TC Williams Takes a 27-13 Loss to the Lancers

ALEXANDRIA, VA - In week 10 of the current high school football season, six teams won and eight lost. A much-improved T.C. Williams football squad saw their post-season hopes vanish with a painstaking 27-13 loss to the Robert E. Lee Lancers on Nov. 7.

With a win versus their Patriot District rivals, the Titans would have improved to 6-4 on the season and would have qualified for the '09 Northern Region Division VI Playoffs. Instead, the 14-point loss dropped the Titans to 5-5 overall on the season and T.C. was left wondering how they let the prospects for post-season play slip away.

Under third-year head coach Dennis Randolph the Titans have played a difficult schedule in '09 (seven Patriot contests plus Concorde District opponents Robinson and Oakton as well as National District rival Mount Vernon).

On Nov. 7, Lee led 6-0 and 13-0 after the first two quarters respectively. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lancers also led 20-0 early in the fourth quarter. T.C., however, roared back and drew within 20-6 after a 25-yard scoring pass from Joe Hargrove to Will Rossi.

The Titans also cut their deficit to 20-13 following a Hargrove to Rossi 16-yard TD strike.

In the end, however, Lee scored once again to account for the final margin of 27-13 and the Titans are very disappointed that they did not qualify for the '09 post-season.

The Episcopal High School Maroon, only playing their eighth game of the season, thoroughly dominated IAC rival Bullis and defeated the Montgomery County school 34-7.

Maroon veteran head coach Mark Gowin's club improved to 4-4 overall on the season. After starting the current campaign 1-3, the Maroon have now won three of their past four contests.

The exact scoring details from the November 7th game were unavailable.

The Maroon will square off with major-league arch-rival Woodberry Forest at home on Nov. 14.

The game is believed to be the oldest rivalry in all of the south. The teams have met over 100 times and the game annually draws literally thousands of spectators when the two schools lock horns.

The Ireton Cardinals improved to 7-3 overall on the season when they hit the road and successfully defeated the St. Mary's Ryken Knights 43-21.

The game on Nov. 6 was played nearly 60 miles away, in Leonardtown, Md. in St. Mary's County.

The Cardinals, coached by veteran Tony Verducci, were tied with the Knights 7-7 after the initial quarter. In the decisive quarter of the contest, the second quarter, Ireton bolted ahead for good and led 29-14 at intermission.

In the second stanza, all-purpose threat/defensive back Doug Lee-Vines accounted for two TD's and quarterback Mike Larrabee accounted for the other tally..

The Cardinals led 36-21 at the conclusion of the third quarter enroute to their 43-21 victory.

On the day, Lee-Vines accounted for three touchdowns; Larrabee accounted for two touchdowns as well as five successful PAT kicks. Quarterback Larrabee also successfully threw a two-point PAT conversion pass to tight end Conlan McCallister. (A late TD pass was also thrown by the Cardinals backup quarterback Oliver Noon).

Whether or not Ireton has qualified for this seasons VIS semi-finals is not known as of this writing (11-10-09).Ireton advanced to the VIS Title Game in '07, but only finished 4-6 overall in '08.

The St. Stephens/St. Agnes Saints were basically blistered 56-21 by IAC rival St. Albans. The Saints, playing their ninth game of the current campaign, trailed 21-0 and 42-0 after the first two quarters respectively.

The Red, White and Green Saints, coached by veteran Dave Holm also trailed 49-0 at the conclusion of the third quarter.

The Saints scored 21 fourth quarter points, but it was obviously too little too late. (Left-handed quarterback Ryan Sehrer had a hand in two of the scores - 40-yard and 30-yard TD aerials; in addition David Solomon caught one of the strikes friom Seher and also scored via a three-yard run).

The Saints record dropped to 5-4 overall on the season and the prestigious Alexandria private school will not qualify for the VIS Playoffs - as they did as recently as 2007.

Yorktown Improves

The Yorktown Patriots improved to 6-4 on the season with a solid 28-10 win versus National District rival/Arlington County rival Washington-Lee.

The playoff-bound Patriots, coached by veteran Bruce Hanson (25th season), led 14-7 after the initial quarter was in the books (a Khalil Doles one-yard score and a Jordan Smith 20-yard interception return).

The North-Arlington Patriots also led 21-10 at intermission (a C.J. Bartholomew 12-yard aerial score from Sam Nottingham).

An ensuing fourth quarter one-yard TD run by Khalil Doles accounted for the final margin of 28-10.

(The Washington-Lee Generals, from Central Arlington - coached by veteran Josh Shapiro, received it's 10 points from two players: running back Anthony Taylor ripped off a 77-yard first quarter run and placekicker Chris Almquist booted the ensuing PAT as well as a 25-yard second quarter field goal).

**The Wakefield Warriors improved to 1-9 on the season with a 34-29 victory on the road versus National District rival Mount Vernon.

