Football: Broad Run Wraps Up Third Straight Dulles District Title

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun.com

Ashburn (Oct. 24, 2009) - The Washington, D.C. Metro Area's leading rusher T.J. Peeler slogged through monsoon-like conditions Saturday for 202 yards on 31 carries as Broad Run defeated a stubborn Loudoun County team, 21-7, to wrap up the Spartans third consecutive AA Dulles District title.

The Spartans (5-0 in district, 9-0 overall) have now won 29 consecutive regular-season games.

Peeler, who now has 1,555 rushing yards on 178 carries, scored twice, including a 68-yard run on the first series of the game, but the Raiders survived a fumbled kickoff return after the BR score with a defensive stand. The Raiders the marched the length of the field and tied the game, 7-7, with 31.8 seconds left in the first quarter on a 10-yard Austin Campbell to Michael Ayoub TD pass.

Then the winds came and the steady rain turned into a sideways downpour. For the entire second quarter the game was played in the monsoon-like conditions and neither team could find the end zone. Towards the end of halftime, the game was delayed for another 30 minutes after lightning moved into the area.

"What a day! We looked at every forecast but we didn't see that coming. That was torrential rain and wind with it going sideways," said Burnett.

Conditions improved in the second half and the field, which had standing water in the first half in spots, drained well. Peeler carried the ball on 10 of 12 plays on the Spartans 68-yard TD drive in the third quarter and he scored from 3 yards out to make it 14-7 with 4:18 left in the quarter.

While the Raider defense, led by linebacker Chase Williams, fought to keep LC in the ballgame, the Raider offense fumbled the ball away and had an interception on another series. In between those turnovers, BR went 40 yards on six plays with Peeler picking up all but the final yard which belonged to quarterback Connor Jessop who sneaked in to make it 21-7 with 9:58 left in the contest.

Note: please check back for more from this game as Dan Sousa is drying out his wet feet and his soggy notebook (he just threw it in the dryer ... that should work?!?)