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Celebrating 200!
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| Photo by Steven Holland |
By Laurel Hattix
Ashburn (November 11, 2011) – Senior Stephen Trivieri rushed for four touchdowns for the second consecutive week to lead Stone Bridge High School to a 35-0 Northern Region Division 5 playoff win over Langley Friday night. The victory held special significance, as it not only brought the Bulldogs one step closer to a sixth AAA regional title in seven years, but the win was a milestone 200th career win for Bulldog coach Mickey Thompson.
Top seeded Stone Bridge (10-1) dominated the the No. 8 seed Saxons (5-6) on the ground, rushing for 203 yards in the first half alone. A strong Bulldog defense, led by Liberty District Defensive Player of the Year, junior Jonathan Allen, held the Saxons to only 47 total yards of offense in the first half as Stone Bridge built a 21-0 halftime lead.
Capitalizing on every opportunity set up by the defense was Liberty District Offensive Player of the Year, Trivieri. Less than three minutes into the first half, Trivieri set up the game’s first score with a 57-yard run. He finished the job himself by walking the ball into the end zone from the 1.
Trivieri, who finished with 248 yards rushing on 23 carries, insisted after the game that the powerful Bulldog offensive line – along with the luxury of having Allen and linebacker Aaron Palmer put in blocking back positions in Stone Bridge’s “heavy” package -- is what gets the job done: “When you have Aaron Palmer and Jon Allen blocking for you, it’s just a walk in the end zone.”
Less than five minutes later, Trivieri found the back of the end zone once again, this time from 3 yards out, following a 20-yard reception by senior Stan Johnson from junior quarterback Ryan Burns. The 85-yard scoring drive capped off a quarter that was all Bulldogs.
Stepping up all night was the Stone Bridge defense – which shutout Langley 28-0 in the regular season – which managed to thwart any chance of the Saxon’s answering the Bulldogs two touchdowns. After a high Langley snap resulted in a loss of 14 yards, Stone Bridge junior Drew Dettra compounded the Saxons’ woes by making a critical stop that pushed the Saxons even further back, forcing Langley to punt with the Bulldogs safely ahead, 14-0.
Although the Bulldogs started the second quarter slow, turning the ball over on downs, their defense stood firm. Langley attempted a field goal to get some points on the scoreboard but the kick was blocked by Allen and recovered by Palmer to keep the Saxon’s scoreless.
Beginning at their own 12, the Bulldogs marched down the field and extended their lead to 21-0 Cameron Reynolds scoring from 5 yards out with just 11 seconds left in the first half.
With just seconds to go in the half, the Saxons fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize on the turnover, as a field goal attempt by Ben Lambourne was wide with seven seconds left before the break.
Beginning the second half, the Bulldogs wasted no time in creating more distance between them and the Saxons as they put together a 9-play, 65-yard drive that lasted 3:30 and was capped off with a Trivieri TD from the 1.
Langley went 3-and-out on their next possession but got the ball right back when a Saxon punt was fumbled by Stone Bridge and recovered by Jack Howerton. Langley, however, could not get an offensive push going as they ran two consecutive plays that lost yards and then had a delay of game penalty. By 4th-and-25 it was time for Langley to punt again.
Taking advantage of a Langley miscue, the Bulldog offense took over at their own 32 and after a 42-yard run by Trivieri and four consecutive carries by Reynolds brought the ball to the 3, Trivieri topped off his night with another trip to the end zone. Lambourne – a perfect 5 for 5 on extra points in the game -- pounded the ball through the uprights to put the Bulldogs ahead 35-0 with still more than a quarter to play.
With a large lead, the Bulldogs maintained the upper hand as they ran the ball for the majority of the final quarter. With the clock winding down, Langley unsuccessful attempted to drive down the field. Constant pressure from Allen made it impossible for the Saxons to convert on third down leaving the Bulldogs shutout intact.
Thompson credited the 35-0 win to the fact that the Bulldogs limited penalties and turnovers and to an offense that has gained momentum in the postseason. The monumental 200th win for Thompson advanced Stone Bridge into the next round of regional play as they will host No. 4 seed South County this coming Friday and the win was a cause for celebration among the fans, players and coaching staff.
His response to the milestone was humble and understated: “It’s hard to believe I have been coaching that long.”
Thompson’s modesty was overshadowed by his players’ clear respect and admiration for him
“It’s really emotional for me because I have played for him for four years and I have gotten to see all that he has done for Stone Bridge and I really can’t see anyone deserving a 200th win more than him,” said Palmer. “He deserves to be recognized for it. He is the best coach I have ever played for.”
Stone Bridge 35, Langley 0
Scoring Summary:
Langley 0 0 0 0 - 0
Stone Bridge 14 7 14 0 - 35
SB 1 Trivieri 1 run (Lambourne Kick)
SB 1 Trivieri 3 run (Lambourne Kick)
SB 2 Reynolds 5 run (Lambourne Kick)
SB 3 Trivieri 1 run (Lambourne Kick)
SB 3 Trivieri 3 run (Lambourne Kick)
Rushing
Langley: Mun 14-44, Holtberg 4-30, Harvey 1-(-6), Casso 5-(-27)
Stone Bridge: Trivieri 23-248, Reynolds 9-39, Goldring 6-63, Pully 4-21, Azzarita 4-18.
Passing
Langley: Casso 4-10-0 26.
Stone Bridge: Burns 2-6-0 47, Manning 1-1-0 10.
Receiving
Langley: Wood 2-15, Pitts 2-11.
Stone Bridge: Johnson 2-47, Allen 1-10.
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