After scrimmaging Turner Ashby in the preseason and watching film on tonight’s Division 4, Region III host, Jefferson Forest coach Don Rice considers the Knights as hard-hitting a team as any the Cavaliers have faced this season.
“It was a very even scrimmage,” he said. “It was very physical. I’d put it up there with Brookville and Amherst and Pulaski County,” the three teams that have beaten the Cavaliers (7-3).
A better gauge as to where the teams now stand might be Rockbridge County, their only common opponent. Both teams beat the Wildcats decisively in the regular season, with JF winning a rematch 35-0 in last week’s Region III opener.
“After last week, we feel we’re right there with anybody,” Rice said, noting the Cavaliers are gaining confidence after making the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and winning their first postseason game since 1997. “They’ve proved to themselves and everybody that they were ready for this playoff run. They’re enjoying it (and) want to keep on going.”
To do so, they must beat a talented Turner Ashby team on the road.
The Knights, also 7-3, won the Group AA, Division 3, state title in 2005, but failed to make the playoffs the past two seasons with 5-5 marks. This fall, they received a first-round bye in Division 4, Region III, after dealing Robert E. Lee its only defeat.
TA’s best player is two-way starter Kyle Linn, a junior safety and big hitter who was the Massanutten District defensive player of the year with 48 solo tackles, 46 assists and four interceptions. Linn is also the Knights’ starting quarterback after replacing senior QB Tanner Croy, who broke a bone in his ankle on the first play of the season-opener. Linn led the Knights with 13 touchdowns — nine rushing and four receiving, mostly off fade route passes from Croy.
His top receiver is senior David Butler (32 catches, 352 yards).
The Knights’ ground game is sparked by senior running back Cole Hart, the district’s offensive player of the year with 1,125 yards and 10 touchdowns on 201 carries.
“He’s a tough, hard, never-stops-moving-his-feet running back,” Rice said. “He and (Jefferson Forest junior running back) Desmond Goode have a lot of common traits.”
Whereas JF’s offense is geared toward the run, TA’s is a bit more diverse.
“They do a lot of things, which makes you prepare for everything they do,” Rice said. “They do some of the same things Amherst does out of that Wing-T and what Brookville does out of that shotgun. They had time to put a lot more stuff in than we did this week (and) we’ve had to rep a lot of things (in practice).”
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