Sports
Broad Run Comeback Against Battlefield Falls Short
Game marred by numerous penalties; loss creates a logjam atop the Cedar Run District standings.
In a game that can best be described as bizarre, the Broad Run Spartans (6-2, 1-1 in the district) battled back from a 20-0 halftime deficit only to surrender a late touchdown. That touchdown followed a failed fourth-down conversion attempt and gave the visiting Battlefield Bobcats the 28-20 win.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Broad Run quarterback Connor Jessop found Caleb Lindsey wide open in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown. The score and ensuing extra point brought the Spartans within 6 points of the Bobcats at 20-14, with momentum and home fans on their side.
"I'm very proud of our team, they never gave up and they battled back. They fought hard the entire game," said Spartan coach Matt Griffis. "We just couldn't make a tackle in the first half."
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On the next possession, the Spartan defense forced the Bobcats to punt for the third straight time. The second-half defensive effort was a stark contrast to the games first twenty-four minutes, which saw the Bobcats (7-2, 3-1) move up and down the field at will with an effective mix of power running and precision passing. Battlefield quarterback Ryan Swingle had a hand in all three first-half scores, sneaking into the end zone on two short runs and connecting with tight end Brandon Whaley for a 23-yard touchdown on fourth down.
After receiving the punt and gaining just 6 yards on three plays, the Spartans faced a fourth-and-four from their own 35-yard line. The Spartans elected to go for it rather than punt, and Jessop's deep pass to Michael Stratton was deflected away at the last second by a Bobcat defender.
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"No, I wouldn't make the same call again," said Spartan coach Matt Griifis, when asked about the fourth-down decision.
The gamble proved disastrous for the home team: the Bobcats scored four plays later on a 3-yard Andrew Smith run. Smith had setup the touchdown one play earlier on a 27-yard sweep around the left end on third down. Swingle connected with tight end Jack Taylor for a two-point conversion to extend the lead to 28-14 lead with just over six minutes left in the game.
But the swinging momentum did not keep the Spartans down for long. Jessop connected with wide receiver Dorian Jenkins for a long gain, and scored himself on a 6-yard quarterback keeper to bring the Spartans right back into the game at 28-20 with just over four minutes left after a missed extra point. Jessop had his lowest passing output of the season, gaining just 122 yards through the air, but tossed one touchdown and scored another on the ground while rushing for 63 yards.
Battlefield's last drive served as a microcosm of a game that was at times dominated by the referees, and not the players and coaches. After gaining one first down, the Bobcats were called for an illegal chop block and holding on consecutive plays. During the game, the referees called a total of 24 penalties, with 14 against the Spartans for more than 120 yards.
The penalties forced the Bobcats into a first down and very long situation, but actually helped them run out the clock – Broad Run had burned its timeouts earlier in the half. In an effort to stop the clock, two Spartans players moved the ball after referees set it, resulting in a flag.
During the final seconds, three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties appeared to be called against the Spartans, but it was not entirely clear whom they were thrown against and for what reason. A final flag was actually thrown after the clock expired and the players were lining up to shake hands, yet the reason for the flag and who it was against was not clear.
"I don't know what happened at the end," said Griffis about the flurry of last-second penalties.
Ashburn Patch confirmed that no Broad Run players or coaches were ejected form the game and no suspensions or other disciplinary actions will result from the flurry of penalties issued at the end of the game. It still remains unclear who was penalized for what infractions since multiple flags were thrown without clear explanation.
The Spartans travel to Stonewall next week for another important game to keep pace with Battlefield and Osbourn atop the Cedar Run district standings.
