Football: Briar Woods Rallies for 20-15 Win at Broad Run

Ashburn (Sept. 2, 2012) - The Briar Woods High School football team led Friday night for just 24 seconds of the 24 minute big non-district showdown at Broad Run but it was the right 24 seconds for the Falcons as they rallied behind senior running back Cory Colder and junior quarterback Trace McSorley for a dramatic 20-15 win over the Spartans.

2-time defending VHSL Division 4 state champion Briar Woods (2-0) won for the 16th straight game dating back to Broad Run's 14-0 win to open the 2011 season. It appeared as if the Spartans (1-1) would make it two straight over the Falcons after sophomore quarterback Brady Reitzel (102 yards rushing, 71 yards passing) led Broad Run to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Falcons defense, playing without South Carolina super recruit Matt Rolin who was on crutches on the sidelines after tweaking his ankle in practice during the week, didn't allow another point and the Briar Woods offense, trailing 15-8 at the half, rallied for two scores in the final 4:44 of the game including Colder's 9-yard TD scamper with 24 seconds to go.


Colder, who didn't get into the game into midway through the first quarter and then fumbled the ball away in the red zone on his second touch, was strong down the stretch, carrying the ball eight times for 37 yards on the Falcons 76-yard march that resulted in a 1-yard McSorley TD sneak with 4:44 to play. Briar Woods coach Charlie Pierce, showing confidence in his defense, rolled the dice and went for a 2-point conversion and the lead rather than opt for tying the game at 15-15 with a kick, but McSorley's pass fell short to leave Broad Run ahead, 15-14.

The Falcons defense forced a quick 3-and-out and Briar Woods took over at its own 49 with 2:59 left to set up the winning drive which took just six plays -- the biggest a 23-yard McSorley to Brandon Polk reception on 3rd-and-6 from the Spartan 44 with two minutes to go. Three straight Colder runs from the 21 put the ball in the end zone and send the Falcon side of the packed stadium into a frenzy.

The nice strike to Polk was not McSorley's biggest pass of the night as that came on the previous TD drive with Briar Woods facing a huge hole in 2nd-and-29 from their own 18 after back-to-back holding penalties. The game was marred by flags flying as the two teams racked up a total of 23 penalties for 210 yards including 10 holding calls on the night.

The Falcons might have felt good about the 2nd-and-29 as they were facing 1st-and-36 from the 11 before Colder carved out seven yards to prevent McSorely from having to drop back near his end zone. The Spartan defense was good on the second-and-long so McSorley went for broke with a heave down the middle of the field for Cam Serigne, who made an amazing leaping grab for a 38-yard gain at the Spartan 44.

That play energized the Falcons comeback effort and on the next play Colder was brought down by his face mask which turned a 7-yard gain into 22 total yards to the Spartan 22. Back-to-back Colder 8-yard gains put it to the 6 and two plays -- and two more penalties! -- later it was McSorley scoring.

McSorley, improving to 29-3 in his career as the Falcons QB1, threw for 123 yards in the win, rushed for 38 and had an interception on defense that started the Briar Woods defensive turnaround.

Reitzel and the Spartans shocked Briar Woods with a 68-yard TD hook-up with Dorian Jenkins on the game's fourth play from scrimmage. Just 62 seconds into the game and BR led 7-0.

Briar Woods responded with a long 15-play drive that ended with a fumble that Chuck Davis scooped up on the BR 10 and returned it five yards.

Broad Run needed just seven plays to move the ball 85 yards and doubled the lead to 15-0 after at two-point conversion. The elusive Reitzel had runs of 17, 16, 17 and 4 on the drive that was capped by Da'Qwan Earl's 2-yard score with 2:15 left in the first quarter.

Briar Woods came right back with another long drive, this time 14 plays for 80 yards, to score. Colder picked up steam on the drive, opening with runs of 11 and 18 yards. McSorley, facing 3rd-and-10 from the BR 26 hit Polk for 9 yards. On fourth and short, McSorley nosed ahead for two yards. Three plays later, Colder scored from the 6.

Broad Run, with 160 total yards on the first two drives, totaled just two yards on their last three possessions of the first half -- a 1 play possession with McSorley intercepting a pass, a drive which gained 1 yard before a punt and then one run to end the half.

The Spartans offense was back in tune to start the second half with a monster 17 play drive that took almost eight minutes but didn't result in any points. Broad Run was hurt by an illegal shift penalty that wiped out a big pass into the red zone but the Spartans were helped by a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt that put the b all on the Falcons 27.

On the very next play, however, BR started going backwards with a holding penalty on first down and then a fumble on the next play that left the Spartans facing 2nd-and-23. An incomplete pass and short run forced BR to punt with 11:11 left in the game. Briar Woods then took over after the 14-yard punt rolled out of bounds at their own 24 to start the first of the two TD drives that would decided the game.

Briar Woods 20, Broad Run 15
BW  0  8  0  12 - 20
BR 15  0  0   0  - 15

1: BR Jenkins 68 pass from Reitzel (Deane kick) 10:58
1: BR Earl 2 run (Banks run) 2:15
2: BW Colder 6 run (Colder run) 7:14
4: BW McSorley 1 run (pass failed) 4:44
4: BW Colder 9 run (pass failed) 0:24

Rushing
BW: Colder 27-142, McSorley 11-38, Larco 7-32, Polk 2-11, Logan 1-5. Totals 48-228.
BR: Reitzel 14-102, Hilberath 7-42, Earl 5-15, Davis 4-(-2). Totals 30-157.

Passing
BW: McSorley 10-19-0 130.
BR: Reitzel 3-7-1 71.

Receiving
BW: Serigne 3-60, Polk 3-39, Miller 2-15, Ramos 1-8, Holland 1-8.
BR: Jenkins 1-68, Davis 1-3, Hilberath 1-0.