Friday night football previews

Brookville at William Campbell

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Brookville 1-0, 0-0 Seminole; William Campbell 1-0, 0-0 Dogwood 

LAST WEEK: Brookville beat Martinsville 55-13, William Campbell beat Cumberland 42-12 

FACTS: Brookville QB Kendall Becraft completed 14 of his 17 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns last week —  two to Holton Walker. He could face a much stiffer test this week at William Campbell, which is loaded in both the backfield and secondary, running formations similar to those used by Amherst. Devante Easley is a running and passing threat at quarterback with Marcus Alexander providing a powerful fullback option.

E.C. Glass at William Fleming

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. 

RECORDS: Glass 0-1, 0-0 Seminole; William Fleming 0-0, 0-0 Western Valley

LAST WEEK: Glass lost to Franklin County, 28-21; William Fleming was off

LAST SEASON: The Colonels won both meetings with the Hilltoppers, 27-21 in the season opener and 35-18

FACTS: This is the first of two meetings between the two former WVD rivals this season, and the first game played in William Fleming’s new stadium, with a turf surface similar to the Hilltoppers’ practice field. The Colonels also feature a new coach, former North Cross coach Lee Johnson, who replaces former Gretna coach Rob Senseney.  

Jefferson Forest at Staunton River

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Jefferson Forest 0-1, 0-0 Seminole; Staunton River 0-1, 0-0 Blue Ridge 

LAST WEEK: Jefferson Forest lost to Northside 34-14; Staunton River lost to Cave Spring 41-21

FACTS: The former Seminole District rivals maintain Bedford County ties, though the Cavaliers have dominated the series, last losing, 38-30, in 2005. Both are coming off disappointing losses to top-notch opponents in Roanoke and enter a clash that should be very competitive, with Golden Eagles fourth-year starting QB Cody Jones eager for his first win against the Cavaliers.

Martinsville at Heritage

WHERE: City Stadium

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Martinsville 0-1, 0-0 Piedmont; Heritage 0-1, 0-0 Seminole 

LAST WEEK: Martinsville lost to Brookville 55-13; Heritage lost to Magna Vista 41-6

FACTS: The Pioneers hope to get their split-back veer running game and passing attack led by quarterback Jevontae Parrish and running back J.R. Randolph firing on all cylinders the night before Heritage graduate Korrey Davis makes his debut at Liberty University on the same field. They should have a better shot against a Bulldogs defense that gave up three passing touchdowns, three rushing scores, one interception and one fumble return TDs and 340 yards of total offense against Brookville. 

Nelson County at Buckingham

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Nelson County 0-0, 0-0 Dogwood; Buckingham 1-0, 0-0 James River

LAST WEEK: Nelson County was idle; Buckingham beat Appomattox 13-6

FACTS: In the words of coach Mark Wells, it’s “shut up and put up” time for the Governors, seeking their first winning season since 2002 in their second year under Wells. Last year, the Knights dealt Nelson a 14-0 season-opening setback en route to a 10-0 campaign that ended with a Region B first-round loss to Gretna. The Governors return the majority of their starters and could be a surprise contender in the Dogwood District this fall, and a win at Buckingham would open some eyes, and mouths.

Parry McCluer at Altavista

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Parry McCluer 0-1, 0-0 Pioneer; Altavista 0-0, 0-0 Dogwood

LAST WEEK: Parry McCluer lost to Randolph-Henry 41-6; Altavista was off

FACTS: This is the season opener for the defending Group A, Division 1, state champion Colonels, who have won the past three meetings with the Fighting Blues by a combined score of 124-33. The last time it played at English Stadium, for the state semifinal against West Point, Altavista’s field was a mud pit and they gutted out a 14-6 win. Tonight, the Colonels shouldn’t have to get their jerseys dirty against a team coming off a 1-9 campaign.

Tunstall at Rustburg

KICKOFF: 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Tunstall 0-1, 0-0 Piedmont; Rustburg 1-0, 0-0 Seminole

LAST WEEK: Tunstall lost to Dan River 21-7; Rustburg beat William Byrd 35-14

FACTS: Rustburg, coming off its second 1-9 season in three years, opened the year with a win for the first time since 2004 by turning the tables on the Terriers, who had dealt the Red Devils a 33-14 season-opening defeat last year in Vinton. QB Craig Paulhus (16 carries, 159 yards, touchdown) and RB Randall Jones (15 for 92, two TDs) led the way for Rustburg while Devan Campbell caught a pass from Paulhus and made an interception, Jake Agee recovered a fumble for a score and Chase Schmidt converted all five PATs. Last year, Tunstall beat the Red Devils, 24-21.

Amherst at Tabb

WHERE: York High School in Yorktown

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m.

RECORDS: Amherst 0-0, 0-0 Seminole; Tabb 0-0, 0-0 Bay Rivers

LAST YEAR: Amherst beat Tabb 66-12

FACTS: This is the second meeting between the Lancers and Tigers in a home-and-away series pitting former Ferrum College teammates, coaches Cecil Phillips and Matt Lawson, respectively. Though Hurricane Earl shouldn’t be much of a factor as it makes its way up the coast, with projected winds at 7 mph for the game’s start, Amherst hopes to take Tabb by storm, as it did last year, when it opened a 57-12 halftime lead, with 30 of those points coming on defensive and special teams scores. “We played physical football from the kickoff and left them in a state of shock and awe,” Phillips said. “Last year’s team speed was overwhelming, which forced a lot of those mistakes.” He expects a different kind of rematch on Tabb’s turf field. “They’re motivated,” Phillips said. “They’re going to play with the thought of revenge on their mind, trying to get some of that frustration out from last year’s defeat.” And the Lancers are vulnerable with Kirby Anderson sidelined with a broken hand, leaving the QB duties in the hands of Jeff Dreher and two other newcomers to the position.

Liberty at Blacksburg

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m.

RECORDS: Liberty 1-0, 0-0 Seminole; Blacksburg 0-1, 0-0 Seminole

LAST WEEK: Liberty beat Broadway 40-21; Blacksburg beat Giles 30-7

FACTS: The Minutemen used a 75-yard pass from Tyler Bowyer to Malcolm McCoy and a 35-yard interception return by Brett Dietrich to beat the Bruins last year in Bedford. Liberty returned to its option running game as its bread-and-butter mode of attack last week against Broadway, racking up all 276 of its yards from scrimmage on the ground, including 10 carries for 194 yards by Anthony Reynolds. Blacksburg rushed for 264 yards against Giles, scoring the last 23 points, capped by a 76-yard interception return by Jordan Porter.