For three months, Broad Run had been the dominant football team of Loudoun County. With an 11-1 record, even the only blemish on their record was a 2-0 forfeit loss to Potomac Falls – a game they won 31-0 before realizing that they had mistakenly played an ineligible athlete. They reported the error on their own cognizance, but still were forced to give up the win.
Two weeks ago, their status as favorites appeared sealed as the Spartans beat Stone Bridge 26-20 in the annual “Battle of the Burn.” Even as the rematch against the Bulldogs loomed yesterday at the Region 5C championship, the Spartans had an undefeated record in games played, a previous win against their opponent, and home field advantage, as they took the field on Friday afternoon.
That’s why yesterday 35-6 loss to the Bulldogs was most surprising. The Spartans missed the chance to capitalize on a couple of early opportunities, which included a fumble recovery in Spartan territory, and later a first play, 54-yard run by Tim Baldwin that brought the ball from their 20 to the Spartan 26.
The fumble recovery could have given Broad Run immediate momentum. On the game’s second play, the Bulldogs Jared Cole was headed up the middle with a handoff when he was drilled and coughed up the ball. The Spartans recovered at the SB 42, but couldn’t convert a first down, and the drive stalled when Baldwin was stuffed on his third straight run, on fourth and three.
The stop on Baldwin turned the momentum to the visitors and, after a holding penalty forced the Bulldogs to start with first-and-23, Mason Tatum immediately found sophomore wideout Tai Felton for a 19-yard completion. A seven-yarder to Felton gave Stone Bridge a first down, and three plays later, Tatum caught Felton for a third time, this one on a fly route, and the speedy receiver dashed into the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown.
Felton finished the day with seven catches for 116 yards. Looking ahead to next week’s state semifinal matchup against North Stafford (11-2), who defeated Massaponax 46-21, Felton said, “I believe that if we are able to execute and keep the same energy like we did yesterday, we will be able to compete and advance to the state championship.”
On the next play, Baldwin fumbled, and it was Cole who recovered the fumble at the Spartan 21, setting up Nick Mell’s one-yard surge through the middle for a touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 14-0 cushion. They wouldn’t need to score again.
Mell credited the team’s preparation for their solid performance. “Practice went great this week and we knew it’s win or go home, so we came ready to play Broad Run,” said the senior back, adding, “When we were up two touchdowns and kept stopping their offense’s momentum I knew we would win if we just kept scoring.”
A Taye Davis interception on Broad Run’s next possession gave the Dogs a chance to put away their opponent for good, but the SB drive netted only 16 yards and the Bulldogs pooch punted on fourth-and-13.
Baldwin (24 carries, 92 yards) responded with his 54-yard dash, but was later stuffed on fourth-and-one at the Broad Run 17, as the defense thwarted a potential score.
Broad Run did get on the scoreboard on their next possession as Mitch Griffis (10-18, 129 yds, TD, 2 INT) connected with Jake Busser 31 yards down the left sideline and Busser juked around a defender at the 2 and placed the ball down two yards inside of the goal line plane for the Spartans’ first, and only touchdown.
After a missed Stone Bridge field goal, the Spartans had one last opportunity to score just before halftime, driving 71 yards on seven plays. A pair of passes from Griffis to Luke Lindenfeldar were the key plays, especially the second, from the Bulldog 45, which featured Lindenfeldar catching a short pass, stiff-arming a defender and rambling for 36 yards before being driven out of bounds.
In the second half, the dominant ground game of Stone Bridge took over as Cole (nine carries, 125 yards) ran for a pair of touchdowns, from 31 and 45 yards, and Mell’s short TD in the final quarter delivered the exclamatory blow.
For Thompson, who recently led the program to its 200th program win (in just 16 years), the state semifinals are not a new experience as the Bulldogs have won 12 region titles. However, their luck in the final four is not stellar – Thompson has won a single state title, while dropping seven championships, including a pair to Highland Springs, in 2015 and 2016. The Retrievers, who blasted Henrico 40-6 yesterday, have won the last three Class 5 championships, and will be the favorites heading into the final four.
Stone Bridge (12-1) 7, 7, 14, 7 – 35
Broad Run (11-2) 0, 6, 0, 0 – 6
First quarter
SB – Tai Felton 45 pass from Mason Tatum (Hayden Baron kick)
Second quarter
SB – Nick Mell 1 run (Baron kick)
BR – Jake Busser 31 pass from Mitch Griffis (kick failed)
Third quarter
SB – Jared Cole 31 run (Baron kick)
SB – Cole 45 run (Baron kick)
Fourth quarter
SB – Mell 4 run (Baron kick)
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