On the Sidelines (and Wet) with Dan Sousa - On a Rainy Night at Park View

On the Sidelines (and wet) with Dan Sousa


A look at things by Dan Sousa, VivaLoudoun's editor (OK, the entire staff!) ... a blog within a blog if you will ...


First of all, kudos for Park View High School, athletic director Joe Breinig, Jr., head coach Andy Hill and all the Patriot staff for getting a football game off on Friday when the rest of the county went into full weather bunker mode.

Not only did they get the game in but the conditions were super if a bit misty and when the rain came, it came at just the right time for Park View, as Martinsburg bid to comeback from a 21-7 halftime deficit was foiled when a point after snap was mishandled in the wet conditions with 7:29 to go. Right before that snap the weather conditions went into nasty gear and then eased off soon after.

Secondly, I'd like to say that press boxes are for wimps ...
wait, no offense to all the great PA people, stat crews and print journalists who refuse to get wet, but experiencing the high school football game on the sidelines is really the only way to truly experience it. I like to hear the hits and players comments and see the interactions between teammates and staff with the cheerleaders and fans right in the background, Friday Night Lights stereo!

Now I am a marked man at Park View as the chain crew took one look at me Friday and said "there is the guy who makes it rain every time he shows up." And it might be true, of the last six or seven games I have covered at Park View, it must have rained four or five times.

I felt like watching Park View Friday that I was watching the same game I had seen two weeks earlier ... with the Patriots falling behind by a score early and then a furious offensive period during which big returns and great runs set off a flurry of scoring ... followed by a truly offensive funk in the second half that can only be saved by a hard-nosed defense that seems to get better each week.

Hill said as much after the win over a Martinsburg team that may finish with eight victories and give the Patriots enough VHSL ratings points to secure a bye in the first round of the Region II playoffs if not the top seed and homefield advantage.

"Gentlemen that's a hell of a win," Hill said a tired, muddy bunch on one knee before him. "The only thing is we have to put together two halves."

If I was writing for the local community newspaper I might have made that quote "heck" but, you know, sometimes "hell" just works better and is reality.

(My old Foothill High School football coach Ned Permenter's favorite saying: Hells, Bells, Fella's, Come to the Party! Permenter coached the Trojans for 37 years and probably recalls me as the worst ever "replacement" tailback in the school's history ... Sousa! Why do you always run right TOWARD the tacklers! ... Me (in my mind, mind you, if you talked back to Ned I'd still be running laps): uhm, because coach I've been a fullback for five years and playbook has exactly one run with my number, the ever creative "30 dive"! ... a play I believe the offensive lineman were always told to take off).

At this point in the night, wet, cold, hungry, I was the only media person crazy enough to be left on the soggy field. I don't say this to pat myself on the back, in fact, I can hear my wife "clipping" this to put in her future divorce proceedings evidence folder, but if you are crazy enough to stand through the mist and rain for four quarters, you might as well wait around and shake the coaches hand and get a comment or two.

Hill said "that break kills us" talking about the trip to the equipment shed the Patriots make at halftime. And speaking of halftime, props to the Patriot band for taking the field and playing in the elements. Dan Jenkins may have wrote You Gotta Play Hurt but how about You Gotta Play Cold and Wet ... while holding onto a brass instrument.

 Dan: this column is rambling ... wasn't this in replace of your game story that you didn't write over the weekend because you had to watch your 17-year-old play soccer in sub-freezing wind chill (thank you Fairfax County turf on every field plan), then watch -- and not in this order but back and forth -- the USC-Notre Dame football game, the Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech football game, the NASCAR race, the Angels-Yankees game which may still be going on, followed by an entire Sunday of NFL Red Zone, all the better to track four fantasy football teams plus somehow lay down 800 pounds of dirt in the front lawn because your wife said "hey it's 40 degrees, wouldn't it be ideal to work in the yard ... and she is your Vinny C. to your Z-Man, so you said ''Swell!" ... oops, you are right ... back to the game folks!


So I show up and Martinsburg has already ran the opening kickoff back for a score before I can get my notebook wet and then Park View's Tommy Sedeski takes a punt back 74 yards for a score to tie the game. Sedeski, hurt last year after a brilliant sophomore season, is simply thrilling to watch and he has incredible "game speed" ... maybe one of the fastest players in the county when it comes to moving down the field with the ball.

Park View's season has come alive with Sedeski from the wingback spot, tailback Daryrus Beale and quarterback Brandon Lee from the shotgun, throwing a 3-headed rushing attack at foes. The trio comes at you from all angles and each with his own unique running style. No of them broke 100 yards on Friday but together they combined for 153.

The Patriots didn't complete a lot of passes Friday and one of those completions resulted in a fumble at the Martinsburg 21 that prevented a go-ahead scoring drive from finding the end zone but the PV defense wasn't fooled by a fake punt on 4th-and-5 from the Pats 43.

PV needed just six running plays to cover the 55 yards to go ahead with Sedeski reeling off 21 yards on 3rd-and-4 and then Lee, behind a Sedeski block downfield, rumbling 23 yards before getting knocked out of bounds at the 2. Sedeski darted off tackle for the score and a 14-7 PV lead with 9:02 to go before the half.

Just as they did against LC, turning the tide with a tying score and then quick turnover, the Patriots two plays later picked off Martinsburg with Nathan Santana grabbing the ball at his own 40 and racing 49 yards before being corralled at the Martinsburg 11.

Lee took it to the 4 and two plays later, Sedeski found the end zone for a third time in the half, motoring five yards for the score.

In the second half, the PV offense got a couple of first downs in the third quarter to at least keep the clock moving but Martinsburg was fighting back, cutting the lead to 21-14 with 9:19 to play in the third.

The Patriots defense, with linemen Robert Hayes back in the fold after missing because of injury, held the next several series but Martinsburg scored with 7:29 to go and only a muffed extra point left PV in the lead, 21-20.

Martinsburg got the ball back with 4:38 to go after Park View couldn't move the ball but a gang sack -- three Patriots buried the quarterback in the mud -- on 4th-and-3 and less than two minutes to play, secured the win.

For Martinsburg it was just a second loss on the year after opening 6-1 and for Park View, the Patriots improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Dulles District, entertaining hopes of a share of the district title if somebody can knock off Broad Run in the final weeks.