CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Oscar Smith's football team is set for a marquee matchup Friday night in Chesapeake, hosting Varina in a showdown of state champions — the second straight week the Blue Devils have made the trip to Hampton Roads.
The Tigers opened the season with a weather-shortened 29-6 win over Warwick, and shaking off the early-season rust has them ready for a bigger test.
"From game one to game two we're always expecting to make the biggest jumps as a team because we got the nerves out and everything, game one's down," Oscar Smith assistant coach Jahvoni Simmons noted. "We have a younger team this year, first time playing on the Oscar Smith football field, so we got all those nerves out of the way."
Varina has already made a statement in Hampton Roads. Last Friday night, the Blue Devils handed Maury its first loss to a Virginia team since 2022. Oscar Smith enters the game riding a 15-game winning streak, and players say an early-season test like this is exactly what they are looking for.
"Varina's a great team so it's going to be a great measuring stick overall," senior wide receiver and defensive end Jayden Person pointed out. "If we go out there and get the win and play like how we know to play, it's going to be a great measuring stick and we're going to know that we're one of the best teams in the area."
Simmons said he expects Varina to attack on the outside and lean on its quarterback, but believes physicality up front will be the key to an Oscar Smith victory.
"I feel like they're going to try to attack us on the outside and then they're going to try to run that quarterback. He's a stud back there," Simmons observed. "They have a couple stud receivers that they're going to try to throw the ball to, but I feel like as long as we do a great job of being physical and stopping the run, we have a great chance of winning this game."
For the Tigers, the stakes extend well beyond Friday night. A win over one of the state's top programs would send a message across Virginia and beyond.
"This is a big opportunity because they're a great team and it would just put our name around the state even more and even nationally, so I just think it's a great opportunity," Person said.
Simmons added the team actively seeks out the toughest competition it can find.
"We always want to go look for gremlin- that person that's going to bring the best out of you no matter what," the assistant coach said. "We always want that. We want that challenge. We look forward to those guys. Hats off to those guys, they have a pretty good team this year. They've got a lot of returning starters from last year."
With a young roster and championship aspirations, the Tigers say Friday's game is just one step toward a larger goal.
"It will definitely let this team know and this coaching staff know that this is what we've got, this is what we want and we're looking to go win three in a row this year," Simmons said.
"Just getting this win this week is not the goal," added Person. "We're trying to get to 15 games and win states."
Oscar Smith and Varina kick off on the Tigers' home field Friday night at 7 p.m. in our News 3 Friday Night RedZone Game of the Week.
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