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Tacketts Mill #FootballFriday -- Live coverage from Woodbridge Senior High School starts 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
First-year football coach Jared Van Acker is focused forging a solid team and taking the reins of a well-respected head coach.
Van Acker took the helm this year from longtime Battlefield High School coach Mark Cox who stepped down this year as head coach. Cox still works at the school, and Van Acker consults him on a regular basis.
The Haymarket team is 2-0 so far this season, beating Gar-Field Senior High School in Woodbridge by 32 points last week, and shutting out Hylton High School 28-0 during week 1 of play.
Van Acker's roster is not full of returning players this year. He's fostered a quarterback competition, and it's Alex Gutierrez whose stepped up to make plays for the team.
"He's had a lights-out performance last week and is able to get the ball out to the playmakers. We've not had too many turnovers, and they're protecting the football, and that's very crucial," said Van Acker.
There's a big focus on defense for this team. Returning all-state wide receiver, Zac Kerxton is a big part of the team's playbook.
"Things really seem to be going our way this year," said Kerxton, noting the that he doesn't want to "jinx" the team by saying that. "They've been pressuring me a lot as a wide receiver, and that's been opening up the run game, and that opens up the passing game. "So it's really like 'pick your poison' out there and then, we can win the games."
Kerxton grew up playing football with quarterback Gutierrez, and he says they work well together. The wide receiver has two touchdowns this season.
Brett Reid brings a lot of confidence to the game and has three interceptions so far this season. He credits his team for their victories this past two weeks over their opponents.
"Hylton is obviously always good. We're better," said Reid. "We play as a team. We just came out fired up, more pumped up about the game and we won. And we're more talented than Gar-Field, and we know that.
This week the Battlefield Bobcats take on the 2-0 Woodbridge Vikings in Viking territory. The Vikings put up 37 more points on last week's win over Stafford High School.
Van Acker says his team will treat this game, like all others, as a playoff competition. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. at Woodbridge Senior High School located at 3001 Old Bridge Road in Lake Ridge.
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