The Covenant football team will have its hands full this afternoon when Liberty Christian comes to town.

The Charlottesville football team is going through an adjustment period, and hopes to get on track tonight as it travels to Albemarle (1-1).

It was inevitable. Twenty-two minutes after pounding at Monticello’s defense, Western Albemarle finally saw a shot hit home. Yet with the Mustangs unable to retaliate to, or even break out of, the barrage on their defense, this, and a similar goal halfway into the second half was all the Warriors would need to clinch a 2-0 win.

Covenant’s girls cross county team placed just seventh in the season-opening Ragged Mountain Cup. But the race’s two-mile relay format might not have been an accurate portrayal of the Eagles’ abilities.

Rogers’ confidence in his young squad paid off. His team survived the Flucos’ rally to win the second game before winning a tightly-contested third game to take the match 3-0 in what was nothing short of a hostile environment.

A big reason for Albemarle’s success in its 35-13 win over Western Albemarle was the play of senior quarterback Jeremy Robinson.

This weekend, Male and Weisend took those who worked out in the summer to the Outer Banks Invitational. Both teams rewarded their coaches with first-place finishes, breaking a couple of records in the process.

The Lions rolled to a 28-0 home victory over the Knights (1-3) behind a swarming defense and their traditional grind-it-out rushing attack. It was the second straight shutout registered by a hard-hitting Louisa D.

Albemarle used a second-half surge, powered by its effective passing game, to pull away from a pesky Western Albemarle team on Friday night.

The Eagles (2-1) scored 43 points in the first quarter and scored six different ways in a 70-0 victory on Friday evening.

After absorbing Goochland’s Wing-T clinic in the first half, Fluvanna County threw one counterpunch — a 17-play, 72-yard, six-minute drive to open the second half. It was the last blow the Flucos landed as Goochland rolled to a 33-7 victory.

On Friday night, Michael Graham and Monticello let it be known that last week’s victory over Group AAA Albemarle was no fluke. The Mustangs handed King George a 33-13 loss for their 10th consecutive victory dating back to last season. 

The Hornets were up to the task in the first half, but were unable to stop the Chargers rushing attack in the second half as Chancellor picked up a 21-7 win.

So far, the title defense is going well for Western Albemarle.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. county rivals Albemarle (0-1) and Western Albemarle (1-2) will get a chance to test out all their new elements against an old rival as the two meet at Western.

Today’s outer-county matchup between Fluvanna County and Goochland will be more of a preview of the Jefferson District next season than just an average nondistrict tuneup game.

“We want to show everybody that we can compete now,” Fluvanna’s Ryan Foster said.

ORANGE — During his first two years of high school, Quintin Hunter was one of the role players in the Orange offense, which revolved around Brad Starks.

With Mandy Klein and Kayla Walker up front, the Flucos showed some major potential in their 3-0 victory at home against Madison County Tuesday night.

Despite its loss to Fork Union this past Friday, St. Anne’s-Belfield enjoyed success on offense all night.

Orange racked up 419 yards of total offense and led 34-0 at halftime before a running clock was used in the second half to get the visiting Blue Devils and hundreds of rain-soaked fans home early.

It was anything but easy, but somehow Monticello overcame devastating penalties, a frustrating first half and the Central Virginia rains to nab a 19-12 victory over Albemarle.

Yet with the exception of two stoppages in play to tend to cramping sessions in each of his legs, the two-way standout from Albemarle that is listed favorably at 155 pounds had done his part.

The good news for Dean is that the bragging rights are his after his Mountaineers team ran over the Greene Dragons 28-0 on the road.

Nelson County head coach Tim Crawford admitted that his team got dominated in its opener last week against Madison County. On Friday night, his troops traveled to Buckingham County and came away with a decisive 28-7 victory, their first of the young season.

When his players talked, Fork Union coach Micky Sullivan listened. And it paid off when it mattered most.

Even if it didn’t take the win, Albemarle can take comfort in the fact that it never let up.

But don’t forget, Monticello’s defense is not too shabby either. In fact, the Mustangs return their entire secondary from a year ago, and the 2008 edition is stronger, faster and more experienced.

When Albemarle quarterback Jeremy Robinson went down with a wrist injury against Brooke Point in 2007, the Patriots’ opponents got something of a break. 

Describing the relationship between the William Monroe and Madison football teams as a simple rivalry doesn’t do justice to the circus that surrounds the event.