Boys Southeast Virginia postseason previews
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6A east No. 1 see Landstown Eagles Regional playoffs begin Wednesday, May 25, and two teams from each region eventually will advance to the VHSL state tournaments. Region 6A: In the East, Landstown grabs the No. 1 seed after an…
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Continue ReadingRegional playoffs begin Wednesday, May 25, and two teams from each region eventually will advance to the VHSL state tournaments.
Region 6A:
In the East, Landstown grabs the No. 1 seed after an unbeaten season at 10-0-3. With three draws and three of their wins coming by a single goal, the Eagles should be able to handle the high-pressure stakes of tournament play. They are led by senior captain Zach Richards, senior Matt Sabater, and junior keeper Trey Gohr. Freshman Ryan Walsh has made a name for himself with some late-season heroics in the attacking end. Their quarterfinal match against Oscar Smith will be a midseason rematch that saw the Eagles win 2-1 in a closely contested game.
No. 2 seed Kellam started the year 2-3-0 and was sitting at 4-4-0 at the bottom of the table at midseason. Five straight wins to end the season including wins over Cox, First Colonial, and Kempsville pushed the Knights all the way to the second seed. Captain Brady Wise is the only senior on the squad but is surrounded by strong group of juniors in D Sam Brown, D Leo Fajardo, M Hamilton Howes, D Sam Ricciardella, F Hunter Rouche, and M Ayden Cass. A quarterfinal match against Grassfield is a rematch from March 18 in which the Knights came away with a 1-0 win.
Grassfield is battle tested as always and played four of the Beach district’s best and came away 2-2-0 before starting Southeastern district play. The No. 3 Grizzlies are riding a nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2) that includes wins over Nansemond River and Great Bridge. The Grizzlies are the most experienced team in 6A and did not have a single freshman or sophomore on their roster. Seniors Sterling Smith, Ryan Taking, Jaxson Mills and junior Wyatt Fontaine are the leaders on and off the pitch.
Longtime Oscar Smith coach Brandon Spontak is having an incredible season after not winning more than six games in each of the previous five seasons. The Tigers come in at the No. 4 seed with a record of 11-2-3 that saw them play four ranked teams at the end of the season: beating previously unbeaten Great Bridge and then earning draws versus Hickory, Grassfield, and Nansemond River. The Tigers are led by Bryson Pascua, Tyler Waddell, Antowne Ewers, Gary Parker, and Alex Dyzla.
In the West, the clear-cut favorite is James River Midlothian who boasts a 14-0-1 record that included 12 shutouts. The Rapids have two district wins each over No. 2 West seed Cosby and No. 4 West seed Manchester who they will face in the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal match between No. 3 West Thomas Dale and No. 2 wWst Cosby is rematch from two weeks ago that saw the Titans come away as 3-0 winners.
Region 5A:
No. 1 seed Hickory is looking to get back to states where they made appearances in both 2018 and 2019. Currently riding a 10-match unbeaten streak (8-0-2), the Hawks are primed for a postseason run. Their attack is led by standout forward Gavin Page Gavin Page F Hickory | 2022 VA but he has plenty of help scoring in Evan Rinkus and Gabriel Woods. In the back, seniors Brad Seery and Elijah Platz keep things clean for keepers RJ Mackey and Grant Schendler.
Princess Anne has been improving every year under coach Sean Stowe and has had the Cavaliers near the top all season. At 12-4-0 they have quality wins over No. 4 seed First Colonial, Ocean Lakes, Maury, and Kecoughtan. M Kishin Togashi Kishin Togashi F Princess Anne | 2025 VA is just a freshman but has the composure of a seasoned veteran and forms a sensational attacking duo with sophomore F Will Jennings. Keeper Mathew Fox posted 10 shutouts with the help of a stout defense led by seniors Rocco Brola and Josh Cruz. Juniors Lucas White and Wyatt Wetzler patrol the midfield for the Cavs who last made the state tournament in 2019.
At 10-3-1 Cox had a typical winning season and looks for a return to states which has evaded them since 2018. Led by six senior starters, K Nolan Isenhour put up eight clean sheets along with D Robbie Morgan and D Aaron Deans. Senior attackers include Jace Arcona, CJ Vakos, and standout Mikey Farmer who is as dangerous as anyone in the 757.
No. 4 seed First Colonial is the reigning VHSL Class 5 champion and has made three straight trips to the state tournament. This season the Patriots went 5-5-0 in the Beach district but won non-district games against 4A No. 1 seed, 5A No. 1 seed Hickory, and 6A power Grassfield to finish 9-6-0. Four of their losses are by a single goal and if things line up correctly watch out for FC to make a run. Standouts include K Garrett Hodges, F Diego Armas, F Caleb Jones, and D Jonathan Kidd Jonathan Kidd D First Colonial | 2024 VA .
Don’t rule out No. 5 seed Kempsville (8-6-1) as they just defeated First Colonial last week and took 6A squads Kellam and Landstown to extra time in the past month.
Region 5B:
No. 1 seed Menchville had another outstanding season and looks for a return to the state tournament that has evaded them since 2018. The Monarchs put up an amazing total of 74 goals for while conceding only nine. Their only loss came against Jamestown all the way back in March and finished the year 12-1-1 and ranked No. 2 in the 757.
