Ashburn, Va. — Coming into their VHSL Class 5 State semifinal matchup, the Stone Bridge High School football team knew they needed to limit the big plays. The Bulldogs were confident they would control the line of scrimmage but knew the Matoaca receivers posed big-play threats, especially in man coverage.
“You have to get them in tough situations, and then you’re able to make plays,” Stone Bridge head coach Mickey Thompson said. “I thought we did a great job in coverage all day. It’s tough out there on an island all by yourself. We knew they were going to make plays, and they did, but we just wanted to minimize the big plays.”
Despite allowing more than 200 yards through the air, the Stone Bridge defense bent but never broke as the Bulldogs held off the Warriors, 21-10, on December 2 in Ashburn, earning them a ticket back to the VHSL Class 5 State championship game.
“We played well on both sides of the ball at various times,” Thompson said. “But we never put it all together, so it became a game all the way until the end, because we couldn’t put them away.”
After bailing the Warriors out on two 3rd-and-longs on the opening possession of the game, the Bulldog defense got its first big stop of the game when Matoaca missed a 42-yard field goal attempt midway through the first quarter.
On the ensuing possession, it took Stone Bridge just nine plays to find the endzone when junior quarterback Brandon Pena found senior receiver Jordan Kaiser with a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Bulldogs up 7-0 late in the first quarter.
Trailing 7-0, Matoaca got back to work offensively as senior quarterback Ryley Justus connected with junior receiver Bryce Yates on a pair of first downs. But just when it looked like the Warriors were settling in, Stone Bridge junior linebacker Amari Kamara chased down Justus for a 14-yard sack, forcing Matoaca to punt and getting the Bulldog offense back onto the field for its second opportunity.
On the second play of the next drive, the Bulldogs seemingly scored on a 72-yard touchdown pass, but the play was called back because of an illegal shift, one of ten penalties that cost Stone Bridge more than 100 yards.
However, it didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to get back into the endzone as Pena hit senior receiver Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding with a 41-yard touchdown pass just five plays later to extend the Stone Bridge lead to 14-0.
“Once we got up 14-0, we just wanted to run the ball, control the clock, and keep it out of their hands, because they’re so good on the outside,” Thompson said.
On the next possession, Stone Bridge once again bailed out Matoaca, when they were flagged for running into the kicker after what looked to be a three-and-out. With the fresh set of downs, Justus started to target junior receiver Dillon Newton Short as the Warriors started to move the football.
With the ball back in the redzone for the second time, the Warriors were looking to cut the Bulldogs’ lead in half, but Kamara once again stepped up with his third sack of the first half, as Matoaca settled for a 44-yard field goal.
“We’re going to be frustrated after today, but we lost to a really good Stone Bridge team,” Matoaca head coach Fred Stoots said. “Coach Thompson does a great job, and he has them ready to play. They execute what they’re trying to do, and if you don’t execute your game plan, they’re going to take advantage of it. Today, they were able to do that.”
Coming out of the half, the Stone Bridge offense picked up right where it left off, orchestrating a 9-play, 70-yard drive, capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run by Kaiser to extend the Bulldog lead to 21-3 less than 4 minutes into the third quarter.
With a three-score lead, the Stone Bridge defense—which held Matoaca to just 7 yards rushing on 22 carries in the game—locked in, forcing a three-and-out, giving their offense an opportunity to control the ball and the clock.
The next offensive possession for the Bulldogs would be the first one of the afternoon that didn’t result in a touchdown as Matoaca forced a punt.
The Warriors used that slight momentum shift to cut into the Bulldogs’ lead as Justus connected with Newton Short on a 13-yard completion, then junior running back Montino Williams on a 30-yard completion, before finding Newton Short again on a 17-yard touchdown pass.
“We knew they were going to make some plays,” Stone Bridge senior defensive back Myles Turpin said. “But we knew once they made those plays, we had to keep our composure and stay together.”
After another Stone Bridge punt, the Warriors looked to make it a one-score game as Justus lofted a pass down the sideline to Newton Short, who looked like he would scamper into the endzone. However, Turpin had other plans as he chased down Newton Short at the 11-yard line, giving the Stone Bridge defense some breathing room.
“That [play by Myles]kept it a two-score game. That was huge. That changed the whole game,” Thompson said. “It changed everything we did offensively on the next series, because we knew it was still a two-score game.”
Four plays after the touchdown-saving tackle, the Warriors settled for a field goal to try to make it a one-score game, but the 27-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright and kept the score at 21-10.
That would be the last real chance for the Warriors—who never got anything going on their final possession—as the Bulldogs continued to control the line of scrimmage and the clock to outlast Matoaca, 21-10.
“There’s so much history, so many great players who have come through this program. We have a lot to live up to,” Turpin said. “To be able to win our last game on this field as a team together is a great feeling. We’re going to celebrate tonight and get back to work next week.”
For the fifth time in six years, the Bulldogs will return to the VHSL Class 5 State championship game, where they’ll play the Maury Commodores—who they last beat in the state championship in 2021—on December 9 at the University of Virginia. Kickoff is set for 5pm.
“We have to be more explosive, and we’re going to have to put more points on the board, because they’re a really good football team,” Thompson said. “It’s going to take a better effort, but we’re up for the challenge; we’ll be ready.”
Katey Jackson captured 250+ photos at the game!
Scoring Plays
| Period | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Q | 2:19 | Stone Bridge | Brandon Pena to Jordan Kaiser 14-yard TD pass (Connor McLaughlin PAT) | 7-0 |
| 2Q | 6:11 | Stone Bridge | Brandon Pena to Na’eem Gladding 41-yard TD pass (Connor McLaughlin PAT) | 14-0 |
| 2Q | 0:12 | Matoaca | Zach Bowers 44-yard field goal | 14-3 |
| 3Q | 8:12 | Stone Bridge | Jordan Kaiser 8-yard TD pass (Connor McLaughlin PAT) | 21-3 |
| 3Q | 2:28 | Matoaca | Ryley Justus to Dillon Newton Short 17-yard TD pass (Zach Bowers PAT) | 21-10 |