By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area

**Click the links at the top-left for game highlights and post-game interviews with Riley Beiro and Bobby Ludwick!

**Team and individual stats below!

No team is more sympathetic to Marshall than McLean.

Last year, it was the Highlanders held winless for 10 games, despite several games that, arguably, should have ceased the suffering.

Friday at McLean, the Statesmen held the hosts without a first down for 23 minutes and to 13 yards of offense in their first 11 plays, appearing in line for that elusive first win.

How things can change in a minute.

Marshall committed its second red-zone turnover, McLean senior quarterback Will Hecht found senior tight end Jonathan Fremerman for a 54-yard connection before hitting senior tailback Riley Beiro with a 23-yard touchdown pass.

A Statesmen fumble on the ensuing kickoff led to a 23-yard field goal by Highlander junior Drew Hunt. Both scores were in the final :55 seconds of the half.

McLean never gave back the momentum after the intermission, beating Marshall, 24-21, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series and dealing Statesmen coach Bill Lapthorn his seventh-straight career-opening loss.

"They were really taking it to us on the offensive and defensive lines. We weren't squaring our shoulders like we were taught to," Highlander senior linebacker Bobby Ludwick said of the early Statesmen advantage. "Props to Marshall, they really fought hard. I know how that feels and I hope they do well."

Added Lapthorn: "To be honest, I kind of had that feeling since Tuesday [that we could win]. When we had [senior Ryan] Walter come around the left end for 60 yards, that was actually a broken play.

"Where earlier in the year that would have gone for minus-10 or a fumble, okay, we have a broken play work for us. Maybe tonight is our night."

But watching Beiro's miracle, late-first-half score, fate seemed to favor McLean (5-2, 3-1 Liberty).

Beiro, held to one carry with several nagging injuries, was lined up as the Z-receiver on the wide side of the field, all but promising the fade route that led to touchdown receptions against Madison and South Lakes. Hecht rolled right after a play fake and lobbed the pass three yards short of the goal line. Walter, also a defensive back for the Statesmen (0-7, 0-4), batted it backwards.

Beiro, stumbling through the rain, pinned the soggy ball to his waist as he contacted grass, pulling it to his chest to put the Highlanders on the scoreboard.

"We can put him in a lot of different situations to be successful," McLean coach Jim Patrick said. "We felt like, with the athletic training staff, he was going to have difficulty getting back there, taking the pounding he normally takes.

"We can still use him in the passing game to help the team and he had game-changing plays. I mean, that catch was amazing."

Added Beiro: "I got up and felt it hit my hands, but my hands were so cold I couldn't get it at first. Then, I kind of got it between my elbow.

"I was kind of surprised I got it, but I'll take it."

Beiro was limited to 6.0 carries per game in the last two weeks. That’s after averaging 36.3 in his four games.

With its workhorse hobbled, the Highlander defense has raised the stakes on opponents.

Last week, in a 38-0 win over Jefferson, McLean forced three turnovers and allowed four first downs, none after halftime.

This week, it forced four Marshall turnovers, two in the red zone, and turned them into 24 points. That while coughing up possession just once itself.

And in the 24-21 win over the Warhawks four weeks ago, their first in the series since 1999, fumble-return touchdowns by Highlander senior defensive tackle Anthony Maestri and sophomore linebacker Scotty Lafoon proved decisive.

"Last year, we didn't get many turnovers, so we've been working on turnovers in practice, working on skills to get the ball out in certain situations," said Ludwick, one of four linebackers with five or more tackles Friday. "We're really emphasizing it to make sure we get these big plays in big games."

Added Patrick, one win from equaling the largest single-season turnaround in VHSL history: "We've been creating turnovers all year. It's something the kids look forward to make happen. We've just been lucky that way, the good bounces -- we didn't get any last year, now we're getting them all this year.

"The thing that we didn't have against Herndon, we had five fumble recoveries, but we had four interceptions in the first half. Against Madison, we had two interceptions. Against South Lakes, we had an interception returned for a touchdown.

"Now, we're creating turnovers and we're getting the big margins that we didn't have before."

Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com

Box Score       1    2    3    4    --    F  
Marshall          7    7    0    7    --   21
McLean           0    9    8    7    --   24

Scoring Plays                               
1Q -- MR -- Vanegas 38 run (Aggen kick) -- 5:54
2Q -- MR -- Vanegas 35 run (Aggen kick) -- 4:48
2Q -- MC -- Beiro 23 from Hecht (kick blocked) -- :55
2Q -- MC -- Hunt 23 FG -- :11
3Q -- MC -- Fontenot 3 run (J. Ludwick from Hecht) -- 10:42
4Q -- MC -- Fremerman 10 from Hecht (Hunt kick) -- 4:27

Passing
MR - Walter - 2-for-8, 46 yards, TD, INT.
MC - Hecht - 6-for-14, 114 yards, 2 TD.
Rushing
MR - Vanegas - 32 car, 175 yards, 2 TD; Walter - 6 car, 58 yards; Stalcup - 6 car, 19 yards; Ondo - 2 car, 3 yards; Giles - 1 car, 1 yard; Skripkauskas - 1 car, 0 yards.
MC - Fontenot - 11 car, 44 yards, TD; J. Ludwick - 6 car, 17 yards; Beatty - 4 car, 13 yards; Hecht - 1 car, 6 yards; Beiro - 1 car, 2 yards; McColgan - 2 car, 2 yards.
Receiving
MR - Bennett - 2 rec, 46 yards, TD.
MC - Fremerman - 2 rec, 64 yards, TD; Beiro - 1 rec, 23 yards, TD; J. Ludwick - 2 rec, 21 yards; Beatty - 1 rec, 8 yards.
Total Yards
MR - 302. MC - 200.
Leading Tacklers
MR - Giles - 5; Richards - 5; Boggs - 4. MC - Overby - 7; B. Ludwick - 6; Payne - 6; Huffman - 5; Dawson - 4; Smith - 4; Verman - 4.
Times Targeted
MR - Bennett - 4; Guerin - 1; Stalcup - 1. MC - Beiro - 4; Fremerman - 4; J. Ludwick - 3; Medovets - 2; Beatty - 1.
Time of Possession (First Half TOP)
MR - 32:02 (16:31). MC - 15:58 (7:29).
First Downs (Total; Run-Pass-Penalty)
MR - 15; 10-2-3. MC - 9; 5-4-0.

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