James Wood (3-1, 0-1 Northwestern) at Warren County (2-1, 1-0)
It’s safe to say that last year’s score between these two teams won’t repeat itself.
The Colonels blasted the Wildcats 72-6 last year at Kelican Stadium, with Xavier Price hauling in five touchdown receptions (19, 61, 68, 82 and 8 yards) to total 238 yards from Owen Neal, who passed for 322 yards and ran for a TD. James Wood scored on every possession except its last when time ran out in a 478-yard performance.
That’s the most recent of 19 straight games the Wildcats have lost to The Winchester Star-area schools of James Wood, Clarke County, Handley, Millbrook and Sherando. Warren County hasn’t defeated any of those schools since defeating the Colonels in 2017.
From 2018-2025, Warren County had only one season with more than two wins, a 7-6 campaign in 2022. With a 2-1 record, this year’s Wildcats have already matched last year’s win total, and they’ve been impressive in doing so.
Warren County opened with a 58-12 win over Rock Ridge. In Week 3, the Wildcats led 20-0 against defending Class 2 state champion Strasburg before ultimately falling 35-34. Warren County went for the win on a two-point conversion with 41 seconds left but was sacked.
Last week, Warren County defeated 2025 Class 3 state runner-up Kettle Run, which has mastered the Winchester-Frederick County schools in recent years, 35-28 in overtime. The Cougars are 21-1 against Winchester-Frederick County since 2021, with the only loss coming in 2025 against Millbrook, and Kettle Run was undefeated this season until losing to the Wildcats.
Warren County is a veteran team that Wildcats fourth-season head coach Josh Breeden felt had the best offseason it has had in his tenure this year.
The Wildcats are led by quarterback Bryce Bergmann, who has completed 54 of 79 passes for 956 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. Bergmann (106 yards and three TDs on 20 rushing attempts) has accounted for 87.1 percent of the offense for the Wildcats, who are averaging 406.3 yards per game (87.7 rushing).
Last week, Bergmann’s 5-yard rushing TD provided the winning points in overtime against Kettle Run. Earlier, he connected on a 57-yard TD pass to Troy DeHaven, ran 8 yards for a TD and hit Makari Robinson for TDs of 11 and 47 yards.
For the season, Robinson has 23 catches for 323 yards and three TDs and DeHaven has brought in 11 passes for 394 yards and six TDs. Javion Smith has 16 catches for 181 yards and a TD. The Wildcats also have senior running back Kaiden Clowser (eight carries, 81 yards, TD).
In short, James Wood figures to see a lot more passes thrown in its direction than last week against Sherando, when the Warriors threw the ball six times and ran for 321 yards.
The Colonels are allowing 193.5 yards per game, including 78 per game passing. James Wood intercepted Bergmann on the first two possessions of last year’s game, with Aidric Yurish returning the first 23 yards for a touchdown. Bergmann finished 10 of 19 for 144 yards and a TD pass last year.
James Wood is led on defense by linebackers Jackson Ledford (41 tackles), Anthony Salvati (40 tackles) and Logan Lafollete (29 tackles, two sacks), defensive back Cannon Edgerton (30 tackles) and defensive lineman Heston LaRue (20 tackles, 8.5 for a loss).
James Wood recorded 364 yards last week against Sherando but was doomed by three fumbles, including one near the Warriors’ goal line with 7:45 left with Sherando up 35-28.
A Colonels team that’s averaging 54 points and 503 yards per game will look to be more efficient this week behind Neal (54 of 75 for 1,084 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions; 37 carries for 313 yards and 10 TDs); Yurish (22 catches for 415 yards and four TDs); Price (12 catches, 280 yards, five TDs); Jackson Lang (14 catches, 273 yards, TD); Ledford (31 carries, 274 yards, four TDs); and Dane Tews (21 carries, 236 yards, 2 TDs).
Warren County won last week’s game by breaking up a fourth-down pass from its 2-yard line in overtime. The Wildcats are allowing 25 points per game and are led on defense by Frank Nelson (22 tackles), Jackson Wrye (17 tackles, two sacks) and Robinson (two sacks). Wye had 10 sacks last year.