Best 703/571 Public School Football Games (Week 6)

It’s the first week of October, and the high school football season is ramping up more and more as the days pass by. And as Albert Camus once said, “autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower,” and we’ve got some blossoming talent from all sorts of clashes this Friday night! Here are three public high school football games taking place in the 703 that you should be paying attention to this week!

Oakton vs. Langley

This is for sure the biggest Class 6 matchup in the area code: two very talented teams who really are on a great track to make their names known this year. Oakton is well and truly back, and after their major disappointment last year, they’re bouncing back big time by being unbeaten in their first four games, including an impressive 9-point win over Colonial Forge last week. Langley in recent times have been consistent contenders in the Liberty District as well as playoff regulars, and have only lost once in their first five games, that being a one-touchdown defeat at home against Westfield. This game in particular has only so much talent on both sides of the ball, even including a few Division 1 offers. Oakton’s Deylen Jones is this squad’s star player, being an All-State DB, All-Met WR, and already bagging all the Ivy League schools. He is set to join Harvard next season after his senior year this year. Another Division 1 offer comes from The Citadel to senior Brayden Vasquez, one of the most prominent defenders in the region, playing both as an NB and an LB. On the other side, sophomore WR Aiden Mejia has really become Langley’s star player, already picking up an offer from Syracuse. The Cougars and the Saxons collide at Langley’s campus this Friday at 7:00pm.

Lake Braddock vs. Westfield

Two teams going in slightly different paths. Lake Braddock is 2-2, which on paper doesn’t seem that bad. But given their standard of football, it’s been their worst start since 2017. Two major losses to start the season did not do well; losing by 14 against Alexandria City then being shut out by Madison. Luckily, they’ve been able to bounce back with wins over Forest Park and Robinson. Westfield is 4-0 to start off the year, but they’ve been relatively battle-tested. Three of their four wins have been by one-score leads; against Patriot, Washington-Liberty, and Langley. Their defense has had their fair bit of questions, but offensively they are real competitors. Lake Braddock brings in talents such as one of Virginia’s most explosive running backs in senior Sam Rhye, who averages 162.5 rushing yards a game, as well as one of the state’s premier defenders in junior Josiah Bolme, who’s averaging 11.5 tackles per game. Westfield punches back with a prominent member of the offense in senior WR/RB Prince Sutherland, as well as a rising star in junior RB/OLB Casey O’Neal. The Bruins and the Bulldogs collide at Westfield’s campus this Friday at 7:00pm.

#25 Handley vs. Kettle Run

Didn’t expect this one, did you? This is genuinely one of the most underrated games in the whole state. Handley as mentioned is ranked among the Top 25 teams in all of Virginia, due to their recent prominence in Class 4, going 4-0 to start the season, with all wins by multiple touchdowns. Kettle Run has in recent times been one of the best teams in all of Class 3, regularly making deep playoff runs, including an appearance in the state championship for the last two straight years. They’re 4-1 at the moment, but they would’ve been undefeated had they not lost in overtime to Warren County back in Week 4, but there is still a standard of excellence to uphold. Big talents include the likes of junior Dysen Tapscott, who has stepped into a major role with this Kettle Run team after being named an All-State PR last season as a sophomore. Also Carter Lubbe, who is averaging a staggering 161.8 rushing yards per game. Handley is led by the likes of junior QB Triston Darling who has led this offense throughout, paired with the reliable legs of junior RB Jalen Washington and sophomore WR Demarion Warren. The Judges and the Cougars meet at Kettle Run’s campus this Friday at 7:00pm.