Twenty-eight Timesland teams will be involved in 22 games Friday and Saturday as the VHSL football playoffs open across the state.

So, I’ve been a little busy this week collecting enough information on some of these outlying teams as well as compiling the final Timesland regular-season statistics, which will appear in their usual place in The Roanoke Times on Friday.

A version of these capsule previews also will run in the paper. They will include my predictions for Friday’s 21 games and the one Timesland game Saturday. The prep fearless forecasters contest is still running, although the emails with the list of games was not sent out until late this afternoon.

Also, check Friday’s paper for a feature story on Patrick Henry assistant coach Jeff Johnson and a story on Cave Spring place-kicker Daniel Seymour, who will play in a football game Friday night and then run in the VHSL Group AA cross country championships Saturday morning. 

One note to those who have asked. Yes, the All-Region IV team did appear briefly on the blog Wednesday. It was sent in prematurely by one of the league’s ADs, and I complied with a request to take it down until further notice.

The playoff capsules sans predictions are below:

NORTHWEST REGION DIVISION 6
PATRICK HENRY (8-2) at COLONIAL FORGE (8-2)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Patrick Henry (Alan Fiddler), Colonial Forge (Bill Brown).
Scouting Patrick Henry: PH is in the playoffs for the first time since 2000 with the last playoff win in 1994. Virginia Tech-bound QB David Prince has run for 687 yards and passed for 703. Xavier Whorley (174 carries, 1,210 yards, 18 TDs) is the top back. LB Demetrius Anderson and DE Nate Lee (21 TFLs) lead the defense. PK Jacob Otterman has five FGs.
Scouting Colonial Forge: The Forge, located in Stafford, lost 21-14 at Franklin County last year in the first round. The Eagles are 3-2 against AAA playoff teams with losses to C.D. Hylton (35-16) and Massaponax (59-30). QB Damen Daniel (592 rush yards, 962 pass yards) leads the offense. Brown has won VHSL state titles at two other schools.
Next week: The NW Region reseeds. The winner gets either Hylton or Stonewall Jackson.

REGION III DIVISION 4
WILLIAM BYRD (4-6) at LORD BOTETOURT (6-4)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: William Byrd (Jeff Highfill), Lord Botetourt (Jamie Harless).
Scouting William Byrd: Byrd defeated Botetourt 29-22 in overtime on Oct. 5 at home. The Terriers lost their final three games after an injury to QB Zac Hill. RBs Simeon Horstmann (847 rush yards) and Darryl Preston now take snaps in the shotgun. LB Timmy Meador has 81 solo stops. Byrd is 1-8 in playoff games with the lone win coming in 2007.
Scouting Lord Botetourt: The Cavaliers defeated Cave Spring, Hidden Valley and Rockbridge County but lost to Blacksburg and William Byrd. LB was shut out twice. QB Alex Hampton took the job fulltime after a knee injury to Conner Bronson. RB Chris Thompson is the workhorse. Harless led LB to its first winning season since 2000 in his first year.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 2 seed Heritage.
—
E.C. GLASS (4-6) at JEFFERSON FOREST (5-5)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: E.C. Glass (Ben Martin), Jefferson Forest (Don Rice).
Scouting E.C. Glass: Glass started 4-1 under Martin, a first-year coach who was formerly at Appomattox County. In their final five games, the Hilltoppers were shut out twice and they gave up more than 40 points in the other three. QB Donnie Morgan ran for 922 yards and threw for 235 with no TDs and six interceptions. Glass was 1-7 against playoff teams.
Scouting Jefferson Forest: JF’s defense was shredded for 63, 62, 56 and 61 points in four of its last five games. The lone exception was a 42-6 win at E.C. Glass. QB Ryan Crist passed for 1,553 yards but threw 13 picks. Dominique Royal and Cody Loveday combined for 57 catches, 1,267 yards and 17 TDs. Forest lost in the 2011 Region final to Broadway.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 1 seed Amherst County.

