Prep football playoffs in full swing this weekend

The Region B football playoff pairings were finalized on Monday, with Dogwood District co-champions Altavista and Gretna receiving the No. 2 seed in Division 1 and 2, respectively and Appomattox, which also earned a share of the district title, seeded fourth in Division 2.

The two-time defending Group A, Division 2, state champion Hawks (8-2) will host third-seeded Buckingham (10-0) in one Region B, Division 2, semifinal on Saturday at 1 p.m. before Appomattox (8-2) travels to top-seeded Clarke County (10-0) in the other.

Gretna first-year coach Kevin Saunders, who initially thought the Hawks clinched the No. 1 seed after Randolph-Henry defeated Cumberland in a rain-delayed makeup game on Monday, which would have set up a 2007 Region B, Division 2, semifinal rematch with the Raiders, said he didn’t care who his team faced in the first round.

“It doesn’t matter,“ he said. “It’s playoff time. Everybody’s 0-0 and everybody’s good or else they wouldn’t be there. We’re playing pretty decent right now.”

The Hawks may not be favored to three-peat as Region B and Group AA state champions, but they’ve got plenty of incentive to try.

“We’ve got to defend it,” Saunders said. “I don’t know how many people expected us to win (a share of the Dogwood) District title and be the No. 1 seed in Region B. This is a different team with all we lost from last year. Everything’s different. We’ve worked hard to get to this point.”

He said playing in the Dogwood has the Hawks battle-tested going into the postseason.

“Region B’s one of the toughest regions in the state,” he said, just as the Dogwood is one of the state’s strongest districts. “No question, it prepares you (for the regional and state playoffs).”

In Division 1, Altavista (9-1), which earned a share of the Dogwood District crown (with Gretna and Appomattox) for the first time since 1971, is seeded second and will host third-seeded Madison County on Friday night, probably at 7.

The Colonels were seeded first in Region B, Division 1, ahead of Riverheads (9-1), in the VHSL power ratings before Friday night, when Altavista rolled over Nelson County 43-13 while Riverheads routed Buffalo Gap 34-13.

“We knew they were going to get in front of us, because of rider points, if both of us won,” Altavista coach Mike Scharnus said.

Now, Riverheads gets a rematch with Buffalo Gap (6-4), which held off Central-Lunenburg (6-4) for the fourth seed.

Scharnus is looking forward to his first playoff game since 2001 — when he was at Rustburg, the year after leading the Red Devils to a Group AA, Division 3, state title — and Altavista’s first since 1990.

But he’s trying to prevent the Colonels from getting too fired up, too soon.

“The kids are very excited and we’re just trying to treat it like another game, to prepare in the same fashion,” Scharnus said. “We’re trying to not get the kids too hyped or jacked up.”

Once the game begins, he expects the intensity to escalate and the adrenaline to flow.

“The level of focus and level of concentration will be picked up,” Scharnus said. “It’ll be a good contest.”

Though both teams have seen each other on film, “We don’t know how physical a team they are and how aggressive they are.”

Neither, he added, does Madison County know how hard Altavista’s defense hits.

He said the Colonels definitely aren’t satisfied just to be playing another game.

“One of our goals was to make the playoffs,” Scharnus said. “Now that we’ve reached that goal, everyone’s goal is to reach the final game.”

The Region III, Division 3 and 4, playoff semifinal pairings were finalized on Friday night. In Division 3, top-seeded Liberty (9-1) will host Robert E. Lee, a 49-19 quarterfinal winner over Stuarts Draft, in one semifinal while Brookville (9-2), a 19-16 winner over Alleghany, travels to No. 2-seeded Northside. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Amherst (10-0), the No. 1 seed in Division 4, will host Spotswood (9-2), a 36-18 quarterfinal winner over Staunton River, on Friday at 7 p.m. at Lancer Stadium while Turner Ashby (9-2) travels to Harrisonburg (9-1) in the other semifinal.

On Saturday, in the Virginia Independent Schools Division I state championship game, Liberty Christian Academy, which rolled over Potomac School, 63-0, in Saturday’s semifinals, seeks to capture its fourth crown in six seasons under coach Frank Rocco. The Bulldogs (10-1), seeded second, will challenge top-seeded Richmond Collegiate (9-1), a 35-13 winner over Fork Union Military Academy, at 1:30 p.m.

Group AA state finals moved

This year’s Group AA, Division 3 and 4, state championship games will be played at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium, not Liberty University’s Williams Stadium as they have been for the past several seasons.

LU will be renovating its press box, bathrooms and concession stands during that time, with the Flames’ home schedule now complete.

“When all of that came up, we went and asked Virginia Tech if it was open at that time,” said Amherst athletic director William “Goldie” Gouldthorpe, who directs the games along with former Brookville AD John Vasvary. “We explained the situation and talked to Liberty and felt it was best to make the move early.”

The games are expected to return to LU, which has a three-year contract on them, for 2010 and 2011.

Salem Stadium again will host this year’s Group A, Division 1 and 2, state finals while the Group AAA, Division 5 and 6, title matches will be played at Virginia’s Scott Stadium.