2023 High School Football Week 3

Scott Lowe and Dan Joyce break down the Turner Ashby win over Monticello and look at some other action from around the Shenandoah Valley. They also discuss the ShenValley 7, and if there is going to be a new #1 this week.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
And welcome back once again to theShendow Valley. What. Yeah, we're
doing it, Okay, another edition. I was gonna give the name of
the show, but that's okay,that's okay. I just jumped in.
I'm sorry. I'm anxious to getthere. But go ahead, Shed of
Valley High School Football Podcast. Tellthem what we're doing. We're talking about
high school football. You already didthat. Yeah, all right, it's

(00:25):
really cool. We haven't been canceledyet. This is great. No,
no, we keep it pretty PC, so I think we're safe. Yeah,
there you go. Well, that'snot the kind of cancel now was
talking, that's right, kind ofhoping that everybody just keeps coming back for
more. But I'll tell you what. On Friday night, didn't we have
a great high school football game?Despite the despite the lopsided score. Yeah,

(00:48):
it really was a good game.And it's just it was funny to
me. We saw the same thingfrom Manicello that we saw from Fluvanna that
first game of the year. Ateam just doing everything they could to put
themselves in a bad position, takinghorrible penalties at horrible times. At one
point three straight illegal procedure penalties oneright, after the other. They put

(01:15):
themselves back twenty yards. You knowat one point, you know we're broadcasting,
you know, here's Monticello. They'rethreatening in turtter Ashby territory and the
next thing or no, they're backedup to their end. Zoe, Yeah,
how did that happen? You know? Yeah, four plays later,
just penalties after penalties. Really arough game from Monicello. It was going
to be a rough game anyway becauseMica Shank at QB. Yeah no,

(01:41):
and just we saw him last year. But he's improved. Yes, he's
improved. Their front line is amazing, really absolutely, they've got great depth
and the important positions. And thenlet's not leave out Michael Matthews, who
just looks like he's playing He actuallylooks like he's playing in a slower speed

(02:02):
than everyone else because he's such agood athlete. Yeah, it just it
just looks so easy for him.Guy that's figured out these intangibles, like
like the angle that he's going toapproach the end zone at the perfect time
cutback. But that's just instinct.You either got it or you don't.

(02:22):
There's it's stuff you can't learn.And he's a mobile passer and I you
know, we're talking about all ofthe great offensive athletes that are playing for
Scott Turner's Turner Ashby nights. Mikeand Matthews is getting all that attention.
Mike Shank's going to get some attention. I really think some of the guys

(02:43):
that play on Saturdays are going tobe looking at this guy. Statistically,
after a fifty five twenty seven winfor Turner or Ashby, hundred and twenty
two yards, three tds on theground for Mica Shank through for three more
tds and another two hundred yards,that's all Michael Shanks a signature at the

(03:05):
end of that and he's yeah,there's my performance, and yeah, Calvin
Young has emerged as yet another goodreceiver. As if they didn't have enough
offensive weapons. He has two tds, Bo Baylor had a couple of tds,
eight touchdowns in the game for theKnights. Michael Matthews six catches for
ninety yards and had forty seven yardson the ground with that jet sweep that

(03:29):
they like to use just to makesure he gets the ball as a runner
sometimes. Yeah, well again,just he just such a natural athlete.
You want the ball in his handsas often as possible. I mean,
that's going to help you win.And I was so impressed with their line
play, absolutely dominated Manicello on bothsides of the ball. Was a more
physical turner ashby team than I rememberthem being in the past, and especially

(03:52):
upfront, just dominating lines of scrimmage. Yeah. And I mean I talked
to a parent from Wilson who theKnights had beaten the previous week, and
he's like, the line just beatus up. Yeah. I think they
just beat us up all night.It's the way it's gonna be. You
know. You remember fourteen years ago, the first year we did this and
followed Harrisonburg High School all the wayto the state championship, And that's the

(04:12):
way it was with them. Theyhad Mike Holmes running the ball. Yeah,
but Mike Holmes had five enormous guysup front and big blue wall.
Yeah. And one of them wenton to play pro. I can't remember
his name right now, and I'mreally sorry about that, but I remember
I think he spent some time withthe Vikings and the Saints. Yeah,
exactly so, And I'm the sameway, I can't. It was a

(04:32):
turner, was it fourteen years ago? Yeah? But so Turner Ashby last
week's number two in the shen Valleyseven, and I think they've got a
good case to be listed as numberone this week. We'll talk about then
another action. It was brown Wayat Waynesboro. Thunderstorms there too. We

(04:54):
didn't have any delays in our game, but most teams did have a delay.
Yeah, yeah, no, Imean a number of games were postponed
Saturday right because of the threat ofthe storms, I believe or else they
did actually get the storms and saidwe're not doing this tonight. Broadway didn't
finish their game. They got downto about four minutes to go, and
the rafts called it at twenty oneto six with about four and a half

