Gameday Power Poll - Week 11
#6 Broad Run and running back TJ Peeler are back on in the playoffs, this time looking to move on past the first round. They will matched up against four-seed Loudoun County...
Photo By: Jan Johnson
Westfield quarterback Danny Fenyak and his Chantilly rivals have a huge matchup this upcoming Friday night. Last time the two teams met in the playoffs, Chantilly defeated Westfield in the region championship game...
Photo By: Dave Bernhardt
As is the theme with this year's Power Poll, our #10-ranked team falls once again. This time it was the Fauquier Falcons who drop out of the poll as their season is officially over. That now marks the eighth time in ten weeks our #10 ranked team has lost.
Taking their place in the poll are the Liberty Eagles, the team which had defeated Fauquier last week. Liberty has already fallen victim to the "Curse of #10" back in Week 4 when they lost to Osbourn. This time, they'll be paired up with William Fleming, a team located in the city of Roanoke.
Aside from the now standard #10 team losing, there was absolutely no movement whatsoever in the Power Poll. Yet expect that all to change this week because we are officially in the middle of the playoffs. As history has taught us before, any team can fall on any given week once the "Second Season" gets underway. The only question is who...
1. STONE BRIDGE (11-0)
Previous: 1
Last Week: 58-7 win over Thomas Jefferson
This Week: vs. Mount Vernon
In the first round of playoff action, Stone Bridge cruised on past a familiar face in the Jefferson Colonels. Earlier in the year, the Bulldogs had dispatched of Jefferson by a wild score of 70-7, and this go-round won by a margin of 51 points. This week, the Bulldogs play a different opponent in the Mount Vernon Majors, who currently sit at 8-3 on the year and had finished runner-up to Edison in the National District. So far, all roads point to a collision with #5 Edison in the regional finals, a game which would be played at Edison.
2. WOODBRIDGE (10-0)
Previous: 2
Last Week: 51-20 win over Gar-Field
This Week: vs. Hylton
The last time Woodbridge squared off against Gar-Field was in the region championship game. Yet this rematch between the two Prince William County schools resembled nothing of last year's fanfare as Woodbridge won with relative ease. Now it's playoff time for the Vikings, who come into the "Second Season" as the #2 seed in Division 6. Their opponent will be the Hylton Bulldogs, a team they beat earlier on the year by a score of 35-6.
3. BATTLEFIELD (10-0)
Previous: 3
Last Week: 42-0 win over Loudoun Valley
This Week: vs. Osbourn
With their 42-0 win over Loudoun Valley last week, not only did the Bobcats end the regular season with a perfect record, but they locked up a #1 seed in the Northwest Region Division 6 playoffs. Their opponent will be the Osbourn Eagles, a team they previously beat 17-14. To date, this was the closest game Battlefield has played on the year, making a potential upset very well possible.
4. OAKTON (11-0)
Previous: 4
Last Week: 30-13 win over South County
This Week: vs. West Springfield
Oakton's 30-13 victory over South County in the playoffs marked the first time they were able to notch a playoff win since 2005, the year they won a state title. Next up on the docket for the Cougars are the high-flying West Springfield Spartans, who were able to put up 72 points in their playoff win against Woodson. These two met earlier in a preseason scrimmage where both teams combined for over 90 points. Expect another shootout to take place once again this Friday night.
5. EDISON (11-0)
Previous: 5
Last Week: 37-7 win over Lee
This Week: vs. Madison
A week after managing a big 20-17 win over Concorde power Chantilly, the Edison Eagles were able to beat their cross-town rival Lee in a 37-7 playoff contest. The Eagles now move on to play Madison, a team they beat rather handily in last year's semi-final matchup. Should Edison beat Madison, they would most likely move on to play #1 Stone Bridge in a game which would not only pit two top-five teams against each other, but also serve as the fourth straight time the two teams will have met in the region championship.
6. BROAD RUN (10-0)
Previous: 6
Last Week: 39-26 win over Park View
This Week: vs. Loudoun County
For the second straight year, Broad Run was able to defeat rival Park View to secure themselves a Dulles District title. What's different this time, however, is Broad Run was able to lock up the #1 seed, where they will now go up against Loudoun County, a newcomer to the playoffs. Last year, the Spartans took an early exit out of the playoffs when they lost to Park View, but now appear as the early favorite for the Region II crown.
7. HANDLEY (9-1)
Previous: 7
Last Week: 42-6 win over Brentsville
This Week: vs. Millbrook
The Judges did what they needed to do in order to secure a #1 seed going into the Division 3 playoffs as they rolled over Brentsville 42-6. For the first round, Handley will be matched up against a familiar foe in the Millbrook Pioneers, a team they only beat by two points earlier in the year. If there were a playoff game where an upset could take place, then this would certainly be the one.
8. WESTFIELD (9-2)
Previous: 8
Last Week: 41-22 win over Herndon
This Week: vs. Chantilly
Westfield got what they wanted last week which was revenge and a playoff victory when they defeated Herndon by a score of 41-22. Westfield has now scored a total of 99 points in two games since they lost in consecutive weeks back in Week 8 and Week 9. Westfield moves on to face cross-town rival Chantilly, a rivalry game which should bring with it the most amount of fanfare and attention of any playoff matchup that is on the schedule as the winner will win ultimate bragging rights for the town of Chantilly.
9. JAMES WOOD (8-2)
Previous: 9
Last Week: BYE
This Week: at Potomac Falls
James Wood had last week off, giving them plenty of time to prepare and analyze their first round opponent, the Potomac Falls Panthers. Although ranked ahead of Potomac Falls in the Power Poll, James Wood is seeded behind the Panthers in the playoff bracket, meaning they will have to venture out to Sterling to play their first round game.
10. LIBERTY (8-2)
Previous: NR
Last Week: 28-21 win over Fauquier
This Week: at William Fleming
Liberty prevailed once more in the "Bird Bowl", which is the annual match-up between Liberty and Fauquier. Yet not only did Liberty gain bragging rights for the entire county, they were able to knock Fauquier completely out of the playoff picture, and instead catapult themselves into a playoff berth. Now Liberty has the pleasure of traveling down to the city of Roanoke to play William Fleming, the Western Valley District champion.
HONORABLE MENTION:
11. Chantilly (8-3): The Chargers had to fend off a pesky Annandale bunch, who contended with Chantilly for much of last week's playoff contest. Now Chantilly will be going up against Westfield in the region semi-finals, a game which surely stands as the game of the week in the entire area.
12. Potomac Falls (9-1): Should Potomac Falls knock off James Wood this week in the first round of the playoffs, they would be a lock to enter the Power Poll.
13. West Springfield (8-3): Seeing as this team put up 72 points on the board in their first playoff game, we're not too sure if any team is willing to go up against this offensive juggernaut. It should be interesting to see how this team performs against undefeated #4 Oakton.
14. Mount Vernon (9-2): Mount Vernon appears to have shown signs that they've returned back to prominence, but their true strength will be measured when they go up against #1 ranked Stone Bridge in the playoffs.
15. Briar Woods (8-2): For the second year in a row, Briar Woods is back in the playoffs, but in order to get their first playoff win in school history, they must do so against defending Division 3 Region II champ Monticello.
