Below are the capsule previews of Saturday’s Heritage-Salem, and George Wythe-Franklin state football semifinals that will appear in The Roanoke Times.

Check Saturday’s paper for a feature story on Heritage coach Brad Bradley and Salem coach Stephen Magenbauer, who were boyhood friends and high school teammates at Salem until fate intervened.

GROUP AA DIVISION 4
HERITAGE (11-1) at SALEM (12-0)
Today, 1 p.m.
Nicknames: Heritage (Pioneers), Salem (Spartans).
Coaches: Heritage (Brad Bradley), Salem (Stephen Magenbauer).
Last week: Heritage won 12-7 at Amherst County. Salem defeated Christiansburg 21-7 at home.
Playoff history: HERITAGE – Pioneers won the 2002 Division 4 state title under current Franklin County coach Chris Jones with a 34-7 victory over Lafayette.…Pioneers won just one postseason game from 2003-11.…Heritage reached the 1997 Division 4 final, losing 16-7 to Spotsylvania. Lost in first round to Amherst County last year. SALEM – Has won six Division 4 titles, winning in 1996, ’97, ’98, 2000, ’04 and ’05. Is looking for its 50th postseason victory today. … Last week’s region title was its 13th. … Has split two postseason games with Heritage, winning 26-0 in 1998 and losing 20-14 in 1997.
2012 statistics: HERITAGE – QB Javontae Parrish (131-223, 2,206 yards passing, 25 TDs, 8 INTs, 235-1,266 rushing, 17 TDs), WR I’Shantii Rosser (45-755, 5 TDs), WR-DB Demonte Elliot (32-494, 9 TDs, 7 defensive INTs), WR Austin Fitzgerald (15-229, 3 TDs), LB Uriah Hammond (59 solos, 6 1/2 TFLs), LB Elijah Gallagher (20 solos, 6 sacks). SALEM – QB Matt Hill (120-183, 1,593 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INTs), WR-CB Chad Fisher (60-872, 8 TDs, 7 defensive INTs), RB Devante Payne (159-667, 9 TDs rushing, 11-123, 3 TDs receiving), RB Arius McConnell (113-560, 7 TDs rushing, 15-250, 2 TDs receiving). LB JaMal Holland (46 solos, 2 1/2 sacks), DE Zack Hill (42 solos, 6 1/2 sacks).
Quick kicks: Bradley and Magenbauer have won two state titles apiece as head coaches, Bradley taking Division 1 crowns in 2002 and 2005 at William Campbell, and Magenbauer winning back-to-back Division 4 titles in 2004-05.…Salem and Heritage are tied 4-4 in their all-time series, last meeting in the regular season in 1989.…Both are former Group AAA schools.…Heritage’s lone loss was 19-17 to unbeaten Brookville.…The Pioneers beat William Byrd 35-0 in a Region III semifinal.…Salem beat Byrd 28-21 in the regular season.…Salem’s last state semifinal was a 48-35 loss at Amherst County in 2007.…Tickets for today’s game are $10.
Next week: The winner plays either Briar Woods or Courtland in the Dec. 8 state final at Liberty University.
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GROUP A DIVISION 2
GEORGE WYTHE (12-1) at FRANKLIN (13-0)
Today, 1:30 p.m.
Nicknames: George Wythe (Maroons), Franklin (Broncos).
Coaches: George Wythe (H.S. Ingo), Franklin (Darren Parker).
Last week: George Wythe defeated Clintwood 7-0 at home. Franklin defeated Altavista 41-11 at home.
Playoff history: GEORGE WYTHE – Beat Buckingham County 26-12 in the 2002 Division 2 state final under Donnie Pruitt. … Lost 14-7 to Courtland in the 1983 AA final under Paul Wheeler. … Has 19-13 record in 15 postseason appearances. … Ousted 23-13 by Clintwood in the third round of the 2011 playoffs. FRANKLIN – Beat Clintwood 28-20 in the 2008 Division 1 final. … Beat J.I. Burton 41-0 in the 2004 championship. … Lost to Riverheads 35-8 in 2010 state semifinal. … Broncos have 11 straight playoff trips, but none before 2000.
2012 statistics: GEORGE WYTHE – QB Jordan Byrd (50 of 87, 769 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs), RB Dominique Crockett (137-1,211, 23 TDs), RB Trey Skeens (134-1,148, 11 TDs), FB Justin Snavely (71-511, 4 TDs, 30 TFLs at LB), TE-DE Hardy Lester (22-385, 3 TDs, 73 solos, 16 TFLs, 13 1/2 sacks), FS Jalen France (111 solo tackles, 51 assists), DB Isaac Baltazaar (6 INTs). FRANKLIN – TB Travis Brown (5-10, 175, sr.) is the leading rusher. … MLB JaVonte’ Blacknall (6-1, 195, sr.) is the leading tackler. … LaQuadric Pittman (5-11, 170, soph.) is the quarterback.
Quick kicks: Franklin’s 41-point total in last week’s win over Altavista was its lowest output this season.…Broncos have scored 60 or more three times including the 62-20 victory over Tri-Rivers rival and fellow Division 1 semifinalist Sussex Central.…George Wythe PK Andrew Storms has belted 43 of 71 kickoffs into the end zone. … France has eight TDs including four in the opening round 46-13 victory over Eastern Montgomery.…Franklin is one of the seven teams from Region A to have won a state championship. Franklin has two of the 11 titles claimed by teams from Region A. All the Region A championships have come since 1990, five years after Group A split into two divisions.…George Wythe has rushed for 4,090 yards and 52 TDs.
Next week: The winner plays either Honaker or Sussex Central in the Dec. 8 state final at Salem Stadium.