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)

2024: Stafford 9-2 (5-1), North Stafford 9-3 (5-1) Riverbend 8-4 (5-1)

The Commonwealth District continues to be one of the most competitive battlegrounds in Northern Virginia, with massive enrollments, proud communities, and deep-rooted rivalries fueling the fire each fall. While Class 6 dominance from this district has been elusive in recent years, 2024 brought a resurgence of pride and parity across the board. North Stafford bounced back in a major way from a winless 2023, going 9-3, grabbing a share of the district title, and returning several key pieces that make them dangerous heading into 2025. Meanwhile, Colonial Forge — despite finishing just fourth in the regular season flipped the script when it mattered most, knocking off Stafford and North in the playoffs en route to a Regional Championship victory over Patriot out of the Cedar Run.

Riverbend made another strong push in Class 5, reaching the 5D Regional Final before once again running into their postseason roadblock in Briar Woods. Coaching turnover also made waves this offseason. Lou Sorrentino stepped away from Mountain View after 14 seasons, finishing with a 109-64 record and three district titles since taking over in 2010. He’ll be replaced by Nathan Yates, who returns to the sideline after taking 2024 off. Yates previously led Riverbend to a 32-21 mark from 2019 to 2023.

Over at Stafford, Jeff Drugatz stepped down after guiding the Indians to a 9-2 season and a share of the district crown. He leaves with a 15-16 record across three years. But the movement didn’t stop at coaches the transfer portal made noise too. Mountain View’s dynamic athlete Torie Martin transferred across town to Colonial Forge for his senior season, while Brooke Point’s wideout, Javier Hubbard, made the jump to district rival North Stafford.

So what does this all mean for 2025? We'll break it all down team by team coaching changes, player movement, strengths, weaknesses, and who’s got the edge in what’s shaping up to be another wild year in the 540.

Colonial Forge

Wins Projection: 9.5

The Eagles might have finished fourth in the district standings a year ago, but 2024 proved that postseason football is a whole different animal in Stafford County. Forge brought it when it mattered most, storming through Stafford and North to win the Region 6B Championship before falling short of a state berth. Now, they return a veteran core that looks built to keep the trophy in Stafford. Senior QB Brock Brimhall is back to steer the offense, with sophomore WR Darion Majeed, senior TE/WR TaySean Jones, and senior DB/WR Jeremiah Wise all providing explosive playmaking ability on both sides of the ball. Senior LB Jaylen Carter (Monmouth commit) anchors the defense, and the Eagles get a major boost in the backfield with the arrival of senior RB Torie Martin, a Mountain View transfer who earned All-Region honors as a sophomore.

The non-district slate will test them early they’ll open at home against a South County team breaking in a new staff, host Patriot, travel to Gainesville, and host Oakton before district play begins. The question now is simple: can this experienced group not only defend its Regional crown, but also make the jump to become the first Stafford County team to reach a state championship game since 2004?

North Stafford

Wins Projection: 7

If Colonial Forge stole the headlines in the postseason, North Stafford owned the story of the regular season. After going 1-19 across his first two years, head coach Marquez Hall engineered one of the most shocking turnarounds you’ll find anywhere in Virginia, guiding the Wolverines to an 8-2 regular season and a share of the Commonwealth crown. Their playoff opener showed the grit of this new era down 21-0 to Woodbridge, North stormed all the way back for a 35-28 win before eventually bowing out to Forge 17-6.

Now, the Wolverines return as much firepower as anyone in the state. Senior QB Chase Sullivan headlines an offense loaded with weapons. Junior WR/S Kenaz Sullivan is one of the area’s top prospects a 3-star safety with offers from nearly every major program in the country while senior WR/DB Ricky Adkins brings elite speed to match his three state long jump titles. The summer transfer carousel also swung heavily in North’s favor. Senior WR/DB Antwan Barnes was expected to leave for Darryl Overton’s Saint James Academy program, but returned to Stafford to finish his career as a Wolverine. On top of that, North added senior WR Javier Hubbard from Brooke Point, giving Sullivan yet another target to work with in a suddenly stacked receiver room.

Defensively, senior LB Alon Lester and sophomore LB King Antoine provide the kind of toughness and range that make North dangerous on both sides of the ball. After last year’s breakout, the Wolverines aren’t sneaking up on anybody anymore the question now is whether Hall’s group can take the next step and push for a regional crown of their own.

Riverbend

Wins Projection: 7.5

It’s easy to get caught up in the firepower of the Class 6 schools in this district, but quietly, Riverbend has been just as formidable in Class 5. In year one under head coach Ed Webb, the Bears put the district on notice. They blasted Colonial Forge 34-17, pushed North Stafford to the wire in a 38-33 thriller that needed late heroics from Chase Sullivan to decide, and in the playoffs stunned Stone Bridge 35-21. Sure, it wasn’t the Mickey Thompson Stone Bridge we’ve come to know, but still, that’s no small feat. A week later they fell flat against Briar Woods in a 32-15 loss, but the bigger picture shows a 7-3 regular season and a share of the Commonwealth crown a strong foundation for a team that could be even better this fall.

