Four area teams resume quest for state football titles today

Four Lynchburg-area high school football teams take the second grandest stages in the state of Virginia today, playing in the semifinals of the VHSL state playoffs.

It’s the area’s most public school state playoff contenders since 2002, when three went on to grab the first state trophies in school history — William Campbell in Division 1, Liberty in Division 3 and Heritage in Division. 4.

This season’s fantastic four — Amherst, Brookville, Gretna and William Campbell — stand one victory shy of the only bigger platforms, next Saturday’s championship games at Salem Stadium (Divisions 1 and 2) and Liberty University’s Williams Stadium (Divisions 3 and 4).

Two are at home — Division 2, Region B winner Gretna (11-1), the defending Group A champion which entertains Essex (12-0) in today’s semifinal contest at 2 p.m.; and defending Division 3, Region III champion Brookville (12-0), The Associated Press’ top-ranked Group AA team in the state which hosts Richlands (9-3) in a rematch of last season’s Group AA semifinal road loss, set for 1 p.m. at Stinger Stadium.

“The fact that we’re playing Richlands, we have had no problem getting the kids focused for this game,” said Brookville fourth-year coach Jeff Woody, who has guided the Bees to four consecutive playoff appearances. “There’s a sense of urgency in practice (this week). The seniors realize this could be the last time they step out onto the field.”

The other two must travel.

Division 1, Region B champion William Campbell visits Franklin in a rematch of the 2004 Group A state semifinal at 1 p.m.

“We’re still playing and that’s what we want to do,” Generals senior quarterback Baron Adams said after avenging a 29-28 road loss to Buffalo Gap in last season’s Region B championship game by beating the Bison 35-7 in freezing conditions last Friday night at home. “Our goal is to make it to Dec. 6 in Salem. This ain’t really nothing. When we win states, that’s what we want.”

Two-time defending Group AA, Division 4 state champion Amherst (11-1), which won its third consecutive Region III title by beating Jefferson Forest for the second time this season, goes to Pulaski County (12-0) for a 2 p.m. showdown, two hours after the start of the Virginia-Virginia Tech kickoff in nearby Blacksburg.

“This is where everybody finds out what you’ve done over the summer,” Lancers’ first-year coach Cecil Phillips said of participating in the playoffs. “It’s a long season, it started July 28, and these kids have been working since Jan. 1 or Jan. 2.

“We’ve got a lot of kids that came back from the championship team last year, especially along the offensive line,” he added. “That’s a great senior-laden group right there. Those guys know what it takes to get it done. They understand the amount of work that it takes and the types of ballgames they’re going to be in.”

Amherst faces perhaps the toughest test of any of the four area teams in the state semifinals today, going against a Pulaski squad that shut out Salem 38-0 in last week’s Region IV final.

“Nothing’s going to be easy from here on out,” Phillips said. “Everybody understands if you lose, you’re done.

“We are doing everything we can within our power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”