The James Wood High School football team has accomplished a great deal since the start of the 2019 season.
A 42-31 record. Six winning seasons out of eight, including this year, which is the first time the Colonels have had a stretch like that since they had 13 winning seasons and two .500 seasons from 1963-77. Two wins over Sherando in 2021 (one in the spring, one in the fall) to match their total for the first 27 years of the series from 1993-2019.
Three things they haven’t achieved since the start of 2019? A playoff win, a victory over Handley and an eight-win season. Time will tell if the Colonels will achieve the first feat, but they can end the last two of the three aforementioned droughts on Saturday.
James Wood (7-1, 4-1 Northwestern District) will travel to Handley (5-3, 3-2 district) for a 1 p.m. game at James R. Wilkins Jr. Stadium. The Colonels are looking for their first win over Handley since 2018 and their first eight-win season since 2008, while the Judges will look to snap a two-game losing streak in which their high-powered offense has been held to seven points in each defeat.
With James Wood off last week, the Colonels’ record book got a chance to relax a little bit. James Wood’s offensive production has been off the charts, with an average of 56.5 points per game this season. Of the four other high schools, Clarke County (46.7 in 2009) is the only one that has come within 10 points of that. Handley averaged 43.0 in 2024, Millbrook hit 42.8 in 2017 and Sherando put up 42.2 in 2016.
James Wood — which had its fourth game of more than 60 points this year the last time it took the field with a 62-21 win against Liberty on Oct. 16 — has only been held under 48 points once. It’s averaging 549.1 yards per game and 11.8 yards per play.
The performance of the Colonels’ offensive line has been vital to those historic numbers. James Wood head coach Todd Wilson gave the unit high praise after the first day of practice in July, and they’ve shown why they deserved those words every week. The Colonels’ starting lineup features senior left tackle Lane Herring, junior left guard Brian Snider, senior center Timber Hough, junior right guard Donny Ramirez and senior right tackle Sawyer Farr.
Wilson said the group’s consistency is what stands out most, whether the Colonels are in offseason workouts or this season’s practices and games.
“It’s just a dedicated group of young men, and that’s really what’s kind of led them to have a lot of success,” Wilson said. “They’re not 6-foot-6, massive players that you plug in and just tell them to go to work. They’ve worked really hard to get to where they’re at, and that’s what made that group so special to be around and to coach. After all the hard work they’ve put in, now they’re able to reap the benefits. They’re seeing that their dedication and hard work will pay off in a lot of things in life.”
They’ll block for a James Wood offense that’s all over the area leaderboard. Owen Neal has completed 110 of 163 passes for 2,415 yards, 26 touchdowns and three interceptions, and he’s run for 752 yards and 20 TDs on 77 carries. Aidric Yurish has 45 receptions for 933 yards and eight TDs. Xavier Price has caught 31 passes for 744 yards and 14 TDs. Jackson Ledford has rushed 60 times for 542 yards and eight TDs and Dane Tews has picked up 436 yards and four TDs on 41 carries.
Generally speaking, defenses love when they can force a quarterback out of the pocket. But that doesn’t make things any easier against James Wood, a team that Handley coach Jake Smith said makes you defend the entire width of the field.
“When [Neal] is scrambling around and running around, that’s when their biggest plays seem to happen,” Smith said. “It makes [the Colonels] very difficult to prepare for. Unscheduled plays, those are hard to replicate from a practice standpoint.”
Smith gives Yurish credit for his ability to find space and praised Price for his ability to stretch the field and create big plays.
Handley is allowing 300.4 yards and 27.6 points per game after giving up 452 yards in last week’s 42-7 loss to Sherando. Smith said the Judges were going to need a great week of practice from its scout team in preparation for Saturday.
“We’ve got to make sure we can contain the quarterback so when he’s in off-schedule situations, he’s not out on the hash, making plays and throwing the ball,” Smith said. “Contain him to being inside the pocket and take away some running lanes, use the sideline to your advantage. And then in the scramble drill situation, we can’t lose receivers.”
The Judges are led on defense by end Zy’Air Ford (72 tackles, 30 for a loss, 10.5 sacks), linebacker Henry Buelow (53 tackles, nine TFL), linebacker/defensive back Miguel Perez Fernandez (47 tackles, three interceptions) and lineman Tyler Davis (45 tackles, 11 TFL, 2.5 sacks).
Wilson notes that James Wood could see Handley quarterback Triston Darling aiding the effort after the Judges made heavy use of him in the second half at free safety against Sherando. Darling had six tackles (four solo) and recorded one of the Judges’ two TFLs for the entire game.
“We’ve got to play fundamental football,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to focus on what we do. We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot by turning the ball over, having penalties, those types of things.”
The Judges left their game with Sherando frustrated after committing four turnovers for the game and going 0 for 3 in the red zone in the first half. Handley did put up 324 yards against Sherando, a total only exceeded by James Wood (364) against the Warriors this season.
Handley’s offensive line features Davis at left tackle, sophomore Leilynd Moorer at left guard, senior Mikey Carlson at center, sophomore Shane Robinson at right guard and senior Nate Brown at right tackle. Carlson — who had 32 tackles at linebacker through seven games — made his first start at center against the Warriors.
“I think Mikey did a great job in his first time playing the center position,” Smith said. “He didn’t have any bad snaps and he did a good job of getting where he needed to be when he needed to be there. I think the O-line as a whole played a pretty good game on Saturday.”
Aided by the return of the Warren brothers from injury at wide receiver, (Demarion and Jahkobi combined for 13 catches, 168 yards and one TD), Handley’s passing attack had plenty of success outside of the interceptions against the Warriors.
For the season, Darling is 71 of 133 for 1,089 yards, 11 TDs and 10 interceptions and has run for 1,050 yards and 17 TDs on 110 carries. Jalen Washington has 100 carries for 772 yards and 10 TDs and Demarion Warren leads the Judges with 19 catches for 437 yards and four TDs. The Judges are averaging 403.6 yards and 38.4 points per game.
James Wood’s defense includes linebackers Ledford (79 tackles, 9.5 TFL), Anthony Salvati (71 tackles) and Logan Lafollette (67 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) and defensive back Cannon Edgerton (42 tackles). The Colonels are surrendering 231.8 yards and 19.4 points per game.
“If you give Triston a crease, he can take it the house,” Wilson said. “And he has some skill guys out on the edge that can get open, and if they get the ball in their hands, they can take it the house as well.
“We have to try and do the best we can to keep somebody as explosive like their quarterback Triston is in check as much as we can. Keep eyes on him, get a lot of pressure. And when he is out of the pocket, we have to be aware of who has contain responsibilities on certain plays. The biggest keys are trying to stop their run game, and also understanding he’s a good passing quarterback as well and can beat you in that area also.”
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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