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By Dan Sousa
Viva Loudoun Editor
(Nov. 24, 2012) - Briar Woods High School junior linebacker Chris Larco had a firm grasp on the Region II Division 4 championship trophy Friday night and wasn't about to let go.
"We have depth. We all play with heart. We all play tough," said Larco. "This is amazing. This is the best sport. This is the best thing in the world ... these guys are my family, they are my brothers."
Larco and the Falcons defense shut out Loudoun County for the second time in a month, and junior quarterback Trace McSorley had a big game on both sides of the ball as undefeated Briar Woods (13-0) beat the Raiders, 31-0, to earn a third consecutive regional title.
The Falcons, on a state best 27-game winning streak, will host the Courtland vs. Smithfield winner next Saturday in the VHSL state semifinals.
Briar Woods, despite the loss of senior linebacker Matt Rolin (University of South Carolina recruit) for the playoffs with a knee injury, has allowed just three scores in three postseason wins, out-scoring the opposition, 107-21.
"We are a hard-nose defense. We are relentless," said senior linebacker Cam Serigne after the team's fourth shutout in six weeks. "That zero on the scoreboard is important to us."
While Briar Woods blitzed the Raiders into 45-0 submission in the final week of the regular season in a game that featured early Loudoun County miscues and a running clock in the second half, Friday's game was more competitive with the Raiders (10-3) moving the ball but unable to find the end zone.
County, with just four first downs and 52 total yards in the first meeting, was able to pick up 11 first downs and 171 yards, but the Raiders could not convert on third down most of the night and they could not stop McSorley, who threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns and also led the Falcons rushing game with 83 yards on 13 carries including a score.
McSorley, who is now a mind-boggling 40-3 as a starter since his freshman year, also had an interception on defense that set up the game's first score. As usual, his best friend Serigne, was a prime target, catching six passes for 67 yards and that first TD, a 12-yard waltz into the end zone in the first quarter.
"We were on the same Ashburn Youth Football League team together and won the championship and ever since then we have been on a roll," said Serigne about the productive combo that has the Falcons two wins away from a third straight state title.
While County struggled on third down, going 2 of 12, the Falcons were clutch, converting 11 of their 15 third down snaps. While Briar Woods senior running back Cory Colder, who has been playing through injuries for several weeks, was limited with just 10 yards on six carries, McSorley deftly picked his way behind the big Falcon O-line for 6.4 yards per carry and when the game needed icing, Larco provided some clock-churning yards with 34 on nine carries.
Loudoun County came out throwing with senior quarterback Jake Lokey putting the ball in the air on the first seven Raider snaps and on 12 of the first 13 County plays from scrimmage. Lokey finished his prep career going 20 of 40 for 142 yards. Another Raider senior who helped lead County's return to the playoffs the past two seasons was WR Brad Szoka who caught eight passes for 83 yards.
"I don't think there are enough words to describe what the seniors did for our program," said Loudoun County coach Todd Hill. "They worked their hearts out. We had great senior leadership. It was fun to coach them."
County kept the ball for 10 plays on the opening drive of the night, converting one 4th-and-short by drawing the Falcons offsides, but failing to convert on 4th-and-1 from the Falcon 38.
Briar Woods started the night with a 20-yard hook-up from McSorley to speedy sophomore Brandon Polk (4 catches for 92 yards), but the Raider defense stiffened and facing 3rd-and-7 from the County 39, Briar Woods coach Charlie Pierce had McSorley punt from the shotgun formation and the ball rolled down to the Raider 3.
Two plays later, McSorley picked off Lokey and returned the ball to the Raider 22. Polk picked up 10 yards on a jet sweep and on the next play McSorley and Serigne dialed up a TD with 6:06 left in the first quarter.
County, like their first drive, was able to move the ball again, marching down to the Falcon 12 on 11 plays but a 29-yard field goal attempt failed just before the first quarter ended.
The breaks went Briar Woods' way when a McSorley fumble inside their own 25 was recovered by the Falcons and two plays later, McSorley found Serigne deep for 32 yards. The Raiders held inside their own 10, forcing Briar Woods to settle for a 24-yard field goal by junior Nick LaFrankie. That put Briar Woods up 10-0 with 6:05 until half.
While the game kicked off in above average November weather, the wind started to pick up as County started their third drive and the Falcons forced a quick 3-and-out. Taking advantage of a short punt in the swirling wind, Briar Woods took over at County's 38 with 4:52 until half.
McSorley's 14-yard scamper on 3rd-and-2 from the Raider 16 set up a Colder TD dive from the 1 with 2:21 left in the half. Briar Woods would take the 17-0 advantage into the second half as the conditions got worse with the winds howling across the playing field. The gusty weather was not ideal for County's passing attack which relied on precise throws across the field on bubble screens.
"We felt like the wind kind of made it difficult for teams to mount a passing attack," said Pierce.
Briar Woods erased any thoughts of a Raider comeback with a 12-play, 65-yard scoring drive to start the second half that took almost six minutes off the clock. Briar Woods converted 3rd-and-3, 3rd-and-4, 3rd-and-7 and 3rd-and-6 on the series with the big play a 27-yard McSorley to Polk completion that took the ball to the Raider 9. Three plays later, McSorley, followed a blocking convoy into the end zone for a 5-yard TD, making it 24-0 with 6:05 left in the third.
The Raiders were able to drive to the Falcon 26 but turned it over on downs. Stepping up big defensively for Briar Woods in the game were Larco with nine tackles, senior DB Darryll Gadsden with seven tackles and McSorley with five.
Briar Woods mounted another 12-play drive that lasted into the fourth quarter with McSorley, despite the wind, dropping a pretty pass into the hands of Polk as he sprinted past the Raider coverage for a 35-yard TD with 9:59 left in the game.
Briar Woods 31, Loudoun County 0
LC 0 0 0 0 - 0
BW 7 10 7 7 - 31
1 BW Serigne 12 pass from McSorley (LaFrankie kick)
2 BW LaFrankie 24 FG
2 BW Colder 2 run (LaFrankie kick)
3 BW McSorley 4 run (LaFrankie kick)
4 BW Polk 35 pass from McSorley (LaFrankie kick)
Rushing
LC: Lokey 10-22, Arneson 2-4, Graham 1-3, Szoka 1-0. Total 14-29.
BW: McSorley 13-83, Larco 9-34, Polk 5-21, Colder 6-10, Serigne 1-1, Scott 1-(-1), Ford 2-(-3). Total 39-145.
Passing
LC: Lokey 20-40-1 142.
BW: McSorley 14-18-0 201.
Receiving
LC: Szoka 8-83, Anderson 4-20, SBell 4-19, AJackson 3-15, Graham 1-5.
BW: Serigne 6-67, Polk 4-92, Miller 1-13, Ramos 1-12, Birmingham 1-9, Logan 1-8.
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