Edison Runs Past Madison, Win 47-7
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- One of the goals for the Edison Eagle football team was to win a region title. Last Friday, they came one step closer towards accomplishing that goal when they soundly defeated Madison 47-7 in a Northern Region Division 5 semi-final playoff game.
With the win, Edison now advances to play Stone Bridge in the Northern Region championship game, which will be hosted by the Eagles next Friday night. This will now be the fourth straight year in which the Eagles will have squared off against Stone Bridge in the championship game. Last year, it was Stone Bridge who got the better of the Eagles, beating them 27-14.
In getting to this year's championship game, Edison made it look rather easy. Up against a 7-4 Madison team which was coming off a 28-7 win over Yorktown in the quarterfinals, they managed to score early and often to cruise to their twelfth victory on the year.
Partly aided by 28 first quarter points, the Eagles jumped out to a lead they would never relinquish.
The scoring for Edison all got started on their first drive of the game when Stephon Robertson ran the ball in from 14 yards out to give Edison the early 6-0 lead. A two-point conversion by Corey Washington gave Edison an 8-0 lead just two and a half minutes into the ballgame.
After Edison forced a punt, their very next play from scrimmage resulted in a 60-yard touchdown from Stephon Robertson. The extra point made the score 15-0 at the 7:45 mark of the first quarter.
Things did not get much better for the Madison offense. On their ensuing possession, already down 15-0, Edison linebacker Paulo De Oliveira forced a fumble, which was recovered by lineman Josh Page who returned it the other way for a touchdown. The failed two-point conversion would put Edison up 20-0 with 3:51 to play in the first quarter.
A late score in the first quarter by Stephon Robertson would put the score at 28-0 at the end of the first quarter, a lead which remained safe throughout the rest of the ballgame.
Although the Madison defense, led by Eric Leeson and Kevin Sampson, did come up with back-to-back stops in the second quarter, Corey Washington was able to reach the endzone on an 9-yard scamper which put his team up 34-0 to close out the first half of play.
Again in the third quarter, Madison was able to force Edison to punt, but the Eagles defense was up to the task of stopping the Madison offense. On the Warhawk's first 17 carries of the game, Edison had managed to surrender just 37 yards.
In the waning seconds of the third quarter, Edison reached the scoreboard yet again, as it was Corey Washington who scored on a designed quarterback run. Washington had been substituting for normal starting quarterback Levi Barber who left the game in the second quarter to due to an ankle injury.
With the score 41-0 entering the fourth quarter, Edison would get another score at the 8:09 mark from Donnell Epps, but Madison would close out the scoring on a Mike McCool 8-yard touchdown run at the 2:54, which would close out the game at 47-7.
Madison, with the loss, ends their season at 7-5 while Edison's record improves to 12-0. As the #1 seed in the Division 5 playoffs, Edison will be playing at home against Stone Bridge, a team with an identical 12-0 record.
For full and extensive coverage of this colossal matchup, be sure to tune in continuously to GamedayMagazine.com or 1200 AM everyday at 12:06 PM.
Velocity Sports Performance Players of the Game:
Mike McCool, Madison, Running back: Madison's Mike McCool carried the load offensively for the Warhawks on the night, posting big numbers catching and running the ball. He was able to provide Madison's lone touchdown on the night late in the fourth quarter.
Stephon Robertson, Linebacker, Edison: With three touchdowns in the first quarter, Robertson gave his Edison team a lead they would never relinquish, and in addition to his numerous tackles on the defensive side of the ball, he gets our nod as the Velocity Sports Performance Player of the Game.
