Season Preview: Falcons Look to Soar Again

Last year, the Briar Woods Falcons were the Cinderella story of Virginia high school football. Entering only its fifth year of varsity competition, Briar Woods had never fully established itself as a team to be reckoned with. 

Coming off a disappointing 4-6 season, the the team was an afterthought, even in Ashburn, toiling in relative obscurity behind powerhouse teams at Stone Bridge and Broad Run, a district foe it had never beaten. When Briar Woods literally limped out of the gate with a 2-2 record and its top two running backs sidelined with injuries, it appeared the team would need to wait yet another year to try and scale the ranks of the Virginia high school football elite.

Then, on Oct. 1, everything changed. Riding the strength of a dominating defense and the strong arm of freshmen quarterback Trace McSorley, the Falcons pulled off a stunning win against defending state champion Broad Run, which had been on a 33-game, multi-season winning streak. The win sent shockwaves across the state's football landscape, and the Falcons rode the momentum of that win all the way to their first state championship.

Last season's success presents a new set of challenges for this year's Falcons. No longer a Cinderella team, can the Falcons respond to the pressure of being ranked as the third best team in Virginia in MaxPreps 2011 preseason rankings? How will the team replace the likes of all-district performers Michael Brownlee, Scott Rolin and DeVontae O'Bannion?

"Every year it's a different team chemistry, but the expectations are the same. Do the best you can, work hard, play hard," said Falcons head coach Charlie Pierce. "You've got to have a nucleus of returning guys and seniors and captains that unify the team and keep the guys focused. That's what we had last year. They were a talented group of seniors that refused to lose."

Heading into the season, the Falcons appear to have the core of returning players that Coach Pierce values so highly. Leading the list is the dynamic wide receiver / defensive back Alex Carter. Carter, who will take his talents to the west coast to play for Stanford next season, is already racking up national accolades this year, as he was selected to play in the U.S Army All-American Bowl in January.

While Pierce will rely on Carter to be the undisputed leader on defense, quarterback Trace McSorley will look to build on the success of his championship freshmen year. Despite the quarterback only being a sophomore, Pierce said he would rely on McSorley to lead the team’s offense.

"Trace got a lot of on the job training last year," said Pierce. "Last year we had someone else calling the plays on offense, but this spring we told him he'll be calling the plays, that's his job. We need him to be a good field general out there, and that's my expectation for him this year."

Watch any Briar Woods practice, and it appears McSorley has taken his leadership roll by the horns. The young player has a commanding presence in the huddle, and always seems to lead his group during post-practice sprints and conditioning drills.

With the leaders on both sides of the ball seemingly established, the Falcons expect a number of other talented returning starters to contribute even more this year. Run-stuffing defensive lineman Justin "Earthquaker" Baker was a major force last season, and appears poised to wreak even more havoc this year after adding muscle to an already imposing frame. Defensive back/wide receiver Jamal Hill, tight end Cameron Serigne, and running back J.T. Logan also return with even higher expectations this season. And all-district kicker David Clements returns for his senior campaign.

Several families may well establish legacies at Briar Woods as players such as Matt Rolin and Joe Rizzardi look to fill the voids left by graduates and older brothers Scott and Victor.

Some questions about this year's Falcon team may be answered tonight when it battles Broad Run at home. The two teams have won the last three AA Division 4 state championships. Broad Run started its season last week with a commanding 51-7 win over Park View last week. And even though the teams are no longer in the same district – Broad Run moved to AAA this season, based on enrollment – McSorley and the Falcons still look forward to taking on their cross-town rival.

"I always love playing Broad Run. Fun game, big crowd, emotions are always real high and it's always a really intense game," he said.

The crowd and emotions should be greater than ever tonight as the game is being featured as a  Be sure to arrive early for what could be one of the best games in the state this year and support a great cause.