Football: This weekend's spotlight games

Ocean Lakes at Salem, 7:30 p.m.

When the teams met in September, Salem led 14-3 in the third quarter when the game was stopped because of lightning. The game resumed the next day, and Ocean Lakes rallied for an 18-14 victory. This time the teams meet in a Division 6 quarterfinal.

Starring roles

Ocean Lakes (8-2) Eli Harold (below) leads on offense and defense. Offensively, he has 36 receptions for 650 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, he has 23 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. Quarterback Corwin Cutler has thrown for 1,597 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions.

Salem (9-1) Quarterback Bucky Hodges has thrown for 1,554 yards and 20 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Running back Divante Walker has rushed for 1,372 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is averaging 12 yards per carry, the top average among regulars in South Hampton Roads.

Plot twists

Salem’s players and coaches can’t forget their regular-season game against Ocean Lakes.

They led in the third quarter on Friday, but returned the next day and lost.

“I take total responsibility for that loss,” Salem coach Robert Jackson said. “We did a poor job of coming back the next day to play a football game.

“This time if you come out there like that, you’re done. This takes on another element. There aren’t any slip-ups in the playoffs.”

Salem, which wound up being Beach District champions and the No. 2 seed in Division 6, has played lights out on defense since that loss. The SunDevils have outscored opponents 226-7 the past five games, including four consecutive shutouts.

But they must find a way to stop Harold, who not only played wide receiver but also lined up in the Wildcat formation to rush for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the last meeting.

Salem will counter with an offense that’s led by Hodges.

“A lot of what we do on Friday,” Jackson said, “hinges on what he does.”

How it will end

Larry Rubama says The SunDevils get revenge. Salem, 27-21.

Jami Frankenberry says SunDevils were shell-shocked last time. Not again. Salem, 20-13.

Also showing

Division 5: Great Bridge (6-4) at Lake Taylor (8-1), 7 p.m. Saturday

This has been a disappointing season for Great Bridge.

The Wildcats were picked to finish second in the Southeastern District. But after losing a close game in their season opener to Oscar Smith, the Wildcats struggled. Their four regular-season losses were the most by a Great Bridge team since 2008.

Now, though, the Wildcats can make everyone forget about those losses with a long run in the postseason.

The seventh-seeded Wildcats meet No. 2 seed Lake Taylor, the Eastern District regular-season champion, in a Division 5 quarterfinal.

The Titans have won seven consecutive games since losing to Bethel, and outscored opponents by an average of 42-9.

The Wildcats rely on running back Adriell Mayes, who led South Hampton Roads with 1,927 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns while averaging nearly 30 carries per game. He finished third on the South Hampton Roads’ single-season rushing list.

"Their back has almost 2,000 yards," Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer said. "That’s a lot of yards. So you have to be ready to stop that."

Sawyer has a good running game of his own featuring backs Brandon Moore and Torrey Palmer, who have rushed for 985 and 779 yards, respectively.

"They’re going to run hard," Sawyer said.

Larry says  Lake Taylor 26-20.

Jami says  Lake Taylor 31-14.

- Larry Rubama