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

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Mount Vernon (0-4) at Centreville (1-3)
Last Week: Mount Vernon lost to Stuart, 19-17; Centreville lost to South County, 30-14
Current Playoff Seeding: Mount Vernon 15th Div. 5; Centreville 13th Div. 6

Last year, the Wildcats had their most difficult season in recent memory, finishing 1-9.

This year, coming off their first playoff win in eight years in 2008, the Majors appear mired in a similar slump.

Mount Vernon scored its first touchdown of the season last week against Stuart -- it was the second-to-last AAA team in Virginia to find the end zone -- but still fell to the Raiders for the first time since 1999.

Centreville looked to junior quarterback Chance Roman last week when senior Cam Walter left the game in the middle of the second quarter against South County.

While he fared quite well against the top-ranked Division 6 defense in the region -- 10-for-20 passing, 88 yards, an interception and a rushing touchdown -- the Wildcats fell by two scores on the road.

Aside from a 61-yard touchdown run by senior Adam Garrity on its second rushing attempt of the game, Centreville managed minus-20 rushing yards on its 23 attempts.

If the Wildcats take care of the football and distribute the receptions like they did last week -- four players with multiple catches -- they should return to the win column and surpass last year's win total.

Last year, Mount Vernon and Centreville combined for 36 first-quarter points and four first-quarter scores of 65 yards or more in the Majors' 36-26 home win over the Wildcats.

Then a junior, Garrity returned two kickoffs for scores in the loss. Something tells me his home-run capability will have an effect on this outcome Friday.

Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com