REGION IV DIVISION 4
BASSETT (4-6) at CHRISTIANSBURG (6-4)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Bassett (Jay Gilbert), Christiansburg (Tim Cromer).
Scouting Bassett: The Bengals lost to Christiansburg 28-27 at home in September on a failed two-point conversion with 1:35 left. QB MacKenzie Lawson (764 rush yards, 700 pass, 13 TDs) is the main threat. Chris Martin has 29 catches but no TDs. Bassett beat Magna Vista 20-19 Friday to finish in a three-way tie for the Piedmont District title.
Scouting Christiansburg: QB Joey Augustin returns from a one-game suspension. He has team highs of 1,079 rush yards and 15 TDs. RB De’Quan Green-Gause also went over 1,000. Calvin Graham and Seth Wills each had more than 100 tackles. Christiansburg has won three straight Region IV titles, and the Demons reached the Division 4 state final last year.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 2 Hidden Valley.
—
MAGNA VISTA (7-3) at PULASKI COUNTY (5-5)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Magna Vista (Joe Favero), Pulaski County (Todd Jones).
Scouting Magna Vista: The Warriors handled Pulaski 34-21 in Ridgeway in September. Calin Jamison was the only QB in Timesland to rush for (1,032) and pass for (1,135) more than 1,000 yards this season. WR Bryce Hankins (34-456, 4 TDs) returned a kickoff for a TD in Magna Vista’s first three games. Magna Vista has a 29-6 record over the last three years.
Scouting Pulaski County: The Cougars have struggled to find their offense down the stretch. The Cougars gained just 37 yards rushing against Salem and only 99 the previous week at Blacksburg. RB Marcus McClanahan (128-566) had just 27 yards in those two games. DT James King is a standout for Pulaski, which has wins over Northside and Richlands.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 1 Salem.

REGION III DIVISION 3
FORT DEFIANCE (7-3) at NORTHSIDE (6-4)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Fort Defiance (Dan Rolfe), Northside (Burt Torrence).
Scouting Fort Defiance: The Indians lost to Rockbridge County (40-13), Western Albemarle (35-31) and Robert E. Lee (24-14) in successive weeks before winning their last five. QB Trevor Lam has thrown just 95 passes all year. RB Chase Wine had a 211-yard game against Waynesboro. The Indians lost to Robert E. Lee 13-11 in the first round last year.
Scouting Northside: The Vikings shared the Blue Ridge title with Rockbridge County. They are in the playoffs for the 5th straight year, losing to Brookville in the 2011 regional final. QB Dom Dunnaville (726 rush yards, 899 pass yards) and WR Harold Buckner (23-514, 4 TDs) lead the offense. NG DeAnthony Muse (17 TFLs, 7 sacks) is the top defender.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 1 Brookville.
—
LIBERTY (6-4) at ROBERT E. LEE (7-3)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Liberty (Chris Watts), Robert E. Lee (David Tibbs).
Scouting Liberty: Sophomore Matthew Smith rushed for 1,113 yards and 11 TDs despite missing a game with a broken wrist. He had a 331-yard game against Rustburg. QB Austin Porter passed for 941 with 359 coming against Jefferson Forest. WR Trevon Lightfoot has six TDs on 18 catches. He also has four INTs. Liberty beat Lee 35-28 in a 2009 semifinal.
Scouting Robert E. Lee: Lee is in the playoffs for the eighth straight year, reaching the regional final in 2006 and 2008. Lee lost a semifinal last year to Northside. QB Javon Chisley (1,277 rush yards, 16 TDs) and WR Malachi Crawford (28-413, 6 TDs) are nursing injuries. Lee lost late-season games to Turner Ashby (28-27) and Monticello (33-14).
Next week: The winner plays at No. 2 Rockbridge County.

REGION IV DIVISION 3
ABINGDON (4-6) at CAVE SPRING (5-5)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Abingdon (John Bowles), Cave Spring (Tim Fulton).
Scouting Abingdon: The Falcons feature RB Grant Pennings (750 yards, 8 TDs). The top lineman is NG Isaiah Pope (5-11, 240, sr.). A big weapon is kicker and punter Mitchell Ludwig, who has made 11 field goals including two from 44 yards. Abingdon, which defeated just one Group AA team, lost its last three games to Richlands, Tazewell and Marion.
Scouting Cave Spring: QB Connor Baker passed for 1,733 yards and 16 TDs on 215 attempts. WRs Jack Woody (45-717, 9 TDs) and John Evans (44-550, 3 TDs), and TE Jordan Bryant (28-315, 4 TDs) are his targets. RB James Jackson (515 yards) averaged 3.4 per carry. OT Dylan Brucki (6-6, 303) is a Liberty recruit. The Knights made the D-3 semis last year.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 1 Richlands.
—
TAZEWELL (2-8) at MARION (6-4)
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Coaches: Tazewell (Shane Allen), Marion (Joey Carroll).
Scouting Tazewell: Tazewell lost to Marion 38-18 on Oct. 12. It was part of an 18-game losing streak the Bulldogs broke the next week against Carroll County. Tazewell secured a playoff berth for the first time since 2009 under Allen, a former Carroll assistant. WR Jalen Jordan had three catches for 158 yards and two TDs last week against Richlands.
Scouting Marion: RB Ethan Richardson (1,676 yards, 23 TDs) was the area’s leading Group AA rusher. He averages 20 carries per game. WR Kyle Rivero (22-355, 3 TDs) has replaced Colin Gullion as the receiving threat. QB Trey Crook threw just 85 times. He is also the team’s leading tackler. Marion reached the regional final in 2007, losing to Richlands.
Next week: The winner plays at No. 2 Tunstall.

