AAA Division 6 Northern Region Playoff Preview
No. 4 Annandale (6-4) at No. 1 Westfield (10-0)
At a Glance: The Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the fourth straight year following their third undefeated regular season and Concorde District championship in four years. Junior quarterback Mike Glennon, the younger brother of Sean Glennon, who led the Bulldogs to the state title in 2003 and is currently Virginia Tech's starting signal caller, navigated Westfield through a tough Concorde District schedule in his first full season as the starter. The Atoms, meanwhile, are making their second straight postseason appearance after an 11-year drought. Annandale, which won back-to-back state titles in 1993 and 1994 under coach Dick Adams, won the Patriot District title for a second straight year behind the play of dual-threat senior quarterback Nathan Cartagena.
The Coaches: Annandale's Dick Adams has led the Bulldogs to a 116-66 (.637) record since taking over for legendary coach Bob Hardage in 1990, leading the Atoms to two of their region-high six state titles in that span. Westfield's Tom Verbanic, the only coach in the young school's history, has led the Bulldogs to an impressive 63-14 (.818) record since the school opened in 2000, including a 53-5 (.914) mark and one state title over the past five seasons. Verbanic has a 145-49 (.747) overall coaching record, having previously served as Fairfax's coach from 1989-99.
Who to Watch: Cartagena, a three-year starter, is one of the most dangerous players in the state. The 5-foot-9-inch, 185-pound senior has compiled exactly 5,600 total yards (3,221 rushing, 2,379 passing) from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns (25 rushing, 22 passing) over the past three seasons, including 1,290 rushing yards, 810 passing yards and 17 total touchdowns this fall.
Winner Plays: The winner will meet the Oakton-Chantilly winner in the regional final on Nov. 25.
No. 3 Oakton (6-4) at No. 2 Chantilly (7-3)
At a Glance: The Cougars defeated Annandale in the last week of the regular season last Friday to clinch their fifth playoff berth in six seasons. The defending state champions have made a return trip to the postseason despite graduating nearly its entire starting defense and state offensive player of the year Keith Payne, who is now playing for the University of Virginia. The Chargers, meanwhile, clinched their first postseason berth since winning the program's lone state title in 1996, doing so despite dropping their final two regular season games to rivals Westfield and Centreville. Chantilly's hope of rebounding this week lies in the hands of senior quarterback Nate Worek.
Earlier Meeting: Junior tailback Antonio Cross ran for 171 yards and a touchdown on just 18 carries and Worek threw for two touchdowns in Chantilly's 21-0 win over visiting Oakton on Sept. 29.
The Coaches: Oakton's Joe Thompson has compiled a 34-12 (.739) record since taking over for Pete Bendorf in 2003, leading the Cougars to the first state title in the program's history last fall. Chantilly's Michael Lalli has compiled an 11-9 (.550) mark in two seasons with the Chargers, leading the program to its first postseason berth in a decade just two years after bottoming out with an 0-10 season in 2004 under Marty Riddle.
Who to Watch: Oakton senior Jonathan Kedrock has done his best Keith Payne impression this fall, filling the bruising running style and leadership void left by the graduation of Payne. The 5-foot-10-inch, 220-pound fullback has run for 666 yards on 104 carries (6.4 yards/carry) with five touchdowns, including three 100-yard games this fall.
Winner Plays: The winner will meet the Annandale-Westfield winner in the regional final on Nov. 25.
