Football: Madison 28, Stone Bridge 14

His jersey stretched to his knees as Madison sent a gauntlet of defenders; Gouveia slipped seven Warhawks before finally succumbing to the pressure for an 11-yard loss.

Madison senior quarterback Eric Roland knelt out the clock on the ensuing snap, securing a 28-14 road win Monday, snapping a streak of district wins for Stone Bridge that spanned exactly seven years, 54 games and two districts.

Like the game-ending sack, the streak that began with a 34-21 Dulles District loss to Park View on Oct. 19, 2002, seemed destined to end — soon — but the Bulldogs continued to dodge all challengers.

Finally, it was the Warhawks that turned the trick.

“The whole thing was in slow-motion,” said junior linebacker Ryan McGuire of the sack, which junior Ian Brown and senior Glenn Metz ultimately registered. “We just kept our motor running the entire time and didn’t stop.”

Added senior linebacker Kevin Sampson: “It was tiring, but it was just pursuit.”

Teams have been pursuing Stone Bridge almost aimlessly since it joined the Liberty District in 2005.

It entered Monday’s game with a perfect, 35-0 record against district opponents, 31-0 in the regular season. Only three of those games were decided by single digits, including the last win over Fairfax, 28-20.

Madison turned every short-field opportunity into points. Its first three scoring drives — set up by a blocked punt and two long punt returns — were 20, 16 and 26 yards in length.

The Warhawks’ game-sealing drive lasted notably longer: 15 plays, 71 yards and 8 minutes, 6 seconds.

Coach Gordon Lieb predictably called power sweep left on nearly every snap, but Stone Bridge had no answer for Madison seniors Tavin Thomas and Mike McCool.

“All you have to do is follow your attackers, follow your blockers and you’ll get it in,” said Thomas, who scored both fourth-quarter touchdowns. “Six yards isn’t anything, but, hey, as you can see, the scoreboard tells a whole lot. Six yards gains you a whole lot.”

That deciding possession, which began with the Warhawks leading by seven points at 11:04 in the fourth quarter, was in jeopardy twice.

With the ball at the Stone Bridge 48-yard line, Madison faced a 4th-and-inches. It ran the power sweep, but Thomas was met at the line by Bulldog safety Spenser Rositano.

A measurement confirmed the conversion, but only by a millimeter.

On the following set of downs, the Warhawks looked to convert 3rd-and-16 with a deep pass by Roland into the crowded secondary.

But the ball bounced off a safety’s hands and into the arms of Madison junior running back Joe Corrigan for a 28-yard completion.

Thomas scored a decisive touchdown two plays later.

“Scariest moment of my life,” said Roland, 4-for-5 passing for 35 yards. “I’m glad he caught it. I saw him open, tried to put it in there and I’m glad it worked out for us.

“I have to thank God for that one. It was all in our favor tonight.”