Trailing top-ranked Meadowbrook by 13 points with 10:14 left in last night’s clash of Central District unbeatens, Thomas Dale’s players could’ve hung their heads and watched another season draw to a close without a Central Region playoff berth. Instead, the sixth-ranked Knights put together a remarkable rally that leaves them on the verge of a district championship.

You’ve heard this before. “We know every year we have to win the district in order to go to the playoffs in Division 6, so every district game becomes critical,“ said Hermitage coach Patrick Kane. Thomas Dale coach Vic Williams said after the Knights defeated district foe Dinwiddie: “We’re in a playoff game every week.“ L.C. Bird coach David Bedwell refers to the games preceding the start of district play as “preseason.“

Last
TeamRecordrank
1. Meadowbrook8-01
Next: at Thomas Dale (6-2) 2. L.C. Bird8-02
Next: at Manchester (5-3) 3. Varina7-14
Next: vs. Armstrong (1-7) 4. Hermitage7-13
Next: vs. Thom. Jefferson (0-8) 5. High. Springs7-15
Next: vs. Atlee (5-3) Last
TeamRecordrank
6. Thomas Dale6-26

Matoaca was ever-so-close to the end zone once again, facing fourth and 1 at the Meadowbrook 9-yard line late in the third quarter last night. DeQuan Turner took the handoff and followed a pulling lineman off the right side. He was cut down by Meadowbrook defensive end DeQuan Chatmon a half-yard short of the first down.

The Matoaca High School football team slid into its bye week 0-3. No panic or season-is-over commiseration ensued. Warriors coach Pat Manuel already had prepared his squad for the possibility of a rough start while facing C.D. Hylton, L.C. Bird and Manchester. Unimportant, he kept telling them, because they were nondistrict games. The season really started with district play in Game 4, Manuel preached, for a simple reason: If you’re a Division 6 team in the Central Region, as is Matoaca, you pretty much have to win your district to get in the playoffs.

High school football picks TODAY (Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) MATCHUP
STAFF PICK No.1 Meadowbrook (4-0, 7-0) at Matoaca (4-0, 4-3)
Meadowbrook 31-14 Warriors’ four-game winning streak hits the wall.
John Marshall (1-3, 3-4) at No.3 Hermitage (4-0, 6-1)
Hermitage 28-13 Panthers take another step toward district championship.

A 16-year-old Meadowbrook High School student faces a felony charge after a prank involving a wooden rifle prop, Chesterfield County police said. Shortly before 1 p.m. yesterday, the male student entered a classroom while class was in session, pointed the fake rifle at students and yelled something, said Chesterfield police Maj. Karl Leonard.

Thomas Dale————————————- 25 25 25
Meadowbrook————————————- 13 13 20
Highlights: Brittany Filliben (TD) 5 assists, 7 kills, 3 aces; Mallory Seal (TD) 7 assists, dig, kill, 6 aces; Bronwin Stokes (TD) dig, 4 aces; Melaine Thompson (M) 3 assists, 2 blocks, 5 kills; Khaliyqa Collier (M) 6 kills; Jasmine Henderson (M) ace, 4 kills, 10 digs