Summer 540 Top 10

CUE THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE LAUGHING EMOJIS!! The 540 Summer Top 10 is Here! And while we're at it so is the new website! Click around as we continue to grow and improve our coverage of the 540!

THE TOP TEN

10. Stafford Indians

We want to hop on the Stafford train a little early. (RB) Micahel Creamer has been racking up D1 offers this offseason and it's well deserved however he isn't the only one in Southeast Staffford that will be making plays this fall. (WR/DB) Zion Gray, (OL/DL) Zavion Harris and (DL) Jaheim Bunns will all be looking to make this a special fall for the Indians

9. Massaponax Panthers

Straight up, replacing Eric Ludden, who has been a staple in this area with his triple option offense won't be easy. It is also a hard call to determine who exactly will fit in and where in comparison to last season as we know the Panthers may have some plans to open up their offense a bit this upcoming season. However there are pieces to work with, Gabe Newby-Morris, Ian Shook both return as well as Malik Turner-Guiterrez who made plays on offense last season. Defensively look for names like Josiah Perry and Declan Ta'amai to make an impact.

8. Courtland Cougars

As always one of the areas toughest teams to beat will be the Court land Cougars. (RB) Christian Olivella, and (RB) Marcus LaRue Jr. and (DB) Killan Perry are the spotlight names for the Cougars heading into this off-season

7. Riverbend Bears

The Bears lose one of the areas best coaches, and (QB) Tanner Triplett to graduation. However the cupboard won't be bare for new HC Ed Webb, (RB) JoJo Thomas, (WR/DB) Camden Simmons and (OL/DL) Jayvion Cervvantes will have a lot to say to those that are thinking about sleeping on the Bears.

6. Kettle Run Cougars

(RB) Colton Quaker, and (QB) Jake Mulhern lead the list of returning players that enter this summer looking for 4 straight District Championships, and 5 straight over Liberty and Fauquier.

5. Louisa Lions

Last off-season Louisa had many question marks over their upcoming season after the departure of their 2 studs after their freshman season Savion Hiter and Dyzier Carter. However, many were not surprised when the Lions proceeded to go 9-2 dominating their district in the process. The departure of Carter and Hiter led to the emergence of (RB) Jayden Seaberry, (RB) Donovan Nelson and (RB) Samuel George. While it's impossible to replace the explosiveness of 2 D1 athletes those 3 with the assistance of a big bruising Oline that is returning most of it's starters from a season ago go into this summer with confidence that they can make a deep run in Class 5 this season.

4. Mountain View Wildcats

Losing a D1 Dlineman an All-Region LB and starting QB won't make life easy for a Mountain View program that has had the most successful 3 year run in their schools history. If the Wildcats find a way to control the district again it'll likely be behind the leadership and play of returning LBs like Nick English and Will Hepburn as well as the legs of one of this areas fastest RBs Torie Martin. The Wildcats have several faces to replace on both sides of the ball and their harsh schedule will likely make it hard for the Wildcats to go undefeated again with teams like Centreville, Patriot, and Forge all likely to be improved in comparison to last season. The Wildcats have young talent that got some late game experience last season however we will see how well they can fill in the roles they are replacing.

3. Eastern View Cyclones

Many people believe that the 3rd year is the most important year for a new coaching staff. For Brian Lowery and his staff it certainly was their most successful year. The Cyclones are looking like the Cyclones again, last season they finished 9-2 after falling to Dinwiddie in the first round of the state's hardest regions. Throughout the season the Cyclones dominated 6 out 7 their 7 district opponents in similar fashion that we got used to seeing from 2013-19. (LB/TE) 4 Star Brett Clatterbaugh is areas most obvious playmaker who can make every tackle on defense, every block on offense and he isn't bad with the ball in his hands either, his presence on the field alone makes the Cyclones too much for many of their opponents this season. But this isn't a one man band, (QB) Aaron Hull returns after a very productive sophomore year on offense and he isn't alone on that side of the ball. (WR) William Butler as well as good returning size on both sides of the ball. This summer for the Cyclones will look to take it to the next level and getting back to the top of the district

2. King George Foxes

The Foxes entered this Winter and Spring with a lot of questions for a program coming off a trip to the State Semi-Finals. Some may be surprised to see the Foxes this high with what they have lost but they should focus more on what the Foxes still have. Future D1 Athlete (RB/LB) Charles Johnson will be one of the few returning starters from last years 13-1 squad. However players like (WR/DB) Gunnar Regar and (TE) Daniel Grigsby are more than capable of making plays when needed and (OL) David Smith has experience with putting Dlineman on their backs. When these rankings are created I always consider coaching staff and the potential chemistry of a team, the Foxes will get tested early on in their schedule but after 4 years straight of dominance we aren't ready to count out the Foxes.

1. Colonial Forge Eagles

Simply put on paper the Eagles look as good as any team in the area. Their returning production comes in all the right places. Junior QB Brock Brimhall is going through his first complete off-season as the starter, while studs like (RB) Josiah Bryson and (OL) Joe Mangano are entering their senior year looking for a District Championship, and possibly more. The Eagles finished the season 10-2 after falling in the second round to the eventual State Champion Freedom Eagles. They return more than the 3 mentioned earlier, players like (DB) Caleb Cleveland, (WR/TE) TaySean Jones and (OL/DL) Anton Samuels all will give the Eagles much needed leadership and experience if they want to win their first district championship since 2019.