Past Champions

2017: Colonial Forge 12-1 (6-0)

2018: Colonial Forge 11-1 (6-0)

2019: Colonial Forge 11-3 (6-0)

2020: Massaponax 8-1 (6-0)

2021: Mountain View 11-2 (5-1), Riverbend 9-3 (5-1) Massaponax 6-2 (5-1)

2022: Mountain View 11-2 (5-1)

2023: Mountain View 11-1 (6-0)

The Commonwealth District has consistently produced some of the areas deepest teams over the years and has become a district of giant schools as now 5 of the 7 schools compete in Class 6. It has been a while since a team out of this district has been able to capture a regional championship however. Massaponax in 2020 was the last team to accomplish that feat before falling to a loaded Oscar Smith team. So what does a quick overview of this district tell us? Well first let's cover the coaching changes that took place in this district. On the Spotsy side of the district both Riverbend and Massaponax had to replace their successful coaches. Riverbend had to replace Nathan Yates who stepped down after 5 seasons. While Eric Ludden retired after a legendary run being the only coach in Massaponax's history and striking fear into his opponents heart across the Old Dominion state with his Triple Option attack. We will talk about their replacements and more in this preview.

Colonial Forge

Wins Projection: 9.5

In my humble opinion it would be hard to find a more complete team this season in the 540. The Eagles have the pieces at all of the right spots. The Offensive line returns experience and is led by (Senior) Jake Mangano who is committed to Shepherd Univeristy. (Junior) Brock Brimhall will look to have a break out season in his first full season as starting QB after he took over about half way through last season and increased their scoring output on offense by about a Touchdown a game. Brimhall will have no shortage of weapons to throw it to, however the biggest weapon on offense is likely coming out of the backfield. Josiah Bryson had a spectacular year on the ground in 2023 and will look to improve on that this season. On the defensive side, you will notice much of the same, experienced players that already have all-district/all-region seasons on their resume. (Senior) CB Caleb Cleveland will be the leader in the secondary for the Eagles while Forge will look for players like (Junior) DT Anton Samuels and LB Josiah Bryson who plays both ways to dominate in the trenches... Their schedule is far from a cake walk... The Commonwealth district alone has it's traps, a trip to Woodbridge to face an athletic Viking team led by (Sophomore) QB Denari Hill on opening night will say a lot about the 2024 Eagles. Look for their matchups vs Patriot and Mountain View this season to be their most important games.

Mountain View

Wins Projection: 8.5

For the past 3 seasons it is pretty clear that Mountain View has been the most consistent team in this district. Many assumed last season that after graduating Ike Daniels, Collin Carrol, Jackson Sigler and Jaiden Fair that the Wildcats would take a step back into the middle of the pack. And then when news that future Georgia Bulldog Kris Jones was transferring to Fairfax many people were even more confident in that line of thinking. In response the Wildcats completed their first ever undefeated regular season and won most of their district matchups in dominant fashion. This season with defensive studs Eric Mensah and Jackson Hamil off to college how will the Wildcats plan to hold their place at the top of the district? Well as usual for the Wildcats it starts on defense, (Senior) LB Nick English (Senior) CB Elias Hines, and (Senior) OLB Will Hepburn are 3 veterans returning that the Wildcats will Lean on to get offenses off of the field. Offensively there will be plenty of turnover, however (Junior) RB Torie Martin returns after recording over 1100 all-purpose yards last season. at QB it appears the Wildcats will go with (Junior) QB Bryce Lambert who has spent 2 years in the programs and will look to get the ball to a variety of new young weapons and returning 6'5 (Senior) WR Tyler Tanks. For the Wildcats it will be interesting to see how they fair not just in the district but also outside of it. Forest Park is expected to be much improved and they return 4 offensive lineman 2 of those lineman will be playing Division 1 football in 2025. Centreville and Woodgrove are both long away trips and are expected to be improved, and Patriot towards the end of the year returns most of the team that took Mountian View to the wire in a 14-13 game last season. With so many potential fresh faces, another 10-0 season would be another huge accomplishment however we have a tendency to trust programs that have shown us before.

Stafford

Wins Projection: 6.5

Please do not adjust your laptop/iphone or whatever you are using to read this article. We understand that many of you are raising your eyebrows to see our win total for Stafford this high. After all of the talk about Stafford's improvement, the Indians have just one win in this district since 2020. On top of that they haven't had a winning season since the reached the state semis in 2o17. So why am I predicting them to win at least 6 games? Well let's start with the most obvious... Richmond bound (Senior) RB Michael Creamer and (Senior) QB/S/ATH Zion Gray gives the Indians one of the best 1/2 punches around the 540. The Indians will not just rely on their athleticism on offense this season in the trenches (Senior) OL Zavion Harris and (Senior) OL Antonio Seals return and will look to open space and provide time for their explosive combo. Defensively many of the same faces will look to make an impact, and are aided with the presence of (Senior) DL Jaheim Bunns and (Junior) DB Nate Leslie. The days of expecting little to nothing from Stafford is over, I feel this team is ready to make the next step. A look at their schedule shows 4 extremely winnable out of district games, if they can find a way to take all 4 and knock off just 2 Commonwealth district opponents. The Indians could take yet another step and maybe contend for a playoff spot.

