This preview is brought to you by Palmercare Chiropractic, specializing in sports-related injuries!
Team Links:
Click here for Broad Run's Homepage on DigitalSports
Click here for Broad Run's 2008 Football Schedule
Click here for the LoudounPrepSports Football Central
Broad Run Spartans -- Region II, Division 4, Class AA Dulles District
Head Coach: Michael Burnett, third year.
Record at Broad Run: 15-6.
2007 Record: 10-1 overall, 7-0 district.
Key Losses: OL/DL George Black; TE/DL Robby Buckman; WR Ryan Diviney; OL/LB Matt Escano; RB/LB Dustin Locascio; WR/RB Eric Madigan; WR/DB Tommy Meier; OL/DL Bryan Morrison; OL/LB Jake Muth; RB/LB Billy Rocca; QB Cole Shain; OL/DL Eric Zimmet.
Top Returners: RB/LB Mikey Cotton, Sr.; RB/DB Breon Earl, Sr.; WR/DB Adrian Flemming, Jr.; QB/DB Chris Jessop; Sr; RB/LB Tyler Johnson, Jr.; OL/DL Shawn Lewis, Sr.; RB/LB Kenny McAdow, Sr.; WR/DB Joey Quigg, Jr.; TE/DL Kevin Sandersen.
New Faces: OL/DL Taylor Evans, Jr.; RB/DB T.J. Peeler, Jr..
Game to Watch: Week 11, Nov. 7 @ Park View
Perhaps the biggest game ever played in Loudoun took place last year in the final week of the regular season when the undefeated Park View Patriots visited undefeated Broad Run. Bitter rivals, the game went down to the wire and for good measure the same two teams tangled in the first round of the playoffs the following week with PV avenging a loss from the previous week. All eyes will be on this game in Sterling, regardless of the records.
Stadium: Broad Run High School Stadium (Capacity 2,500).
In Two Seaons, Burnett has Turned Broad Run Program from Basement Dweller to District Leader
Dan Sousa
Senior Content Editor, LoudounPrepSports.com
ninth in a series of 10.
Ashburn - In two short seasons Broad Run High School football coach Michael Burnett has turned the Spartan program from the hunter to the hunted.
Before Burnett exited sunny California and Santa Monica High School for Ashburn, the Spartans were a 1-9 team and had suffered through a decade of watching other programs (Potomac Falls, Stone Bridge, Briar Woods) open their doors and start football teams with would-be Spartans.
A 30-0 victory over Manassas Park in Burnett's first game in 2006 and the Spartans were off an running ... or in this case throwing as Cole Shain to Adrian Mines was the offensive flavor of the day ... to a .500 season. Of course that was with a short offseason so in 2007 expectations were high but nobody could have imagined the Spartans school record 10-0 regular season and first Dulles District title and first playoff berth since the era when there were only four high schools in Loudoun.
Last year's run came to an unhappy ending with Park View's shocking trick play late in the opening round of the playoffs to knock off BR but now the Spartans are the team to beat in the district, especially with the returning skill players such as running back/DB Breon Earl, quarterback Chris Jessop/DB, receiver/DB Adrian Flemming, and linebacker/LB Kenny McAdow.
Yes the Spartans lost a lot of experience on the line of scrimmage with the graduation of all-district players such as Jake Muth, Bryan Morrison, George Black and Robby Buckman, but Earl, Flemming, Jessop and McAdow combined for 25 touchdowns last season so nobody in the district is worried that BR won't be a force. The biggest question mark may be a young offensive line.
Earl finished the year with 1,040 yards in the regular season on a hefty 6.8 yards per rush average and Flemming had 433 yards on 31 receptions. Earl was also a danger out of the backfield, averaging nearly 20 yards every time he caught a pass. And Earl will be a force in the secondary this year as he will probably go both ways.
"Kenny is the heart of our defense. Breon can really run, he can hit, he's just a great football player," said Burnett.
Jessop would have been a starter at most high schools but he attempted just 41 passes last year as he split time with Cole Shain, now graduated, and the Spartans relied on Jessop in the secondary on defense. This year Jessop is in charge of the offense.
While McAdow is the heart of the defense, he also can be counted on for some tough yardage on offense and Jessop is a threat to run as well. Also, keep in mind that tight end Kevin Sandersen is a favorite target of Jessop and that could signal a big year for the 6-foot-2 receiver.
Broad Run looked plenty big on the line of scrimmage in preseason action at Stone Bridge and the group of players at the school has been dominant in football since their days in the Ashburn Youth Football League. There is also a lot of speed in the BR program as the football team has tapped into some of the talent that has helped the Spartans win back-to-back track and field title
"Last year was a great opportunity for us," said McAdow. "We have a bulls-eye on our backs ... last year was a great season but it means nothing if we don't follow it up this year and next year."
That's the Trick
While the Spartans use a trick play in 2007 to set up the winning touchdown against Heritage and Park View in a perfect 10-0 season, it was Park View doing the same thing in the playoffs to silence the Spartans and advance to the Region II Division 4 title game.
No Quarterback Shortage
The Spartans have five quarterbacks on the roster including Jessop and back-up junior Tim Miscovich along with juniors Ethan Miller and Jake Wenzel and sophomore Eddie Barnes.
Rebuilding or Reloading
There are just 16 seniors on the Spartan roster and a very strong junior class has 30 members on the team. This is the same junior class that defeated Stone Bridge as freshmen.
Quotable
"I feel like we are a long ways away right now. We have to get back and fix some things. There are a lot of good teams out there. It's high school football. You do the best you can and a lot of things have to go right for that to have happen. "
-- Broad Run coach Michael Burnett on his team going 10-0 last year in the regular season
