NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- What started as numerous Hampton Roads area high schools kicking off their seasons in August has been trimmed down to just six. State semifinals kick off Saturday, with the 757 well-represented.
Oscar Smith takes its home field in the Class 6 state semifinals. The Tigers enter with a 13-0 record and are coming off a 28-7 win over Highland Springs to claim the Region 6A championship. They'll face Colonial Forge, the champs out of Region 5B. Oscar Smith is seeking its third state title since the condensed 2020 campaign, when the Tigers won two crowns in the same calendar year. Kickoff is set for 2:00 PM with the winner advancing to next Saturday's Class 6 state title game in Harrisonburg.
The Class 5 state semifinals find two unbeaten teams from the southside colliding for a state championship game ticket. Maury and Green Run are both 13-0 and are meeting in the state semis for the third time in the last four seasons. The Commodores enter on a 23-game winning streak and topped King's Fork, 38-14, to win the Region 5B title last week, while the Stallions got by Salem, 21-14, to win Region 5A. The winner will move on to face either Briar Woods or L.C. Bird next week in Harrisonburg. Maury is looking to win back-to-back state crowns for the first time ever, while Green Run is in search of its first ever state championship game berth.
Phoebus looks to continue rolling in Class 4. The Phantoms boast one of the longest winning streaks in the country, winners of 47 consecutive contests, which includes three straight state crowns. Jeremy Blunt's group will host Sherando at Darling Stadium. A 42-0 shutout of Hampton to win Region 4A was Phoebus's latest triumph and the Phantoms have only allowed 58 points this season. A victory Saturday will advance Phoebus to the Class 4 state title game in Lynchburg next Saturday where the squad would play for its fourth consecutive title.
Lafayette will look for a trip back to the Class 3 state championship game when the Rams travel to Kettle Run Saturday afternoon. Both teams enter with 13-0 records and Lafayette has been dominating opponents for the most part in 2024. A 14-6 win over Poquoson marked the Rams' only real challenge of the campaign. If Andy Linn's group can come away with a road victory, the Rams would move on to the state title game next Saturday in Lynchburg.
Speaking of Poquoson, the Islanders take the field in the Class 2 state semifinal for the third consecutive season, but will host the round for the first time in that span Saturday. Strasburg will visit with a trip to the Class 2 title game in Salem on the line. The last time Elliott Duty's team hosted a state semifinal was 2010, when Poquoson won its last state championship. The Islanders and Rams both enter this match-up with 12-1 records, with that loss at Lafayette serving as the only blemish for Poquoson.
