Some of the bitter taste resulting from South County’s season opener football loss to Chantilly two weeks ago was lessened a bit following the Stallions’ 42-7 bounce-back victory over Washington-Lee (Arlington) last Friday night.
The Stallions (1-1), playing their home opener, overwhelmed the Generals - members of the National District – with a 28-point second quarter that put the home team ahead at halftime, 35-0.
South County quarterback Jacob Josephs tossed for one touchdown and ran for another in the breakout second quarter. The scoring toss was a 14-yard strike to Ronny Vandyke to make the score 14-0. Later in the half the QB scored on a 30-yard run. For the game, Josephs completed seven-of-12 passes for 107 yards and the touchdown, while also rushing for 115 yards and two scores on nine carries.
On top of his scoring catch, Vandyke, a senior wide-out on offense and a member of the secondary on defense, scored two defensive touchdowns in the first half – a 17 yard interception return for a score, and a seven yard fumble return.
Also scoring a touchdown in the win for South County was junior running back Andrew Rector, who scored from 12 yards out in the second quarter. The Stallions also received solid games from senior running back Joe Winbush (6 carries, 42 yards) and junior Ryan Taylor (3 catches, 44 yards).
South County had lost its season opener at Chantilly, 28-13, on Sept. 2. That was a difficult loss for a Stallions team that made the playoffs last year and wanted to get off to a fast start this season with a week one quality win. And while it didn’t happen, the Stallions, under head coach Pete Bendorf, came out strong against a lesser talented W-L squad in week two.
South County will be on the road on Thursday night (Sept. 16) of this week against the Annandale Atoms (1-1), who are coming off a 35-0 home win over Falls Church.
<b>THE FAIRFAX REBELS</b> pulled off a big early season upset by defeating visiting Robinson Secondary last Friday night, 20-12.
With the win, Fairfax, which had lost its season opener a week earlier to Woodson, 29-14, improved to 1-1. It was the program’s first win under new head coach Kevin Simonds, who served as a Fairfax football assistant coach and the head JV coach from 2004 through 2009.
“Robinson is a very well known, well coached program that has sustained [its winning ways] for many years,” said Simonds, who said he was more pleased for his players than for himself in notching his first win as head coach at the school. “You know you will get a good fight from Robinson. You have to go in a game like that knowing you can be successful and win.”
The Rebels and Rams (1-1) were tied at halftime, 6-6, and Fairfax held a slim 13-12 lead after three quarters. The game’s only touchdown in the final quarter came on a 66-yard scoring run by Marcus Bailey with about four minutes left. Following the point-after kick by senior Kevin Playuk, Fairfax led 20-12 and went on to the win.
Bailey, on the touchdown, scored off a misdirection play. A similar play had nearly broken free for Fairfax and Bailey earlier in the game, but a Robinson lineman had made a terrific tackle to stop it.
“It was one of those plays you keep in the back of your mind [to use again],” said Simonds. “Marcus came to me after that first one and said, `Give it to me again, we can break it.’”
And when the coach went to it again late in the game, Bailey took it all the way for the score that gave the Rebels a little more breathing room at 20-12.
“He has a third gear when he’s being chased,” said Simonds, of the 5-foot-11 inch, 200-pound Bailey, who can play either fullback or halfback. “After the touchdown he came up to me and told me, `I told you coach.’ It wasn’t a sense of arrogance, but confidence.”
Fairfax senior quarterback Spencer MacLeod completed seven-of-nine passes on the night for 104 yards. Two of his completions went to Sam Bechert (52 yards receiving).
MacLeod tossed a five yard scoring pass to Chris Robic ( 3 catches, 38 yards) to open up the game’s scoring at 6-0 in the first quarter. Later in the game, MacLeod scored on an eight yard run in the third quarter. For the night, he rushed for 54 yards, second on the team to Bailey’s 74.
Robinson scored both of its touchdowns on one yard runs by senior running back Jared Velasquez (23 carries, 89 yards), the first score coming in the second quarter and the latter one in the third quarter. Velasquez also caught two balls for 50 yards from quarterback Mike LoPresti.
Robinson, a week one winner over T.C.
Williams, will host Marshall (1-1) this week on Thursday night at 7:30. Marshall won its first game under new head coach Bill Lapthorn last Friday night, defeating visiting Stuart, 17-8, to even its record at 1-1. The Statesmen, who trailed 8-7 at halftime, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to win. Marshall rushed for over 200 yards as a team. Arthur Kapplow, a junior fullback, led the ground attack with 113 yards on 21 carries.
Fairfax, meanwhile, will look to keep its momentum going following its win over the Rams when it travels to Stuart on Thursday.
<b>THE LEE LANCERS</b> were shut down by local rival and host team Hayfield, 28-0, last Friday night. The Hawks (2-0), who saw their season end with a playoff loss to Lee last year, scored a touchdown in each quarter on way to the victory.
Lee quarterback Quinntez Diggins completed four passes for 59 yards, and Lancer running back Donovan Taylor rushed for 67 yards. But the Hayfield defense, for the most part, shut the visiting team down.
Hayfield received a huge game from running back Justin Marshall, who ran for 121 yards on 21 carries with a second quarter touchdown run. Fellow back Steve Lynch added 74 yards on the ground. Hawks QB Jason Stewart (6-of-11, 142 yards) threw a pair of touchdowns to receiver Hayden Knudson (3 catches, 98 yards). Also catching three balls for the Hawks was Wesley Scott (44 yards receiving).
Lee will travel to Woodson for a game on Thursday night. The Cavaliers are coming off a lopsided loss to Lake Braddock.
Hayfield, under head coach Roy Hill, was a week one winner over Marshall, 32-14, on Sept. 2. The Hawks will travel to Washington-Lee on Thursday night for a 7:30 game.