By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area
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No. 6 Yorktown (6-4) vs. No. 3 Hayfield (8-2) at Lee on Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Offensive Rank (ppg): Yorktown – 8th (24.4); Hayfield – 1st (35.7)
Defensive Rank (ppg): Yorktown – T3rd (17.7); Hayfield – 6th (18.9)
Series Since 1998: Hayfield leads, 1-0
Last meeting: 2009 — Week 4 — Hayfield won, 27-19
Hayfield has been an historic scoring pace throughout the regular season, ripping up its record book from the last two decades.
Its second-lowest point total of the year, though, came in its 27-19 win at Yorktown in Week 4.
The Patriots’ interior line, led by seniors Nick Vaughan and Anibal Suazo, slowed the between-the-tackles portion of the Hawks’ triple option. But Yorktown was exposed in space.
Hayfield senior Rayshawn Rigans carried 15 times for 148 yards and two scores, his fourth-straight game with multiple touchdowns, including one of the dirtiest runs of the year.
Yorktown, though, moved the ball better against Hayfield than any other district opponent — sans Edison’s 13-minute surge in Week 10.
Patriot senior Sam Nottingham made his first start after missing the opening three games with an illness. He captained all three scoring drives, while splitting time under center with sophomore Jordan Smith.
With 5 minutes, 35 seconds left in regulation, this was a one-point game.
Turnovers will be key again; Yorktown threw three interceptions, two in its own half of the field. Hayfield converted the two plus-territory turnovers into 14 points.
While Rigans is always worth the price of admission, the best individual match-up will be the National District Offensive Player of the Year, Hayfield senior Anton McCallum, against the National District Defensive Player of the Year, Yorktown senior C.J. Bartholomew.
If the Patriots can complete more than 50-percent of their passes, something that has not happened since their Week 5 win over the Jaguars, they will keep pace with the Hawk offense.
No Northern Region team — Division 5 or 6 — has scored more than Hayfield this year.
Yorktown needs to keep it in the 20s. The interior line needs a repeat of its Week 4 performance and the Patriots have to make open-field tackles on McCallum and Rigans.
The latter is the bigger issue. It’s also the crux of the upset.
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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