Football: VHSL Division 5 State Semifinal - Stone Bridge at Osbourn

(Dec. 4, 2010) - The Stone Bridge High School football team is once again just one win away from a trip to the state playoffs but the Bulldogs will have to beat an undefeated Osbourn team today on the road to make their fourth trip to Charlottesville in six years.

Today's 2:30 p.m. match-up is epic with Stone Bridge (13-0) ranked No. 1 in the Washington Post (yes, they still print that baby with ink and everything) metro poll and Osbourn (12-0) is ranked No. 2.

Both teams have high-powered offenses with Osbourn averaging 44.6 points per game and Stone Bridge 43.9. The Bulldogs defense has been stingier, giving up just 6.0 points per game while Osbourn has allowed 15.8.

What Others are Saying About the Big Game
Potomac News: Osbourn Prepares for Stone Bridge (great insight here from Ben Trittipoe ... did you know the Eagles coach used to be an assistant at Loudoun County?!?)
Potomac News feature on Osbourn's Corey Nelson (inspirational story by editor David Fawcett who can still do the long takeout feature!)
Washington Post's Paul Tenorio profiles SB D-lineman Jonathan Allen
Washington Post Video preview (didn't even know they had this!)
Washington Post quick preview on game (love how they use The Skinny now ... hmmmm)
Loudoun Times-Mirror previews the game
VirginiaPreps Preview (but you have to be a paid member ... don't you love that Viva is free!)

VivaLoudoun Editor Dan Sousa will be at the game in Manassas today ... check out the column on the right on this page for the latest Twitter updates or sign up to receive the updates on your cell phone (www.twitter.com/vivaloudoun).


Dan's prediction: Stone Bridge will have to bottle Osbourn's speed and contain Dominique Terrell who can take any snap 80 yards for a score and has a strong arm and can chuck it down the field. Think Michael Vick. Bulldogs will want to eat some clock behind Marcus Harris who carried the ball 276 times in last year's state title loss to Phoebus (OK, not that many times but you get the point). It seems like the last time I covered a SB game where both teams were over 20 points was back when Mickey Thompson's twins were still in middle school (they now play at Wake Forest) .... but here goes my prediction: Stone Bridge 24, Osbourn 21 ... Could it be a Spenser Rositano 41-yard field goal to win it?