Practice Begins in Virginia

High school football teams throughout Virginia strapped on the pads and helmets Monday to open the 2008 season.

Click here for a look at the first day of practice around the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area.

Click here for a story on Northside, which went 2-8 last season.

Virginia High School Football Scoreboard - Finals

Virginia High School Football Scores
Friday & Saturday, December 7 & 8, 2007

USA Today Super 25
#25 Wesfield 42 Woodbridge 14

Championships

Division 6
Westfield 42 Woodbridge 14

Division 5
Stone Bridge 38 Potomac 0

Division 4
Amherst 56 Sherando 10

Division 3
Monticello 36 Richlands 22

Division 2
Gretna 52 Gate City 0

Division 1
Buffalo Gap 24 Clintwood 19

Virginia AP High School Football Rankings

Here are the Top 10 Assocated Press Virginia Football teams in the Group AAA, AA, A prep poll as selected by sports writers and broadcasters from around the state, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points received based on a 10-through-1 voting system

GROUP AAA
Record Pts Prv
1. Phoebus (6) 7-0 85 1
2. Westfield (2) 7-0 81 2
3. Oscar Smith (1) 7-0 71 4
4. Salem-Va. Beach 7-0 55 3
5. Highland Springs 6-0 54 5
6. Potomac 6-0 38 7
7. Lake Taylor 7-0 31 8
7. Lloyd Bird 7-0 31 9
9. Green Run 7-0 19 10
10. Bethel 6-1 8 —
Others receiving votes: 11, Chantilly 7. 12, Stone Bridge 4. 12, GW-Danville 4. 14, Dinwiddie 3. 14, James Madison 3. 16, Hampton 1.

GROUP AA
Record Pts Prv
1. Amherst County (9) 7-0 108 1
2. Salem 6-0 93 2
3. Sherando (1) 7-0 80 4
4. Lafayette (1) 7-0 79 3
5. Heritage-Lynchburg 8-0 69 T5
6. Bassett 7-0 54 T5
7. Park View-Sterling 6-0 39 9
8. James Monroe 6-0 30 8
9. Harrisonburg 6-1 11 10
10. Monticello 5-1 10 7
Others receiving votes: 11, Powhatan 8. 12, Richlands 5. 12, Blacksburg 5. 14, Millbrook 4. 14, Tabb 4. 16, Pulaski County 3. 17, Broad Run 2. 18, James Wood 1.

GROUP A
Record Pts Prv
1. Gretna (11) 6-0 110 1
2. Goochland 6-0 96 2
3. Essex 7-0 86 3
4. J.I. Burton 7-0 66 6
5. Buffalo Gap 6-0 60 4
5. Giles 5-1 60 5
7. William Campbell 6-1 50 7
8. Riverheads 5-1 28 T8
9. George Wythe-Wytheville 6-1 23 10
10. Surry County 6-1 14 —
Others receiving votes: 11, West Point 4. 12, Lancaster 3. 13, Rural Retreat 2. 14, Lebanon 1. 14, Colonial Beach 1. 14, Floyd County 1.

VHSL Considering Major Changes To Fall High School Football Practice

The Virginia High School League is expected to consider sweeping changes to the way high school football programs can conduct pre-season camps.

As early as September, the VHSL could vote on a propsal that would using the NCAA model of banning two-a-day practices on consecutive days. The formal proposal also recommends fewer days will full equipment or contact at the start of pre-season practice, plus limits the amount of time that can be spent on the practice field.

The guidelines have been worked on over the past year with the intent of maximizing safety and minimizing risk to injury from the heat. The new rules really hit home after Stafford high lineman Joey Roberson died of hyperthermia, a heat-related illness, three days after collapsing on the football field near the end of a second workout session on the school's second day of practice.