Ashburn, Va. — Despite losing four of their first five games of the season, the Stone Bridge High School football team knew what they needed to do down the stretch in order to hang another banner. The Bulldogs marched through the Potomac District—outscoring district opponents 236-29—with their only real Region 5D test coming against rival Briar Woods in a 29-12 win on October 27.
With home field advantage secured, the Bulldogs knocked off No. 5 Massaponax, 35-14, in a region semifinal on November 17, setting up a much anticipated rematch with the Falcons. Like they had done earlier in the season, the No. 1 Bulldogs (5-0, 8-4) took care of business against the No. 2 Falcons (3-2, 8-4), winning their ninth straight VHSL Region 5D championship game, 29-6.
“It was a great team effort. We had a great game,” Stone Bridge junior quarterback Brandon Pena said. “Offense was clicking, and we just need to have two more good games to win a state championship.”
Similar to their matchup in the regular season, it was a slow start offensively for both sides. Both teams started the game with a three-and-out and for most of the first quarter, neither team could convert a first down.
However, Stone Bridge senior running back Troy Marquez took things into his own hands and helped lead the Bulldogs on a long scoring drive, ultimately finding the endzone on a 2-yard run just two plays into the second quarter.
“We were running the ball very well,” Pena said.
Stone Bridge ran for more than 120 yards on the ground including averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Marquez, Stone Bridge’s leading rusher, accounted for 90 of his team’s rushing yards including a touchdown.
With momentum on their side, the Stone Bridge offense began to find a rhythm. On the following possession, the Bulldogs once again drove down the field from inside their own 30 yard line. Even though the run game was efficient for the Bulldogs, head coach Mickey Thompson elected to put the ball in the hands of his quarterback—who finished the game completing 8 of his 11 passes for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. The drive was capped off with another touchdown, this time it was Pena who found senior receiver Na’eem Gladding on a deep post route for a 34-yard touchdown pass.
“I think Pena is the best quarterback around here,” Thompson said. “Just to see his development and his confidence, we probably should’ve thrown more today.”
After 24 minutes of action, the Bulldogs were in complete control, leading the Falcons 12-0 at halftime.
Out of the break, the Bulldogs didn’t let off the gas. With seven minutes to go in the third quarter, Pena threw his second touchdown of the day, this time a 10-yard pass to senior receiver Keith Galway to put Stone Bridge up 19-0.
And it was all Stone Bridge for the rest of the third quarter as senior kicker Jordan Kaiser nailed a 35-yard field goal attempt to extend the Bulldog lead to 22.
To begin the fourth quarter, Briar Woods had one last effort to put up a fight against Stone Bridge as junior quarterback Brady Carmical led his team down the field and converted multiple fourth downs to extend the drive. On a 4th-and-5 in the red zone, Carmical completed a pass to junior running back Trey Dudley who made a miraculous bobbled catch for a touchdown. After a failed two-point conversion, Stone Bridge still led by 16 points, 22-6.
Later in the fourth quarter, the Falcons were driving again, however, Stone Bridge sophomore defensive back Xavier Wimbush intercepted a pass to put the game away for good.
The win marked the Bulldogs’ ninth straight region title and 16th in program history. The win also secured the Bulldogs a spot in a VHSL Class 5 State semifinal where they will host the Region 5C champion Matoaca Warriors on December 2.
“This is this group’s first chance to play in the state playoffs,” Thompson said. “It’s a lot of new players playing in it for the first time, so they are really excited. It never gets old.”
Katey Jackson captured 200+ photos at the game!
Scoring Plays
| Period | Time | Team | Play | Score |
| 2Q | 11:20 | Stone Bridge | Troy Marquez 2-yard TD run (2pt failed) | 6-0 |
| 2Q | 5:10 | Stone Bridge | Brandon Pena to Na’eem Gladding 34-yard TD pass (2pt failed) | 12-0 |
| 3Q | 7:27 | Stone Bridge | Brandon Pena to Keith Galway 10-yard TD pass (Jordan Kaiser PAT) | 19-0 |
| 3Q | 1:56 | Stone Bridge | Jordan Kaiser 35-yard field goal | 22-0 |
| 4Q | 7:26 | Briar Woods | Brady Carmical to Trey Dudley 16-yard TD pass (2pt failed) | 22-6 |
| 4Q | 3:56 | Stone Bridge | Koran Rucker 15-yard TD run (Jordan Kaiser PAT) | 29-6 |