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[Lynn Burke]

Bay Rivers District previews

By JASON JORDAN | jjordan@dailypress.com

Smithfield (1-1, 0-1) vs. Jamestown (1-1, 0-1)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: James City County Stadium, Williamsburg
The Packers’ offense: The Packers got 137 rushing yards from Dyrell Roberts in last week’s loss to Lafayette, but didn’t complete a pass. With the Eagles undoubtedly keying in on Roberts, Randall Privette may have to air it out more.
The Packers’ defense: The Packers are riding the momentum of their second half effort against Lafayette, in which they held the Rams to just 49 rushing yards. The Packers were efficient defending the pass, allowing just 54 yards.
The Packers’ storylines: The Packers have put last week’s heartbreaker behind them, but maintain that they were the better team that didn’t win. Make no mistake, Roberts is looking to tee off on the Eagles after missing a golden opportunity last week.
The Eagles’ offense: The Eagles have gotten the balance they’d wished for averaging 180 rushing yards and 130 passing yards this season. In last week’s loss to Grafton, Mike Laycock threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns.
The Eagles’ defense: This has been the weaker part of the Eagles’ attack this year. Jamestown spots teams 296 yards of offense and 27 points every game. But coach Ryan Turnage is dedicated to rectifying the defensive woes.
The Eagles’ storylines: If Laycock can establish the passing game early, the Eagles can be competitive. Also, Curtis Stevenson will have to keep the Packer’s defense honest on the ground, but the bottomline is that if the Eagles can’t contain Roberts, they will lose bad.
The picks
Yours: Smithfield (60.71% on HRVarsity.com by 2 p.m. Thursday)
Ours: Smithfield

Grafton (1-1, 1-0) at Bruton (1-0, 0-0)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Bruton High School
The offenses: Grafton is banged up with injuries, but running back Austin Sneath is ready to roll, and that’s good news. Sneath ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win. Bruton running back Brett Burks was strong in his debut, rushing for 145 and even threw a touchdown pass to Greg Walker in last week’s win over New Kent.
The defenses: Grafton coach Kevin Montini is not happy with the Clippers’ defense to this point. That’s because through two games, Grafton is allowing 294 yards of offense and 34 points per game. Bruton was strong against the Trojans last week, only allowing 80 yards of total offense. But the Clippers are a more talented team.
The storyline: Can Grafton show the ability to stop teams like they have in the past? That’s going to decide whether they can pull out their second win of the season. Burks and Co. are coming off of a complete game in which they got it done on both sides of the ball. But Grafton has Sneath, and though running back Kyle Pelchy is out with a concussion, Sneath can get the job done.
The picks:
Yours: Grafton (76.19% on HRVarsity.com as of 2 p.m. Thursday)
Ours: Grafton

Lafayette (2-0, 1-0) at Poquoson (1-1, 1-0)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Poquoson Middle School
The offenses: The Rams are the strongest team in the Bay Rivers District until proven otherwise and in two games have gotten it done with just 254 yards of offense and 13 points per game. The Islanders broke a 14-game losing streak last week against Warhill and racked up 387 yards of total offense in the win.
The defenses: Scoing just 13 points per game, the Rams have succeeded by shutting down opposing offenses. They allow just 140 yards of offense and eight points per game. Safety T.J. Ptachick has come up with big plays all season. Poquoson spots teams 275 yards and 12 points per game, and is coming off of a shutout.
The storylines: Even if the Islanders contain Lafayette running back Garrick Piggott and stop quarterback Kurt Linkenauger’s passing game, it still might not be enough. The Rams get it done with defense and after Islanders’ running back Troy Fiedler went off last week for 138 yards and three touchdowns, the Rams will be keying in on stopping him.
The picks:
Yours: Lafayette (73.33% on HRVarsity.com as of 2 p.m. Thursday)
Ours: Lafayette

New Kent (1-1, 0-1) vs. Tabb (2-0, 1-0)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Bailey Field, York
The offenses: The Trojans are still down to their third string quarterback after the first two got hurt in the preseason. That’s a big reason why the Trojans are only averaging 126 yards of offense and 10 points per game. Tabb is rolling behind running backs Corey Legister and Mel Jones. The Tigers get 307 yards and 48 points per game.
The defenses: With the offense ailing the Trojans have been solid defensively, giving up 182 yards of offense and 11 points per game. They gave up 204 in last week’s loss to Bruton. The Tigers haven’t been as strong, giving up 316 yards of offense and 20 points per game. Last year the Tigers were the district’s top defensive team.
The storylines: New Kent has shown the ability to stop teams, but it hasn’t faced a team like Tabb. Legister and Jones are too much for the Trojans at this point, and with their top two quarterbacks sidelined with injuries they don’t have the guns to get into a shootout. Tabb will have to shutdown Trojans’ running back Malcom Jones, but should win easy.
The picks:
Yours: Tabb (86.54% on HRVarsity.com) as of 2 p.m. Thursday
Ours: Tabb

Southampton (0-1, 0-1) at Franklin (1-0, 0-0 Tri-Rivers)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Armory Field, Franklin
The offenses: The Indians are coming off of an embarrassing 54-13 loss to Tabb. Despite the lopsided score the Indians managed 262 yards of offense. Franklin was strong winning its opener, and even knocked off Smithfield in a benefit game before the season started. The Packers were picked to win the district.
The defenses: The worst part about the Indians’ loss to Tabb was their defensive effort. Southampton gave up 330 yards of total offense, 234 of that was rushing. Tabb scored 54 points on the Indians at home, the most points the Indians have given up at home in more than four years. Linebacker Antonio Smith leads Franklin.
The storylines: The Indians made easy work out of Franklin last season with a 28-8 win. That should have the Bronocs fired up. But Indians quarterback Sidney Rawls is coming off of a subpar game last week against Tabb. He ran for 64 yards and threw for 81. Linebacker Taylor Revelle will be fired up after last week’s lopsided loss, but Franklin is going to get payback.
The picks:
Yours: Southampton (53.57% on HRVarsity.com as of 2 p.m. Thursday)
Ours: Franklin

York (0-1, 0-0) at Warhill (0-1, 0-0)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: James City County Stadium, Williamsburg
The offenses: The young Lions were bad in their first ever game, only managing 71 yards of offense against Poquoson, a team who was winless last year. The Falcons used their bye week to fine tune blocking schemes and will try and improve on just 161 yards of offense in their season-opening loss to New Kent.
The defenses: Warhill has to do better than it did last week at Poquoson. The Lions gave up 387 yards of offense, 352 of which were rushing yards. The Falcons gave up 173 yards to New Kent in their opener, most of that came in the second half. The Falcons could use this game as a confidence booster for their defense.
The storylines: Not much is expected from Warhill this season, but no touchdowns? Kendell Green is a talented running back, but can’t get the blocking he needs to show it. York won’t oblige this week. Receiver Evan Yeo is healthier than he was last week and Jon Parks is ready for a breakout game in the new option offense. This is the game to get it.
The picks:
Yours: York (91.89% on HRVarsity.com)
Ours: York