DIVISION 2 WEST SECTION
GRUNDY (4-6) at FORT CHISWELL (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Grundy (Jeremy Ward), Fort Chiswell (Stephen James).
Scouting Grundy: A Group AA school until last year, Grundy played nondistrict games against teams from West Virginia and Kentucky. The Golden Wave’s last win against a Virginia team was on Sept. 7. RB Nick Travis rushed for more than 1,000 yards this year and scored five TDs last week in a 34-32 win over Mount View (W.Va.) that clinched the No. 16 seed.
Scouting Fort Chiswell: The Pioneers are the No. 1 seed after winning the Mountain Empire title. RB Daniel Hamm (1,481 yards, 22 TDs) had a 325-yardgame against Floyd County. QB Brett Mabry passed for 1,090 yards. OL-LB Coleman Thomas (6-5, 295, jr.) has offers from West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Virginia. The lone 2012 loss was 28-7 to George Wythe.
Next week: The winner plays either Gretna or Grayson County.
—
GLENVAR (5-5) at WILSON MEMORIAL (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Glenvar (Kevin Clifford), Wilson Memorial (Jeremiah Major).
Scouting Glenvar: Glenvar has scored 358 points and given up 364. Four foes scored more than 40. QB Levi Mullins (2,457 yards, 30 TD passes) missed the Timesland passing title by 1 yard. WRs are Shaquille Bonds (60-1,201, 12 TDs), Markel Jones (38-624, 8 TDs) and Jeremy Martin (23-384, 7 TDs). Glenvar lost 44-14 at Giles last year in the first round.
Scouting Wilson Memorial: Wilson has won eight in a row since losing 14-13 to Robert E. Lee-Staunton. The Green Hornets scored 68, 42 and 43 points last year in reaching the state semifinals. RBs Juh-Kwquan McCauley (20 TDs) and Malik Rucks (15 TDs) both have more than 1,000 yards. Backup QB Brandon Gochenour has been starting in recent weeks.
Next week: The winner plays either Riverheads or Floyd County.
—
JAMES RIVER (7-3) at GILES (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: James River (Philip King), Giles (Jeff Williams).
Scouting James River: The Knights played at Giles in 2006, losing 50-8. James River has wins over six playoff teams including 37-30 over Altavista. RB Chris Moore (1,335 yards, 18 TDs) has come on strong. QB Kyle King (933 passing yards, 8 passing TDs) was sidelined early with an ankle sprain. Three receivers have caught at least 24 passes.
Scouting Giles: Ian Mann won Timesland rushing and scoring titles with 1,886 yards and 33 TDs. Brett Whitlow (108-1,034, 15 TDs) also fuels the single-wing. Giles lost 35-14 to Christiansburg. The Spartans averaged 54 points in five Three Rivers games. Garrett Lee averages 45.0 yards per punt. Giles lost at home to Gretna last year in the second round.
Next week: The winner plays either John Battle or Virginia High.
—
FLOYD COUNTY (7-3) at RIVERHEADS (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Floyd County (Winfred Beale), Riverheads (Robert Casto).
Scouting Floyd County: RB Dorian Harris was second in Timesland with 1,739 rushing yards. QB Matt Bary replaced injured Gus Underwood early and had 979 passing yards. He looks for Cole Worrell (38-623, 6 TDs). Floyd has 368 points, but the defense has struggled against running teams. Giles hung 63 and Fort Chiswell put up 45 on the Buffaloes.
Scouting Riverheads: The Gladiators are 34-3 with a 2010 Division 1 state title in the last three years. The 2012 loss was 14-10 to Wilson Memorial. RB Logan Moore (155-1,1689, 29 TDs) has more than 5,000 career rushing yards. Junior PK is en route to setting a VHSL record that might never be broken. He has made 217 career PATs with one year to go.
Next week: The winner plays either Wilson Memorial or Glenvar.
—
GRETNA (7-3) AT GRAYSON COUNTY (8-2)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Gretna (Kevin Saunders), Grayson County (Brett McPherson).
Scouting Gretna: The Hawks bring plenty of speed, led by QB Dyon Rosser (1,750 pass yards, 14 TDs, 797 rush yards, 14 TDs). WRs Kaylan Gilbert and Von Bennett have a combined 70 catches and 11 TDs. Gretna, which once held the VHSL’s longest losing streak, has won five state titles including last year’s 21-16 Division 2 win over Goochland.
Scouting Grayson County: QB Max Rodgers (1,408 pass yards, 15 TDs) is slowed by an ankle sprain. WR Mikey Rodgers (47 catches, 13 TDs) and RBs Jon Bilbrey (618 yards) and Spencer Roberts are weapons. Losses in 2012 were to Clintwood (49-7) and Fort Chiswell (42-21). Grayson lost at home in the 2nd round in 2011 to another Dogwood team — Dan River.
Next week: The winner plays either Fort Chiswell or Grundy.

