Football: Broad Run Falls at Home for First Times Since 2007 as Battlefield Beats Spartans, 28-20

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor
Ashburn (Oct. 23, 2011) – The Broad Run High School football team could have all-but-clinched the AAA Cedar Run District football title Friday night at home against defending VHSL Division 6 state champion Battlefield, but it was the Bobcats celebrating a share of the district title after handing the Spartans their first defeat at home since the 2007 playoffs.

Battlefield (3-1, 7-2) built a 20-0 first-half lead and then held on against a furious Broad Run comeback for a 28-20 win. Broad Run (1-1, 6-2) can tie Battlefield for the regular-season title with wins to finish against district foes Stonewall Jackson (1-2, 4-4).

And it could likely be a 3-way tie for the title in the 5-team district as Osbourn (2-1, 6-3) needs only to finish with a win over struggling Freedom (0-2, 1-7). Battlefield ends the regular season with a non-district game with North Stafford. Both the Bobcats and Osbourn have byes the week before the playoffs.

For the Spartans, which last fell at home in the first round of the 2007 Region II playoffs to Park View, it was a second straight week with a first half where their opponents put up a 20 spot on the scoreboard. While a week earlier, against Osbourn, Broad Run quarterback had rallied his team to 21 first-half points to take the lead into the locker room, this time the Spartans struggled to just 61 first-half total yards and trailed 20-0.


“We didn’t tackle well in the first half,” said Broad Run coach Matt Griffis.

Not only did Broad Run make half-time defensive adjustments but Griffis liked his team’s attitude despite the big deficit.

“Not a single kid had their heads down, there were no negative thoughts,” said Griffis. “In the second half we played with passion, played tough and played as a team.”

Jessop threw for 101 yards in the second half, including a touchdown throw to Caleb Lindsey, and ran for a score, but Jessop’s deep ball on 4th-and-4 from Broad Run’s own 35 with 7:43 left in the game, swung the momentum back to Battlefield.

The Bobcats scored four plays later to go up, 28-14, with 6:19 left in the game. Broad Run scored with 4:31 to go but with only one timeout remaining could not stop the Bobcats from running the clock out. There was frustration on Broad Run’s sideline and side of the ball as the Spartans were hit with three 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalties in the waning seconds of the contest and after. In all, neither team gave the officials high marks on the evening as there were 24 infractions called for a whopping 222 total yards in penalties – 14 on Broad Run for 122 yards and 10 on Battlefield for 100 yards.

“For both sides it was ugly at times,” said Battlefield coach Mark Cox.

Battlefield could not be stopped in the first half as the Bobcats put together three long scoring drives of 75, 80 and 70 yards. Bobcat quarterback Ryan Swingle was an efficient 10 of 13 for 112 yards in the first half and Battlefield’s running attack rolled up 123 more yards before the break. Swingle scored on two 1-yard sneaks and threw a 23-yard score to Brandon Whaley with just 43 seconds left in the first half to up the lead to 20-0.
Broad Run, meanwhile, had two first downs in the first half.

After the break it was all Broad Run as Jessop led the team on a 66-yard, 7-play drive to start the third quarter with Derril Thomas scoring from 3 yards out with 8:57 left in the quarter to make it 20-7.

The next Broad Run drive was stopped just near the Bobcats Red Zone as Dorian Jenkins lost the handle of the football after a 6-yard reception at the Battlefield 27. The Spartan defense forced a 3-and-out and the Spartans took over at the Battlefield 43.

In eight plays, Broad Run found the end zone with Jessop converting a 4th-and-1 from the Battlefield 34 on a keeper and then hitting Lindsey on a 16-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter. Billy Deane’s extra point made it 20-14 Battlefield with 11:54 left.

Broad Run’s defense got Jessop and Company back on the field with 9:51 to go but on 4th-and-4, Jessop went deep down the middle of the field and the ball was knocked away. Taking over at the Spartan 35, Andrew Smith took a 3rd-and-6 carry and busted down the left sidelines for 28 yards. On the next play he scored from the 3 and Battlefield tacked on a 2-point conversion, a Swindle to Jack Taylor pass, to make it 28-14.

The Spartans quickly got that score back with Jenkins breaking loose on a short reception for 45 yards and a facemask at the end of the play added another 15 to take the ball to the Bobcat 11. Three plays later, Jessop scored from the 6 with 4:31 to play.

Broad Run then needed a stop to get the ball back to possibly tie, but on 3rd-and-4 from their own 44, the Bobcats got a 10-yard completion from Swindle to Michael Jorgenson to keep the drive alive.

A penalty on the next play, left Battlefield at 1st-and-25. Yet another penalty, a holding call, was accepted by Broad Run on the next play, setting up a 1st-and-33 but the extra snap for the Bobcats would prove costly as Battlefield was able to run out the clock without punting.

Battlefield 28, Broad Run 20
Battlefield   7  13 0  8 - 28
Broad Run 0   0  7 13 - 20

1 BF Swingle 1 run (Solomon kick) 7:09 (drive: 10 plys, 75 yds, 4:51)
2 BF Swingle 1 run (Solomon kick) 6:10 (9 plys, 80 yds, 4:00)
2 BF Whaley 23 pass from Swingle (kick failed) 0:43 (6 plys, 70 yds, 3:15)
3 BR Thomas 3 run (Deane kick) 8:57 (7 plys, 66 yds, 3:03)
4 BR Lindsey 16 pass from Jessop (Deane kick) 11:54 (8 plys, 43 yds, 3:11)
4 BF Smith 3 run (Taylor pass from Swingle) 6:19 (4 plys, 35 yds, 1:24)
4 BR Jessop 6 run (kick failed) 4:31 (5 plys, 69 yds, 1:48)


Rushing
Battlefield: Smith 18-98, Lopez 2-43, Tolliver 8-39, Swingle 6-21. Totals 34-201.
Broad Run: Thomas 13-65, Jessop 111-62, Earl 3-6. Totals 27-133.

Passing
Battlefield: Swingle 12-19-0 133 yds.
Broad Run: Jessop 10-17-1 116 yds.

Receiving
Battlefield: Saflin 6-56, Lopez 3-30, Whaley 1-23, Newman 1-22, Smith 1-5.
Broad Run: Jenkins 3-54, Stratton 3-26, Taggart 3-20, Lindsey 1-16.

Penalties
Battlefield: 10-100.
Broad Run: 14-122.