Weekend Preview: Ashburn High School Football

With the emergence of Ashburn as a hotbed of high school football the last few years, one question has never been fully answered: Which local team is best? Even though Broad Run, Briar Woods and Stone Bridge sit just a few short miles from each other, the three teams have never all played each other in the same season. While Broad Run and Briar Woods developed a great rivalry during the past year – when both battled in the regular season and playoffs for supremacy in AA Division 4 football – Stone Bridge was left out of the local competition as the only AAA team in Ashburn.

All of that changes Friday when Broad Run travels to Stone Bridge for a game being called the "Battle for the 'Burn." The Spartans – who beat Briar Woods 14-0 earlier this season – will be the first Ashburn team to take face its hometown schools in the same season.

Meanwhile, Briar Woods heads to Potomac Falls for another chance to show the team remains a force to be reckoned with on the local and state level, despite the early season loss to Broad Run.

Game of the Week: Stone Bridge hosts Broad Run in a battle for local supremacy, 7:30 p.m.

It wasn't so long ago that Broad Run versus Stone Bridge football didn't really matter. The two teams were happily churning through different opponents, and making appearances in their respective state championship games on a regular basis. Since Broad Run competed at the AA level and Stone Bridge at AAA, the teams existed in relative harmony, combining for three state titles during a four-year period.

Debate at the water-cooler centered on which team was better, but who really cared as long as they kept bringing home trophies. Everyone was happy.

But now that Broad Run has moved up to the same AAA Division 5 in which Stone Bridge competes, the two programs potentially stand in each other's way for the state championship births.

The high stakes of playoff implications and high drama of two storied programs squaring off for the first time in such an important game should serve as the perfect catalyst to launch the backyard brawl into a full-blown rivalry when the teams meet Friday.

Even as the new kids on the AAA block, Broad Run (4-0) is perhaps playing the best football of all of the Ashburn teams. Under the tutelage of head coach –the Spartan offense has been averaging nearly 32 points per game while the defense is giving up just over 5 points per contest. Quarterback Connor Jessop continues to power the high-octane offense that is just as dangerous running as passing. Jessop's 783 passing yards tops other area QBs, while Derril Thomas leads local running backs with seven rushing touchdowns.

"Jessop is a real difference-maker for Broad Run," said Stone Bridge head coach Mickey Thompson, "He's a great quarterback and makes a lot of plays for them that other players couldn't make."

The Spartan defense has already pitched two shut outs this season, including signature wins over Briar Woods and perennial playoff contender Woodbridge.

Stone Bridge enters Friday's game with many questions unanswered about a team with just one starter on offense from last year's team, which lost in the state finals. The offense had produced just two touchdowns before last week's big victory against an overmatched South Lakes team. Highly touted quarterback Ryan Burns has struggled at times this season with his accuracy and turnovers. The low-point came against Chantilly when Burn's five interceptions contributed to Stone Bridge's first regular season loss since 2009.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Bulldog defense appears to be as formidable as ever with the presence of All-American Jonathan Allen at defensive end.

"Jonathan Allen is a great player,” Griffis said. “He can take over an entire game by himself," said Griffis.

The defense has given the Bulldogs an opportunity to win every game they've played this season, including a week-one shutout victory over Robinson.

Friday night's game features a rare meeting between two teams that both run variations of the "single-wing" offense that Thompson and Griffis helped pioneer in Virginia. Both coaches will have to use all of their football smarts to confuse and confound the other.

Prediction: Unlike Stone Bridge, who returned just a few starters from last year's team, Broad Run's roster is deep with talented upper classmen who have played in a lot of big games together. The Spartans have shown no ill effects as a result of the move to AAA competition. In fact, this year's team is playing better than last year's team. Expect the tough Spartan defense to force the young Bulldog offense into a few mistakes, and watch for the Spartans’ power running game to wear down the Bulldog defense. Broad Run 24 Stone Bridge 14.

Briar Woods takes on Potomac Falls, 7 p.m.

During the past two weeks, Briar Woods (2-1) has responded in resounding fashion to its opening week loss to Broad Run by outscoring opponents 101-3. Potomac Falls (1-3), on the other hand, has experienced a season of struggles with some positive surprises. After starting 0-2 and being outscored 86-0, the Panthers pulled off a stunning victory over then undefeated Woodgrove, and put up a tough fight in a 39-31 loss at Heritage.

But Briar Woods performs on an entirely different level than any of its peers. After struggling to score in week one, the Falcons’ emerging star running back, Cory Colder, who had limited action in the first game, has rushed for more than 200 yards. And Trace McSorley has returned to form after a tough game against Broad Run, routinely finding his favorite targets Alex Carter and Cam Serigne for big gains and scores. McSorley now has seven combined touchdowns passing and rushing this season.

Prediction: Briar Woods has too much talent and too much on the line with a huge game against Tuscarora looming next week. Briar Woods 38 Potomac Falls 10.