Ashburn, Va. — Heading into their rematch against Broad Run, the Loudoun County Captains knew they controlled their own destiny. A win not only ensured them an opportunity to keep their unblemished record alive, but also home-field advantage throughout the region playoffs; a loss would mean their chance at perfection is gone, but it would also leave the door open for Tuscarora to swoop in next week and take the Dulles District’s No. 1 seed from them.
After a slow start, Loudoun County took matters into their own hands as senior quarterback Zach Hensch threw for three touchdowns and the Captains’ defense pitched a shutout en route to wrapping up the Dulles District regular season title, 28-0, on October 28 in Ashburn.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Hensch said. “I had some big shoes to fill this year, and I know we’ve got a great coaching staff. I knew everyone believed in me, we’ve played well as a team, and I’m glad we’re getting the job done.”
[adrotate banner=”46″]It’s the Captains’ fourth regular season championship in football in the school’s 68-year history. They also won the title in 1985, 1996, and, most recently, in 2017.
“It’s a big accomplishment for our program,” Loudoun County head coach Matt Reidenbaugh said. “It was definitely a goal for our kids. We always plan with the end in mind and the playoffs at the end of the season, and we want to be playing our best and be in the best position.”
This was the second regular season meeting between the Captains and Spartans in 2022 which is unusual for both teams. A scheduling issue left both teams looking for a game, and they decided to play each other on September 19 in a game that did not count towards either team’s Dulles District record. The Captains won that game, 27-6, but it did create an unusual situation for both teams since meeting twice in the regular season is almost unheard of.
“It was a little weird, because usually when you get those situations, you’re in the playoffs,” Reidenbaugh said. “They’re so versatile on offense and defense that you’ve got to be ready for it all. Obviously, we had some pretty good intel on their kids and had a good idea of what they were going to run, and I’m sure they did on us as well. So, it just gave us a little bit of a different dynamic.”
With the Captains leading 14-0 midway through the third quarter, Loudoun County senior defensive back Ivan Hager made an interception on the Broad Run sideline as the Spartans were deep in Captain territory. Then, from their own 23-yard line, the Captains proceeded to put together a 15-play, 77-yard drive and scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, chewing up nearly ten minutes of clock and making it a three-score game.
“That was an awesome drive,” Reidenbaugh said. “Great job by our offensive line and a great job by the tailbacks protecting the football and getting that score.”
While Hensch had plenty of success through the air, it was the Captains’ tailback duo of junior Dean Morrad and freshman Montez Dyson that did most of the damage and wore down the Spartans’ defense throughout the game.
“It’s fun to have a couple of good [running backs],” Reidenbaugh said. “You can keep those guys fresh and they both do different things. I think they complement each other really well. You know you always have a good option there if someone needs a breather.”
Reidenbaugh was especially pleased with the effort put forth by his defense, which through nine contests is allowing just 9.1 points per game.
“We had some things in this game that we didn’t have in the first one that I think helped them schematically,” Reidenbaugh said. “Broad Run gives you a lot of challenges because they’re very multiple, there’s a lot of formations they like to motion into, so the defense had to be great with communicating and lining up, and I thought they did a great job with that tonight. We did a great job tackling and pitched a shutout. I can’t complain too much about that.”
With the win, Loudoun County also clinched the Dulles District’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming VHSL Region 4C tournament and will host the Northwestern District’s No. 4 seed.
“To be able to play games at home and have the No. 1 overall seed is a really big deal,” Reidenbaugh said. “And like I just told them in the locker room, our best football still needs to be in front of us.”
The Captains will wrap up their regular season on November 4 when they go on the road to take on crosstown rival Heritage.
Caroline Layne captured 75+ photos at the game!
Scoring Plays
| Period | Time | Team | Play | Score |
| 2Q | 9:01 | Loudoun County | Zach Hensch to Joey Fitzpatrick 9-yard TD pass (Luke Morrison PAT) | 7-0 |
| 2Q | 2:48 | Loudoun County | Zach Hensch to Wesley Celentano 27-yard TD pass (Luke Morrison PAT) | 14-0 |
| 4Q | 8:21 | Loudoun County | Zach Hensch to Jackson Synder 5-yard TD pass (Luke Morrison PAT) | 21-0 |
| 4Q | 3:36 | Loudoun County | Dean Morrad 3-yard TD run (Luke Morrison PAT) | 28-0 |
