Playoff race: Riverheads leads Class 1; Staunton, Gap, Draft and Wilson all in postseason hunt
Following a dominating win over Fort Defiance Friday night, Riverheads has completed its climb back to the top of Class 1, a spot to which the football program is certainly no stranger.
The latest Virginia High School League playoff points released Monday show Riverheads with a 23.86 rating, best not only in Region 1B, but in all of Class 1. Riverheads (6-1), the six-time defending state champion, jumped ahead of Region 1A Essex, which is now second with a rating of 23.5.
Central Lunenburg (22.75) is second in Region 1B followed by third-place Buffalo Gap (20.5). Gap is 5-3 after a big win over previously unbeaten Staunton Friday. The top six teams in Region 1B qualify for the postseason.
Grayson County leads Region 1C with a rating of 20.5, while Patrick Henry-Glade Spring is tops in Region 1D with a rating of 19.25.
The ratings, calculated with a formula that takes into consideration opponents and their classifications, determine who qualifies for postseason play in each region. Regional champions then meet in the state semifinals to determine the state championship game in December.
Stuarts Draft is battling for playoff position in a tough Region 2B. The Cougars, despite beating Buffalo Gap and Wilson Memorial the past two weeks and having a 6-2 record, is still sixth in the region with a rating of 22.38. Draft trails Strasburg (25.0), Luray (24.38), Central Woodstock (23.75), Clarke County (23.25) and Buckingham (23.25). The top six teams in Region 2B are a combined 39-9 this season. Eight teams from the region will make the playoffs.
Thomas Jefferson (25.0) is first in Region 2A, Radford (27.0) leads 2C and Graham (27.25) is tops in 2D.
Staunton slipped from third to fourth in Region 3C after losing to Buffalo Gap. The Storm have a rating of 23.88, trailing unbeaten Liberty Christian Academy (29.75), Heritage Lynchburg (27.5) and Brookville (24.75).
Turner Ashby (22.86), Spotswood (22.25), Wilson Memorial (21.0) and Rustburg (19.63) are the next four in Region 3C. The top eight teams make the playoffs. Rockbridge (17.38) and Fort Defiance (16.5) are the next two in the region, just on the outside looking in for postseason play. Waynesboro is 13th out of 16 teams in the region.
In Region 3A, Phoebus (31.0) is first. Brentsville District (24.56) leads Region 3B and Lord Botetourt (25.88) is first in Region 3D.
There are two weeks left in the regular season. This Friday, Wilson Memorial is at Buffalo Gap, Riverheads travels to Staunton and Stuarts Draft hosts Fort Defiance in Shenandoah District action. Waynesboro plays a nondistrict game at home against Turner Ashby.
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Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Football playoff race: Riverheads, Gap, Staunton, Draft, Wilson in the hunt
