Loudoun Football 2008: Stone Bridge

Bulldogs Hope It's a Long View From the Top

By Paul Tenorio

Friday, August 22, 2008

As Stone Bridge Coach Mickey Thompson stood on the practice field with his team surrounding him Wednesday evening, he delivered a message to his roster – which while made up of several NCAA Division I signees and returning starters, also holds many young, unproven players.

"This is the real deal," he told them. "We are Stone Bridge. It's a special place, it's a special time right now."

As the Bulldogs embark upon the season, one in which they face the difficult challenge of repeating as Virginia AAA state champions, those newcomers represent the depth and role players that often push teams through the long season. And for Thompson, getting those players up to speed is of the utmost importance.

Although there will be several younger players stepping up this season for Stone Bridge, there is no hiding the fact that the Bulldogs return several of the top players in the state.

It starts on defense, where the front seven is perhaps the strongest of any in the nation, led by four Division I signees in DE Brian Slay (N.C. State), DT Zach Thompson (Wake Forest), DT David Wang (Virginia Tech) and LB Mike Olson (Wake Forest).

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Stone Bridge Season Preview

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Stone Bridge quarterback Patrick Thompson signs an autograph for Sam Kukulich, 8, of Ashburn. (Preston Keres)

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Brian Slay (center) during drills at Stone Bridge practice. (Preston Keres)

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Stone Bridge Coach Mickey Thompson talks to linemen about their assignments. (Preston Keres)

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Stone Bridge running back Daniel Allen. (Preston Keres)

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Stone Bridge lineman David Wang. (Preston Keres)

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Brian Slay of Stone Bridge. (Preston Keres)

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Stone Bridge's Zach Thompson. (Preston Keres)

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Stone Bridge quarterback Patrick Thompson. (Preston Keres)

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"It's comforting because you see Zach, Slay and Wang up there and it feels good to stay behind that because it makes my job a lot easier because they're so good at what they do," Olson said. "It's awesome."

First-team All-District nose guard Jimmy Bradford, CB Daniel Allen, CB Daré Ewetusa, who has impressed coaches stepping into the cornerback position, and S John Bladel, also bolster that group, which, with starting quarterback Patrick Thompson currently sidelined for six weeks with a ruptured tendon in his throwing hand, will be charged with stepping up to shut down opponents early in the season.

It won't be an easy task, however, as the Bulldogs open up against West Springfield, which has one of the area's top offenses, led by UNC-bound QB Brynn Renner.

"We know what we're up against," Olson said. "We've played against them before so we know we have to rise up to the occasion."

Offensively, Thompson's injury has set back a unit that scored more than 600 points last season (40.2 per game), but players say they feel they will be able to win with either Nick Sheehan, a transfer from Loudoun Valley, or Kyle Gouveia, last year's junior varsity quarterback, at the helm.

Sheehan, who threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns last season at Loudoun Valley in spot time at quarterback, is projected to be a wide receiver for the Bulldogs once Patrick Thompson returns, and his size and athleticism has impressed coaches.

"Nick Sheehan is a special player, I'm excited about having him," Mickey Thompson said. "I think he's a scholarship receiver."

Thompson threw for 2,369 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, and his return will be critical for Stone Bridge. Until he returns, the running game, led by Allen, will shoulder much of the load.

Allen, who was injured for much of last season, rushed for three touchdowns and caught another in five games last year. At 5-11, 175 pounds with plenty of speed, the senior said brings both an inside and outside running style to the offense.

"I'm a pretty versatile guy," Allen said. "I can pound it, people don’t know that, but then I have my speed, because I'm a track guy. So once I get that open field I'm gone."

Allen's performance – and health – will be critical for Stone Bridge, but Mickey Thompson said his team is confident heading into the season and he knows they have plenty of time to prepare to make a run through the playoffs once again.

"It's high school football, it doesn’t matter what you do now," Thompson said. "It matters what you do at the end of the year."

As the defending state champions, no one knows that better than the Bulldogs.

Notes: Once fitted for a splint, QB Patrick Thompson is expected to take snaps at linebacker for the Bulldogs. Thompson is being looked at as a possible greyshirt at linebacker by at least one D-I program, according to Coach Mickey Thompson. … Ks Abdul Shaban and Spenser Rositano went back and forth kicking field goals, and it looks as if Stone Bridge will be able to draw from Shaban's accuracy close in and Rositano's leg strength from deep. Another Loudoun Valley tranfer Matt Custer is seeing time on the offensive line and is battling for a starting job, according to Mickey Thompson, who said Custer has been making strides in the past week.

Tagged: 2008 Football Preview, football, high school sports, Stone Bridge High School

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