Teliaferro's TD Lead Falcons Past Dominion
Ray Taliaferro's late first-half touchdown proved to be good enough for a 7-0 win over Dominion...
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The Briar Woods Falcons defense was able to limit the highly touted Deandre Reeves to 36 yards...
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Ray Teliaferro's lone touchdown proved to be the difference in the Briar Woods win over Dominion 7-0. The Falcons are now 4-1 on the season....
Photo By: Jan Johnson / Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
ASHBURN, Va. -- Ray Taliaferro scored on a 3-yard run with 3:22 left in the first half to account for the game's lone touchdown, and his 41-yard scamper to the Dominion 10-yard line in the final minute sealed the victory as Briar Woods posted a 7-0 win over the visiting Titans Friday night at Falcon Stadium.
Taliferro's short scoring run capped an 11-play, 76-yard drive following an interception by Bryan Mahoney. Taliaferro finished the night with 140 yards on 17 carries as Briar Woods rolled up a 294-28 advantage in total yards (including a 242-13 difference on the ground).
Aside from Taliferro's touchdown, Friday's contest was a battle of futility. The teams combined for 13 punts, five interceptions, 19 penalties for 165 yards and just 4-of-20 third-down conversions. Neither team could sustain consistent drives, with both squads picking up key penalties that broke up any chance of establishing offensive rhythm.
For the second straight season, the Falcon defense bottled up Titan standout running back Deandre Reaves, holding the sophomore to just 36 yards on 20 carries. The effort was reminiscent of last year's 35-14 victory in which Briar Woods limited Reaves to 41 yards on 22 carries.
In a fast-moving first half that took exactly one hour to finish, the Falcons piled up 153 total yards (116 rushing) but had just one touchdown to show for it, hindered in part by 11 penalties for 110 yards. Meanwhile, the Briar Woods defense was simply dominant, holding Dominion to minus-1 yard of offense (minus-2 rushing and 1 passing).
In the first 12 drives of the game, the teams combined for seven punts, four interceptions and a turnover on downs. Dominion went three-and-out on its first four drives and threw interceptions on its next two series. Briar Woods didn't fare any better, punting three times, throwing a pair of interceptions and losing the ball on downs on its first six possessions.
After forcing Dominion to punt again on the opening series of the second half, a promising Briar Woods drive that started at the Titan 41 ended with a fumble at the Dominion 20. The Titans countered with their best possession of the night, albeit a 9-play, 42-yard march that ended in a punt from the Briar Woods 38 that pinned the Falcons at their own 4-yard line.
Taliaferro gave the Falcons some breathing room when he raced 20 yards on the first play, but the drive stalled near midfield. The teams then traded punts on the next two series, with Dominion having one last chance after taking over at its own 20 with 2:13 remaining. With little success coming on the ground, the Titans tried to go vertical, but Jeremy Gray picked off a pass -- his second interception of the night - near midfield with 1:30 to play.
Taliaferro iced the game with his 41-yard run down to the Dominion 10, and Frattali took a
