James Monroe Seeks State Title, History

Saturday at noon in Liberty University's William's Stadium, the sport will set its biggest stage. Frederickburg's own James Monroe (13-0) will put its undefeated season on the line against equally unblemished Brookeville.

These teams have history. Just three years ago, the Yellow Jackets and the Bees met for a state championship, and JM came out on top in a wild 50-46 victory.

The James Monroe family is a large and devoted one. Expect thousands of supporters will be on hand to cheer on the orange-and-black.

But on the field, what does this game boil down to? James Monroe has to be better on offense. After an explosive first quarter last Saturday at Kettle Run,

Defensively, the Jackets match up quite well. Brookville's offense is predicated on the pass, but it's unlikely they have faced a secondary with anything resembling the amount of talent JM has in defensive backfield.

Pressuring Bees' quarterback Kendall BeCraft (2,580 passing yards, 26 touchdowns) will be the key to winning the turnover battle.

Ethan Preston appeared to suffer a minor groin injury in the second half of last week's state semifinal, but will play in Saturday's game. With yards at a premium once again, Preston will need to answer the call as he has done all season. The standout back comes into tomorrow's title game with over 1800 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns.

Keys to the Game:

JM running back Ethan Preston: Preston will step up, and his experience will be needed in crunch time Saturday.

JM defensive back Julian Bumbrey: Can you say Ty Law? The kid is a ballhawk. If you see an interception tomorrow, don't be surprised if it falls into the eager hands of #22.

FXBG Patch Prediction

James Monroe 42, Brookville 20