Two Coaches, Similar Paths, Plenty Of Success
Sterling, VA - The similarities between the coaching careers of Stone Bridge's Mickey Thompson and Westfield's Tom Verbanic are eerily close, right down to the two schools they coach at sharing the same nickname.
Both coaches - regarded as two of the best at their craft in the state - lead undefeated teams into this Friday's regional semifinals. Both will be serving as a head coach for the 195th game, and both will be doing so with programs that have experienced much success since the schools both opened their doors in 2000.
Verbanic (pictured at left), who has compiled a 145-49 (.747) overall record and advanced to the postseason in 10 of his 18 years at Fairfax and Westfield, led the Bulldogs to the 2003 Group AAA Division 6 state championship. Since 2002, Westfield has compiled a 53-5 (.914) record, put together three undefeated regular seasons and appeared in the playoffs in each season.
Thompson, meanwhile, has led his Bulldogs to a 55-7 (.887) mark since 2002, winning 10 or more games each year, winning three regional titles and advancing to the Group AAA Division 5 state final a year ago before falling to Hampton, 15-8. Thompson, who has compiled a 135-59 (.696) record in 17 years at Park View and Stone Bridge, has taken 12 teams to the postseason.
When top-seeded Stone Bridge faces No. 4 seed Madison (7-3) and top-seeded Westfield hosts No. 4 seed Annandale (6-4) on Friday, they'll be doing so as two of the state's top-ranked teams, and as one of the favorites in their respective classifications to play into the second week of December.
When the coaches left good jobs at their previous schools - Verbanic went 82-35 from 1989-99 at Fairfax and Thompson was 71-42 from 1990-99 at Park View - they did so knowing they would be in position to reach even greener pastures in areas known for producing top football talent.
Seven years later, it seems the two have found those pastures.
Program Year-by-Year Records
Stone Bridge
2000 - 3-7
2001 - 6-3
2002 - 10-3*
2003 - 12-1*
2004 - 11-1
2005 - 12-2**
2006 - 10-0
Overall - 64-17 (.790)
Westfield
2000 - 6-4
2001 - 4-5
2002 - 10-1
2003 - 14-0***
2004 - 9-2
2005 - 10-2
2006 - 10-0
Overall - 63-14 (.818)
* Group AA Division 4 Region II champions
** Group AAA Division 5 Northern Region champions
*** Group AAA Division 6 Northern Region and state champions
