Football: Broad Run Rocks Back-to-Back State Titles with 21-16 Win Over Amherst

Blacksburg (Dec. 12, 2009) - Broad Run High School waited 40 years for its first VHSL state football title. The second title came a whole lot faster as the Spartans defeated Amherst County Saturday, 21-16, at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium for a second straight Division 4 state title.

And Broad Run (14-0) did it with star running back T.J. Peeler on the sidelines on crutches the entire second half after spraining a knee. Sophomore quarterback Connor Jessop stepped up big time for BR with three touchdown passes to three different receivers -- Adrian Flemming, Derril Thomas and David Weaver.

The Spartan defense, which has been a hallmark of the school's 28-game winning streak, came through in the closing minutes after Amherst threatened to go ahead with Weaver and Joey Quigg knocking down passes to save the victory.

For the Broad Run senior class, they exit the school having gone 38-1 over the past three seasons with three Dulles District titles, three Region II titles and two state titles. Amherst, which won back-to-back titles prior to Broad Run's back-to-back, fell victim to the Spartans in both of the last two title games.

Despite forcing three Amherst turnovers and the first three possessions, Broad Run didn't go up 7-0 until 6:43 remained in the first half as Jessop found Flemming on a 12-yard score.

It wasn't long after that score that Peeler, playing defense, went down and had to be helped off the field. It was 7-7 at the half as Amherst tied it with 2:35 left.

Midway through the third, it was an all-sophomore hook-up as Jessop, whose brother chris quarterbacked the team to the state title last season before graduating, found Thomas, Peeler's back-up, for a 12-yard score to make it 14-7 with 6:30 left in the third.

Amherst cut into the lead with 11:09 to go in the contest with a 39-yard field goal to make it 14-10 Spartans.

The ultimate game-winning score came on 4th-and-11 as Jessop hit Weaver for a 25-yard score. That gave the Spartans a 21-10 advantage with 8:05 left.

Playing before a large "home crowd", Amherst fought back and scored but failed on a 2-point conversion to make it 21-16.

The Spartans could not ice the game on offense and had to punt with 2:29 to play. Amherst made it to the Broad Run 30 with 85 seconds left but the Spartan defense, with the aid of an offensive holding call, showed their resolve to wrap up the state title and set off a celebration that will stretch all the way up I-81 to Ashburn.