Boys Soccer: Broad Run Possesses Another Title with Total Team Soccer

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (June 4, 2011) - Winning is not enough for the Broad Run boys soccer team as the Spartans, with 13 seniors on the roster, have set their sights high this season: they want to be known as the Barcelona of high school soccer. The Spartans took another step towards that lofty goal as they captured the Region II title Friday night with a display of polished possession soccer.

Broad Run (21-1-1) dominated Tuscarora (15-8-1) for the fourth time this season, blanking the Huskies, 3-0, for the school's second straight Region II crown and third overall. In four games this season, the Spartans have out-scored the first-year Huskies -- with no seniors on their roster -- 13-1 overall.


"Hard to find another talented team as we are and the boys have been playing together for four years. They know each other, we do a lot of classroom work," said Broad Run coach Jon Hicks. "They do a very good job of possessing the ball, playing simple, two, three touch. As they said, they want to be the Barcelona of high school soccer, so they try to posses the ball as much as possible."

Broad Run, which survived an overtime scare at Western Albemarle in the regional quarterfinals and then won a contentious rivalry game with Potomac Falls in the regional semifinals, now gets to host Tabb Tuesday in the AA state quarterfinals, while Tuscarora, which run three straight road games to make the regional finals, must travel to Jamestown for the quarterfinals.

"We knew it was going to be a battle. They are big, they are strong and they are fast," said Tuscarora coach Dave Gryder.

And while Broad Run is indeed a tall team it was one of the smaller Spartans, senior forward Tim Chapman who finished a Kevin Reitzel pass in the 8th minute to give Broad Run an early lead then used speed and hustle to score 10 minutes later for what would be a commanding lead.

"We slowed down towards the end of the season but then towards the tournament started playing better and better," said Chapman. "We thought we had our best match against Western Albemarle. Potomac Falls we just took care of business and a rivalry. Today, we beat them pretty comfortably before, and we just knew we had to play our game."

Tuscarora held firm defensively the rest of the game but could not make much headway on their offensive end. Broad Run tacked on a late goal in the 75th minute on a curling left-foot strike by senior Ryan Deutsch.

"Playing with these guys for four years, I can't even explain how I am feeling right now," said Reitzel the Dulles District co-Player of the Year and the Spartans emotional leader. "Going into the state tournament again with these guys, it's just unexplainable. We are playing our best football going into the state tournament."