No. 2 seed Kecoughtan had a tough start to the season at 0-1-1 but rebounded to go 11-3-2 with quality wins against Maury and Gloucester. They have an attack that when they are on can be hard to stop. Junior M Colin Skwirut, junior F Joe Summerfield, and sophomore F Tre Barrett are a dangerous trio that is as good as any team in the region.
Woodside (10-4-2) and Gloucester (9-5-0) come in as the No. 4 and 5 respectively and will meet in the first round. Gloucester won a meeting earlier in the season 3-0 and will look to move on and face No. 1 seed Menchville in the semifinals.
With only six teams qualifying for the regional tournament, anything can happen as rivals No. 3 seed Granby and No. 6 seed Maury face off in the first round. Maury defeated Granby midseason 4-1 but the game was closer than the score. Granby posted an 11-4-1 record but did not face tough competition in the Eastern district but did play Oscar Smith, Nansemond River, and Princess Anne to gain big game experience. Granby has a dangerous attack led by Josiah Johnson, Brock Johnson, and Diddier Martinez. Maury is better than their 9-5-1 record as they played a brutal schedule of 3A No. 1 seed Tabb, 5A No. 1 seed Hickory, Kecoughtan, and Nansemond River. Maury keeper Trevor Maloney is the best around and keeps them in any match.
Region 4A:
You just know it’s going to be a great regional tournament when the No. 6 seed has 10 wins on the season. There are at least five schools in the region that have the talent to make it to the final and earn a trip to the states. No. 1 seed Smithfield is in title defense mode after winning the VHSL Class 4 state championship on their home turf last year. The Packers finished 12-2-1 with their only setbacks coming to Tabb and First Colonial. Newcomer junior M Onesime Muepu is as dangerous a player I have seen in the 757 and is threat whenever and wherever he has the ball at his feet. Smithfield has plenty of experience back from their title-winning team in seniors D Bryson Forrest, M Whit Dunlevy, D Carson Rosenberry, M Bradon Ross, M Baylor Ullmer, and K Austin Jackson.
No. 2 seed Great Bridge sat atop the 757 rankings after starting the season 9-0-1 without conceding a goal. Two late-season, one-goal losses to Grassfield and Hickory only proved they can play with the best teams in the area. Senior defenders Arnold Rutkauskas and Kyle Griese are as solid as they come in the back while Anthony Panayiotou and Ethan Klinsman skillfully patrol the midfield. Goals come from a multitude of players including: Niko Panayiotou, Keegin Jessee, Mitch Griesi, Cameron Todd and others.
No. 3 seed Jamestown looks for a return to the states after making the semifinals in 2019. They are the only team to beat 5B No. 1 Menchville this year and also took down First Colonial in early season matches. All three of the Eagles losses were by a single tally and they finished an impressive 11-3-1.
Grafton was ranked No. 1 in the 757 for four weeks while starting the season 8-0-1 including wins over Kecoughtan and Jamestown. The tough competition down the stretch had this senior-laden team see a few tough results but they still posted a 10-4-1 record. The No. 4 seed Clippers made the state tournament in 2018 and 2019 and a return trip is not out the question.
The biggest enigma is No. 6 seed Warhill (10-6-0) who has wins over Lafayette, Nansemond River, and Cox but a few multi-goal losses on their resume. A 4-0 loss to Jamestown has to still be stinging but they will get a chance to redeem themselves when they play the Eagles in the quarterfinals. If healthy and focused, watch out for the Lions.
No. 5 seed Kings Fork checks into the tournament at 9-6-0.
Region 3A:
No. 1 seed Tabb has been to the state tournament every year since 2017 and looks like a lock to return in 2022. This may be the year they make it past the semifinal round and bring home a state championship to Yorktown. The Tigers went unbeaten in the Bay Rivers and their only loss is to 5B No. 1 seed Menchville and with wins over ranked schools Maury, Smithfield, Lafayette, Grafton, Jamestown, and Warhill they are battle tested and ready for the postseason. The Tigers finished the regular season at 13-1-0 and ranked No. 3 overall in the 757.
No. 3 seed Lafayette played a limited non-district schedule but still came away with wins against 4A Warwick and 5A Gloucester to post an 8-4-0 record. Their four losses were to Warhill, Smithfield, Tabb, and Jamestown who all earned high seeds in their respective regions. With a step down in competition in region 3A, it would not be surprising to see the Rams make a run to the state tournament.
Region 2A:
No. 1 seed Nandua is looking for back-to-back VHSL state championships and are in a good position to do so. The Warriors finished the regular season 11-1-0 with their only loss coming to 4A side Great Bridge in a very competitive 2-0 loss. Coach Paul Nolz relies on the speedy and technical Odin Bolster who is a true finisher in the box.
The Bruton Panthers come in as the No. 6 seed after playing in the competitive Bay Rivers district. Their record of 6-9-1 doesn’t tell the whole story as six of their losses were by a single goal. Coach Luke Taylor has a good mix of upper and lower classman but has a strong core of juniors in Drake Perrin, Hayden Offenbacher, Brandon Turner, and Khalil Johnson. Bruton has the talent to make a deep run in the post-season.
The Poquoson Islanders (3-11-0) battled the injury bug all year but will look to rebound and make some noise in the tournament. A quarterfinal match-up with No. 1 seed Nandua awaits if they can get past Windsor in the first round. Seniors F Ethan Sneddon, F Mason Forrest, and D Justin Coggins lead the Islanders.