Football: Patriots Defense Tames the Wildcat, Titans in 31-0 Dulles District Shutout

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun.com Editor

Sterling (Oct. 31, 2009) - Park View High School junior linebacker Eric Palma figured the Dominion gameplan on the Friday before Halloween was going to be frighteningly simple: "We knew they were going to try and run all over us."

Who could blame the Titans for trying that tactic, especially after Dominion junior Deandre Reaves had slashed South Lakes the week before in a Wildcat-like offense -- where Reaves took direct snaps and ran with the ball -- for 221 yards and four touchdowns.

And on the flip side, Park View the week before had been scratched by the Briar Woods version of the Wildcat with Michael Brownlee swerving his way to 161 yards and two scores in the Falcons 24-10 win over Park View.

“After Briar Woods we knew they were going to come in with the Wildcat. The defense stepped up big time tonight,” said Palma who had an interception to help set up one of two second half scores generated by the Patriot defense is a 31-0 shutout over the Titans.


The talented Reaves simply could not find running lanes as he reversed field and went almost sideline to sideline on some places looking for positive yardage. Little of it was to be found as Park View held Dominion to 23 total rushing yards in the AA Dulles District victory.

Dominion (2-3 in district, 4-5 overall) is still in the Region II Division 3 playoff hunt as the two teams they are battling for the final two playoff spots – Millbrook and Skyline – both lost Friday. A win at Briar Woods in the final week of the regular season could secure the Titans the school’s first ever football playoff berth.

“We have a great opportunity to rebound,” said Dominion second-year coach Karl Buckwalter.

Park View (3-2, 6-3) is assured a Division 3 playoff bid but could still get a bye in the first round, something that Patriot head coach Andy Hill actually doesn’t want.

“I don’t really want it. We don’t do well playing after a bye,” said Hill.

Hill had stressed with his defense against Dominion to keep all the cutback lanes filled and the Pats did just that, stringing out Reaves on most of his rushing attempts. At one point in the contest, Reaves had just five yards rushing on 17 attempts, though some of negative yardage was picked up on sacks as he attempted to pass.

Dominion’s starting quarterback Trey Baxter was healthy enough to get back on the field but his shoulder injury limited his action to one carry, two receptions and some option pitches to Reaves.

Park View, meanwhile, displayed a balanced three-pronged rushing attack with Brandon Lee, Daryus Beale and Tommy Sedeski combining for 224 yards on 42 attempts, including four scores with Lee and Sedeski each finding the end zone twice.

All three Patriot runners present defenses with a different look as Beale is a slasher and Sedeski has one of the swiftest moves around the corner of any player in the district, probably the state, and Lee is almost a linebacker lurking as a ballcarrier, willing to run over as much as he is willing to run around opponents.

Park View started the season with Sedeski mostly at the receiver position and has since transitioned him into the running game and backfield from the wingback spot and on Friday, Sedeski was under center at times, especially in the Red Zone with Lee lining up behind him.

The only area of offense concern for Park View, as they host Freedom to finish the regular season, is the passing game where Lee was 1-of-7 for four yards and an interception against the Titans.

“We need to be able to throw,” said Hill.

Dominion’s hard-hitting defense kept the game close with Park View only ahead, 10-0 going into the half as Kevin Flamenco hit a 29-yard field goal as time expired.

Turnovers by the Titans, however, on two of their first four snaps of the second half put Park View firmly in control.

The Titans picked up a first down on 3rd-and-5 on their first series of the game after a personal foul penalty on the Patriots ... it would be Dominion's last first down until late in the third quarter.

Both teams were slow to untrack inthe first quarter but Park View took a short punt, starting a drive at their own 48, and went 11 plays for the first score early in the second quarter, with Lee carrying the ball on six of the final seven plays, including the TD from three yards out.

A failed onsides kick gave Dominion good field positions but the Patriot defense held on 4th-and-2 and Park View moved the ball inside the Titan 10 before penalties and big plays by the Dominion defense stopped the drive with Riley Sullivan sacking Sedeski on 4th-and-24.

After a 3-and-out, Park View got the ball back on its own 41 with 2:15 to go and the Pats moved efficiently down the field to set up Kevin Flamenco's 29-yard field goal as time expired in the half.

The stage was set for Dominion to get right back in the contest as the Titans, trailing just 10-0, came out fired up on defense to start the third quarter and found themselves on the PV 46 after forcing the Patriots to punt from inside their 20.

Dominion, however, botched the exchange on the first snap and PV lineman Robert Hayes smothered the fumble. Park View moved the ball back to the Titan Red Zone but the Dominion defense kept it 10-0 as Derrick Lewis intercepted a fade pass by Lee in the end zone.

Three plays later the Titans turned the ball over again, this time it was Palma grabbing an interception off a Reaves pass at the Titan 25 and he took the ball 12 yards before being knocked out of bounds. Park View wasn't going to let this opportunity pass and four plays later, Sedeski sneaked across from the 1 to make it 17-0 with 1:57 to go in the third.

The Patriot defense held again on fourth down, this time on 4th-and-4 from the PV 41.

Dominion's defense refused to relent, forcing a punt and it appeared that the Titans might get the ball deep on the PV end after a bad punt snap but Patriot punter Ben Pick, not only corralled the ball but he eluded a tackler around the right end and streaked along the PV sidelines for a huge 25-yard gain.

Hill said afterwards that they might have been the biggest play of the night.

That play took the air out of the Titans defense, which had now been on the field for 21 of the 32 snaps in the second half, and PV scored four plays later with Lee showing fierce determination to shake several tackles on a 15-yard TD run. That made it 24-0 Patriots with 7:47 to play in the contest.

It was all going against Dominion four plays later as PV blocked a punt and recovered the ball on the Titan 15. Four plays later Sedeski had his second score, this time from four yards out and that made the final score 31-0.