Briar Woods Blasts Loudoun County, Wins Dulles District Football Title

The Briar Woods football team was in unfamiliar territory Friday night. Winners of their last eight games by at least 37 points, the Falcons entered halftime tied 7-7 with the visiting Loudoun County Raiders. The players in the locker room were disappointed and frustrated, and looking for a spark.

After an impromptu pep talk from injured defensive standout Joe Rizzardi, the Falcons exploded for three touchdowns in the third quarter to run away from the Raiders and claim their second straight Dulles District championship with the 35-7 win.

"[Rizzardi] spoke to the players about how he remembered the only game they lost as freshmen was to Loudoun County, and he was really looking forward to this game," said Falcon coach Charlie Pierce, referring to the team's leading tackler who had to miss the game with a leg injury. "He did a heck of a talk for those guys and we all cheered for him afterwards, because we knew emotionally he was hurting because he couldn't play in this game. His halftime talk meant a lot to those players."

The Falcons game-changing third quarter outburst was spurred on the field by big plays in the running game and two turnovers forced by the defense. The Falcons (9-1, 8-0 in the district) marched 75 yards in just six plays on the opening possession of the second half, and scored on Cory Colder's 16-yard tackle-breaking jaunt to the end zone. The score gave Briar Woods a 7-point lead that it would not relinquish.

On the ensuing possession, linebacker Matt Rolin tipped a pass from Raider quarterback Jake Lokey, and senior defensive back Jamal Hill came down with the interception. The turnover set the tone for the Falcons second half defensive effort that held Loudoun County scoreless.

"I felt like it was big game changer," said Hill about the interception. "We needed something to pick us up because everyone came out sluggish, so once I had that pick I knew right then momentum changed to our side." 

After both teams traded punts, Briar Woods struck again. The key play of the drive was quarterback Trace McSorley's juking, spinning, and diving 23-yard run on third down. That play kept the drive alive and setup another touchdown run by Colder, this time a five-yard plunge that extended the Falcon lead to 21-7.

Loudoun County's defense simply had no answers for the dynamic rushing duo of McSorley and Colder. Colder led the Falcons in rushing with 145 yards and two touchdowns, but McSorley was right behind him. The quarterback converted just 10 runs into 138 yards and three touchdowns, including the Falcons’ first and last scores of the game on runs of 31 yards and 44 yards, respectively.

The Briar Woods defense, on the other hand, seemed to have an answer for almost everything the Raiders (8-2, 6-2) threw at them. After converting a fourth-and-11 halfback-option pass into a 26-yard touchdown in the first quarter, the Raiders never really threatened to score again. Lokey, who entered the game completing better than 65-percent of his passes with just three interceptions all season, was continually harassed by an aggressive Falcon pass rush and completed just 7 of 23 passes for 71 yards and two interceptions.

Senior defensive lineman Kevin Owens was all over the field, tallying 19 total tackles and getting in on a quarterback sack. Owens was one of six Briar Woods defenders  – including Justin Baker, Brandon Brown, Trei Germany, Darryll Gadsen, and Mike Barta – who recorded double-digit tackles in the game.

The game – and resulting district championship – served as exclamation points on a dominating regular season campaign by the Falcons and their decorated senior class.

"The leadership we've had the last couple of years from our seniors has been outstanding," said Pierce. "Last year’s team set that foundation and the seniors have invested more to maintain what we've got going."

Note: The game was also a great birthday present for Coach Pierce, who celebrated his (__)th birthday Friday night!  I'll personally deliver a sweet Patch pen to any reader who can provide coach's actual age.

The Falcons will now prepare for another playoff run, with their hopes for consecutive state championships seemingly within reach.

"I say the sky is the limit for us," said Hill. "If we play the way we know how to play, I feel like we can't be beat."

The Washington Post is predicting Briar Woods will be the number one seed in the AA Division 4 regional playoffs, and will host Park View (4-6) in the opening round. The Falcons beat Park View 53-3 earlier this season.

Stay tuned to Ashburn Patch sports for high school football playoff coverage.

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