Key storylines as high school football returns in Henrico
High school football is less than a week away, and there are several storylines to follow in Henrico County.
Can Varina repeat as state champs?
The leading story this fall is on Route 5. Varina High School’s football program looks to repeat last season’s success of climbing to the Class 4 mountaintop – a journey that culminated with a 47-0 win against Loudoun County in the state championship game.
Head Coach Marcus Lewis, selected as the 2025 VHSL Class 4 state coach of the year, leads a loaded cast of all-state talent on the roster and on both sides of the ball.
Kaleb Wyche (an East Tennessee State commit) quarterbacks the Blue Devils after earning first team all-state status and VHSL Class 4 Offensive Player of the Year recognition in 2025.
Defensive End R.J Hudson (a Clemson commit), returns after a second-team all-state selection to anchor the defensive along with first-team all-state defensive back Sair Rex (a Virginia commit).
The Blue Devils also landed Dinwiddie transfer Zion Boisseau (a University of Richmond commit), who will play defensive back for Varina after quarterbacking the Generals last season.
The Blue Devils face the pressure of a challenging schedule and early projections from MaxPreps that place them as the top team in Class 4 again; can the Devils retrace their steps to the state title? Stay tuned.
Can Highland Springs return to the top?
The Springers are the perennial Class 5C favorite, perhaps the New England Patriots of old in the East End, with a resume that speaks for itself.
Since 2014, Highland Springs has earned nine regional titles, three state runner-ups (including last season) and five state championships. Coach Loren Johnson’s Springers haven’t lost more than four games a season in more than a decade.
Johnson himself is a product of the Frank Beamer-led Virginia Tech Hokies, who defined the quiet professionalism of the early 2000s gridiron in the ACC. Perhaps that’s one reason the Springers are 146-20 (an 88% winning percentage) during the last 12 years.
What's in store for Hermitage?
There’s winning in the air at Hermitage, too. Head Coach Timothy Jean-Pierre enters his sixth season at the helm of the program; last he led the Panthers to a 10-3 record and regional title game appearance.
His returning roster includes some standout talent among 16 returning starters.
This fall, the Panthers’ offense looks towards quarterback Myles Brooks for leadership. Now a senior, the son of former Virginia and NFL quarterback Aaron Brooks has been with the program since the beginning of the rebuild under Jean-Pierre. His brother, Tyson, also will play a key role in the Panthers' offense, which will be on display for the first time Aug. 27 at Matoaca.
Can the Panthers keep adding to their win column to make a deep playoff run?
Citizen Picks: Week 0 and Week 1 games to watch
(All start times are at 7 p.m.)
Aug. 27 – Hermitage at Matoaca
Aug. 28 – Glen Allen at Prince George
Sept. 3 – Henrico at Hermitage, Midlothian at Freeman
Sept. 4 – Huguenot at Highland Springs, Varina at Maury
