#3 Briar Woods (8-2) at #2 Monticello (9-1)
Briar Woods will look to keep their season alive with a win over Monticello on Friday night. The Gameday Radio Network will pick up the feed of the ESPN 840 broadcast for listeners back here in Loudoun County. You can listen to the game right here online at GamedayMagazine.com.....
Photo By: Marc Gold / Gameday Magazine
Freshman Edwin Mends is the X-Factor in this game, if he plays well at quarterback, the Falcons can win this game.
Photo By: Chuck Moore / Gameday Magazine
The Falcons will have a chance if they feed Ray Taliaferro the football on Friday night. Taliaferro has been dynamic this season, setting the school rushing record and leading the Falcons to an 8-2 record.
Photo By: Jan Johnson / Gameday Magazine
Group AA, Region II Semifinals
Friday, November 14 - 7:30 p.m.
Monticello High School - Charlottesville, Va.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Second-seeded Monticello and third-seeded Briar Woods meet for the first time in their relatively short histories in Friday's Group AA, Region II semifinals. The Mustangs are the defending Division 3 state champions and are making their fifth appearance in the postseason since the school opened in 1998. Monticello, also the 2003 state runner-up, owns a 7-3 record in the playoffs.
Briar Woods, in just its fourth year of existence, is making its second straight trip to the postseason after dropping a 27-24 decision at Millbrook last year. The Falcons set a school record for wins this season and are looking to take another step with a playoff victory.
Briar Woods Offense vs. Monticello Defense
Briar Woods runs the ball 75 percent of the time and averages 214 yards per game on the ground behind a big and talented offensive line. That group will test Monticello's 4-2-5 defense which has held opponents to 114 rushing yards per game and whose first unit has given up over 20 points just once this season (a 23-21 win over Courtland).
Senior Ray Taliaferro has emerged as Briar Woods' feature back after sharing carries early in the season. The DeMatha transfer has 1,133 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the year, and he has been a workhorse in the last three games (67 carries for 529 yards and 7 touchdowns).
Taliaferro isn't the lone weapon in the running arsenal. Matt Eisenman (83 carries, 438 yards, 5 TDs) has a good mix of speed and power, Billy McDonald (50-213-5) is a punishing runner who can move the pile and J.T. Bailey (22-125-3) is another excellent runner.
Briar Woods has a size advantage up front, and Monticello will use its quickness and leverage to try to slow the Falcon ground game. The Mustangs, who allowed 624 rushing yards in their first four contests (including 223 in a one-point loss at Powhatan), have clamped down the latter half of the season, giving up just 516 rushing yards in their last six games. Monticello has held its last four opponents to under 100 yards on the ground, and stopping the Falcon running attack is top priority.
After being thrust into the starting quarterback role prior to game eight, Briar Woods freshman Edwin Mends has shown great improvement with each passing week. Mends, who threw for a combined 123 yards and two interceptions in his first two starts, completed 7-of-13 passes for 194 yards and a school-record four touchdowns in a 61-23 win over rival Freedom last week.
Leading receiver Jeremy Gray, who has been banged up in recent weeks, has 21 catches for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while Jeff Simmons has 13 receptions for 125 and two scores. Tight end Jake Ashton is averaging an eye-popping 26.8 yards per catch (eight for 214 and two scores) and has become a favorite target for Mends.
Monticello has an outstanding secondary, and the Mustang pass defense has held opposing quarterbacks to a paltry 38 percent completion rate and has picked off 15 passes this season - led by four each from Khiry Washington and Jacob Pelton. Monticello has also allowed just seven passing touchdowns.
Monticello Offense vs. Briar Woods Defense
Monticello boasts a balanced offense featuring a Division I-caliber quarterback in senior Michael Graham and a two-headed rushing attack in Hines Banks and Ryan Mullaney.
Graham has thrown for nearly 1,800 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns against seven interceptions after throwing for over 2,300 yards and 18 touchdowns (versus just two interceptions) in leading the Mustangs to last year's Division 3 state crown. Graham, who is being recruited by several ACC schools, is playoff tested and was a big reason for Monticello's run to the state title -- he was 56-of-77 (73 percent) for 833 yards and five touchdowns against no interceptions in four postseason games last year.
Gone from last year's title-winning team is record-setting tailback Takeem Hedgeman (who ran for nearly 3,000 yards ands scored a state-record 51 touchdowns last year and is now playing for Norfolk State), but Banks and Mullaney have led a running-back-by-committee approach this season. Banks has 471 yards and nine touchdowns, while Mullaney has 339 yards and three scores. Graham is the team's third-leading rusher with 179 yards and nine scores.
The receiving corps features five players with 10 or more catches. Pelton (48 catches, 759 yards, 7 TDs) is the top threat, while Sam Roller (25-377-4) and Washington (18-258-2) are also dangerous targets.
