Football: Briar Woods Confirms Top Spot in Dulles District with Win Over Heritage

By Owen Gotimer
Heritage High School Student journalist

Ashburn (Oct. 16, 2011) - Friday night at the Briar Woods High School Homecoming football game, the celebrating Falcons made a bold statement against the visiting Heritage Pride. The Falcons (6-0, 6-1), averaging just over 315 yards a game in total offense, took advantage of the Pride defense and accumulated 437 yards of total offense as Briar Woods, on the crisp, overcast night scored four rushing and four passing touchdowns in a decisive 56–14 win.

The win left Briar Woods the only Dulles District team unbeaten in league play and gave the Falcons big boost in the VHSL ratings, moving the defending state champions to the top spot in the Region II Division 4 playoff picture. Heritage (4-1, 5-2) fell into a 3-way, all-Leesburg tie for second in the district with Loudoun County and Tuscarora.


Briar Woods sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley had a huge night with four TD passes coming on
14 of 18 passing and 210 yards. While Stanford-bound WR/DB Alex Carter scored his lone touchdown on the ground, McSorley hooked up with four difference Falcons on scoring plays -- Devin Ramos, Cam Serigne, Jamal Hill and Mark Leith.

The Pride’s senior quarterback Austin Nelson got the first crack at scoring as the Falcons kicked off to Heritage to start the game. On the first play from the line of scrimmage, Nelson fired a strike to senior Marcus Finney for an 8-yard pick up and the Pride seemed to be in business. Senior Juan Narvaez picked up the first down two plays later, and following a 16-yard Nelson keeper Heritage was in Falcon territory.

Yet, on the next play, Heritage ran a dive up the middle and the football was fumbled with Falcon junior Matt Rolin pouncing on it.

On the eight plays of the subsequent drive, the Falcons rushed seven times, picking up 64 yards including a 23-yard touchdown run by senior Alex Carter.

Heritage went three and out on their next three tries as the defense of Briar Woods headed by Carter (8.5 tackles) stepped up. This gave McSorley plenty of opportunity to keep putting up points and his own keeper from the 1 made it 14-0 in the first.

The Falcons were comfortably up 28-0 in the second quarter after a 5-yard Leith run and then 66-yard McSorley to Ramos hook-up. That long scoring play came with 3:43 left in the first half.

Heritage refused to quit and getting to work like he has most of the season, Nelson on the final drive of the half went 5 of 10 hitting senior Drew Burkhard in the end zone capping off a 79-yard Heritage drive with just six seconds left in the half.

What really set the teams apart in the first half, and throughout the game, was the ground game of Briar Woods as the Falcons, led by junior Cory Colder, rushed for 227 yards on 35 carries on the game.

Up 28-7, McSorley came out firing in the second half (11 for 12 in the half) throwing an additional three touchdown passes -- a 30-yarder to Hill, 5-yarder to Serigne and 2-yarder to Leith.

Briar Woods scored on their first drive the second half to go up 34-7 but Heritage's offense continued its momentum from the first half as Nelson marched his team down the field. Going 3 for 5 and travelling 54 yards, Nelson hit fellow senior Ryan Taylor for a 10-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-14 with 7:45 left in the third quarter.

The Falcons defense would not allow another score and two more touchdowns in the third made it 49-14 Briar Woods with a quarter still to play. Colder's 1-yard run with 1:25 left in the game finished the scoring.

For Briar Woods, it was the fourth time in five games that the Falcons had scored 48 or more points. Since falling to Broad Run in the opener, 14-0, Briar Woods has out-scored opponents by a whopping 296 to 23 margin during the six-game winning streak.

Briar Woods 56, Heritage 14
Heritage 0 7 7 0 - 14
Briar Woods 14 14 21 7 - 56

1 BW Carter 23 run (Clements kick) 6:10
1 BW McSorley 1 run (Clements kick) 3:00
2 BW Leith 5 run (Clemtns kick) 8:16
2 BW Ramos 66 pass from McSorley (Clements kick) 3:43
2 H Burkhard 2 pass from Nelson (Pyszka kick) 0:06
3 BW Hill 30 pass from McSorley (PAT failed) 9:48
3 H Tyalor 10 pass from Nelson (Pyszka kick) 7:45
3 BW Serigne 5 pass from McSorley (Rizzardi run) 3:59
3 BW Leith 2 pass from McSorley (Clements kick) 1:01
4 BW Colder 1 run (Clements kick) 1:25

Top Performers:

Rushing

BW, Cory Colder 15-75, TD
BW, Alex Carter 5-62, TD
BW, Trace McSorley 4-20, TD
H, Juan Narvaez 11-46

Passing

BW, Trace McSorley 14-18, 210 yards, 4 TD
H, Austin Nelson 13-34, 154 yards, 2 TD, INT

Receiving

BW, Devin Ramos 2-79, TD
BW, Cam Serigne 3-66, TD
H, Marcus Finney 3-72
H, Drew Burkhard 5-42, TD
BW, Jamal Hill 2-35, TD
H, Ryan Taylor 2-24, TD
BW, Mark Leith 2-20, TD

Defense

BW, Alex Carter 7 tackles, 3 assisted
H, Nick Wright 6 tackles, 1 assisted