Nine. That’s the number of State Championships won by Dogwood District teams since the mid-2000s. Gretna has three, Altavista three and Appomattox has won 3 in a row and tries to join elite company this year by winning its 4th straight State Championship. Only two schools, Hampton and Phoebus have accomplished that goal.
Appomattox Raiders – (Class 2; Region 2C)
2017 Record: 14 – 1; 5 – 0 Dogwood District
Head Coach: Doug Smith; 10th season overall; 7th season at Appomattox (Career Record: 74 – 36) (Record at School: 61 – 17)
2017 Points Scored: 666 (44.4 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 300 (20.0 average per game)
Won their third consecutive state championship in 2017. Had a 32-game winning streak broken when they lost to Heritage in Week 3, but didn’t lose again and enter 2018 on a 12 game winning streak. Smith is the latest head coach that formerly coached at dysfunctional Heritage High School in Lynchburg to have success at a lower level. Smith replaced Chris Jones as the Pioneers Head Coach in 2012 and went 13 – 19 over three seasons before being fired. The administration said they fired him because his team wasn’t disciplined, fumbled too much, and didn’t win but the fact is that they were put off by his religious beliefs and introduction his players to a local youth pastor.
Fun Fact: From 2012 – 2014, Appomattox won just 17 games. The last three seasons, the Raiders are 44 – 1
2018 Schedule:
August 24- vs. Buckingham County
August 31- at Rusburg
September 7- at Heritage
September 14- Open date
September 21- vs. Dan River
September 28- at Fork Union Military
October 5= at Chatham
October 12- at William Campbell
October 19- vs. Gretna
October 26- vs. Colonial Heights
November 2- vs. Altavista
Chatham Cavaliers: (Class 2; Region 2C)
2017 Record: 3-7 overall; 0 – 5 Dogwood District
Head Coach: Matt Allen; 3rd season overall; 3rd season at Chatham (Career Record: 6 – 14) (Record at School: 6 – 14)
2017 Points Scored: 245 (24.5 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 432 (43.2 average per game)
Had second consecutive 3-7 season in 2017. Started the season 2-0 before losing 7 of their last 8 games. Need to find some defense as they gave up at least 40 points in seven games, at least 50 points in 5 games, and over 60 points twice.
Fun Fact: In the last 18 seasons, Chatham has had just 5 winning seasons and four of those came in a row from 2004 – 2007. The school’s best season came in 2005 they went 10-2 and lost in the Region B final all while ending Gretna’s 38-game winning streak.
2018 Schedule:
August 24- at James River
August 31- vs. Buckingham County
September 7- at Martinsville
September 14- vs. Tunstall
September 21- at Gretna
September 28- Open date
October 5- vs. Appomattox
October 12- vs. Dan River
October 19- at Cumberland
October 26- at Altavista
November 2- vs. William Campbell
Dan River Wildcats: (Class 2; Region 2C)
2017 Record: 5 – 6 overall; 2 – 2 Dogwood District
Head Coach: Ferrell Edmunds – 11th season overall; 11th at Dan River (Career Record: 71 – 39) (Record at School: 71 – 39)
2017 Points Scored: 244 (24.4 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 281 (28.1 average per game)
Last year ended a streak of 7 straight winning seasons in which they went 62-27. Started the season 5-2 and then lost their last 4 games.
Fun Fact: Edmunds has three sons who played for him now playing in the NFL. Edmunds was a member of the undefeated 1982 George Washington-Danville team that won the Group AAA State Championship. Edmunds was two-time pro-bowl Tight End in the NFL and caught 9 of his 12 career touchdown passes from Dolphins’ Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino
2018 Schedule:
August 24- vs. Magna Vista
August 31- vs. Bassett
September 7- at Tunstall
September 14- at Halifax County
September 21- at Appomattox
September 28- Open date
October 5- vs. Altavista
October 12- at Chatham
October 19- at William Campbell
October 26- vs. Martinsville
November 2- vs. Gretna
Gretna Hawks: (Class 2; Region 2C)
2017 Record: 7 – 3 overall; 4-2 Dogwood District
Head Coach: Cole Simpson; 5th season overall; 5th season at Gretna (Career Record: 15 – 25) (Record at School: 15 – 25)
2017 Points Scored: 267 (26.7 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 191 (18.1 average per game)
One of the most dominant programs in the state from 2003 to 2011, fell off the map in 2015 and 2016 going 8 – 13, but last year was more like it with 7 wins. Simpson appears to finally be finding his way as a head coach but he has large steps to fill in. Robert Senseney went 47 – 4 and won a back to back state titles in 2003 and 2004, Chris Thurman won two state championships in 2007 and 2008 and Kevin Saunders won a state championship in 2011 after losing in the state finals in 2010.
