The Thomas Dale Knights will take on the Hopewell Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Thomas Dale's defense has only allowed 7.3 points per game this season, so Hopewell's offense will have their work cut out for them.
On Saturday, Thomas Dale humbled Petersburg with a 34-6 victory. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Thomas Dale found their leader in sophomore Wyatt Jessup, who threw for 96 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Hopewell beat Matoaca 26-20 on Thursday.
Hopewell's win came from a few key players Thomas Dale will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ze'Vion Grammer, who picked up 94 receiving yards and one TD, and also punched in one score on the ground. Another player making a difference was AJ Monroe, who rushed for 81 yards and one touchdown.
Hopewell didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Matoaca to a completion percentage of just 33.3%. The team can thank Monroe for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hopewell wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 50%.
Hopewell didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Larry Burgess, Luke Kuhns, and Daveon Pope picked up one apiece.
Hopewell has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 13.3 points on average over those games. As for Thomas Dale, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
Thomas Dale couldn't quite get it done against Hopewell when the teams last played back in November of 2024 as they fell 21-14. Will the Knights have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