With the homestanding Majors ahead 29-27 in the fourth quarter, the Green and White Warriors received their winning touchdown from running back Terry Davis - who ripped off a nine-yard scoring run to tip the contest in the Warriors favor.

It has been a difficult season for third-year head coach Keith Powell and the Warriors from South Arlington (barely two miles west of T.C. Williams).

The Warriors have dropped narrow contests to Dominion (Loudoun County) and to Falls Church [OT] during the course of the current season.
Finally, on November 6th, Wakefield broke through with its first win of the '09 campaign.

Correspondingly, in the process, Mount Vernon, coached by veteran Tom Glynn, dropped to 0-10 overall on the season.

One year ago, Mount Vernon was 9-3 overall (a Northern Region Division V quarter-final playoff win and a semi-final playoff loss). This season, however, the Majors simply had it tough in each and every game.

O'Connell dropped to 4-6 in the current campaign via a 10-0 setback to arch-rival/WCAC foe Paul VI. The Knights, on senior day, hosted the Panthers from Fairfax City. O'Connell had beaten their rivals on the six most recent occasions.

However, on Nov. 7, the Paul VI Panthers, coached by Pat McGroarty, took the initial kickoff down the field and received all of the points that they would need on the day when standout senior punter/placekicker Owen Scarborough booted a 37-yard field goal through the uprights.

"The mechanics were good." MacGroarty said. "David Salmon snapped and Mike Lyons held. We've been fighting all year. It feels good to beat O'Connell" said Scarborough (who also booted a 32-yard field goal a number of weeks ago versus Georgetown Prep).

The Knights ran the ball reasonably well on the day, but their passing game left much to be desired late in the contest when trailing 10-0 and trying to rally back. Senior Greg Gadell and 20-plus other senior Knights played their last high school game for O'Connell.

Junior all-purpose threat Josh Trimble will lead a strong O'Connell senior class next season. Trimble's father, Steve, is the Knights head coach.

The former Denver Broncos defensive back gave credit to Paul VI. "This is a very tough league and Paul VI came ready to play today," said the elder Trimble.

As menrtioned earlier, Mount Vernon dropped to 0-10. Jefferson, one year after qualifying for the Northern Region Division V Playoffs, also dropped to 0-10 in the current campaign via a 35-8 loss to Fairfax.

West Potomac dropped to 2-8 overall via a 34-12 loss to Patriot District rival Annandale.The Wolverines, coached by veteran Eric Henderson, played a tough Patriot District schedule and in addition locked horns with a couple of teams from the Concorde District early in the season.

Speaking of Annandale, the Atoms improved to 4-6 overall in '09. Annandale, coached by veteran Dick Adams won their first three games of the season: Centreville, Falls Church and South County.

Thereafter however, the Red and White dropped six consecutive contests before defeating West Potomac in the seasons finale.

Annandale, '93 and '94 State Champions under Adams, is not overly familiar with losing seasons under the 52-year old head coach (who succeeded legendary Bob Hardage two decades ago).

Resurgent Hayfield, only 1-9 overall in '08, improved to 8-2 overall in the current campaign with a notable 28-21 win versus Edison. The Hawks, coached by interim head coach Roy Hill, bolted to a 21-0 halftime lead (after leading 7-0 following the conclusion of the first quarter).

Edison, coached by veteran Vaughn Lewis, outscored the Hawks 14-7 in the third frame to merely trail 28-14 after 36 minutes. In the fourth quarter, Edison outscored Hayfield 7-0, but it was too little too late to pull out the victory.

The Edison Eagles dropped to 7-3 overall, but still qualified for this seasons playoffs, as did Yorktown and Hayfield.

The Playooff Picture

In the Northern Region Division VI, all games on Nov. 13 played under the lights/weather....permitting: Oakton at W.T. Woodson, Fairfax at Lake Braddock, Chantilly at Robinson and South County at Westfield. The home teams are the top four seeds.

In Northern Region Division VI, South Lakes play Stonebridge, McLean is at Lee, Yprktown is at Hayfield Edison is at Madison.(The home teams are the top four seeds.

Meanwhile, over at Fed Up Field

With the Washington Redskins at 2-6 overall and many people grumbling, one may wonder whether or not the Redskins have had any other years where things have not gone so well.

The answer according to Thom Loverro , who wrote "The Washington Redskins - The Authorized History" is a resounding yes.

Loverro writes the following: "The 1952 Redskins finished a forgettable 4-8 under Curly Lambeau, but the season marked the final campaign for the unforgettable number 33, Sammy Baugh, who was later enrolled in the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Baugh unfortunately died in the closing days of 2008 and even four-plus decades ago there were seasons when the hometown team did not meet everyones expectations.

This Sunday, Nov. 15th, the Redskins will host the Denver Broncos at FedEx Field in an attempt to secure victory number three in the current campaign.

Contact the writer at dgsusa@juno.com.