Viva Loudoun Editor
Ashburn (Sept. 22, 2012) - Hey, it was called the Battle of the Burn ... do you think that Stone Bridge High School senior quarterback Ryan Burns would really miss the game?!? Overcoming a dodgy ankle that limited him practice during the week, Burns was on fire Friday, throwing three touchdown passes on 10 of 16 passing for 154 yards in the Bulldogs commanding 37-14 non-district win over Broad Run before a standing room only crowd at the Spartans stadium.
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Burns, a 6-foot-6 Stanford-bound recruit, could have actually had gaudier numbers as sure 70+ would-be TD pass was dropped but Stone Bridge (4-0 record) will take the comfortable victory compared to the 2011 Battle of the Burn (named for the rivalry between the two Ashburn schools just minutes apart) that saw the Bulldogs fall behind 24-0 before an incredible rally that led to a 31-30 overtime victory.
Broad Run (1-3) is stuck in a 3-game losing streak for the first time since 2005 with losses to three tough programs - Briar Woods, Woodbridge and Stone Bridge.
The Spartans did everything in their power to keep Stone Bridge senior defensive linemen Jon Allen, an Alabama-recruit, from wrecking havoc in the backfield. Broad Run's gameplan included a no huddle attack that had sophomore quarterback Brady Reitzel calling the play, signaled in from the sidelines, only after watching where Allen was lining up.
This tactic led to a nice opening drive by the Spartans that had them drive deep into Stone Bridge territory before a 22-yard field goal attempt was no good. The Bulldogs needed just one play to set the temp .. and that temp was one of lightning quick speed as senior Rassaun Goldring sprinted 55 yards on the first play and two plays later he jetted into the end zone on a 22-yard TD run. Senior Brendan Smedley's PAT made it 7-0 with 4:20 left in the first.
Turnovers, penalties and other miscues prevented Broad Run from establishing any offensive groove or gaining good field position the rest of the half and led the way to Stone Bridge scoring 17 points in the second quarter.
On Broad Run's first play from scrimmage after the Goldring TD run, Broad Run fumbled the ball away and Stone Bridge senior linebacker Luke Fitzgerald pounced on it at the Spartan 16. Broad Run's defense held and the Spartans took over at their own 15.
Several holding calls short-circuited a Broad Run drive and then a penalty on punt coverage gave Stone Bridge the ball at their own 34. Burns was able to find junior D'Ante Yarborough along the Bulldog sidelines for 10 yards on fourth-and-nearly 10 to keep the drive alive at midfield. Several plays later Burns spotted Yarborough running free on a post pattern and the strong-armed Burns rifled the ball to his WR in stride for a 37-yard TD with 4:37 to make it 14-0.
The Stone Bridge stands -- which, like the home side, were packed at 6 p.m. some 90 minutes prior to kickoff -- were in full throat and it only got louder as Stone Bridge pooched the kickoff and the ball bounced near the 25 yard line where Bulldog junior DB James Manning raced it and made a sliding recovering. That muff turned into three points as Smedley connected on a 32-yard field goal with 2:08 left in the half making it 17-0.
If you headed for the snack bar to get a jump on the halftime crowd, you missed two more touchdowns as Broad Run responded with Reitzel hitting Senior Dorian Jenkins running down the left sidelines for a 71-yard score on the first snap after the FG. That made it 17-7 Stone Bridge with 1:49 to go in the half.
The Bulldogs were determined to take the momentum and a bigger lead into the break and Goldring set it up with a nice 38-yard kickoff return to the SB 40. Broad Run did not help themselves out with a late hit flag on a Burns to Yarborough (5 for 110 yards) reception that moved the ball to the Broad Run with the extra 15 yards. The Spartans then jumped offside to put it at the 19.
Burns then hit senior Jake Kuzbel with a laser for a 19 yard score with 41 seconds left in the half. That made it 24-7 Stone Bridge at the break.
Of course, fans remembered that Broad Run led 24-0 in the previous meeting. Stone Bridge took care of business, first by keeping the ball for more than half of the third quarter on a long drive the ended on downs at the BR 29 and then with the defense stopping the Spartans on 4th-and-7 at their own 45 when a first-down pass was bobbled.
Stone Bridge couldn't move the ball but maintained field position with a punt that put BR on their own 21 with 44 seconds left in the third. Fitzgerald then came up with another big play, stepping in front of a Spartan WR for an interception and taking the pick about 20 yards to the BR 40.
That turnover came with less than a second left in the third quarter -- 0.5 to be exact -- and Stone Bridge needed just half a second to score as Burns hit Yarborough for a 40-yard TD that essentially ended Spartan comeback hopes, making it 31-7.
Stone Bridge showed its depth with the Bulldogs second offensive unit, with freshman Joe Thompson (son of head coach Mickey Thompson) in at quarterback, drove down for a score with just under five minutes to play. Broad Run's Reitzel shook loose for a 35 yard TD run in the waning seconds of the game to make the final score 37-14.
Stone Bridge 37, Broad Run 14
SB 7 17 7 6 - 37
BR 0 7 0 7 - 14
1: SB Goldring 22 run (Smedley kick) 4:20 (drive: 3 plays, 80 yds, 1:04)
2: SB Yarborough 37 pass from Burns (Smedley kick) 4:37
2: SB Smedley 32 FG 2:08
2: BR Jenkins 71 pass from Reitzel (Deane kick) 1:49
2: SB Kuzbel 19 pass from Burns (Smedley kick) 0:41
3: SB Yarborough 39 pass from Burns (Smedley kick) 0:00
4: SB Strahin 1 run (kick blocked) 4:49
4: BR Reitzel 35 run (Deane kick) 1:24
Rushing
SB: Goldring 7-85, Dailey 10-31, Buckley 4-16, Yarborough 3-14, Strahin 2-6, Reynolds 1-1, Frye 1-(-8).
BR: Retizel 15-64, Earl 14-39, Davis 3-27, Hilberath 1-5.
Passing
SB: Burns 10-16-0 154. Thompson 2-3-0 38.
BR: Reitzel 4-10-1 98.
Receiving
SB: Yarborough 5-110, Frye 1-26, Dailey 1-19, Kuzbel 2-19, Goldring 2-9, Tracy 1-9.
BR: Jenkins 1-71, Earl 2-23, Davis 1-4.
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