DIVISION 1 WEST SECTION
EASTERN MONTGOMERY (4-6) AT GEORGE WYTHE (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Eastern Montgomery (Mark Poston), George Wythe (H.S. Ingo).
Scouting Eastern Montgomery: QB James Fields (203-323-17, 2,458 yards, 27 TDs) won the Timesland passing title by 1 yard. Ron Ford (70-994, 17 TDs), Alex Phillips (36-419, 5 TDs) and Josh Copen (34-295, 1 TD) are the top targets in the spread attack. The Mustangs reached the Division 1 state final in 2010 but did not make the playoffs last year.
Scouting George Wythe: RBs Dominique Crockett (108-1,094, 22 TDs) and Trey Skeens (84-824, 10 TDs) each average almost 10 yards per carry. Jordan Byrd has replaced Alex Willis at QB and has passed for 520 yards and seven TDs. TE-DE Hardy Lester, has committed to Richmond. Andrew Storms averages 39.7 yards per punt and has a 41-yard FG.
Next week: The winner plays either Rural Retreat or Hurley.
—
RADFORD (3-7) at CLINTWOOD (9-1)
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Coaches: Radford (Matthew Saunders), Clintwood (Rick Mullins).
Scouting Radford: A schedule featuring Pulaski County, George Wythe, Galax, Virginia High, Glenvar, Floyd County and Giles got Radford a No. 14 seed. Two of Radford’s wins were over winless Patrick County and Auburn. QB Hunter Marshall threw for 1,298 yards and ran for a team-high 615. Freshman Marcus Finley had 24 catches. LB Eric Benitez had 97 tackles.
Scouting Clintwood: The reigning D-1 have nine blowout wins. The lone loss was 23-17 in the season opener at Hazard (Ky.). RB Gavan Meade is back with 1,735 rushing yards and 30 TDs. QB Dylan Dahley has 1,135 passing yards and 13 TDs. Dahley was injured in the postseason last year, and younger brother Dalton led the Greenwave to the state title.
Next week: The winner plays either Haysi or Castlewood.
—
HURLEY (6-4) at RURAL RETREAT (6-4)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Hurley (Greg Tester), Rural Retreat (Christopher Moore).
Scouting Hurley: Tester is a Hurley alumnus who made the team at Miami as a walk-on before spending one redshirt year at Virginia Tech. RB Dillion Bailey and QB Nick Gibson each had three TDs last week in a win over Twin Valley, the Rebels’ only Black Diamond District victory this year. Hurley has just three wins against teams from Virginia.
Scouting Rural Retreat: The Indians are 6-1 against Division 1 teams, losing 36-6 last week to George Wythe. RB T.C. Caudill 188-1,548, 18 TDs) is the featured back. QB J.B. Wright (733 yards, 12 TDs) has thrown just 101 times. Heath Martin has three TDs on seven catches. Jordan Kelly has 15 TFLs. Rural Retreat is making its 19th postseason trip.
Next week: The winner plays either George Wythe or Eastern Montgomery.
—
CHILHOWIE (4-6) at GALAX (6-4)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Chilhowie (Larry Russell), Galax (Mark Dixon).
Scouting Chilhowie: The Warriors overcame a 31-0 halftime deficit to beat Rural Retreat in the first round last year, and they edged Holston 31-30 last week after trailing 24-0. RB Justin Jones gained 957 yards in eight games. QB Dylan Thomas (1,361 yards, 14 TDs) looks for WR Reid Sturgill (41-672, 11 TDs). Russell is Chilhowie’s all-time wins leader.
Scouting Galax: Galax lost to Fort Chiswell (37-36), Graham (45-42) and Grayson County (32-28), all on late TDs. The Tide, the Division 1 state runner-up last year, lost RB Donte Peoples (1,606 yards, 27 TDs) for the season last week to a broken ankle. RB Steven Peoples (1,195 yards, 18 TDs) and QB Chris Poole (743 passing yards) must step up.
Next week: The winner plays either Honaker or PH-Glade Spring.

