Story By Chris Barron
Centreville Senior, DigitalSports Intern
Videos By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area
**Click the Video link on the top-left to view all the highlights from this game.
**Click here for highlights from other playoff games!**
Normally, when picking playoff game predictions you look at the teams’ playoff history.
Edison is historically a team that goes far in the second season, the postseason.
The picks for this week were as follows: Andy Hayes, Tom Whipple, and Bruce Bornarth all picked Edison. Chris Bourassa and Chris Barron picked Madison from the beginning of the night. It turned out to be a great looking night with not much rain in sight and not many fans in the stadium.
This matchup featured two of the best teams and head coaches — Gordon Leib for the Warhawks and Vaughn Lewis for the Eagles — in the region.
The Warhawks won the toss and elected to receive. The kickoff was returned by Michael Frye out to the Warhawks 30-yard line. Madison drove down the field on a 35 yard run by senior running back Tavin Thomas and scored two plays later on an 11-yard scramble by senior quarterback Eric Roland.
James Devens tacked on the extra point and with 9 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the first quarter; Madison was up, 7-0. The ensuing kickoff went out-of-bounds, setting up shop for the Eagles at their own 40-yard line. Edison drove right down the field and tied the score with a two-yard run by senior running back Angus Harper and the extra point by Bill Arnez.
The two teams then traded possessions and Edison drove down the field again and Bill Arnez set up for a 28-yard field goal, which was blocked by Madison junior Ryan McGuire. Late in the half, the Warhawks got the ball back again and, with :52 seconds remaining in the quarter, Devens tacked on a 25-yard field goal to give fourth-seeded Madison a 10-7 halftime lead.
Madison was getting it done on the ground with 144 rushing yards to the Edison’s 67. The Eagles got it done in the air going 7-for-11 passing for 68 yards, while the Warhawks only went 1-for-5 for 8.
The second half began with the announcement that Stone Bridge had defeated South Lakes, 28-7. The first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception by senior defensive back Chris Sommese, with a long return abbreviated by a penalty. The Warhawks went in for a touchdown in a four-play, 40-yard drive, lasting all of 72 seconds. It was Thomas who took it in from one yard out and Devens tacked the extra point on to give Madison a 17-7 lead.
Edison tacked on a 26-yard field goal by Arnez later in the quarter to cut the lead to 17-10.
Madison came right back down the field and, on a 3rd-and-12 pass from the Eagle 44-yard line, Roland made a perfect pass to McGuire as the crowd erupted.
The Warhawks led 24-10.
The start of the fourth quarter went back-and-forth with punts and, midway through the quarter, Edison senior quarterback Levi Barber went to pass and got sacked, fumbling the ball in the process. Madison senior Kevin Sampson, the Liberty District Defensive Player of the Year, recovered the ball for the Warhawks on the Eagles’ 5-yard line.
Four plays later, Thomas was on the board again with his second rushing touchdown of the night from two yards out. With just under three minutes remaining in the game, Barber was picked off for the second time in the half, this time in the end zone.
And this had the Warhawks jumping for joy as they could taste victory.
In the final 2:30 of the game there were a total of four plays run, including the Warhawks’ game-ending punt.
The Madison defeated the Edison, 31-10.
Madison advances to play No. 1 seed Stone Bridge in a rematch of a game played October 19, a game which the Warhawls won, 28-14. That was the first win for Madison against Stone Bridge in school history.
People in Vienna and Ashburn will be waiting all week for this highly anticipated rematch. The winner of that game will advance to the Division 5 Championship Game on Friday, November 27.
PLAYMAKERS OF THE GAME:
For the Warhawks the honor goes to senior Tavin Thomas. Thomas had 14 rushes for 126 yards and two important touchdowns.
For the Eagles the honor goes to senior Angus Harper. Harper had 22 rushes for 72 yards and a three-yard touchdown run. He also added in 3 receptions for 35 yards in his final game of his high-school career.
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Box Score 1 2 3 4 — F
Edison 7 0 3 0 — 10
Madison 7 3 14 7 — 31
Scoring Plays
1Q — MD — Roland 11 run (Devens kick) — 9:24
1Q — ED — Harper 3 run (Arnez kick) — 5:23
2Q — MD — Devens 29 FG — 0:47
3Q — MD — Thomas 1 run (Devens kick)
3Q — ED — Arnez 26 FG
3Q — MD — McGuire 44 from Roland (Devens kick) [not on tape]
4Q — MD — Thomas 1 run (Devens kick)
Passing
ED – Barber – 14-for-27, 160 yards, 2 INT.
MD – Roland – 3-for-8, 77 yards, TD.
Rushing
ED – Barber – 22 car, 72 yards, TD; Barber – 5 car, 12 yards; Willis – 3
car, 10 yards.
MD – Thomas – 14 car, 126 yards, 2 TD; Wilkinson – 12 car, 60 yards; Powers
– 2 car, 28 yards; Roland – 4 car, 13 yards, TD; McCool – 4 car, 4 yards; Frye – 1 car, 2 yards; Pearson – 1 car, 1 yard.
Receiving
ED – Krisak – 3
rec, 53 yards; Harper – 3 rec, 35 yards; Moran – 2 rec, 26 yards; Fontenette – 3 rec, 21 yards; Willis – 1 rec, 19 yards; Smith – 2 rec, 6 yards.
MD – McGuire – 1 rec, 44 yards, TD; Wilkinson – 2 rec, 25 yards; Powers – 1 rec, 8 yards.
Times Targeted
ED – Krisak – 7;
Fontenette – 6; Smith – 4; Willis – 4; Harper – 3; Moran – 3.
MD – Wilkinson – 4; McGuire – 2; Powers – 2; McCool – 1.
Total Yards
ED – 254.
MD – 311.
First Downs (Total; Run-Pass-Penalty)
ED – 18: 7-10-1.
MD – 9; 7-2-0.
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