South Riding, Va. — Almost a year ago exactly, the Freedom High School football team took a quick trip across town to take down rival John Champe High School, 25-19, in both team’s 2021 season finales. That loss did not sit well with the Knights.
When John Champe got the opportunity to return the favor in front of Freedom’s home crowd, they wanted to make the most of it.
Led by senior quarterback Patrick Bryan and a stout defensive effort, the Knights dominated the Eagles from start to finish, 53-7, to wrap up their regular season on November 4 in South Riding.
Coming off a tough 76-59 loss to Patriot in Week 10, John Champe knew its defense needed to play better, and the Knights got their first big defensive opportunity on the Eagles’ opening drive.
“We had a sour taste in our mouth all week long, so we were just anxious to get back out here and play,” John Champe head coach Lee Carter said. “I challenged the guys before the game, and they answered the challenge. I’m proud of these guys.”
[adrotate banner=”46″]After receiving the opening kickoff, Freedom drove down field, eventually setting up a 1st-and-goal from the John Champe 8 yard line. A false start pushed the Eagles back to the 13 yard line, but three plays later, they were once again knocking at the door.
Defending a 4th-and-goal from their own 2 yard line, the John Champe defense made its stand, as sophomore defensive lineman Corey Redding busted into the backfield and stopped the Freedom running back short of the line of scrimmage as the Knights forced a turnover on downs.
“Last week wasn’t us. We gave up so much and got down and guys started playing outside the system,” Carter said. “Tonight, we just executed our assignments, and we held them to just 7 points in the game.”
Having watched its defense for more than seven minutes to start the game, the John Champe offense took the field and quickly got to work as Bryan hit senior running back Jacob Lagda near the far sideline for a 56-yard gain. Eight plays, three and a half minutes, and 98 yards later, the Knights were in the endzone for their first score of the night.
“That was big. That was very big,” Carter said. “That right there set the tone for the game, because we stopped them and then went 98 yards for a touchdown. We knew from that moment, we had them right where we wanted them.”
From there, it was all Knights and all Bryan as the gunslinger finished the night going 13-for-17 for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air and added 9 carries for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Six of Bryan’s receivers had at least one reception and ten yards.
“The offense goes as Patrick goes,” Carter said. “Patrick’s a special player. He does so much away from the team that when he’s with the team, he performs at the next level. All his hard work is paying off. Everything he accomplishes, he works for and he deserves it.”
With their regular season wrapped up, the Knights will need both Bryan and their defense to stay sharp if they hope to make a postseason run. John Champe will open the VHSL Region 6B quarterfinal play when the No. 4 Knights host No. 5 Forest Park on November 11 in Aldie.
“Now, it’s win or go home,” Carter said. “When playoff time comes, you have to be able to run the ball, play good defense, and not turn the ball over. We’re ready for it.”
Mike Ferrara captured 300+ photos at the game!
Scoring Plays
| Period | Time | Team | Play | Score |
| 1Q | 1:32 | John Champe | Patrick Bryan to Greg Spiller 5-yard TD pass (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 7-0 |
| 2Q | 9:51 | John Champe | Patrick Bryan 1-yard TD run (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 14-0 |
| 2Q | 6:38 | John Champe | Patrick Bryan 1-yard TD run (Greg Spiller 2pt run) | 22-0 |
| 2Q | 4:21 | John Champe | Patrick Bryan to Jake Moskowitz 32-yard TD pass (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 29-0 |
| 2Q | 0:34 | Freedom | JC Morales 4-yard TD run (Trevor Mostek PAT) | 29-7 |
| 2Q | 0:04 | John Champe | Patrick Bryan to Michael Clark 30-yard TD pass (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 36-7 |
| 3Q | 8:33 | John Champe | Jacob Lagda 1-yard TD run (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 43-7 |
| 3Q | 1:36 | John Champe | Patrick Bryan to Cameron Petrey 13-yard TD pass (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 50-7 |
| 4Q | 9:53 | John Champe | Omar Ebadi 34-yard field goal | 53-7 |