A year ago, Jefferson Forest’s football team edged Rockbridge 7-6 in a defensive-oriented standoff in Lexington.
Tonight, when the Cavaliers play host to the 2006 Group AA, Division 3 state runner-up Wildcats at 7:30, the rematch could just as easily turn into an offensive slugfest.
“They’ve opened things up this year, going with a pretty wide open offense,” JF coach Don Rice said of Rockbridge, guided by Jason White. “It could be a wide open game or another good defensive game.”
He is wary of a potentially explosive Wildcat offense, which may have more to offer than it displayed in the preseason.
“You can’t tell, watching scrimmages, how good they are,” Rice said, noting they run multiple formations, but mostly operate out of the shotgun. “They’ll run the ball but spread it out to their receivers. We’ve seen what they’ve done in scrimmages and know that on any one play, they can go the distance.”
He said the Cavaliers would rather not get into a shootout, relying on counter-attacks.
“We don’t want to give up any big plays, (but) to force them to drive the field and hopefully (turn the ball over),” Rice said.
That’s what the Wildcats did repeatedly in Week 2 last year, when the Cavaliers intercepted quarterback Tyler Staton five times. That included one by Dylan Higley, who returned it 17 yards for JF’s only touchdown in the second quarter, and one late in the third quarter by 5-foot-8 Colby Rhodes, who went up to pick off a pass from the 1-yard line intended for 6-4 receiver Jeff Early in the back of the end zone. That play was set up by a 77-yard pass from Staton to Jaqwan Biggs, both of whom are back this season.
“We played just a great defensive game,” Rice said.
Forest is coming off a season-opening 44-17 rout of Staunton River in which it scored six rushing touchdowns — four by senior Desmond Goode (14 carries, 197 yards) — and gained 333 yards on the ground to just 51 through the air.
“Desmond Goode ran the ball well, so did Rashad Hall (10-73) and Tyler Rosser, all three of them,” Rice said, hinting the Cavaliers may throw more this week to take advantage of a receiving corps led by 6-4 tight end Dustin Engledove and wide receiver Mark Carter. “We have three or four really good receivers we can get the ball to. Last week,we didn’t have to throw the ball.”
Though his numbers weren’t impressive, Rice said quarterback Hunter Hannell passed his first test of the season.
“He did a solid job for us last week, a good job leading us and getting us where we needed to be,” Rice said.
Tonight’s contest could factor into both teams’ postseason plans, with Rockbridge joining JF in Region III as the only Division 4 team in the Southern Valley District last year.
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