And the roster? Loaded. All-region RB JoJo Thomas is gone, but almost everyone else is back. Junior WR/DB Cam Simmons, who had to step in at QB last year and sparked the offense, can now slide back to being the dynamic playmaker he’s meant to be. Senior WR/DB Mekhi Davis is one of the fastest players in the state and a nightmare on kick returns. RB/LB Dwayne Stewart (6’0, 220, 4.6 speed) looks like a pretty decent replacement for Thomas in the backfield, while LB/TE Tristan Greene (6’2, 225) brings size and experience. LB Ricky Cedeno returns after earning All-District honors. The Bears also landed a key piece in senior QB Ian Shook, who transferred in from Massaponax, giving their offense a steady leader under center. Up front, junior OL Jimmy Sharon (6’4, 300) and senior OL Ramon Anderson (5’10, 245) anchor a line that should open plenty of holes.

On paper, Riverbend has everything you’d want from a sleeper experience, speed, size, and depth at the right spots. The only question is whether their fan base will actually show up to support them. Because if the Bears can get the same kind of energy in the stands that they’re putting on the field, this group could finally break through that Briar Woods wall and make a real run in Class 5.

Stafford

Wins Projection: 4.5

The Indians are coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory, but 2025 feels like a reset year in more ways than one. Last fall, Stafford rode one of the most dangerous 1-2 punches in the area with QB Zion Gray and RB Michael Creamer two lightning rods on offense who could score from anywhere on the field. Both have now graduated, and head coach Jeff Drugatz stepped down after guiding the team to a 9-2 record and a share of the Commonwealth title.

Enter new head coach Gerard Johnson, who spent last season on staff at Roanoke College and previously helped rebuild a struggling Caroline program into something respectable. He takes over a roster with talent, but plenty of questions to answer. Senior RB/DE Jayden White-Hardy provides a physical presence on both sides of the ball, while sophomore WR/FS Josiah Wright is a young name to watch who could blossom quickly into a star. Senior WR/DB Kimani Morton brings pure speed to the perimeter, joined by versatile playmaker Maxwell Friday. Senior RB Malachi Creamer (Michael’s younger brother) will get his shot at carrying the family torch in the backfield, and senior CB Nate Leslie is the kind of reliable defender who can lock down half the field.

The pieces are there for Stafford to remain competitive, but it’s clear this group has a lot to replace and a new identity to build. Johnson’s challenge will be finding the right formula to keep the Indians near the top of a district that only seems to get tougher every year.

Mountain View

Wins Projection: 5.5

While Stafford was busy celebrating its best season in years, Mountain View was dealing with the opposite reality their worst record since 2007. The Wildcats stumbled to a 3-7 finish and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009, marking the lone postseason miss of the Lou Sorrentino era. With Sorrentino stepping away, Nathan Yates takes over as head coach, returning to the district after a year off following his run at Riverbend.

The Wildcats did take a hit in the offseason with senior RB Torie Martin transferring across town to Forge, but the backfield is far from empty. Junior RB Darnel Crockett and senior RB Amari Collier both return, and each doubles as a hard-nosed outside linebacker, giving the Wildcats some two way toughness. At quarterback, it looks like a competition between seniors Bryce Lambert and Jaylen Castro to see who leads the offense in 2025. On defense, CB Chris Gordon brings experience to the secondary, DL/OL Donovan Bertrand provides size in the trenches, and WR Jayden Huger is back as a proven option on the perimeter.

Yates inherits a roster that still has pieces to work with, and while expectations won’t be sky high after last year’s stumble, there’s reason to believe Mountain View can bounce back and get back into the playoff picture.

Brooke Point

Wins Projection: 5

The Black-Hawks finally climbed back to the .500 mark in 2024, but that was as far as they got. A playoff berth has remained just out of reach since 2019, and Brooke Point still hasn’t finished above .500 since 2018. What they did do last year was put up points, lots of them. The problem now is that QB Gabe Dombek graduated, and WR Javier Hubbard transferred to North Stafford, leaving some big shoes to fill in the offense that carried them most weeks.

Eighth-year head coach Dwight Haselwood may need to lean on his defense a little more than he’s accustomed to if the Black-Hawks are going to finally break through. Junior LB Jamari Baity-Ward is a rangy, physical tackler who flies around and sets the tone, while junior FS Aviance Young gives them a steady presence on the back end. Two way players Corey Reid and Jaelyn Cox return as versatile RB/DB options, and lineman Allie Bangura will be a key piece in the trenches on both sides.

The question for Brooke Point is simple: can the defense tighten up enough to complement what has traditionally been an explosive offense? If so, the Black-Hawks might finally get back into the postseason picture.

Massaponax

Wins Projection: 3

The Panthers hit rock bottom in 2024, finishing 1-9 in the regular season their worst mark since the program’s opening years. The lone win came against Independence in Week 1, and somehow Ponax circled back in the playoffs to upset them again on the road before bowing out to Briar Woods the next week. Still, for a program defined by consistency, the struggles were a shock to the system.

The offseason didn’t make things easier. Josiah Perry, a JMU commit and the heartbeat of the defense, transferred to play for Darryl Overton at Saint James Academy. Senior QB Ian Shook also left, heading across town to Riverbend. That leaves senior LB Joe Sanders, junior MLB Xavier Collins, junior QB Kenneth Pyatt, and William & Mary commit DE/TE Declan Ta’amai who received and 1st team all-region and 2nd team all-district honors as the core tasked with keeping the standard intact.

Head coach Shane Ludden had a rocky debut running a modified shotgun version of his father’s vaunted triple option, and 2025 will be another test of whether the Panthers can blend old school toughness with a new system. They’ll open the year against Courtland, and while Ponax may not carry the same fear factor it once did, it’s still a program built on pride. Don’t expect them to roll over.