago, certainly doesn’t make the Eagles’ defensive assignments any easier, but Williams remains confident.
“We’re a different team now,” Williams said. “The defensive line is better than it was and that’s the area the killed us most. … Our game plan is going to be to try and keep it close. If we can keep it close and make them do something different, get the ball out of the hands of their two big backs, that’s all I want.”
4A South Region Playoffs
No. 15 Jamestown (4-6) @ No. 2 Dinwiddie, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dinwiddie High School
