2026 VHSL Class 2 Football Playoff Preview

Strasburg and Radford lead their regions in both ratings. Region 2D has four teams within 2.5 power-rating points, and Region 2A’s top seed shares the model lead with Poquoson.

Power ratings, Elo and records come from the Beyond the Standings Week 11 rankings. The ranks below are recalculated among each region’s playoff teams. Pairings follow the published opening-round schedule.

Highest-rated teams outside the bracket

Clarke County (3-7) ranked sixth in power and seventh in Elo in Region 2B, which took six teams. Lebanon (5-5) had the seventh-best Elo in Region 2D and ranked ninth in power, just outside the eight-team field by that measure.

Region 2A

Unbeaten Central Lunenburg leads in Elo, while Poquoson leads in power. No. 5 Thomas Jefferson has the third-best power rating and the lowest Elo in the bracket, making its matchup with Armstrong particularly hard to read.

Seed differences of two or more places. No. 5 Thomas Jefferson-Richmond (power #3, Elo #8), No. 3 King William (power #5, Elo #4), No. 4 Armstrong (power #4, Elo #2), No. 8 Randolph-Henry (power #8, Elo #6).

First round

No. 8 Randolph-Henry vs. No. 1 Central Lunenburg

No. 7 Nottoway vs. No. 2 Poquoson

No. 6 Southampton vs. No. 3 King William

No. 5 Thomas Jefferson-Richmond vs. No. 4 Armstrong

Region 2B

Strasburg leads both models and shares a bye with Stuarts Draft. Of the two opening games, Fort Defiance versus Central-Woodstock is the one where the models disagree.

First round

First-round byes. No. 1 Strasburg and No. 2 Stuarts Draft.

No. 6 Madison County vs. No. 3 Buckingham County

No. 5 Central-Woodstock vs. No. 4 Fort Defiance

Region 2C

Both models put Radford, Glenvar and Floyd County in seed order at the top. The first disagreement is at No. 4 versus No. 5, where Martinsville brings the stronger power rating and Appomattox County the higher Elo.

Seed differences of two or more places. No. 4 Martinsville (power #4, Elo #6), No. 6 Gretna (power #8, Elo #5), No. 8 Patrick County (power #6, Elo #7).

First round

No. 8 Patrick County vs. No. 1 Radford

No. 7 James River-Buchanan vs. No. 2 Glenvar

No. 6 Gretna vs. No. 3 Floyd County

No. 5 Appomattox County vs. No. 4 Martinsville

Region 2D

Graham, Gate City, Ridgeview and Union are separated by fewer than 2.5 power-rating points. Union leads the region in Elo from the No. 3 seed, while Graham has the best power rating.

Seed differences of two or more places. No. 1 Graham (power #1, Elo #3), No. 3 Union (power #4, Elo #1), No. 4 Gate City (power #2, Elo #4), No. 6 Virginia High (power #8, Elo #6).

First round

No. 8 Lee vs. No. 1 Graham

No. 7 Central-Wise vs. No. 2 Ridgeview

No. 6 Virginia High vs. No. 3 Union

No. 5 Southern Gap vs. No. 4 Gate City