Week 8 Football Previews

Millbrook at Brentsville

When: Tonight, 7

Where: Brentsville High School, Nokesville

Records: Millbrook (3-3); Brentsville (0-6)

Last week: Millbrook lost to Skyline 43-29; Brentsville lost to Fauquier 53-0

Last year: Millbrook won 32-7

Preview: With three touchdowns in less than four minutes against defending Northwestern District champ Skyline, the Pioneers certainly proved their big-play potential.

The fact that Millbrook got back into the game after falling behind 30-7 through three quarters shows just how dynamic the Pioneers can be.

“Our kids were resilient,” said Millbrook coach Reed Prosser. “We’re certainly proud of how we played [in the fourth quarter]. We’re an explosive team and we’re not out of any game.”

The Pioneers travel for their final non-district game on the road against a Brentsville team that’s still searching for its first win of the season after a 1-9 campaign last year.

The Tigers, whose enrollment has been split in recent years with the opening of Battlefield and Patriot High Schools, have been outscored 287-14 through six games. Brentsville, who features a power-I base set on offense and a 4-4 base defense, has been shut out in four of its six losses.

“We’re a team that focuses on the process and not the opponent regardless of who we’re going to play,” Prosser said. “We’re going to practice the same way and focus on playing the game the same way. I expect us to go in with a tremendous amount of focus and play with a tremendous amount of energy. I think we’ll give a great effort.”

Pioneers quarterback Justin Neff threw for 278 yards (going 13 for 30) in last week’s district loss at Skyline. Running back Justin Anderson, who returned from an injury last week, leads the Pioneers with 571 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

“I thought Justin played really well, and he had been limited in practice the two weeks prior [to the game],” Prosser said. “Justin Anderson had a little rust but I think he ran the ball well.”

Millbrook senior running back Logan Rodeffer (238 yards rushing, two scores) returns after missing last week’s game against Skyline, but the Pioneers won’t have linemen A.J. Bolden (recovering from an appendectomy) and Jacob Heflin as well as linebackers Aidan Lewis and Soren Berglund.

Millbrook, currently ranked sixth in the Region II Division 4 power ratings, shares the same record as No. 7 Sherando and No. 8 Liberty in the ratings. While power points are key, Prosser said he mainly wants his players to focus on their execution and preparation for Friday’s opponent.

“We keep tabs on [the ratings] but it changes on a week-to-week basis,” Prosser said. “We focus on what we can take care of week in and week out. We know we’re playing for something but we have to take care of it on a week-to-week basis.”

Clarke County at Central

When: Tonight, 7:30

Where: Central High School, Woodstock

Records: Clarke County (4-2, 1-1 Bull Run District); Central (5-2, 2-1)

Last week: Clarke County beat Madison County 12-7; Central beat William Monroe 62-21.

Last year: Clarke County won 21-7 at Central (non-district regular season game) and the Eagles won 10-7 at Clarke (district regular season game).

Preview: Clarke County will definitely carry some confidence into tonight’s game after beating the Falcons in both encounters last year, but Eagles coach Chris Parker has been reminding his players of the bigger picture.

“Beating them twice was great, but they were the district champions,” Parker said.

The Falcons have played well in pursuit of their second straight district championship, averaging 30 points per game and giving up just under 20.

Central opened the season with a win over Group AA Broadway. The Falcons’ losses have come against Warren County (28-7, one week after the Eagles lost 27-9 to the Wildcats), and to district rival Manassas Park (21-14).

While Central comes into this game following an offensive explosion against William Monroe (Daniel Molina ran for 287 yards and had two rushing touchdowns, and quarterback Hayden Bauserman passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns), the Eagles are coming off a gritty defensive effort over the Mountaineers that impressed Parker.

The Eagles gave up 276 yards made one big fourth-down stop at their own 5-yard line.

Though Clarke County struggled some on offense, quarterback Sean McDonald hit 8 of 13 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown to demonstrate the Eagles’ versatility.

“We try to establish the run, but we throw the ball when we need to,” Parker said.

That being said, Parker would like for his team to impose itself up front more, because Central’s balanced offensive attack can be difficult to keep up with. Bauserman has passed for almost 1,400 yards and 12 touchdown passes, and Molina has run for more than 800 yards and has nine touchdowns.

“We have to maintain the line of scrimmage, and do a better job than we did last week,” Parker said. “That’s going to determine what we want to do on offense.”

— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki and Robert Stocks