It has been a season of surprises in the Bay Rivers and Peninsula districts, albeit mild ones.
Poquoson’s 10-7 overtime win against Lafayette in the BRD, and Warwick’s 34-20 PD victory that ended Phoebus’ 51-game win-streak, were upsets — the first wins in those series in many years for both. However, the Islanders and Raiders were considered serious district title contenders and have risen to district favorites.
Below are our 757Teamz midseason superlatives and a look ahead to the rest of the season.
Bay Rivers District
Midseason Player of the Year: To the victor goes the spoils, so Poquoson defensive linemen Brayden Agnese, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior, gets the edge over Lafayette running back Josh Simpson. Simpson has been very good — with 503 yards rushing and six touchdowns — but injuries have limited him to three games.
Agnese has played a huge role in the Poquoson rushing attack averaging 275 yards, but his role on a defense allowing only 7 points per contest is most responsible for this honor. It’s not just that more than half of his tackles are from behind the line of scrimmage (11-1/2 tackles for loss and four sacks to go with three quarterback hurries), but his relentlessness means opponents must scheme to stop him.
“He’s a really good player,” Lafayette coach Andy Linn said. “He’s their best defensive lineman and it’s not even close.”
Surprise team: Picked seventh, New Kent (4-2) is on track to finish with seven or eight wins under new coach Scott Girolmo, and earn a top-two seed in Class 3 Region A. After showing toughness in early losses to Poquoson and Lafayette, the Trojans have ridden a season-changing fumble-recovery touchdown late in a win against Tabb to key victories over Smithfield and York. Ben Christian has accounted for almost 700 yards (504 rushing) and 10 TDs, while linebacker Chase Wiles (59 tackles) has led a defense improving weekly.
“We’re evolving every week, and credit to the kids for showing up to chase their best,” Girolmo said. “We’re building something special.”
District race: Poquoson (6-0 overall and district) hasn’t won a BRD title since 2010. Its win over Lafayette (5-1, 5-1) put the Islanders on track for the title, and a win over Warhill on Oct. 17 should ensure the Islanders won’t have to share it with the Rams.
Peninsula District
Midseason Player of the Year: This is a difficult call, but, as great as linebacker Tracy Pope has been for a terrific Warwick defense (59 tackles, nine sacks, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a 68-yard fumble return for a score), Bethel’s Amari Pryear is POY for numbers too spectacular to overlook.
In six games, Pryear, a 5-foot-6, 185-pound senior headed to Hampton University, has run for 1,193 yards and 20 touchdowns (along with six receptions for 163 yards and two TDs). After touchdown runs of 73, 34, 23, 9, 11, 19 and 35 yards on Friday, Bethel coaches are searching program single-season records to see if anyone has ever rushed for 2,000 yards.
“He’s putting in a dominant performance every week,” Bruins coach David Porter said. “This is a tribute to the work ethic his parents instilled in him when he was very young and carries over to this day.”
Surprise team: It’s not a big surprise that Warwick is closing in on its first title in its 60 years in the Peninsula District — the Raiders have been close the past two seasons. But give first-year coach Thomas Sykes credit for steering his team through wins over Bethel and Phoebus with the fourth-string quarterback.
Warwick head coach Thomas Sykes walks the sideline during a game against Phoebus at Todd Stadium in Newport News on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. (Ted Calise/For The Virginian-Pilot)
The top two, college prospects, transferred, and their successor was injured in the season-opener. Sophomore Zyire White-Epps is a starting-caliber athlete, but is learning QB on the fly. That’s he’s filled in with 489 yards rushing (four TDs) and 193 passing (three TDs) is a pleasant surprise for the Raiders.
District race: A three-way tie for the district title between Warwick (4-2, 4-0 district), Hampton (4-1, 3-0) and Phoebus (2-2, 2-1) isn’t an impossibility at the moment. But Warwick, looking for its first PD title since the league began in 1965, is home-free if it beats Hampton on Oct. 16 at Todd Stadium.