The strength of the Briar Woods defense lies in its front seven, which features a stout line and excellent linebackers. The Falcons have allowed just 88.6 rushing yards per game, but in their two losses, they've given up an average of 234.5 yards on the ground (as opposed to 52 per game in their eight wins). Briar Woods has shown in can put pressure on the quarterback (23 sacks in 2008), but Graham is the best quarterback the Falcons will have seen all season and make plays with his feet in addition to his arm. Monticello will likely look to take advantage of a Briar Woods secondary that has not been at full strength in the past few weeks.
Special Teams
Monticello has the advantage in experience in the kicking game, with Pelton having connected on 28-of-33 PATs and 3-of-3 field goals (25, 23, 25) this season. Freshman David Clements has done a solid job for the Falcons in his first year of organized football, hitting 23-of-33 extra points and 3-of-6 field goals (long of 33).
Both teams possess excellent kickoff return games. Gray and Andrew Davidson average around 35 yards per kickoff return for the Falcons, and each boasts a 96-yard kickoff return for touchdown this year.
Washington is dangerous return man on both kickoffs (19.4 average) and punts (13.5 average, 1 TD) along with Mark Brady (33.8 KOR average) and Banks (25.5 average and 1 TD on four punt returns).
The Mustangs cover kicks well, holding opponents to under 12 yards per return on both kickoffs and punts.
Monticello doesn't punt much (21 times all season; only 11 have been returned), but Roller is averaging 32 yards per kick. The Falcons lost starting punter Bryan Mahoney to a broken collarbone in week eight, but Allen Jackson (29 average) has stepped in and done a solid job.
2008 Results
Monticello (9-1, 7-0 Jefferson District)
Sept. 5 at Albemarle W/19-12
Sept. 12 King George W/33-13
Sept. 19 at Powhatan L/18-19
Sept. 26 Orange County * W/44-13
Oct. 3 Louisa County * W/24-14
Oct. 10 Courtland* W/23-21
Oct. 17 at Western Albemarle* W/46-4
Oct. 24 at Fluvanna County* W/28-13
Oct. 31 at William Monroe* W/48-21
Nov. 7 Charlottesville* W/42-7
Briar Woods Falcons (8-2, 5-2 Dulles District)
Aug. 29 Millbrook W/27-13
Sept. 12 at Manassas Park W/28-0
Sept. 19 Hedgesville (W.Va.) W/57-3
Sept. 26 at Broad Run* L/0-29
Oct. 3 Dominion* W/7-0
Oct. 10 at Loudoun County* W/17-14
Oct. 17 Park View* (HC) W/14-6
Oct. 24 Heritage* W/30-9
Oct. 31 at Potomac Falls* L/27-42
Nov. 7 at Freedom* W/61-23
The Two Coaches:
Charlie Pierce (Briar Woods) - 21-10 in three varsity seasons at Briar Woods (30-11 including 2005 when the Falcons played a junior varsity schedule in their first year) ... 65-22 in nine seasons as a head coach
Brud Bicknell (Monticello) - 78-41 in 11 seasons (all with Monticello)
Inside the Numbers Briar Woods Monticello
Scoring Offense 26.8 32.5
Scoring Defense 13.9 13.9
Rushing Offense 214.1 134.4
Rushing Defense 88.6 114.0
Passing Offense 86.0 185.6
Passing Defense 109.2 111.6
C-A-TD-Int (Offense) 74-136-9-9 125-218-17-7
C-A-TD-Int (Defense) 85-209-10-15 86-224-7-15
Keys to Victory
Briar Woods
- Control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball
- Pressure the quarterback
- Get Taliaferro 20 carries
Monticello
- Make Briar Woods throw the football
- Stay balanced
- Win the turnover battle
Analysis
Monticello is without doubt the favorite. The Mustangs have the edge in experience, having reached the pinnacle a year ago, and they're playing at home. Graham is playoff tested and leads a potent passing attack, and Monticello can turn to the air if it can't gain control at the line of scrimmage. Defensively, the Mustangs need to stop Taliaferro and make the Falcons beat them with the pass.
Briar Woods nearly pulled out a first-round road win last season, and most of those same players are back and hungry for a postseason victory. The Falcon blueprint has been to run the ball and play great defense, and nothing will change Friday night. The offensive line needs to open holes for Taliaferro and company, and Briar Woods need to churn out several of its signature 15-and 16-play scoring drives to wear down the Mustang defense. The Falcon defensive front needs to pressure Graham, and the secondary will have to come up with its best game of the season against a talented Monticello receiving corps.
Briar Woods can't win a shootout (Monticello is averaging 32.5 points per game), so the Falcons have to keep this close entering the fourth quarter. The Mustangs are used to taking control early - they've outscored their opponents 217-39 in the first half this year - so a tight game at the break may very well take them out of their comfort zone.
Prediction
In the end, experience and offensive balance will lead Monticello to victory. Briar Woods head coach Charlie Pierce will have his team close at halftime, but Graham and company will pull away in the second half. It's been another outstanding season for the fourth-year Falcon program, but the ride stops in the first round of the playoffs once again.
