Suffolk football tackles week 10
Published 9:52 pm Wednesday, October 31, 2018
- At 6-3, the Warriors remain the No. 4 seed in the Class 5 Region A playoff ratings. (Sarah Murphy Photo)
Three Suffolk football teams remain in the playoff race in the week 10 ratings.
Only one Suffolk team was able to get a win during their week nine matchup, but it didn’t affect much of the playoff outline. Three of the four teams are still poised to make the playoffs, and it’s possible that all four can get in with one week left to play.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy comes in again with the highest rating of the Suffolk teams. They are currently ranked second in the Division II Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Poll. The Saints went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team, Fredericksburg Christian School, last Saturday. In a four-overtime game, the Saints took a close loss, and the two teams switched spots in the rankings. It is the first time the Saints been below the No. 1 spot this season.
Nansemond River High School remains No. 4 in the Class 5 Region A ratings. No. 4 was the spot the Warriors held last season when they made their run to the state semifinals game. On Monday evening, the Warriors defeated Great Bridge High School for homecoming. With three consecutive wins in a row, they hold the longest win streak of any Suffolk team at the moment. They have an opportunity to finish 7-3 with a win over Grassfield High School Friday.
King’s Fork High School is currently tied for the fifth spot in the Class 4 Region A ratings. The Bulldogs are in the midst of a three-game win streak and will have a tough matchup this Friday. King’s Fork will go on the road to face Oscar Smith High School to finish the regular season. Even though the second half of the season hasn’t been what King’s Fork wanted, Coach Scottie Littles has stuck to one simple saying.
“No one is going to care what you did in the regular season if you have success in the playoffs,” Littles said.
Lakeland High School remains outside of the playoffs. Last weekend, the Cavaliers took a close loss to Hickory High School, a team with a higher classification. That win could have helped push Lakeland a little closer to sneaking in. The Cavs face Great Bridge High School, a Class 6 team, on Friday. A win could give them one last push into the Class 3 playoffs, but teams ahead of them may need to lose as well for that to happen.
With just one game left in the season, surprises can still happen. Teams can slide in, and teams that were in good positions can drop out due to a loss. Either way it goes, Suffolk looks to be represented well in the playoffs.