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Ashburn (Nov. 25, 2011) - A stifling Briar Woods High School defense, highlighted by a fourth quarter Red Zone stand that protected a 7-point lead, led the Falcons to a 21-7 win over Powhatan Friday evening in the Region II Division 4 football title game. For the defending state champion Falcons it was a 12th straight win and back-to-back regional titles.
"Championships are based on defense," Briar Woods coach Charlie Pierce told his players as they gathered after the regional title win.
Briar Woods (12-1) travels Saturday to face Region I champion Grafton in the state semifinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at York High School's Bailey Field.
"Let's keep it rolling!," said Briar Woods senior Alex Carter who had a key catch on the Falcons' go-ahead touchdown drive just before the end of the first half and had the game-clinching long TD run in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 7-0 Friday, Briar Woods pulled ahead in the second quarter on back-to-back 6-play, 56-yard drives. The first drive featured six runs and was kick-started by Cory Colder's 26-yard scamper. Falcon sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley scored from six yards out on a bootleg with 4:36 left in the half and David Clements point after tied it 7-7.
"We knew it was going to be a hard-hitting game," said Briar Woods junior linebacker Matt Rolin, comparing the contact Friday to the helmet-rattling state final win last year over Harrisonburg.
After a 3-and-out by the Indians, the Falcons were back in business with Carter making a great juggling catch on 3rd-and-10 for 18 yards to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, McSorley found his favorite receiver, Cam Serigne, running alone down the middle of the field for a 36-yard score. With another Clements PAT it was 14-7 Briar Woods with 53 seconds left before halftime.
A long Briar Woods drive to start the second half was stymied when the Falcons lost possession on a wild scramble for a fumble that resulted in a negative-24 yard play and gave Powhatan the ball at the Briar Woods 45.
The Falcons defense was up to the task, forcing a 3-and-out and punt from the Briar Woods 38. On the next drive, with the aid of a 15-yard late hit out of bounds penalty, Powhatan made it to the Falcon 24 but Briar Woods got the ball back on downs after a run for no gain and three straight incompletions.
To start the fourth quarter, Powhatan threatened again to tie as the Indians had first down inside the 18 but back-to-back incomplete passes on 3rd-and-2 and 4th-and-2 from the 11 gave Briar Woods the ball.
Powhatan, playing some good defense of its own, forced the Falcon offense to give up the ball again and the Indians made it the Briar Woods 32 before turning it over yet again on downs. This time the Briar Woods defense stuffed Indian running back Ray Brown -- who had 499 yards rushing combined in the first two playoff games but just 66 yards Friday on 24 carries -- for no gain on 3rd-and-2 and 4th-and-2.
"It was a physical game," said Briar Woods senior linebacker Brandon Brown with a tired smile on his face despite blood trickling down from a cut on his forehead.
Two plays later, the Stanford-bound Carter took a handoff around the left end and streaked 69 yards for the clinching score.
Powhatan went up 7-0 on quarterback Thomas Mitchell's 44-yard bootleg with 7:15 left in the first quarter.
Briar Woods 21, Powhatan 7
1 P Mitchell 44 run (Malcolm kick) 7:15 (2 pl, 46 yds, 0:57)
2 BW McSorley 6 run (Clements kick) 4:36 (6 pl, 56 yds, 2:50)
2 BW Serigne 36 pass from McSorley (Clements kick) 0:53 (6 pl, 56 yds, 2:37)
4 BW Carter 69 run (Clements kick) 2:30 (2 pl, 68 yds, 0:59)
Rushing
P: Brown 24-66, Mitchell 3-43, Higuchi 5-21, Bradley 1-3. Totals 33-133.
BW: Colder 19-87, Carter 3-80, Logan 2-19, McSorley 5-5, Brown 1-2, Cashman 3-0, Team 2-(-2).
Passing
P: Mitchell 4-16-0 60.
BW: McSorley 4-14-0 69.
Receiving
P: Drew 2-48, Brown 1-6, Higuchi 1-6.
BW: Serigne 2-47, Carter 2-22.
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