Football: Potomac Falls Stuns Woodgrove for First Win of Season

(Sept. 10, 2011) - The Potomac Falls High School football team, which was shut out the first two weeks of the season, exploded for 21 points in the first half Friday night and went on to pick up their first win of the season, a 28-13 Dulles District win at Woodgrove.

Panther junior quarterback Michael Fischetti connected with senior Kyle Bulger on three big passing plays on Potomac Falls' first two possessions of the game -- one a 15-yard touchdown and the other two, 35-yard and 44-yard hook-ups, to set up the first of three touchdown dives by sophomore Jacob Rugen.

That early 14-0 advantage was stretched to 21-0 midway through the second quarter when an errant Woodgrove punt snap gave the Panthers the ball on the Wolverine 10. Fishchetti, who finished the night 13 of 22 for 185 yards, found Bulger (6-115 yards) yet again, this time down to the 1 where Rugen (15 carries for 58 yards) did the honors.

Woodgrove had two lost fumbles in the game and the Panthers took advantage of another short field with a 40-yard drive in the third quarter that resulted in Rugen's third TD and an overwhelming 28-0 Panther advantage.

The Wolverines, behind running back junior Atem Ntantang (21 rushes for 101 yards) fought back in the fourth quarter with two scores -- one a 23 run by Ntantang and the other a 1-yard run by junior Benjamin Coil but Potomac Falls held on to wrap up the win and improve to 1-0 in district and 1-2 overall. Woodgrove, which had matched its win total for its first season with an 2-0 start, fell to 0-1, 2-1.

Potomac Falls is at Heritage next Friday and Woodgrove travels to Park View.

Woodgrove controlled the clock in the game, holding the ball for more than 33 of the contest's 48 minutes. The Wolverines, with Tyler Workman gaining 76 yards on 16 carries, rushed for 209 yards on 35 attempts but managed just 69 yards passing. Potomac Falls threw for 185 yards with just 55 yards rushing.

The Panthers great start came on defense first as they forced Woodgrove to 3-and-out and then Potomac Falls drove 65 yards, converting a big 4th-and-short along the way for the first TD. The next Panthers possession took them 80 yards to the end zone.

Full box score on AllMets.com