Group AAA Northern Region Title Game Previews
Sterling, VA - Top-seeded Stone Bridge will be seeking its fourth regional championship in five seasons when it faces third-seeded Edison in the Group AAA Division 5 regional final at 1:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon in Ashburn.
The Bulldogs, boasting one of the state's most potent offensive attacks behind senior quarterback Terence Glenn (1,683 total yards, 21 TD) and senior tailback Devon "Y'Lou" Brown (1,603 rushing yards, 29 TD), rolled past fourth-seeded Madison, 49-28, in last week's semifinals to remain undefeated on the season. On seven occasions this season, Stone Bridge has eclipsed 40 points and the Bulldogs are averaging over 300 yards a game on the ground.
The Eagles (9-2 overall), meanwhile, rolled past second-seeded Yorktown to set up a rematch of last year's title game, which the Bulldogs won, 29-21, en route to a berth in the state championship game.
Edison enters Friday's game led by senior quarterback Shawn Lloyd, who will look to exploit a Stone Bridge secondary that will be without Liberty District defensive player of the year Jeron Gouveia, a junior safety who will miss the game with a leg injury. Lloyd has thrown for 2,241 yards and 18 touchdowns and has a number of weapons surrounding him, including junior wide outs Drew Baldwin (44 catches, 546 yards, 1 TD) and Ben Barber (34 catches, 767 yards, 9 TD) and junior tailback Kevin Carter, who has run for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns and had 236 yards of total offense and two scores in last week's victory.
The Bulldogs and coach Mickey Thompson are looking for their second straight Division 5 region title after twice winning Region II crowns as a Group AA school earlier this decade. The Eagles, who are making their sixth postseason appearance this decade, are seeking their first state title since 1986, when current coach Vaughn Lewis guided Edison to the crown in the first year the Virginia High School League (VHSL) split the commonwealth's schools into six divisions.
Both schools are seeking to become the first region school to win a Division 5 state crown since West Potomac in 1990.
In Saturday's Division 6 regional championship game, host and top-seeded Westfield will attempt to remain unbeaten and win its first region title since 2003 when it hosts cross-town rival Chantilly (8-3) at 1 p.m.
The game will pit two of the area's top quarterbacks in Bulldogs junior Mike Glennon (1,536 passing yards, 17 TD, 4 INT) and Chargers senior Nate Worek (1,392 total yards, 19 TD), not to mention a number of players who grew up facing each other in youth football games.
Westfield junior tailback Brian Kennedy had a breakout game in the Bulldogs' 34-28 win at Chantilly on Nov. 3, scoring on touchdown runs of 45 and 36 yards en route to 117 yards on just 10 carries. Glennon added 171 yards and a touchdown through the air as Westfield remained unbeaten in six contests against the Chargers dating back to 2001.
Kennedy also had two scores in last week's 28-14 semifinal victory over fourth-seeded Annandale, a game that the Bulldogs did not put away until late. Westfield, which fell to eventual state champion Oakton, 42-24, in last year's region final, is making its fifth straight playoff appearance and third regional final appearance under coach Tom Verbanic.
Chantilly, which slipped past Oakton, 23-14, behind two timely interceptions by senior linebacker Mike Quigg in last week's semifinals, is making its first postseason appearance since winning the state title in 1996 and just two seasons after going winless in 2004.
