Fifth-year Coeburn football coach Greg Mullins was named to the same position at William Campbell at Monday’s Campbell County School Board meeting, replacing Dwayne Hamlette who resigned Dec. 19 after a 3-7 first season.

A Virginia football practice session in the fall may suddenly appear to look like a Division I private school championship game.

For the first three years of his career at Appomattox, Kenny Scott was predominantly known as a running quarterback.

This fall, the athletic senior emerged as a dual threat in the Raiders’ triple-option attack, throwing for 1,155 yards (with eight touchdowns and only two interceptions) and rushing for another 1,277 with 19 scores.

Defensive first-team capsules for The News & Advance 2009 all-area football team

Offensive first-team capsules for The News & Advance 2009 all-area football selections

Chris Clark was an integral part of Altavista’s offense, but it was his defense that gained notice as the season went along.

Amherst (13-1) came close to completing its unfinished business left over from last season’s 13-0 loss to the Spartans (14-0) at Liberty University. But quarterback Kirby Anderson just missed connecting on a couple deep strikes to receivers Mario Vaughan and Rose on the Lancers’ last two offensive plays from Broad Run’s 35-yard line.

BLACKSBURG — Amherst’s unfinished business remained undone after Saturday’s Group AA, Division 4, state championship football rematch with Broad Run.

SALEM — In late October, as the drizzle fell in fits and spurts in Naruna, Altavista senior Johnny Wimbish turned to teammate Rick Adams, a sophomore, on the sidelines at William Campbell High School.

Check back for updates from Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.

It’s the state championship showdown many prep football fans and prognosticators anticipated in the preseason — Amherst vs. Broad Run in the Group AA, Division 4 final.

In years past, a football game between Altavista and J.I. Burton might have been seen as a considerable mismatch.

ALTAVISTA — The day Altavista sophomore Rick Adams was notified he’d been called up to start for the Colonels at quarterback, he thought it was a practical joke.

“The (junior varsity) coaches sent a note to my class that said I needed to get ready to go start for the varsity,” Adams said of the week after Altavista’s only loss, to Gretna on Oct. 2. “I was the starting JV quarterback and the third-string varsity quarterback (behind fellow sophomore Jarrod Hunt), so I was thinking, ‘How can you come up three strings and start on varsity?’”

AMHERST — As many extra-point opportunities as Amherst sophomore placekicker Tyler Dawson has had over the past two seasons, he’s gotten it down to a science, especially kicking on his own Pro-Grass FieldTurf at Lancer Stadium.

One thing first-time Group A, Division 1 state football finalist Altavista has in common with Amherst, which will make its fourth straight showing in Saturday’s Group AA, Division 4 state championship, is its attack-oriented 3-5 defensive formation.

The Colonels switched from a 5-3 system — with five linemen, three linebackers and three defensive backs — to the 3-5, with three linemen and five linebackers, this fall after seeing the success teams such as the Lancers have had running it.

Altavista’s football team will compete in its first-ever state championship game this Saturday, but it may have to play without Chris Clark, who ranks among the Colonels’ leaders in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks as a fourth-year starting linebacker.

By applying relentless pressure on Christiansburg sophomore quarterback Brenden Motley and capitalizing on two turnovers and a failed fourth-down conversion, Amherst’s defense saved the day in Sunday’s Group AA, Division 4, state semifinal postponed by Saturday’s snow.

TAPPAHANNOCK — Gretna players stood idly as the Essex sideline burst into a celebration. The life, energy and sense of having a chance to win were quickly sucked out of the Hawks.

ALTAVISTA — The mud and muck on the English Stadium field Saturday caused all kinds of problems for West Point’s football team.

GRETNA — During the summer workouts and even after the team’s season-opening loss to Liberty Christian Academy, Gretna coach Kevin Saunders felt that his defense would be good enough to carry the team to most of its wins.

Early optimism was, at most, skeptical — maybe six or seven wins and a chance to slip into the Region B playoffs. Outside of the program, Gretna was supposed to be in a down year and other teams would take the Hawks’ spot at the top of the Dogwood District.

While the offense hasn’t been as potent as in years past, the defense remains just like it has been for the previous six seasons — suffocating, ferocious and nasty.

State semifinal playoff capsule previews

AMHERST — When Amherst County’s football team lines up against Christiansburg in today’s Group AA, Division 4, state semifinal, set for 1:30 p.m. at Lancer Stadium weather permitting, they will be facing a team that uses very familiar formations on both sides of the ball.

“They’re a mirror image of us,” Amherst coach Cecil Phillips said. “They run the same offense (the Wing-T) and same defense (3-5-3) that we do.”

Though the forecast is for a wintry mix of precipitation for today’s Group A, Division 1, state semifinal football game between Altavista and West Point, don’t expect that to keep Colonels from coming out in droves to see them play, starting at 1:30 p.m. at English Stadium.

It’s been 39 years since an Altavista football team last advanced to the state playoffs.

GRETNA — With each game on the line, Gretna coach Kevin Saunders and Appomattox coach Ben Martin each had one thing on their respective minds — let the quarterbacks make the play.

As Nick Miller was standing confidently in the pocket and finding Ted Jennings for the game-winning touchdown pass in Gretna’s overtime victory against Buckingham, Kenny Scott was slipping through Clarke County defenders for a long touchdown run to secure the Appomattox upset.

GREENVILLE — It’s been 19 years since Altavista last made a trip to the postseason. The Colonels aren’t ready for the ride to end just yet.

In a game full of turnovers, Altavista forced a late Riverheads fumble and held on for a 20-17 victory in the Division 1, Region B championship game Friday night, earning the Colonels a spot in next weekend’s Group A state playoffs.

High school scoreboard from Friday night’s football games

BEDFORD — Momentum is fickle — just ask the Liberty Minutemen.

Playing the Northside Vikings for the Division 3, Region III, crown, the Minutemen had momentum on their side early after Mike Bowyer blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt by Sean Joyner.

The ball caromed right into the hands of Tyler Bowyer, who ran untouched 77 yards for a touchdown. However, it was the Vikings who would firmly seize the momentum for the rest of the game, scoring the next 26 points en route to a 26-14 win.

AMHERST — Since taking over the quarterback spot from Anthony Rose early in the season, Amherst junior Kirby Anderson has found ways to get the ball in Rose’s hands as often as possible.

In Friday night’s Division 4, Region III championship game against Harrisonburg, the two combined on two plays — one on offense and one on defense — that helped turn an early deficit into a 47-22 Lancers blowout.

Check back for scores. You can also call scores in to 540-981-9126

The Bedford boys are back in town tonight. Liberty High’s football team, which has qualified for the playoffs in all but one season this decade, has new life as it makes its first Region III, Division 3, final appearance since 2005, starting at 7 tonight against visiting Northside.