DIVISION 1 EAST SECTION
CRAIG COUNTY (4-6) at FRANKLIN (10-0)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Craig County (Mark McPherson), Franklin (Darren Parker).
Scouting Craig County: The Rockets lost five of their final six games. Their only VHSL victories were over winless Auburn and one-win Narrows. RB Josh Gunter (113-776, 8 TDs) and QB Cody Dunbar (94-609 rushing, 8 TDs; 677 passing yards, 6 TDs) lead the offense. Brandon Huffman (42 solos) is the leading tackler. Craig has never won a postseason game.
Scouting Franklin: The Broncos return most of a team that lost last year at home in the first round to Bath County. RB Travis Brown gained 277 yards on 23 carries in Franklin’s 62-30 win over 9-1 Sussex Central Franklin’s only game within 28 points was a 31-28 victory at Rappahannock. Franklin won Division 1 state titles in 2004 and 2008.
Next week: The winner plays either Rappahannock or Covington.
—
BATH COUNTY (3-7) at SUSSEX CENTRAL (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Bath County (Will Fields), Sussex Central (Curtis Jefferson).
Scouting Bath County: The Chargers average 189 yards of offense per game and have almost double the penalty yardage of their opponents. The defense, led by Christian Woodzell (96 stops) has held its own. QB Tyler Robertson (308 rush yards, 4 TDs; 164 pass yards) leads the offense. Bath pulled off a first-round upset at Franklin in 2011 after a long trip. 
Scouting Sussex Central: Sussex lost 19 seniors from the team that fell to Clintwood in last year’s state semifinal. The Tigers also have not had Jefferson on the sidelines fulltime since he broke a leg and dislocated a kneecap in a car wreck. RB Darian Curley (1,900 rush yards) and WR John Jones (700 receiving yards) lead this year’s team.
Next week: The winner plays either Parry McCluer or Charles City.
—
CHARLES CITY (5-5) at PARRY McCLUER (6-4)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Charles City (Steward Greene), Parry McCluer (Mike Craft).
Scouting Charles City: The Panthers are quick, featuring 5-8 QB Avery Jones and 5-foot-5, 125-pound wingback Jovan Howard. Jaelen Williams (6-3, 270, sr.) will be one of the better linemen the Blues have faced. Charles City, located southeast of Richmond, has three first-round losses since 2009. The Panthers’ last postseason win was in 1996.
Scouting Parry McCluer; PM is making back-to-back playoff trips for the first time since 1996-97. The Blues lost at Covington in the first round in 2011. PM won five of six, sparked by the return of sophomore RB Ryheem Dawson (823 yards, 10 TDs in eight games). Ben Gibson (26 solos) is the top tackler. PM won five state titles between 1977-87.
Next week: The winner plays either Sussex Central or Bath Co.
—
COVINGTON (5-5) at RAPPAHANNOCK (6-4)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Covington (Rodney Tenney), Rappahannock (William West).
Scouting Covington: RB Troy Helton (more than 5,000 career rushing yards) missed last week’s Parry McCluer game with a sprained ankle and is questionable. Luke Moye (966 pass yards, 11 TDs) hopes to pick up the slack. The Cougars reached the third round last year when Tenney was an assistant before a VHSL-record 88-8 loss at Sussex Central.
Scouting Rappahannock: The Raiders have scored four defensive TDs. The offense, shut out 39-0 last week by Essex, is led by QB Will Hoover (1,154 passing yards, 17 TDs, 3 INTs) and RB Jaquan Thompson (99-479, 2 TDs). WRs Aaron Rock and Tylek Sorrell each have five TD catches. Rappahannock was a 40-13 first-round loser last year to William Campbell.
Next week: The winner plays either Franklin or Craig County.