VHSL Class 1 Championship Players to Watch: Essex vs Galax

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Championship week has arrived for the VHSL Football Playoffs. Games will kick off this Saturday at three locations across the state. In this article, I cover the Class 1 Finals featuring the 14-0 Essex Trojans versus the 10-4 Galax Maroon Tide. The game will take place at 5 pm this Saturday at Salem City Stadium in Salem, Virginia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>View the 2023 Virginia High School Playoff Brackets&nbsp;<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/va/football/playoffs/">here</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Follow me on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GoLions1934">@GoLions1934</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"AJ Ashworth","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Galax HS | Galax, VA","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The senior LB/TE for Galax has over 150 tackles and 26 receptions. Last week versus Honaker, he had a 96-yard interception returned for a TD and multiple receiving TDs on offense. He has been a two way starter all four years of high school for Galax with all-state honors in 2022.rnrnAs a TE, he is versatile enough to play inline or split out. He can catch and run the route tree with good ability to create yards after the catch.rnrnAs a LB, he has good field vision and processing. He attacks the ball carrier and has good zone coverage with the ability to make interceptions.rnrnu003cemu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/15670195/AJ-Ashworthu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e / u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/ashworth_aju0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/emu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Tedruhn Tucker","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Galax HS | Galax, VA","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"I featured a full report of Tedruhn a couple of weeks ago u003ca href=u0022https://prepredzone.com/2023/11/senior-players-to-watch-in-the-vhsl-regional-playoff-finals/u0022u003ein my articleu003c/au003e, but he is worth mentioning again this week. He is a key piece of Galax's offense and will need to have a big game for them to pull off the victory this week. He is the definition of a bell cow running back.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cemu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/15678404/Tedruhn-Tuckeru0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e / u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/TedruhnTu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/emu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1298441' first='Tommy' last='Jones']","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Galax HS | Galax, VA","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Tommy will be leading Galax's offense under center. Standing at 6'3u0022, Tommy has very good height for the QB position. He makes the needed throws which complements the power running game of Tedruhn Tucker and finished last week 8-17 for 181 yards and 4 TDs. He may be called upon to make some big throws this week. Tommy is a player to watch this weekend.rnrnu003cemu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/18087244/Tommy-Jonesu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e / u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/TommyJones223u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/emu003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Brian Roane Jr","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Essex HS | Tappahannock, VA","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Brian is someone Galax will need to know where he is at every play. He plays with very good aggression and physical toughness and is constantly in the opposing team's backfield as a Linebacker. He hustles every play and will need to step up to stop Galax's running game. I expect him to be making many plays on Saturday.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cemu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/18025199/Bryan-Roaneu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e / u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/Bryanroane05u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/emu003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["853844"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Xzayviia switched from playing OL last season to playing QB and DL this season. Still built like a lineman, Xzayviia is a power running threat, and he is used in that manner in Essex's offense. Expect to see him playing on the DL as well to help stop the Galax running game on the edge where he displays good strength and tackling.rnrnu003cemu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/18067027/Xzayviia-Bundyu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e / u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/XzayviaBu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/emu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1232270' first='Zion' last='Darby']","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"Essex HS | Tappahannock, VA","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_5_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Zion lives in the opponent's backfield on defense playing as an EDGE. He has a high motor and is aggressive throughout the entire play. On Special Teams, he had a punt block in the semi-finals last week, and it is this kind of play that can swing a game for Essex. He is quick with his feet with good initial reaction time. Expect to see him making plays for Essex this week as well.rnrnu003cemu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/16607158/Zion-Darbyu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e / u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/ZionD53u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/emu003e","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6570ef45e5b80"} /-->