Battlefield football prepares for Friday's opener

It was the type of game that gave Battlefield High School exactly what it was looking for last sea-son: A regular-season victory against a highly regarded opponent that as a result provided the confidence boost the Bobcats needed for what turned out to be a memorable year.

After defeating Lake Taylor 21-7, Battlefield won 11 straight more en route to earning its third straight Cedar Run District title, its first Division 6 Northwest Region title and its first-ever spot in the Group AAA semifinals.

In preparation for this year's season-opening game against the Titans, nothing has changed for the Bobcats other than they have to travel to Norfolk to play Friday at 7 p.m.

Like they did last year, Battlefield, who has won 29 straight regular-season games, will come into the game untested in some key areas, but they are looking forward to seeing how they stack up against a formidable team.

"It was huge," said Bobcat head coach Mark Cox in reference to last year's win over Lake Taylor. "It was also a measuring stick for the kids we had who we didn't know what they would do in game situations. We have the same thing this year and we hope to see the same results."

The Titans, who have gone 89-33 under 11th year coach Hank Sawyer, graduated some key players from last year's 10-3 squad that lost to eventual state champion Phoebus in the Eastern Region Division 5 final. But they still remain positioned to make another playoff appear-ance.

Senior running back Derrion Walton is the main offensive threat. Walton ran for 1,413 yards last season and scored 19 touchdowns. He along with senior defensive tackle Taylor Darby and sen-ior defensive back DeAndre Moore are receiving plenty of interest from colleges.

For the Bobcats, they return six starters on offense and eight on defense.

Coming into the preseason, some of Battlefield's more pressing holes to fill were on the offensive line at the tackle positions due to graduation. Cox said seniors Ronald Ausberry and Eric Loehle will start at left and right tackles.

Ausberry played at Stonewall Jackson last season, but transferred to Battlefield after the football season was over. Loehle missed last season after having knee surgery.

Senior Mike Osei, who was a backup a year ago, will be the other new starter on the line at right guard.

With Bo Revell graduated, the starting quarterback position is a three-way battle among senior Devon Greene (5-11, 185 pounds), last year's varsity backup, sophomore Ryan Swingle (6-0, 185), a junior varsity player who was out last season with an elbow injury, and junior Mike Jorgenson (6-5, 190), a transfer from Japan.

Cox said the naming of a starter might be a game-day decision.

Cox said he is not thrilled that his team will have played two games before school begins, but on the other hand, the time has allowed his team to focus on football.

"We've been able to do our two-a-days without distractions," Cox said. "It's been like a camp away from everything where no one else is around."

Sports editor David Fawcett can be reached at 703-530-3911