(05:16):
minutes to go in the game.Danny Grog says it was not pretty,
since Broadway has a lot to improveon offensively, but the Little Giants Hayden
Morris went on a sixty nine yardrun for the lone Little Giant score.
It was rutan for Broadway ten ofeighteen one hundred and two yards and a
couple of touchdowns. He also hadforty seven yards rushing and I think Broadway

(05:39):
as the goods this year. Wesaw him in a mishap in their first
game against Fluvanna. I think thatwas an opportunity for which should have been
a win for the Gobblers to slipthrough their fingers. But they've got Rutan,
They've got Zechari still Miller, They'vegot Hunter Honeycutt who led the way
on the ground with another seventy yardsrushing for him. And now Broadway is

(06:00):
two and when two and one inWayne Sport is still looking for a win.
I like what I see from Broadway, and after the mishaps of the
first week, I think they're puttingit together. Yeah, I think it's
but it's still definitely a work inprogress. There's you know, if the
coach is saying, we got stuffto work on, then but I mean
you also know that the work ethicof the Broadway squads we've seen in the

(06:20):
past, and Rutan's young, Yeah, you know, so you know,
and you know it's gonna be Ithink by the end of the season,
they're really going to be somebody.If they're not in playoff contention, they're
gonna be somebody who's going to reallyspoil somebody else's playoff hopes. That's how
that's going to be I'm I'm predictingthe Broadway has a good chance to make

(06:41):
this season as long as they stayhealthy. I think the QB, they're
young as he is, needs tostay healthy. Well. Wilson Memorial has
been in the shen Valley seven sponswhat is now two on one and Wilson
is one and two. How aboutthe Blazers eking out of fourteen thirteen wins?
Something you want to I talk abouta lot. You know, a

(07:03):
good kicker at the high school levelcan win some games for you. Wilson
missed a twenty one yard field goalin the fourth quarter and spotswould just sat
on it from that point on eightminutes to go in the game. Spotswood
never gave it back. Wow,and they just ran out the clock and
won the game. Wilson missing atwenty one yard field goal and they were

(07:23):
in that position because the score wasfourteen thirteen. So you've got to be
able to kick a twenty yard orat least yeah, And you know,
it's also it's impressive that Wilson washanging in there with Spotswood because the principal
of Wilson I was talking to herone day and they've got three kids,
out like significant members of the teamwith like broken collarbone, broken foot broke

(07:46):
there, So they're they're kind oflike a walking wounded squad. They're missing
three key players and they're still hangingwith Spotswood. I actually was a little
surprised at that score because I thoughtSpotswood was gonna hang a little bit more
on them. So let's hand itto Wilson's defense for keeping spots would to
only a couple of touch because wesaw how good spot spot spots would spots
would yeah, and there we go. Wow, words are hard. We

(08:09):
saw how good their offense is andit get like Turner Ashby very deep with
the talent yep uh, And Spotswood'sdefense only gave up one touchdown. The
other Wilson touchdown was a scooping scoreon a field goal. You know,
pretty good field goal kicker there.When you talk about Spotswood watched field goal

(08:35):
there, yea let yet flam Ican say it and they're both having it.
They botched the the snap and itwas a scooping score for Wilson.
So one of their touchdown from abotched special teams mishap there from the Spotswood
Blazes. It turns out my wordof the day is mishap. I'm gonna

(08:58):
see if I can come up withthat anyway, Parker Constable had a TV
in the third quarter and with Kaflam'sextra point the lead and then after the
missfield goal, spots would just saton it. And they are two and
one and they are securely in myshin Valley seven coming up this week.
Ye, rock Bridge having a badyear. You know, they've been up

(09:18):
and down. They seem to havealways had a good quarterback in a passing
attack, but they're not getting itdone this year. They lost to Alleghany
Highlands fifty five to eight. RockBridge is oo and three, but Alleghany
Highland has been because snot out ofAugusta County teams. Yes, yeah,
so far, so good for thatteam, new high school and a new
good football team for them. Williamand Monroe was at Lay and Lay one

(09:43):
of the early season shen Valley sevenfavorites based on the county year the Bulldogs
had last year, but they wereone and two now. William Monroe took
their matchup another close game, twentyone to nineteen, two and one for
William Monroe right now, So that'sreally surprised because William and Rowe has not
been traditionally a very good football program. And they step up a level.

(10:05):
Yeah, coming and they're competing.That's awesome. Stuarts Draft lost fifty one
to thirteen to Rossberg last Friday nightand stand in Central another real close game.
And I like the Storm so much, even though they're wanting two.
Central is undefeated three and oh they'rethe number one team in the Shenn Valley
seven four now yeah, no,I'm trying to build up some drums.

