The Region B playoffs finally get under way this weekend

Each team has something to prove

The three Seminole District teams competing in this weekend’s Region III playoff semifinals — Amherst, Brookville and Liberty — are postseason regulars with something to prove.

As the Region B playoffs finally get under way this weekend, Gretna and Appomattox find themselves in familiar positions. The Raiders are in the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the Hawks have won four state titles in the past six seasons. The ninth consecutive trip to the postseason for Gretna comes without perennial Dogwood power William Campbell. Taking its place in the Division 1 field is Altavista (9-1), which hosts Madison County tonight at 7.

This marks the third consecutive year that three teams from the Dogwood advanced to postseason play. Each year, both Gretna and Appomattox advanced in Division 2, and Altavista replaces William Campbell as the Dogwood representative in Division 1.

There is a possibility the game will be moved to Amherst High School's field.

The playoffs are in full swing and the top teams are producing some outstanding individual efforts. This last week seems to have been all about running backs.

The playoffs are in full swing and the top teams are producing some outstanding individual efforts. This last week seems to have been all about running backs.

Gretna’s football team finished tied with Clarke County with 24.2 points in the final VHSL power ratings for Region B, Division 2, after Monday’s rain-delayed makeup games. But the Eagles (10-0) received the No. 1 seed by virtue of their perfect record, bumping the two-time defending Group A champion Hawks (8-2) to No. 2. Instead of entertaining fourth-seeded Appomattox in Saturday’s Region B, Division 2, semifinals, as was reported on Tuesday, Gretna will host third-seeded Buckingham (10-0) at 1 p.m. Appomattox (8-2), meanwhile, must travel to Clarke County (10-0) near Winchester for its 1:30 p.m. semifinal.

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.

R.J. Myers capped off his Dan River football career with a season-high 22 tackles and two rushing touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 34-0 victory in the regular season finale against Pittsylvania County rival Chatham on Saturday afternoon in Chatham.