Preview capsules for tonight's prep football games

Dogwood District
Altavista at Appomattox
w KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
w RECORDS: Altavista 5-1, 1-1 Dogwood; Appomattox 5-1, 2-0
w LAST WEEK: Altavista beat Dan River 37-12; Appomattox beat William Campbell 28-14
w FACTS: This is a district duel between two teams that haven’t been factors in the Dogwood race for 10 years (Appomattox last won in 1999) or more (in Altavista’s case). Both are coming off convincing wins over teams favored to contend for the title. The Raiders have won five straight since a season-opening loss to Buckingham (now 6-0) and the Colonels’ only loss is to two-time defending state champion Gretna.

William Campbell at Chatham
w KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
w RECORDS: William Campbell 2-4, 0-2 Dogwood; Chatham 0-5, 0-1
w LAST WEEK: William Campbell lost to Appomattox 28-14; Chatham lost to Central Lunenburg 17-0
w FACTS: The Generals have lost more games than in any season since 2000, Brad Bradley’s first in Naruna, when they went 7-4, 6-0 in district play. William Campbell won last year’s meeting with the Cavaliers by a 74-0 margin after three competitive contests in previous seasons. Chatham has been outscored 151-31 through five games.

Nelson County at Dan River
w KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
w RECORDS: Nelson County 1-4, 0-1 Dogwood; Dan River 4-2, 1-1
w LAST WEEK: Nelson County lost to Gretna 36-14; Dan River lost to Altavista 37-12
w FACTS: Both teams are coming off decisive district losses. The Wildcats, who are 0-2 against the Governors since joining the Dogwood, will be looking to avenge a 29-21 season-ending loss, which ended Nelson’s five game losing streak and kept Dan River from finishing at .500.

Seminole District
E.C. Glass vs. Heritage
w SITE: City Stadium
w KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
w RADIO: WBRG, 1050-AM
w RECORDS: E.C. Glass 1-6, 1-2 Seminole; Heritage 1-5, 0-2
w LAST WEEK: E.C. Glass lost to Liberty 41-7; Heritage lost to Brookville 14-13
w FACTS: With both teams struggling at one win apiece, this annual city showdown — and first meeting as Seminole rivals — will be mostly for bragging rights. Heritage is coming off two near upsets that turned into dramatic road losses — on a last-minute blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by Harrisonburg and a last-minute failed two-point conversion attempt at Brookville. The two schools will accept donations of frozen turkeys or their cash equivalent ($15 or more) up until halftime, when a presentation will be made to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network.

Brookville at Amherst
w KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
w RADIO: WAMV, 1420-AM
w RECORDS: Brookville 6-1, 2-1 Seminole; Amherst 6-0, 2-0
w LAST WEEK: Brookville beat Heritage 14-13; Amherst beat Bassett 58-14
w FACTS: Amherst is ranked No. 1 and Brookville No. 7 in this week’s AP Group AA state poll. Brookville won last year’s season-opener, also played at Lancer Stadium, 24-21, to gain the inside track to its first Seminole District title this decade. Amherst’s only loss since then was to Broad Run in the Group AA, Division 4, state championship game, following the Bees’ 50-46 Division 3 final setback to James Monroe at Liberty University.

Jefferson Forest at Liberty
w KICKOFF: 7 p.m.
w RECORDS: Jefferson Forest 4-2, 2-0 Seminole; Liberty 6-1, 2-1
w LAST WEEK: Jefferson Forest beat Rustburg 46-21; Liberty beat E.C. Glass 41-7
w FACTS: These two Seminole District and Bedford County rivals have split the series this decade, with Forest winning the past three meetings and Liberty the three before that. Both teams have achieved excellent balance in their running and passing attacks this season, with Liberty rotating Tyler Bowyer, Anthony Reynolds and Kody Outhong in at QB and JF relying on senior Hunter Hannell. Both Bowyer and Hannell threw for two TDs and ran for a third in last week’s wins.

Non-district
VES at Covenant
w KICKOFF: 3 p.m.
w RECORDS: Virginia Episcopal School 0-5, 0-1 Old Dominion Football Conference; Covenant 3-3, 1-1 Virginia Independent Conference
w LAST WEEK: VES lost to St. Anne’s-Belfield 26-7; Covenant beat Hargrave Military Academy 62-28
w FACTS: The Bishops led STAB 7-0 at halftime last week before giving up 26 unanswered points in the second half. They have scored just five touchdowns in five games, being shut out twice. Covenant, which lost to LCA 57-17 last month, won last year’s meeting at VES 28-25, snapping the Bishops’ four-year winning streak against the Eagles.

Fork Union Military at LCA
w SITE: Liberty University’s Williams Stadium
w KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m.
w RADIO: WWMC, 90.9-FM
w RECORDS: Fork Union Military Academy 5-1, 2-1 Virginia Prep; Liberty Christian Academy 6-1, 2-0 VIC
w LAST WEEK: FUMA beat St. Christopher’s 37-13; LCA beat St. Mary’s-Ryken (Md.) 49-8
w FACTS: LCA won last year’s meeting 41-27 in Palmyra. The Blue Devils’ only loss this year came against Woodberry Forest two weeks ago. They have outscored opponents 166-47 while the Bulldogs hold a 301-81 advantage. LCA lost senior RB/LB Terence Caskey for the season last week at St. Mary’s-Ryken when he tore all three ligaments in his knee on a helmet to knee tackle.