(10:28):
Yeah, right, hard fought battlewon by the Falcons fourteen to six Central,
that number one team. Stanton doinga lot to stay with the number
one team. I'm impressed. Yeah, no, I was really impressed that
Stanton was able to hold them because, I mean Clark or Central. I
had Clark County on the brain.Yeah, the Common Central has been been

(10:50):
working hard and they've been beating peopleup and for Staton to say, well
you're not going to do that here, yeah, I mean that very well
could have been an upset. Verywell could have been another set, you
know, and a one score gameis like that stop them one play or
you get one play, you know, It really comes down to one or
two plays in the whole game thatyou can look at and go. We

(11:13):
almost had that. We could havedone that if I'd made that block that
was going, or if I hadn'thad committed for so many of the teams,
if I had committed that penalty,Yeah, I touchdown, wouldn't haven't
called back. You're saying that likeone play because I was telling somebody about
the Manicello game on Saturday morning,and I said, the crazy thing is
is that they had six good playsthe whole game. Four of them went
for touchdowns. Yeah, you know, but the rest of it was garbage.

(11:35):
Yes, yes, but something tobuild on. We would say,
yeah, yeah, you're very anxiousfor the Clark County score. Yes,
about that. Clark County is threeand oh forty to seven. They beat
Buffalo Gap. Wow, Buffalo Gaphad a tough start of the year.
Fort and Riverheads. You and Italked about this during the game as the
scores we're coming in twenty eight thirteen. Yeah, the Gladiators won. Riverheads

(11:58):
is two and on and the Indiansare oo and three, but four Defiant
stayed with Riverheads through most of thatgame. Good for an O and three
team. Yeah. No, again, their team kind of like leave Broadway
a little bit better than their record, I think, So they're not Broadway
Wilson. Yeah, oh yeah,definitely. You know, I mean,
like if they they only let Riverheadsscored, was it twenty eight points?

(12:22):
Yeah, that's usually their first quarterscore, you know, it has been
in the past. Yes, TreyMiller is a pretty good athlete for the
Indians. One hundred and twenty eightyards, two touchdowns passing. You know,
he's a great runner. But forthat system that Riverheads runs, Austin
Roberts had a big touchdown one hundredyards for Riverheads on only ten carries lead

(12:50):
by Dunlap, had a rushing TDin a passing dd TD at QB and
they're still doing without Caden cook Hash. Caden Cooke Cash was a State Player
of the Year last here in Classone and he's out. It's been on
the sidelines with a walking boot.Don't know anymore. That Oh well,
I mean, that's that explains alot as to why Riverheads has not been

(13:11):
dominating, because, I mean we'veseen the highlights, We've seen what that
kid can do. Let's do somedrama. So it's Monday Night. It's
Monday night and there's been a quarterbackwho's the new kid, and he's the
new quarterback and he gets hurt andhas to go out. And you think
I'm talking about the Jets, right, But the old quarterback is there on

(13:33):
the bench ready to come in.Right. You think I'm talking about the
Jets, but I'm not. I'mtalking about East Rock, Page County and
East Strock. Monday Night football page. East Rock rolled over him thirty five
to nothing. Park receiver has beenthere starting quarterback. You may remember a

(13:54):
guy for East Rock that had beentheir quarterback for a few years. Here,
Jacarry Eves, and he's just beengoing, wait, who's this new
guy? He's no Aaron Rodgers WellParker Shiver and we hope he's okay.
But he went out. Jacary Evescame in just picked up right where he

(14:15):
left off. In good hands.East Rock with their backup quarterbacks. That's
the problem you like to have,yep. Bentley Hensley eleven carries sixty nine
yards, Ryan Dean eight carries forforty seven yards. He also played well
on defense. How to pick sixthe Eagles with almost three hundred yards total
offense and that's their first shout outsince twenty nineteen. Okay, Damian Durrett

(14:39):
a forty two yard touchdown pass fromEves and that was right after he came
in, So pretty good showing therefor East Rock. I'll let you know
that. I think they're in myshen Valley seven. I was just thinking
that same thing, yep, andthey were last week. So the question
for you and me is, let'sdisgusted as Ashby done enough to be number

(15:01):
one? I think so? Ithink so too. I think so that's
two votes that have been going forCentral that we do in the Shin Valley
seven that are going to switch thisweek. Yeah, yeah, No,
it's uh. I think I thinkthere's a good argument for it. I
think there's a tremendous argument for itin Central may prove us all wrong,
and yeah, I don't think thesetwo teams play this year, so we
may never know, right, ButI think that the Stanton gave Central such

