The Skinny

Oct. 29, 2007

By: Dan Sousa

Note: Back by popular demand, the LPS Monkey gives his take on the games … all rankings are LPS Power Rankings

No. 4 Briar Woods (2-2, 5-2) @ Heritage (3-1, 5-2), 7 p.m.

Last week: Briar Woods lost to Park View, 17-7; Heritage defeated Dominion, 42-28

Series: Heritage defeated Briar Woods last year, 16-0

The Skinny: There should be a playoff atmosphere in Leesburg tonight as two teams, looking for their school’s first ever postseason action, hook up. The Pride are calling for a “blackout” with their fans. The game features two good quarterbacks with BW’s Alex Munro and Heritage’s Kyle Nelson. This game should be close as the Falcons lost to undefated Broad Run by five and Heritage fell to the Spartans by six. Heritage has a game-breaker in Ross Madison and Darius Tibbs is the hot receiver. BW’s Tim King is one of the best WR’s in the area and Devin Barber can hurt teams on both sides of the football. BW has shown good balance this year with J.T. Bailey leading the running attack. Both defenses are rock-solid, so the first team to 17 points may win this game.

No. 3 Broad Run (4-0, 7-0) @ No. 6 Potomac Falls (2-2, 2-5), 7 p.m.

Last week: Broad Run defeated Loudoun County, 27-9; Potomac Falls defeated Freedom, 28-7

Series: Potomac Falls won last year, 23-7

The Skinny: Broad Run has been looking to avenge last year’s loss for about … oh, 12 months. The Spartan-Panther rivalry has been brewing for some time and it just about boiled over last year in the baseball season. Broad Run has won 10 of 11 since last year’s loss to PF while the Panthers have gone 5-6. The Spartans have also averaged 30.6 points per game since that loss while PF has averaged 18.3. PF showed in its game against Park View that no team in the district should overlook the Panthers. PF quarterback Greg Woodlief has found two good targerts in recent weeks, Chris Pelto and Tarrell Owens, with go-to WR Chad McMichael out. BR counters with Cole Shain at QB and Breon Earl at RB. Adrian Flemming has been a big-play WR for the Spartans and Kenny McAdow, while anchoring the defense at LB, is also a tough runner. Chris Jessop is a back-up quarterback that adds a new dimension when spotting Shain. He also is very dangerous on BR’s fake punts. Heritage was able to shut out PF with heavy pressure on Woodlief so expect BR to bring the blitz tonight. The Spartans defense has quietly went about not allowing more than 17 points in any one contest this year.

No. 2 Park View (4-0, 7-0) @ No. 8 Dominion (1-3, 2-5), 7 p.m.

Last week: Park View defeated Briar Woods, 17-7; Dominion lost to Heritage 42-28

Series: Park View won last year, 35-7

The Skinny: Despite the emergence of Dominion running back Deandre Reaves (a school record 1,001 yards already) the Titans have dropped five of the last six. The difference has been on defense where Dominion is giving up five scores a game. They have a tough task tonight as they have to find a way to contain PV quarterback C.J. Leizear who has already thrown for almost 2,000 yards this season. Park View held BW to seven points last week and rest assured that Heritage and Broad Run will be scouting this game to see how the Patriots are able to stop Reaves. The Patriots have just too many weapons for the Titans at this point, but Dominion will attempt to rally around its Homecoming.

No. 10 Freedom (0-4, 0-7) @ No. 9 Loudoun County (0-4, 0-7), 7 p.m.

Last week: Freedom lost to Potomac Falls, 28-7; Loudoun County lost to Broad Run, 27-9

Series: Freedom won last year, 35-29

The Skinny: Last year’s wild game was a display of running ability between Freedom’s Ron Hill and LC’s John Jameson, but both are gone. While both teams come in winless, LC has earned praise for how tough it has played Park View and Broad Run and the Raiders almost defeated PF. Freedom has struggled, scoring seven points in five straight games while giving up an average of 35. Expect the Raider faithful to be fired up to celebrate new coach Todd Hill’s first victory and put an end to an 18-game losing streak that dates back to 2005. Freedom, however, has proven, that just when you count the Eagles out, they can surprise you as witnessed by the way Freedom finished the 2006 season with a 38-13 win over Briar Woods after falling to the Falcons 7-6 earlier in the year.

Thomas Jefferson (0-5, 1-7) @ Stone Bridge (5-0, 7-1), 7:30

Last week: TJ los to McLean, 26-7; Stone Bridge defeated Madison, 27-7

Series: SB won last year, 49-0

The Skinny: The LPS Monkey ran this through our hydrogen super-cooled computers at our World Headquarters in Ashburn and came up with this: Any way you slice it, Stone Bridge is a 56-point favorite over TJ. It is all about the math … TJ lost to Langley 28-0 and SB defeated Langley by 28 … that is 56 points. Still don’t believe? TJ lost to Marshall 21-0 and SB defeated Marshall by 35. Hmmm … 21 plus 35 … yes, you guessed it. 56 points! Want more? TJ lost to McLean by 19 and SB defeated McLean by 38. So … OK, 38 plus 19 is really 57 … but we are cutting TJ some slack. Lets call this game … 56-0 and go and watch the new episode of Chuck on NBC.

Loudoun Valley (1-3, 2-5) @ Osbourn (1-3, 1-6), 7:30

Last week: Loudoun Valley lost to Culpeper in OT, 28-21; Osbourn lost to Battlefield 26-6

Series: Did not play last year

The Skinny: Here is the deal … last week’s game against Culpeper … that was the one game left that we figured the Vikes would really take. Forget that 1-6 record Osbourn has as the Eagles lost to Liberty 12-7 and Fauquier 20-14. One of the best teams in the state last year, look for Osbourn to try and make a big statement tonight. Down the road is a game at Liberty, which has won four of the last five, and then Battlefield, which has won six straight. Kind of makes Valley fans nostalgic for those National District days of Wakefield and J.E.B. Stuart.