Well-Rehearsed Stone Bridge Will Play On

By Preston Williams

Originally published at 8:42 p.m., November 23, 2007
Updated at 1:16 a.m., November 24, 2007

Stone Bridge football players never know when they show up for a game which of them will be the ones with the microphones and tape recorders in their faces afterward.

On Friday afternoon, after a 27-14 home win over Edison in the Virginia AAA Division 5 Northern Region championship, it was senior Matt Irwin's turn. He caught two touchdown passes in a game for the first time all season for the 13th-ranked Bulldogs, both 15-yarders in the first half.

And, true to never knowing which player’s turn it is to shine, there was no guarantee of Irwin finding the end zone on either play.

On the first one, “I ran out of the backfield and tried to stay small, because I’m nice and short,” the 5-foot-10 Irwin said with a smile. “It worked out for me. I just put the ball over the goal line, and luckily I got in.”

On the second touchdown from junior quarterback Patrick Thompson, Irwin was not the primary receiver but converted the catch and run to give his team a 17-7 lead.

Senior Ryan Moody caught his 15th touchdown pass of the season, senior Kareem Alexander bulled his way for 67 yards, senior Jeron Gouveia totaled 71 yards of offense and Thompson threw for 173 yards.

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Edison at Stone Bridge

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Stone Bridge's Ryan Moody is congratulated on the bench after a 36-yard touchdown grab. (John McDonnell)

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Stone Bridge's Ryan Moody snares a touchdown pass against the defense of Edison's Ade Titcombe to make the score 27 -14 in the third quarter. (John McDonnell)

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Edison's quarterback Ben Barber is brought down by a slew of Stone Bridge defenders. (John McDonnell)

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Stone Bridge's Matt Irwin dives for the games first TD with Edison defender Ade Titcombe hanging on. (John McDonnell)

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Stone Bridge's Matt Irwin (left) scores a touchdown as he is hit by Edison defender Kevin Carter at the goal line. (John McDonnell)

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Stone Bridge's Ryan Moody (left) and Matt Irwin celebrate Irwin's first quarter touchdown. (John McDonnell)

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“We have a few more playmakers than they have, and we’re able to utilize all of our guys,” Stone Bridge Coach Mickey Thompson said.

The Bulldogs (12-1), facing Edison (10-3) in the region final for the third straight year, neutralized the Eagles’ primary playmaker, senior quarterback Ben Barber. For the first time in 15 games, Barber did not either score or throw for a touchdown.

Stone Bridge was willing to yield some space in the middle of the field because safety Gouveia could save the big play. The emphasis was on not letting Barber skirt outside. As Edison Coach Vaughn Lewis said last week, Barber might be most effective when the receivers are covered downfield and he can tuck it and run.

Barber threw for 95 yards and ran for 48, but no plays were long gainers, and he committed two turnovers, a fumble recovered by junior Jimmy Bradford that led to the Bulldogs’ first touchdown, and an interception by junior John Bladel midway through the fourth quarter after Edison had driven to the Stone Bridge 41-yard line.

“I didn’t feel like we could come in this game and let Barber beat us,” said Mickey Thompson, whose team will host a state semifinal opponent Saturday. “If they were going to beat us, they were going to beat us with him throwing the ball and other guys making plays.

“There were so many times when I thought we were in position to really take control of the game and then Edison would come back and make a play or two or we wouldn’t make a play or two. I never felt comfortable.”

Edison had beaten Stone Bridge in the region final last year, when Barber played receiver. The Bulldogs certainly had that 31-17 loss on their minds. Or at least it seemed that way to Barber.

“Not just their defense, their whole team came out with a lot of intensity,” he said. “We matched it the first quarter, but when you lose like they did in the last game of their season last year, they come out with a vengeance. That boosted them ahead this game.”

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