Bulldogs Look to Feast on Eagles
For some people, the day after Turkey Day is about shopping. For Stone Bridge football fans, it’s about the regional championship. The Stone Bridge Bulldogs will play host to the Edison Eagles on Friday at 1:30pm at Bulldog Stadium. This game will be for the division 5 group AAA regional title. Both teams advanced last week by narrow margins and appear to be very similar in their style of play. Edison beat Loudoun Valley 14-12, but Valley needed a late run to make it close. Edison’s defense held Viking running back Tommy Schonder in check the entire night.
Stone Bridge defeated Madison High School last week 21-17 in the final seconds of the game. The Bulldogs win was their second over Madison in the last month having defeated the Warhawks 15-7 in an overtime thriller earlier in the season. Stone Bridge quarterback Terence Glenn has been the clutch performer all season for the Bulldogs, and his 1-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds to go in the game helped Stone Bridge advance to Friday’s game.
Stone Bridge finds itself in familiar territory this Friday having played in four straight regional championship games. Last year’s team was 11-0 but fell to a very good Harrisonburg team in Ashburn. Many people expected Stone Bridge to win the regional title in the past three years, but this year was different. With the move up to Group AAA, Stone Bridge’s success was at best, in question. The Bulldogs entered their first year on the Group AAA level without experience at quarterback and at the other skill positions on offense. The experts also weren’t sure how the Bulldogs would adjust to the better competition on the Group AAA level, but that question has since been answered. Stone Bridge enters this game with a 10-1 record, their only loss to division 6 power-house Oakton.
Edison also posts an impressive record having won 10 games this season. Their only loss was against Loudoun Valley a month ago in Purcellville. Edison is led by a stingy defensive group that is only giving up an average of 10.4 points per contest. Edison quarterback Shawn Lloyd has put up impressive numbers this season as well. Lloyd threw for 20 touchdowns in the regular season and only tossed two interceptions. The Eagles have two running backs that closed the regular season near 1,000 yards. Keone Kyle and Devan Clark have accounted for 24 touchdowns and both are averaging over 6.9 yards per carry. The Eagles have a balanced attack on offense, and their overall team speed will be the best that Stone Bridge has played this season.
The key to this contest could lie in Stone Bridge’s ability to run the football. If Stone Bridge can establish a running game against the Eagles early, the chances that their quarterback Terence Glenn will make some big plays will get better and better as the game goes on. Glenn has accounted for over 22 touchdowns this season through the air and on the ground. The Bulldog defense will also need to play better than it did a week ago against Madison for Stone Bridge to have a chance.
From the press box, these two teams will look similar in athletic ability, and it is very possible that this game could come down to whoever has the ball last. If Stone Bridge can pull this one out, they will continue to host their playoff games in Ashburn through the state semifinals.
Gameday Team Report Cards:
Stone Bridge (10-1)
Offense: A-
Defense: B+
Special Teams: B+
Coaching: A+
Edison (10-1)
Offense: B+
Defense: A
Special Teams: B+
Coaching: A
