Hogan Knows Best: Osbourn Rolls 42-20 To Title
Woodbridge, VA - Brandon Hogan certainly didn't disappoint.
In the week preceding the Group AAA Division 6 state championship game, much of the hoopla surrounding the contest was regarding the West Virginia University recruit, who had accumulated 52 touchdowns and was considered a favorite to be named the state's player of the year.
Hogan, much like Westfield's Eddie Royal in 2003, Landstown's Percy Harvin in 2004 and Oakton's Keith Payne last fall, turned the state's biggest game into a personal showcase on Saturday afternoon, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for three more as Osbourn defeated Chantilly, 42-20, at Freedom High School to claim the first state title in school history.
"I've got a lot of people on my team that can make plays," said Hogan, who finished his career with over 9,000 yards of total offense. "I just try and go out and execute, and the rest will take care of itself."
That was certainly the case early-on, when the senior quarterback scored on touchdown runs of 42, 5 and 4 yards and connected with senior wide out Cornell Jones on a 54-yard score as the Eagles (14-0 overall) took a 28-0 lead with two minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Chargers (10-4) responded quickly to end the half when senior quarterback Nate Worek connected with junior wide out Austin Decker on scoring passes of 10 and 20 yards - the last one as time expired in the half - to draw to within 28-14.
On the first possession of the second half, Hogan hit senior wide out Julian Beale to give Osbourn a 35-14 advantage. Chantilly, however, answered in the form of a 69-yard touchdown run by Worek on the ensuing drive and was in position to make it a one-score game after forcing the Eagles to punt on their next possession.
But Worek lost a fumble at midfield when it appeared as if his arm was moving forward on a pass attempt, and Osbourn put the game out of reach when Hogan again found Jones, this time from 15 yards out, to provide the game's final margin.
Notes: Hogan left the game briefly in the third quarter with cramps, but missed just one series before returning. ... Osbourn became the first Northwest Region school to win the Division 6 title since 2002, when Hylton defeated Oakton, 6-3, in the final. ... Worek was seeing his first action since being knocked out early in the Chargers' victory over Westfield in the Northern Region championship game on Nov. 25. ... The loss snapped a seven-game postseason winning streak for Chantilly, dating back to a loss to Lake Braddock in the 1995 regional final.
