Leesburg, Va. — With less than a minute to play in the VHSL Region 4C championship game, the Tuscarora High School football team trailed by four. Facing a 3rd-and-7 with the ball on the John Champe 22 yard line, Tuscarora senior quarterback Tommy Peede threw a ball over the middle into triple coverage into the endzone. Despite the intensity of the moment, there was never a doubt for junior receiver Dawson Pough, who leapt into the air and caught the go-ahead touchdown.
“Big time players make big time plays,” Tuscarora head coach and Dulles District Coach of the Year Jared Toler said. “Dawson just went up and got it. There really are no words.”
With 40 seconds and 70 yards standing between them and a region championship, the Huskies turned their focus to the defensive side of the ball as they stopped the Knights in their tracks, claiming the VHSL Region 4C title, 24-21, on November 24 in Leesburg.
“It’s not over. It’s not over until the clock strikes zero,” Pough said. “We were there for each other, and we knew what we had to do. I’m just glad we all had each others’ backs.”
The late touchdown catch was one of three big plays for Pough, who scored the game’s opening touchdown on a 32-yard run midway through the first quarter.
“I just wanted to do it for my team; I can’t do anything without them,” Pough said. “Most of all I just want to thank God.”
Pough’s other big play came early in the second quarter. Trailing 7-0, the Knights looked to get on the board for the first time on their opening drive of the second quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-9 from the Tuscarora 29, John Champe sophomore quarterback Dominic Plush floated a pass over the middle to senior receiver Greg Spiller, who looked to have snuck behind the Huskies’ secondary. But just when it looked like the Knights might even the score at 7-7, Pough came out of nowhere, deflecting the pass away, keeping the Knights off the board.
“I just saw the ball and I didn’t want them to score,” Pough said. “I just got up into the air and hit it away.”
Despite the valiant effort by Pough, the Knights would eventually find the scoreboard on their next drive as sophomore running back Ty Kann carried in a touchdown from 7 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
The tie game was short-lived, however, as Peede and the Husky offense got right back to work. A 17-yard reception by Pough saved a potential 3rd-and-long situation, re-energizing the Tuscarora faithful. Three plays later, Tuscarora senior receiver Preston Harper caught a 14-yard pass to move the Huskies down to the John Champe 30 yard line. Then, facing 3rd-and-7 from the 27, Peede once again connected with his sure-handed receiver Pough for 19 yards down to the 8 yard line.
“Big time players make big time plays. Dawson just went up and got it. There really are no words.”
—Tuscarora head coach Jared Toler
After an incomplete pass, Peede kept it himself, scrambling 8 yards for a touchdown to put the Huskies up 14-7 just before the half.
“We believe, because God carries us,” Toler said. “We just didn’t panic. We trusted each other, and when our numbers were called, we stepped up.”
Scoring late in the half gave the Huskies an opportunity to double up their lead when they received the second half kickoff. But the Knights had other plans as, on the second play of the second half, John Champe senior defensive back Isaiah Lewis-Hudson picked off Peede to stunt the Huskies’ momentum.
After a John Champe turnover on downs and a Tuscarora punt, the Knights erased the Tuscarora lead midway through the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kann.
On the ensuing drive, the Knights defense continued to show its fortitude, forcing its fifth punt of the game and giving their offense the ball back near midfield.
From there Plush got to work, connecting with Spiller, junior receiver Jake Moskowitz, and senior running back Michael Clark on 13-plus-yard passes to set up a 1st-and-goal from the 3. Two plays later, Moskowitz carried in a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Knights a 21-14 lead as the third quarter drew to a close.
On the first drive of the fourth quarter, the Huskies marched down to the John Champe 12, but were hit by a brick wall of Knights. Tuscarora elected to settle for a field goal, which freshman kicker Josh Tikalsky drilled from 29 yards out, cutting the John Champe lead to 21-17.
“I wish I could say it was all my brains, but I talked to coach Nitta, and he said we should kick the field goal, because if we scored then got a stop, we can come back and win,” Toler said. “We’ve had faith in Josh all year. It’s scary that he’s a freshman and that he’s that ice cold.”
Just like they drew it up, the Tuscarora defense forced a John Champe punt to give their offense one last chance with just about five minutes to play.
“Give them credit: that’s a really good, dynamic football team,” Toler said. “They’re a scary, scary football team, but we just had 11 guys flying around the football field, and if one guy missed, we had ten other guys there to pick him up.”
Starting from their own 17 yard line, the Tuscarora offense started its march downfield. After a 7-yard quarterback keeper, Peede connected with senior receiver JB Santos for a 11-yard pick up. Two plays later, Peede hit senior running back Elijah Chapple with a 13-yard reception. Runs by Peede and Chapple gave the Huskies another first down, before Peede found senior receiver Alex Carroll for 13 yards down to the John Champe 25.
Two plays later, facing 3rd-and-7 from the 22 yard line and following a John Champe timeout, Peede threw the pass of the night into triple coverage to the Dulles District Offensive Player of the Year Pough, who made the catch in the endzone to give Huskies the 24-21 lead by which they’d win.
“We had an opportunity with JB outside; he was a big target on 3rd-and-7,” Toler said. “If the safety cheats, we had Dawson over the middle, and when you have Dawson, it kind of gives you an out sometimes.”
The come-from-behind win secured Tuscarora a trip to a VHSL Class 4 State semifinal, where they will host Region 4D champion Salem on December 2 in Leesburg. Kickoff is set for 2pm.
“If we’re willing to play for each other to get more weeks together, the rewards line up,” Toler said. “We fought to play for another week together, and, as a result, we won a region championship.”
Derrick Jerry and Jace Lucas captured 500+ photos at the game!
Scoring Plays
| Period | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Q | 4:07 | Tuscarora | Dawson Pough 32-yard TD run (Josh Tikalsky PAT) | 7-0 |
| 2Q | 5:51 | John Champe | Ty Khan 7-yard TD run (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 7-7 |
| 2Q | 0:14 | Tuscarora | Tommy Peede 8-yard TD run (Josh Tikalsky PAT) | 14-7 |
| 3Q | 5:20 | John Champe | Ty Khan 1-yard TD run (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 14-14 |
| 3Q | 0:00 | John Champe | Jake Moskowitz 4-yard TD run (Omar Ebadi PAT) | 14-21 |
| 4Q | 8:25 | Tuscarora | Josh Tikalsky 29-yard field goal | 17-21 |
| 4Q | 0:40 | Tuscarora | Tommy Peede to Dawson Pough 22-yard TD pass (Josh Tikalsky PAT) | 24-21 |