Football: Broad Run QB Jessop Throws for Three Scores, 300+ Yards in Successful Return to Lead Spartans to Playoff Win

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (Nov. 12, 2010) - The return of Broad Run High School junior quarterback Connor Jessop to the Spartans starting line-up Friday, just nine weeks after breaking his collar bone, was such a well-kept secret that first-year head coach Matt Griffis didn't even tell his own kids until the night before the game and that included his 6-year-old son Brett who went trick-or-treating as Jessop for Halloween.

"I told (the players) if I find out it is out on Facebook ... you are off the team. I looked a lot of people in the eye that I respect and I had to lie to them," said Griffis after his team sprung the "Jessop surprise" and shut down Sherando, 49-26, in the Region II Division 4 quarterfinals.

By the time Jessop took to the field for the opening coin toss it was clear he was back and after the Spartans first drive, in which the 6-foot-4 quarterback connected on 6 of 6 passes for 66 yards including a 7-yard score to Matt Preziotti, it was clear that Jessop was really back.

And by the time Jessop finished the first half with three touchdown passes on 21 of 26 for 285 yards and a TD run for good measure to lead Broad Run to a commanding 28-6 halftime lead, it was clear that Jessop was really, really back and looked every bit the strong-armed player who led Broad Run to the school's second straight state title last year as a sophomore.


Broad Run (10-1) opened the game in a spread offense that they hadn't shown in the regular season with Jessop on the mend and it led to 336 total yards in the opening two quarters while the Broad Run defense was holding Sherando (8-3) to 100 yards.

"Spread was a new input we had just put in and it worked out pretty well," said Jessop. "I don't think they expected it. That was the biggest surprise.

With the lead, the Spartans switched gears in the second half and let junior running back Derril Thomas (120 yards on 18 carries and two TDs) take over. While Jessop finished his first game back since week two with 336 yards passing on 25 of 34, the Spartans also picked up 180 yards on the ground for 516 total yards.

Two Spartan fumbles made the final score look close than the game actually was. Sherando never got closer than two scores in the second half, thanks in part to a Broad Run defensive stand in the Red Zone on the Warriors first drive in the second half.

With 1-and-10 from the Broad Run 18, the Spartans held Sherando to three yards on a run and then forced three straight incompletions, with the fourth down play a dropped ball in the end zone. That stand became important when Sherando turned good field position from a turnover at the end of the third quarter into a TD drive that made it 28-13 with 2:21 left in the quarter.

Any thoughts of a comeback were erased when Thomas, carrying the ball seven times on a 9-play drive, led a march down the field and took a direct snap on 3rd-and-goal from the 6 and sprinted into the end zone untouched. This increased Broad Run's lead to 35-13 with 9:56 left in the game.

Sherando, with quarterback Jalen Brisco throwing for 127 of his 131 yards in the second half, came back with another score with 7:25 to go as Brisco found Dominque Porter in the end zone (11 catches for 94 yards) for the second time on the night, but Broad Run wasted no time in extending the lead right back.

After a failed onsides kick, Broad Run needed just three plays, one a 27-yard run by freshman Da'Qwan Earl and then a 12-yard TD score by Kevin Taggart to put the game away for good. Shernado added a late touchdown on a Brisco scramble with 17 seconds left in the contest.

"Four more games until we reach our goal and we are hoping to playing Briar Woods again," said Jessop in reference to the district rival Falcons that handed  the Spartans their only loss on the year and only loss since the 2007 seeason.

Before a Briar Woods rematch, Broad Run will have to travel next Friday to face undefeated Louisa County (11-0) the region's top seed.

Broad Run 49, Sherando 26
Sherando     0  6  7 13 - 26
Broad Run 14 14 0 21 - 49

1: BR Preziotti 7 pass from Jessop (Ohneiser kick) 6:38 (drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:03)
1: BR Jessop 2 run (Ohneiser kick) 0:49 (13 plays, 69 yards, 4:07)
2: BR Stratton 9 pass from Jessop (Ohneiser kick) 8:14 (4 plays, 77 yards, 2:13)
2: BR Stratton 14 pass from Jessop (Ohneiser kick) 4:20 (5 plays, 69 yards, 2:25)
2: S Ojo 1 run (kick failed) 2:46 (5 plays, 62 yards, 1:34)
3: S DOPorter 5 pass from Brisco (Hayes kick) 2:21 (5 plays, 49 yards, 1:58)
4: BR Thomas 6 run (Ohneiser kick) 9:56 (9 plays, 50 yards, 4:25)
4: S DOPorter 12 pass from Brisco (Hayes kick) 7:25 (8 plays, 60 yards, 2:31)
4: BR Taggart 12 run (Ohneiser kick) 6:25 (3 plays, 50 yards, 1:00)
4: BR Thomas 26 run (Ohneiser kick) 2:56 (2 plays, 35 yards, 0:40)
4: S Brisco 7 run (kick failed) 0:17 (8 plays, 65 yards, 2:39)

Rushing
Sherando: Ojo 15-100, Brisco 10-60, DAPorter 5-30, DOPorter 1-4. Totals 31-194
Broad Run: Thomas 18-120, Earl 4-39, Taggart 2-13, Jessop 2-8. Totals 26-180

Passing
Sherando: Brisco 19-31-0 131
Broad Run: Jessop 25-34-0 336

Receiving
Sherando: DOPorter 11-94, #12 4-23, DAPorter 4-14.
Broad Run: Price 7-88, Preziotti 6-52, Lindsey 5-60, Stratton 3-32, Thomas 2-72, Taggart 1-29, Nget 1-(-2).