Game of the Week Preview: Louisa County @Midlothian
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The high school football playoffs are here, and it’s win or go home. This week’s 8Sports Blitz fan-voted on Playoff Game of the Week brings us to Class 5 Region C, where the 8-2 Louisa County Lions will travel to Midlothian to face the 7-3 Trojans. The Lions have had an impressive turnaround this season. After starting the year 0-2, they have bounced back with eight straight wins, earning them a spot in the playoffs. Head coach Will Patrick spoke about the team’s journey and the mindset going into the postseason. “I think everyone who starts in August, this is always your goal—to reach the second season we call it. Any playoff game, especially in Region 5C, is going to be a tough game, and hopefully, an exciting game,” said Patrick. For the Lions, the key to success has been their ability to improve with each week. As they head into their playoff opener, Coach Patrick emphasized the importance of staying focused and enjoying the moment: “Fly around, have fun. At the end of the day, we are playing a football game in November. It’s pretty cool. We finally got some cold weather, some late fall weather," said Patrick. "We are just excited about the opportunity to get on the bus and go down to Midlothian and compete. Honestly, everyone is excited." On the other side of the field, the Midlothian Trojans entered the playoffs on a different note. After a strong 7-1 start to the season, they’ve stumbled in the final stretch, losing their last two games. Despite that, Head Coach Phil Gross is focused on moving forward and putting the past behind them: “We talked a lot about putting everything behind us. Get out of the rearview mirror and get into the front windshield, it’s a little bigger and easier to look out of," said Gross. "And we just talked about how it’s playoff time now. It’s 0-0 for everyone at this point. We are in, we got a home game. Let’s go, let’s get after it." For the Trojans, hosting a playoff game in front of their home fans is an added boost of energy. Coach Gross noted how important it is to have the support of their community and the familiarity of playing at home: “It’s a great thing. It’s great for our community. Obviously, it’s great for our school, it’s great for our players. You know, they want to hear their fans behind them cheering them on, and I like the fact that we don’t have to take the longer bus ride. Anytime you have to keep the same thing, the same routine for the players, that’s the big thing. We get to keep our routine, which is nice,” said Gross. Friday night's game is set for 7 p.m. at Midlothian High School, 8Sports will have full coverage of the game.
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The high school football playoffs are here, and it’s win or go home.
This week’s 8Sports Blitz fan-voted on Playoff Game of the Week brings us to Class 5 Region C, where the 8-2 Louisa County Lions will travel to Midlothian to face the 7-3 Trojans.
The Lions have had an impressive turnaround this season. After starting the year 0-2, they have bounced back with eight straight wins, earning them a spot in the playoffs. Head coach Will Patrick spoke about the team’s journey and the mindset going into the postseason.
“I think everyone who starts in August, this is always your goal—to reach the second season we call it. Any playoff game, especially in Region 5C, is going to be a tough game, and hopefully, an exciting game,” said Patrick.
For the Lions, the key to success has been their ability to improve with each week. As they head into their playoff opener, Coach Patrick emphasized the importance of staying focused and enjoying the moment:
“Fly around, have fun. At the end of the day, we are playing a football game in November. It’s pretty cool. We finally got some cold weather, some late fall weather," said Patrick. "We are just excited about the opportunity to get on the bus and go down to Midlothian and compete. Honestly, everyone is excited."
On the other side of the field, the Midlothian Trojans entered the playoffs on a different note. After a strong 7-1 start to the season, they’ve stumbled in the final stretch, losing their last two games. Despite that, Head Coach Phil Gross is focused on moving forward and putting the past behind them:
“We talked a lot about putting everything behind us. Get out of the rearview mirror and get into the front windshield, it’s a little bigger and easier to look out of," said Gross. "And we just talked about how it’s playoff time now. It’s 0-0 for everyone at this point. We are in, we got a home game. Let’s go, let’s get after it."
For the Trojans, hosting a playoff game in front of their home fans is an added boost of energy. Coach Gross noted how important it is to have the support of their community and the familiarity of playing at home:
“It’s a great thing. It’s great for our community. Obviously, it’s great for our school, it’s great for our players. You know, they want to hear their fans behind them cheering them on, and I like the fact that we don’t have to take the longer bus ride. Anytime you have to keep the same thing, the same routine for the players, that’s the big thing. We get to keep our routine, which is nice,” said Gross.
Friday night's game is set for 7 p.m. at Midlothian High School, 8Sports will have full coverage of the game.
