With less than five minutes remaining in an Ashburn football showdown between Briar Woods and host Broad Run Aug. 31, the Falcons had a chance to pull even after scoring a pair of touchdowns to nearly erase a 15-0 deficit. Instead, Briar Woods decided to go for a two-point conversion in an attempt to take its first lead of the game.

The conversion failed and the Falcons still trailed, 15-14. Undaunted, Briar Woods senior tailback Cory Colder returned to the sidelines and said to coach Charlie Pierce, “We’re getting this ball back. We’re going to score.”

Colder and the Falcons would deliver.

Briar Woods forced Broad Run into a three-and-out on the ensuing series and gained possession at midfield. Junior quarterback Trace McSorley rushed for four yards and connected with Brandon Polk for a 17-yard pass completion. Then Colder took over, rushing three times for a total of 21 yards and a touchdown to give the Falcons the lead 20-15 with 24.5 seconds remaining.

The Falcons again failed on a two-point conversion attempt, but the five-point lead stood up as the Spartans (1-1) were unable to score before time quickly expired.

“I was ready to accept the big blame after the failed two-point conversion,” Pierce said. “But Cory Colder said, ‘we’re getting the ball back’ and I said ‘I hope we do’ but who knew that was going to happen?”

The game, entitled the Battle For a Better Cause, started solemnly as both sides wore white to honor Cameron Carter, a local Ashburn resident who passed away at age 14 in February due to complications from diabetes. T-shirts bearing the No. 5, Carter’s volleyball and soccer number, were sold to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund and her sister Madison conducted the coin toss.

From there, the game quickly began. Just 62 seconds into play, Broad Run sophomore quarterback Brady Reitzel connected with Dorian Jenkins for a 68-yard touchdown, giving the Spartans an early lead.

Though Briar Woods maintained possession for nearly seven minutes on the next possession, Colder fumbled the ball in the red zone and Chuck Davis recovered to give Broad Run the ball. The Spartans took over at their own 15 and managed to march down the field on six consecutive rush attempts, aided by two Falcon penalties, to score a touchdown. Subsequent penalties on the extra point allowed Broad Run to convert a two-point play for a 15-0 lead.
The conversion would be the Spartans’ last score of the contest. Overall, the two teams would combine for 23 penalties for 212 yards.

On its subsequent possession, Briar Woods was finally able to answer. Colder atoned for his fumble, carrying seven times for 39 yards and the touchdown on the drive, with McSorley adding 24 yards in the air. Colder ran the ball in for the two-point conversion.

“I was kind of down after that fumble,” Colder said. “If it wasn’t for my teammates, I’m not sure I would have bounced back.”

Neither team would score in the remaining seven minutes of the half and Broad Run, who had 160 yards of offense in its first two drives, would total just three yards in its last three possessions. The Spartans maintained a 15-7 lead until the Falcons scored on their final two drives to extend their win streak to 16 games.

Briar Woods, the two-time defending Virginia Division 4 state champions, avenged last year’s 14-0 loss to the Spartans. The Falcons have won three of the last four meetings between the two teams, although Broad Run still leads 4-3 in the overall series.

“I think it’s good to give us momentum going into the beginning part of the season,” Pierce said.

Colder, who rushed for a game-high 145 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, kept the game in perspective, remembering the coin toss at the beginning of the game.

“Cameron is smiling down at us,” Colder said. “I’m sure she’s looking down at us, thanking us for the win.”

Briar Woods 20, Broad Run 15

-First Quarter
BR: Jenkins 68 pass from Reitzel (Deane kick), 10:58
BR: Earl 2 run (Banks run), 2:15

-Second Quarter
BW: Colder 6 run (Colder run), 7:14

-Fourth Quarter
BW: McSorely 1 run (pass failed), 4:44
BW: Colder 9 run (pass failed), :24

-All photos by Chuck Moore