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Spartans outlast Pride to stay perfect
The Broad Run Spartans encountered their first four-quarter challenge of the season in a 21-13 triumph Oct. 3 in Leesburg versus the Heritage Pride.
The margin of victory was easily the lowest of Broad Run's five victories this year. The Spartans won the previous four by an average score of 42-8.
"This one helps us build," Broad Run coach Mike Burnett said. “We hadn't played four quarters, really barely three quarters.”
With less than three minutes remaining, the Pride, celebrating their Homecoming, had crept to within a score and were driving inside the Broad Run 10.
On second down, Heritage quarterback Brian Rody scrambled to evade pressure. Running right, he threw toward the end zone, where Broad Run linebacker Joseph Walter met it at the goal line.
Following Walter's 57-yard return and a handful of running plays, the Spartans returned to Ashburn with their perfect record intact.
"The expectations are very high for us, and it's hard to play great every week," Burnett said. "I don't think we ever got in a rhythm, and we're an offense based on timing and rhythm."
His quarterback, Chris Jessop, completed eight of 22 passes for 141 yards but was bottled up from his usual running game, gaining just 8 yards.
"They had committed to putting a lot of people in the box, they took away the option early, and that opened up a lot of throwing the ball," Burnett said. "They took us out of a lot of the things we wanted to do."
Breon Earl carried 10 times for 46 yards and contributed a 38-yard punt return for a score.
The playmaking ability of Spartan wide receiver Adrian Flemming made itself known, as the 6-foot-4-inch junior turned in a pair of highlight reel touchdown receptions.
With his team trailing 7-0, Flemming bailed out a scrambling Jessop by out-jumping a defender in the back of the end zone to convert on fourth down for the Spartans' first score.
In the dying seconds of the first half, Jessop executed a convincing pump fake to his left, then threw a bomb down the right sideline. As Heritage's T.J. McPhaul was running alongside, Flemming dove fully extended into the end zone for the 35-yard catch.
"I really didn't think I was going to catch it, but as it got closer and closer, I just brought it in," Flemming said.
The score put the visitors up 14-7 going into halftime.
"When you get a great play like that at the end of a half, it changes the whole course of the game," Burnett said.
Heritage running back Ross Madison was gallant in defeat, racking up 161 yards of offense, including 131 yards gained on 25 rushes.
"He's got the heart of a lion," Heritage coach Wes Driskill said of his senior running back, most recent winner of the Pride's Iron Lion award for greatest weight training improvement. "What you're seeing is what he's done in the offseason to improve himself."
The Broad Run coach admired the game of Madison, who collected eight first-down runs.
"Ross is a spectacular running back," Burnett said. "That was one of the great efforts I've coached against."
Zach Gordon completed six of 11 for 58 yards and a touchdown. Rody took over signal-calling duties early in the third quarter and went seven of 13 for 49 yards.
Dan Dykema caught four passes for 24 yards and the Pride's only touchdown.
Heritage falls to 3-2, with both losses against unbeaten Dulles District opponents. The Pride succumbed to Potomac Falls (2-0, 5-0) Sept. 26. They will visit Freedom Oct. 10 to take on the Eagles (0-2, 1-4).
"We can go way farther than we showed out here tonight. Hopefully we've showed the Dulles District that we can be a big team," said McPhaul, who broke up several passes and put a tremendous fumble-inducing hit on Earl.
"We're ready to bounce back next week and come back even harder."
Burnett believes that the hard-fought, physical district battle helps his Spartans, who will host Dominion (1-1, 1-4) on Oct. 11.
"It helps us say that we're going to get in tough situations against a good team, and you've got to tough it out."
Individual leaders
Passing: BR-Jessop (8 of 22 for 141 yards, 2 TD); H-Gordon (6 of 11 for 58 yards, TD), Rody (7 of 13 for 49 yards, Int.)
Rushing: BR-Earl (10 for 46 yards); H-Madison (25 for 131 yards)
Receiving: BR-Flemming (4 for 74 yards, 2 TD), Saidi (2 for 51 yards); H-Dykema (4 for 24 yards, TD), East (3 for 33 yards), Madison (3 for 30 yards)
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