(15:24):
a hard time Friday night. Yeah, And I mean just Ta has been
curb stomping people and that's as Ithink it may continue. Just too many
weapons, like we talked about,it's an embarrassment of riches for Turner Ashby
when you already have Michael Matthews andPope Baylor and Mike A. Shank and
then you say, oh, bythe way, we've got this other receiver,

(15:46):
Calvin Young, who's playing at alldistrict levels and the other running back
when they spell bo Baylor and heknocked out some big runs. I mean
just h Kelly, Yeah, Imean just and I mean on defense they
were solid too, yep, youknow, very physical. Homer Dowdy had
that great interception. Yeah, youknow, I mean just really And it's

(16:07):
it's something we've always see this everyyear with different teams that are really good.
Every week it's somebody different who stepsup right and is the star Calvin
Young all of a sudden, weweren't really expecting to call his name a
ton because we were thinking Michael Matthews. And then he's making catches all over
the place. Yeah, and youknow who's going to be the person to
step up for him next week?Maybe one of those things where, you

(16:32):
know, good passing teams even upto the pro level, if you have
that great star receiver like they haveMichael Matthews, he draws the attention.
You mentioned a couple of times hewas double covered, they still were throwing
to him and he was still makingthe cats. Right, He's still gonna
win the jump balls. But whenall that attention is on another receiver,
it's going to free up somebody else. Yeah. So I like Turner Rashby.

(16:56):
I like Turner Rashby from here onout. As long as they stay
healthy, that's going to be thefavorite team Central and Riverheads still belong in
that shen Valley seven. With Spotswoodin East Rock, golly, we got
to put Clark County in somewhere becausethey're pretty good. And then, you
know what, do you feel myseventh spot is? I is a toss
up? Right now? Do yougo with a one and two Stanton team,

(17:18):
which I think it's kind of earnedit, go with a two on
one Broadway team, which you can'tforget that ugly loss at the beginning of
the year, right. But I'malso I feel like you can't rule out
Wilson exactly, and I feel likeWilson they've earned their spot. They they
kept it close with a very goodSpotswood team. Yep, oh missing three

(17:40):
players, you know, I thinkwith Riverheads, you know he said,
you see Turner Ashby being on topall the rest of the way. If
Kat and Cook Cash comes back,yeah, things could change very quickly for
Riverheads. We shouldn't just start talkingabout continuous clock games forward, right Yeah.
Yeah, when he's back and ableto play that it really changes the
dynamic of that team. It's onlyweek three, we're not really into the

(18:02):
thick of district play, although someof that is starting to pop up and
coming up this Friday night, youand me are going to Spotswood, Yes,
our first trip of the year.You go see the Trailblazers. They
will be hosting the Black Nights ofCharlottesville. Other action coming up. Waynesboro
will be at Turner Ashby on Fridaynight and Broadway entertains Fort de Fines.
I think that's going to be agreat game and sort of a separator to

(18:25):
see those two teams is stepping forward. I think there's a good opportunity for
both of them. But for Fort, you know they're hungry for that first
win, right and they may bringit to Broadway. Eastrock will be at
home against Buffalo Gap and Gap witha lot to prove right now, hungry
for a win. East Rock.I'm thinking they're pretty good, but Buffalo

(18:45):
Gap may have something to say aboutthat. On Friday night, it's lay
at Stewart's Draft, Madison County atWilliam and Row Rockbridge County going to my
old hometown of Blacksburg, Harrisonburg backin Action at Orange County, James River
at Stanton, and Wilson at Westernin Albemarle, and also Central will go
to Amelia County, Warren County atClark County, and Parry McClure will go
to Mountain few, Page County,Entertains Key and Queen County, and Strassburg

(19:11):
goes to West Virginia from Moorefield onFriday. Wow, Riverheads has the night
off. Oh good for them.Well, so that's good for Caden cook
Cash. Yeah, another week torest and get himself healed for whatever it
is that's ailing him. We willsee what happens with another great high school
football Friday night. Week four iscoming up, my friend. Yes,
indeed looking forward to it. Lookslike it's gonna be a nice night too.

(19:33):
Look a little bit cooler, Ohmy god, it's been the last
couple of Friday nights. No moreshowers and thunderstorms please. Yeah. Although
I'll tell you what. The heatlightning that I watched driving down eighty one
to go home after the game spectacular. I think that it would be echoed
by all of the Friday night highschool football fans that went out and saw
a game and at the end ofthe game had to go back to wherever

(19:56):
they were going and got treated toin the guys. You know you were
thankful to be outside. Yeah,an incredible lad show. Yeah, just
just fantastic. I've been in myliving room flipping channels. I would have
missed all of that and it wasexactly beautiful. It's just absolutely gorgeous.
Made the ride home that much moresmooth that it was that it was Heath
Dan Joyce, I'm Scott Lowe.Will catch you on Friday night for high

(20:18):
school football on news radio w kC. Why