Football: News and notes from Hampton Roads

Lakeland is a surprising 4-0

Lakeland is 4-0 for the first time since 2001 – a year the Cavaliers won their first five games. To duplicate that feat, Lakeland has to upend top-ranked Oscar Smith – the seven-time defending Southeastern District champion – Friday at Oscar Smith.

The Tigers have outscored district opponents 110-34 since a loss to nationally-ranked Gilman.

“This is something I want them to experience because they’ve never been in this position before,” said Lakeland coach Glenwood Ferebee, whose team went 0-10 last season. “We’re young and it will be good for us to go ahead and get this experience. Win or lose, I’m happy where we are. If we win, that’s icing on the cake because nobody expected us to be here and no one is expecting us to win.”

The Cavaliers might be without injured quarterback Zach Super. Raekwon Johnson, a running back-turned-QB, has accounted for 13 TDs this season and has thrown for 303 yards since replacing Super midway through a game two weeks ago.

“Hopefully (Super) will be ready,” Ferebee said, “but if he can’t then we have Raekwon, and he can do it all.”

Tickets Oscar Smith will sell tickets for Friday’s game today through Friday outside the school’s main office from noon to 2 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for grades 1-5.

He said it

“I age two years every time he touches the ball. He’s just a phenomenal football player.” - Norcom coach Larry Archie, referring to Booker T. Washington WR/RB Lafayette Smallwood. The Greyhounds limited Smallwood to 80 total yards in Saturday’s 41-19 victory.

Bayside healing after tough stretch

Bayside coach Darnell Moore has been coaching for 25 seasons, but never have his teams played three games in nine days.

Because of postponements, most Beach District teams finished such a stretch Saturday.

The Marlins (4-1) survived it with victories over Ocean Lakes, First Colonial and Kempsville.

“It was uncharted waters for me,” Moore said.

Besides fatigue, Moore also was concerned with the slippery and muddy field conditions Saturday. RB Taquan Mizzell (507 yards, 11 TDs) re-aggravated an ankle injury Saturday and finished with three carries and 20 yards.

“His ankle is still bothering him,” Moore said. “But we took him out because we didn’t want to take a chance with the wet field conditions.”

By the numbers

748: Rushing yards this season for Great Bridge’s Adriell Mayes, who leads South Hampton Roads. Mayes averages 6.3 yards on 119 carries and has scored 10 TDs. (NOTE: An earlier version of this story did not credit Mayes for all of his yards vs. Grassfield.)

– Compiled by Larry Rubama and Jami Frankenberry

South Hampton Roads Top 10

The Virginian-Pilot’s South Hampton Roads high school football poll, as voted upon by Pilot football staffers Jami Frankenberry, Larry Rubama, Lee Tolliver, Chris Carlson, Ray Nimmo and Paul Eldert (first-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, voting points and previous rank):

1. Oscar Smith (4); 3-1; 57; 1

2. Salem (2); 4-0; 56; 2

3. Bayside; 4-1; 46; 3 

4. Norcom; 4-1; 40; 4

5. Grassfield; 4-0; 35;5 

6. Ocean Lakes; 4-1; 33; 6

7. Lakeland; 4-0; 25; 8

8. Lake Taylor; 2-1; 14; 10

9. Great Bridge; 2-2; 12; 9

10. Landstown; 3-1; 5; 7

Also receiving votes: Hickory 3, Kellam 3, Bishop Sullivan 2.