Riverbend

Wins Projection: 5.5

The departure of Nathan Yates has led to many questions around the Riverbend football program. Along with Yates's resignation, the Bears also lost leaders like QB Tanner Triplett and WR Amir Mateo to graduation. However I believe this Bears team will have the potential to continue to be a thorn in some teams. The Bears are returning just as much talent as several teams in the area, (Senior) RB JoJo Thomas, (Sophomore) WR/DB Camden Simmons and (Senior) OL Jayvion Cervantes are all returning offensive pieces that will look to keep their new QB comfortable in his new role. On defense names like (Senior) LB Mason Fowler, (Junior) LB Tristan Greene and (Junior) DB Mekhi Davis will all be names that will make a difference for the Bears on the defensive side of the ball this fall. New Head Coach Ed Wedd has the unenviable task of leading his team into one of the most difficult out of district schedules in this area. After a rivalry game to open their season against Chancellor, the Bears will take on Forest Park, King George, Highland Springs, and then start district play against Mountain View. The Bears were not able to get through that stretch above .500 a season ago, if they can flip it this season it could be a big surprise season.

Massaponax

Wins Projection: 5

Though they are not the only team to be going through a coaching change, few teams have as many inquiring minds wondering about their football programs plans as the Massaponax Panthers do. The Massaponax Panthers are entering a new era, but don’t expect them to stray too far from what’s made them a perennial playoff team. After a 5-5 season and a second-round playoff exit at the hands of Stone Bridge, the Panthers will be looking to build on that foundation under new head coach Shane Ludden, who takes over for his father, Eric Ludden, a coaching legend in the region. Shane Ludden inherits a team that’s hungry to prove itself and still dedicated to the run game that made the Panthers tough to beat.

Offensively, all eyes are on (Senior) RB Gabe Newby-Morris, who will be the workhorse in the backfield. However, it’s (Junior) QB Ian Shook who could be the X-factor, with his dual-threat ability adding a new wrinkle to the familiar triple option attack. Defensively, (Junior) DE/TE Declan Ta'amai and OLB Josiah Perry will anchor a unit that’s looking to create chaos at the line of scrimmage. The Panthers’ success will largely depend on how quickly they adjust to the new coaching regime, but with the talent they have, they’re poised to make noise in the district again this year. When looking at their schedule, early season matchups against Independence, Glen Allen, Louisa and Matoaca all are tough games against opponents that all made the playoffs a season ago. The Panthers may not be in the traditional flexbone all game like in years past, but expect the new look to give teams fits.

Brooke Point

Wins Projection: 5

The Brooke Point Black-Hawks have been working relentlessly to turn the page on several frustrating seasons. It’s been since 2019 that they last made the playoffs, and not since 2018 have they posted a winning record. Entering his 7th season, head coach Dwight Haselwood now sits as one of the veterans in this district now being tied for the 2nd longest tenured coach and by now he knows how tough coaching in this district can be. The Black-Hawks finished 4-6 last year, and the departure of talented (Junior) RB Isaiah Willis to John Champe to go alongside with the graduation of Daniel Coles hasn’t made the road ahead any easier. But this roster has plenty of talent. (Senior) QB Gabe Dombek, who holds an offer from Memphis, will be the leader of this offense. With his arm and field vision, he has the potential to light up the scoreboard. Protecting him will be (Senior) T/DT Jonah Fuga, a key transfer from back-to-back Class 6 Champion Freedom. Fuga brings championship experience to both sides of the ball, and his presence should bolster both the offensive and defensive lines. Add in (Senior) TE/DE Jacob Dalton and promising (Sophomore) T/DT Allie Bangura, and the Black-Hawks have a core that could make some noise.

The question remains: Can they put it all together? If so, Brooke Point might just end their playoff drought in 2024.

North Stafford

Wins Projection: 3.5

The North Stafford Wolverines are in uncharted territory. A once-dominant program that regularly competed for district and regional titles has found itself at rock bottom, going 1-19 over the past two seasons. After a winless 2023 campaign, head coach Marquez Hall, now in his 3rd season, is tasked with resurrecting a proud program that hasn’t seen the playoffs since their 2019 regional title run. There’s cautious optimism around the program, thanks to a revamped coaching staff and a core of young talent eager to turn things around. (Senior) RB Micah Brown is the engine of this offense, boasting blistering 4.4 speed and two HBCU offers. His ability to break big plays will be key to turning things around. The Wolverines will also look to (Junior) QB Chase Sullivan to spark a more dynamic attack, (Sophomore) WR/DB Naz Sullivan, and (Junior) WR/DB Ricky Adkins serving as reliable targets. On defense, (Senior) LB Kon’trel Hamn and (Senior) LB Alon Lester and will anchor a unit that’s looking to get back to its physical, hard-hitting ways. The road back to relevance won’t be easy, but there’s a sense of renewed energy at North Stafford. If the Wolverines’ young talent can mature quickly and the new coaching staff can instill confidence, they might just surprise a few people this season.