Sideline Report Previewing the Area's Top Games
Sideline Report Previewing the Area's Top Games
West Springfield senior quarterback Bryn Renner warms up before a scrimmage with Oakton.
(By Richard A. Lipski -- The Washington Post)
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Thursday, October 2, 2008; Page VA11
What to make of this fading West Springfield offense? Why, the team's point total has plummeted each of the past two weeks -- from 50 to 49 to 48.
That's a joke, of course, but there are two conflicting questions to ask about the high-rolling Spartans, the kind of queries not usually raised about the same team:
Are they the best Division 6 team in the Virginia AAA Northern Region?
Can their defense stop anybody?
West Springfield's two losses were 42-28 to No. 3 Stone Bridge and 35-34 to No. 17 Edison. Both setbacks were to Division 5 schools. That's not to say the Spartans would beat No. 4 Oakton, No. 12 Westfield or any other Division 6 region contenders, but their 3-2 record might be deceiving. Edison and Stone Bridge have met in the past three Division 5 region championships, and Stone Bridge is the defending state champ.
A home win tomorrow over knocking-at-the-Top-20 West Potomac could clear up the second question. The Wolverines (5-0, 2-0 in the Patriot District) are averaging 31.4 points per game, with 17 touchdown passes from senior Cole Walter. West Springfield (3-2, 2-0) is giving up 28.8 points per outing.
The Spartans, dogged by a leaky defense last year, too, turned in one of their stingiest outings of 2007 in a 38-14 win over West Potomac, intercepting four passes and shutting out the Wolverines in the second half in tainting their 5-0 start.
Keep in mind that West Springfield and West Potomac are the teams that two years ago played an 81-74 four-overtime game, won by West Potomac, the record for the most points scored in a game between Virginia opponents. Regulation ended 53-53.
In last year's game, West Springfield senior quarterback Bryn Renner threw for 169 yards and a touchdown and ran for 69 yards and three scores.
West Potomac-West Springfield is just one of the top-drawer matchups that might make up the best week of the Northern Region season. There are three games pitting Division 6 teams that, if the season ended today, would reach the playoffs. Those games are Chantilly-No. 4 Oakton, W.T. Woodson-No. 12 Westfield and West Potomac-West Springfield.
But that's not all. In Division 5, Edison-Yorktown pits teams with two of the top three Virginia High School League power ratings in the region. And the Madison (Division 5) at Langley (Division 6) game features two teams that would reach the postseason if the season ended today.
National Impact
Last week at Falls Church, Yorktown Coach Bruce Hanson notched his 150th win at the Arlington school. But he has turned his focus to snagging a 151st win at home against No.17 Edison tomorrow