Fun Fact: Gretna once lost a then state record 44 games in a row in the 1990s, but from 2001 to 2011 the Hawks went 129 – 16 with 5 State Championships. Former Coach Robert Prunty is now a college head coach after taking the job at FCS Hampton earlier this year.
2018 Schedule:
August 24- vs. Brunswick
August 31 – at Tunstall
September 7- at Nottoway
September 14- vs. Radford
September 21- vs. Chatham
September 29- at Altavista
October 5- vs. William Campbell
October 12- vs Altavista
October 19- at Appomattox
October 26- Open date
November 2- at Dan River
Nelson County Governors (Class 2; Region 2C)
2017 Record: 3 -7 overall; Did not play a district schedule
Head Coach: Matthew Hicks – 3rd season overall; 3rd season at Nelson County (Career Record: 3 – 17) (Record at School: 3 – 17)
2017 Points Scored: 274 (27.4 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 379 (37.9 average per game)
For the second straight year, Nelson County has declined to pay the required Dogwood District games in favor of an Independent schedule and thus will start 2018 not eligible for the VHSL Playoffs. The chances of the Governors making it would have been slim anyway as this is another text book example of why the VHSL needs to go to an 8-man football division for smaller schools to have a better chance to compete.
Fun Fact: By playing an independent schedule Nelson County avoids Dogwood powers Gretna and Appomattox and instead plays Craig County and Massanutten Military. Of their 274 points scored last season, 82 were scored against Massanutten which equates to 30% of their total points scored for the season.
2018 Schedule:
August 24- vs. Bath County
August 31- at Page County
September 7- at Craig County
September 14- at George Mason
September 21- vs. Parry McCluer
September 28- at Covington
October 5- vs. Madison County
October 12- vs. Massanutten Military
October 19- vs. Strasburg
October 26- Open date
November 2- vs. Rappahannock County
Altavista Colonels (Class 1; Region 1B)
2017 Record: 3 – 9 overall; 1- 5 Dogwood District
Head Coach: Andy Cox – 1st season overall; 1st season at Altavista
2017 Points Scored: 211 (17.6 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 438 (36.5 average per game)
Mike Scharnus called it a career as a Head Coach at Altavista after 11 seasons and 3 state championships. His last Altavista team showed all the signs of a team that suffered major losses to graduation going 2-8 in the regular season before going 1-1 in the playoffs. The Colonels lost in the Regional Semi-Finals to eventual state champion Riverheads 49 – 0. Cox returns to Altavista where he was an assistant on three state championship teams and he comes from Appomattox where he won three more titles as an assistant. Last year’s record was Altavista’s worst since going 2-8 in 2007, which was Scharnus’ first season.
Fun Fact: From 2013 – 2014 Altavista went 29-1 with back to back state championships. The Colonels were led by Quarterback Juan Thornhill who is now a Senior Defensive Back at the University of Virginia and don’t be surprised if he’s not an All-American this season.
2018 Schedule:
August 24- vs. Central-Lunenburg
August 31- at Prince Edward County
September 7- vs. Staunton River
September 14- at Rustburg
September 21- at William Campbell
September 28- vs. Gretna
October 5- at Dan River
October 12- at Gretna
October 19- Open date
October 26- vs. Chatham
November 2- at Appomattox
William Campbell Generals (Class 1; Region 1B)
2017 Record: 9 -3 overall; 4-1 Dogwood District
Head Coach: Danny Broggin – 3rd season overall; 3rd season at William Campbell (Career Record: 14 – 9) (Record at School 14 – 9)
2017 Points Scored: 434 (43.4 average per game)
2017 Points Allowed: 326 (27.2 average per game)
The spread offense and points in bunches is back in Naruna. Broggin is a former Brad Bradley assistant at William Campbell and when he got the head coaching job, he junked the single wing offense the Generals had been using and went back to the spread. After a 5-6 first season, the Generals won 9 games last year scoring at least 30 points in 8 of their 12 games. The Generals lost in the Regional Finals to eventual state champion Riverheads in which they were held to just 14 points, their lowest total of the season.
Fun Fact: Under Bradley from 2002 – 2008, William Campbell was 75 – 16 with two state championships. In the 9 seasons since he left, William Campbell has had 7 losing seasons.
2018 Schedule:
August 24- vs. Randolph-Henry
August 31- at Central-Lunenburg
September 7- at Patrick County
September 14- Open date
September 21- vs. Altavista
September 28- vs. Parry McCluer
October 5- at Gretna
October 12- vs. Appomattox
October 19- vs. Dan River
October 26- at Thomas Jefferson-Richmond
November 2- at Chatham
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