Stone Bridge's Playmakers: The Big 3
Head Coach Mickey Thompson has always fielded teams that score a ton of points, but this year's Bulldog offense is setting a new standard. Led by seniors Jeron Gouveia, Kareem Alexander, and Ryan Moody, Stone Bridge is once again one of the state's best teams. These talented seniors have accumulated an impressive 53 total touchdowns, and more importantly, helped the Bulldogs to 12 straight wins.
The Bulldogs won their 3rd straight Liberty District championship this season, their 5th straight district championship if you include the prior two years the team played in the Dulles District. They also won their 4th regional title in the past 6 years. In what has become a familiar theme, the Bulldogs have continually reloaded their offense as opposed to rebuilding it. Long gone are the days of former Bulldog greats Mike O'Brien, Andrew Winslow, and even Ylou Brown. This year's squad has its own style, and the results are not surprisingly the same.
At the end of the regular season, Stone Bridge was averaging 41 points per game. With the help of one of the area's best defenses, the Bulldogs are once again a legitimate threat to win the division 5 state championship. Head Coach Mickey Thompson has had his share of great players, but he can't say enough about his senior playmakers.
"All three have the ability to take over a game at any time. They're not worried about who gets the carry or the catch, all they want to do is win," said Thompson.
A two-time All Gameday player on defense, Gouveia has embraced his role this season on offense for the Bulldogs. After 12 games, Gouveia had registered 22 touchdowns. His counterpart in the backfield has been the steady Kareem Alexander. Both players have given the Bulldogs a formidable 1-2 punch in the running game, while senior Ryan Moody has emerged as one of the best receivers in the Northern Region with 16 touchdown catches. Throw in senior Matt Irwin and junior Daniel Allen to the mix and the only problem that Thompson has calling plays is trying to figure out whom to get the ball to.
As in years past, Stone Bridge has still run the single wing offense, but it has been adapted over time to feature a spread passing attack. Moody has benefited the most from this wrinkle in the Bulldog offensive scheme. His two touchdown performance against Madison last month all but locked up the district championship for the Bulldogs. Moody gives Stone Bridge a player on the outside that can stretch the defense, but more importantly, a player who shows up big in the biggest games.
"I've really been excited about how Ryan has played," Thompson said. "Ryan and our quarterback Patrick Thompson have a good thing going in the passing game and I just hope that connection continues."
As they did in 2005 when they played for the state title after an early season loss to Oakton, the Bulldogs have regrouped since their 41-14 defeat to Robinson in September. Often times ignored in the local media along the way to their 6th consecutive 10 win season, the Bulldogs are playing like a team destined for greatness.
"We are just going game by game now, but it has been coming together great for us," Moody said.
Moody's teammate Jeron Gouveia has been pulling double duty this season with more carries on offense as opposed to in years past when he primarily played defense. His impact has been huge, scoring 22 touchdowns this season, which includes the playoffs. He was also recently named the Liberty District offensive and defensive player of the year, an honor that Thompson has never seen before in his years of coaching.
"The game moves slower for Jeron," said Thompson. "He understands not only his position, but the concept of the entire offensive or defensive scheme. He is the best all around player I have coached or seen at the high school level."
That is high praise from Thompson considering he has seen several of his players go on to play major college football in the past few years.
After 12 games, the Bulldogs had beaten their opponents by an astounding margin of 388 to 76, and one of the major reasons for that success is the play of senior Kareem Alexander. The most consistent runner for the Bulldogs this season has no doubt been Alexander. He has rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and had scored 15 touchdowns, but his toughness and leadership is what has impressed his coach.
"He is the voice of our team. He brings energy to every practice. He is often overlooked, but I think other coaches realize the impact he has had, and that is why he was the only unanimous all-district selection at running back," said Thompson.
With the final weeks of the second season approaching, Stone Bridge is in a familiar position. The Bulldogs are peaking at the right time.
With another regoinal title under belt and a state semi final win over Phoebus, Thompson thinks his team is capable of being the final team standing when it is all said and done.
"Playing at home was a huge advantage for us," said Thompson. "I think this team is as good as any we have ever had at Stone Bridge, and I'm excited to see what we can do in the title game."
As for the future plans of the three seniors featured in this article, Gouveia will head to Virginia Tech next fall to play defense for the Hokies. Currently, both Alexander and Moody are undecided as to where they will play, but both are garnering plenty of interest from local college football programs. Whether or not Stone Bridge can claim its first state title remains to be seen, but if they do, it will be in large part due to the play of Gouveia, Moody, and Alexander. Their mark on this proud football program has been made in a big way, and without question, the 2008 Bulldogs will have some big shoes to fill.
