Briar Woods Trounces Hedgesville

Falcons Improve to 3-0 With a 57-3 Home Victory

By Paul Tenorio

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Before Briar Woods' nondistrict finale against Hedgesville (W.Va.) on Friday night, Briar Woods Coach Charlie Pierce said he hoped to see his team look sharp in its final tuneup before a huge Virginia AA Dulles District opener at Broad Run.

The Falcons more than lived up to their coach's expectations, moving the ball easily on offense and dominating on defense in a 57-3 blowout win in Ashburn.

"That was what we hoped for," Pierce said after the game. "Last week, we were still kind of grabbing, doing this back and forth and not being as crisp as we wanted to. And after that first quarter [Friday] we kind of picked it up."

And for the second consecutive week, it was the Briar Woods defense that was especially impressive.

Last week, the Falcons held Manassas Park to 23 total yards. They were even more effective Friday, limiting Hedgesville to minus-10 yards (minus-29 rushing, 19 passing). The Falcons forced eight punts, intercepted two passes, registered nine sacks and blocked a punt.

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Briar Woods Hammers Hedgesville

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Briar Woods Coach Charlie Pierce scratches his head while talking to his team in the locker room before their game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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A Briar Woods coach leaves a message for his players in the locker room before their game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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The Briar Woods football team prays in the locker room before their game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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The Briar Woods football team slaps the "Believe in Team" sign as they exit the locker room on their way to the field to face Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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The Briar Woods marching band warms up before the game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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A Briar Woods marching band member prepares to play the National Anthem before the game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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The Briar Woods football team make their way on to the field to play Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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Briar Woods' Ryan George listens to the national anthem before his game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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Hedgesville quarterback Zack Layhew tries to get a pass above the Briar Woods defense during the second quarter of Briar Woods' 57-3 win on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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Briar Woods' Jeff Simmons turns a pass play into some yardage against Hedgesville's Bryan Moler during the second quarter of Briar Woods' 57-3 win on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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Briar Woods' Matt Eisenman carries the ball in the second quarter which set up a toudown during the Falcons' 57-3 win on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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The Briar Woods student section cheers on their team as they play Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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Briar Woods' Essray Taliaferro flips in the end zone after scoring a touchdown on Hedgesville's Bryan Moler during the first quarter of the Falcons' 57-3 win on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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The Briar Woods cheerleaders during the game against Hedgesville on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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Briar Woods' Jeremy Gray almost catches a pass in front of Hedgesville's Ricky Miller during the first quarter of Briar Woods' 57-3 win on Friday night. (Ricky Carioti)

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"I'm real proud of everyone," Briar Woods senior linebacker Andrew Davidson said. "The whole [defensive] line, especially the line, and then all the way down to the secondary and the linebackers. I think defense wins championships in every situation. It's like the heart and soul of a team."

The defense set the tempo immediately when J.T. Bailey stepped in front of Hedgesville's first pass for an interception on the second offensive snap of the game, giving Briar Woods possession on the Eagles' 32-yard line.

The turnover set up David Clements's 26-yard field goal and, just one minute into the game, Briar Woods had a 3-0 advantage.

Minutes later, Ray Taliaferro added to the lead, breaking through the middle of the Falcons line on fourth and two and racing 58 yards for a touchdown, flipping over the goal line for the score to put the Falcons up nine.

Hedgesville answered back with a 28-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but it was all Briar Woods from then on.

Sophomore quarterback Austin Frattali threw for two scores in the first half - a 38-yard strike to Jake Ashton and a seven-yard pass to Jeremy Gray - and Matt Eisenman broke through on a 46-yard run to set up his own two-yard touchdown, giving the Falcons a comfortable 30-3 lead at the half.

The positives continued in the final two quarters as Gray returned the opening kick of the second half 97 yards for a touchdown, Frattali found Brett Lefebvre on a 42-yard touchdown pass and Eisenman and J.T. Bailey added touchdown runs to close the scoring.

For Frattali, who is in his first year starting, the win was a confidence builder as he threw for 179 yards and three scores on just 11 attempts.

"The running game did a great job opening up the passing game," Frattali said. "We set up the pass with the run on play action. We feel that we can compete with anybody. As long as we do what we do then there's no one in this area that can stop us."

Notes: Gray is proving to be a true threat on kickoff returns. The senior returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown last week but the play was called back for a holding penalty, and he had a 97-yard touchdown return this week. ... After being called for seven penalties in the first half, Briar Woods was not flagged in the second half.

Tagged: Briar Woods High School, football, high school sports

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