Sterling, Va. — After getting shut out just a week before, the Potomac Falls High School football team was looking for an answer when they hosted Dominion in the Battle of Route 7 game in Week 6. Backed by nearly 400 yards of total offense and five combined rushing touchdowns by sophomore quarterback AJ Pawlowski and senior running back Landon Quinones, the Panthers responded in a big way, fending off their rival Titans, 38-20, on October 4 in Sterling.
“We’re very excited and pleased with the effort,” Potomac Falls first-year head coach Yaw Adioo said. “We made some mistakes, but we’re a young team, so that’s expected, we just need to start cleaning them up. It’s good for our young team to get another win and see what that feels like and get some gusto back.”
After forcing a three-and-out on Dominion’s first try, the Panthers quickly got to work behind Pawlowski and Quinones. Following a holding penalty on the second play from scrimmage, Pawlowski connected with Quinones on a 14-yard pitch and catch to give Potomac Falls a manageable third down.
On 3rd-and-3, Pawlowski broke free for ten yards to earn the first down as the Panther train was rolling. After back-to-back Quinones runs set up a 3rd-and-1, Pawlowski again broke free, this time for a 38-yard pickup to get deep inside Dominion territory.
Two plays later and Potomac Falls was on the scoreboard as Pawlowski bullied his way into the endzone on a 2-yard keeper.
After another Dominion three-and-out, the Panthers got the ball back and put it right back into the hands of Pawlowski, who capped off a 6-yard, 54-yard drive with his second rushing touchdown of the night.
Trailing 14-0, the Titans finally got some offense going late in the first quarter which carried over into the early part of the second quarter. Dominion used a pair of 15-yard Potomac Falls penalties and the dual-threat of senior quarterback David Reyes to find the endzone and cut the lead to 14-7 early in the second quarter.
“David Reyes is a really good athlete,” Adioo said. “He posed a lot of issues, because we haven’t seen a true quarterback who was so mobile.”
Having chipped into the lead, the Titans looked to carry that momentum over into the ensuing Panthers drive, forcing Potomac Falls’ first punt of the game.
The Titans inadvertently ran into the ensuing punt, which Potomac Falls quickly jumped on at the 2 yard line, completely turning the tides.
On the very next play, Pawlowski again kept it himself as he scampered into the endzone with his third rushing touchdown of the game.
Opening the second half with a 20-7 lead, the Panthers continued with their game plan as Pawlowski and Quinones drove Potomac Falls downfield setting up a 1st-and-5 on the Dominion 7. The Panthers needed just one more play to get into the endzone as Quinones carried in his first rushing touchdown of the night early in the third quarter.
“[Landon and AJ] are really good runners, and the offensive line did a really good job opening some holes for them to run through,” Adioo said. “Landon is such a tough runner that he’ll get himself three or four extra yards each play.”
With a three-score lead, the Panthers turned their focus back to defense, forcing yet another three-and-out.
The next Potomac Falls drive ended poorly for the Panthers as Reyes—who played both sides of the ball for Dominion—picked off Pawlowski and returned the interception to the Potomac Falls 7 yard line.
Three plays later Dominion sophomore running back Gabriel Peterson had cut the Panther lead to 28-14 with a 6-yard touchdown run.
“David Reyes is a really good football player. Jonathan Oxley is a really good football player. Isaiah Kidwell is a really good football player,” Adioo said. “They have some guys, but tonight, we were able to control the line of scrimmage, which ended up being the difference.”
Despite Reyes’ best effort, the Titans couldn’t mount a comeback as the Panthers controlled the line of scrimmage and escaped their rivals with a 38-20 win.
The win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Panthers (0-0, 2-3), who are set to start Potomac District play when they host perennial power Stone Bridge on October 10 in Sterling. Meanwhile, Dominion (0-0, 0-5) will look to get into the win column when they travel to Dulles District foe Rock Ridge on the same night.
“We were supposed to have John Champe, Tuscarora, bye, Stone Bridge, Briar Woods which are four state-championship caliber football teams,” Adioo said. “Having this makeup game inserted into that bye week was kind of a blessing in disguise for our guys to get some momentum back heading into district play.”
Scoring Plays
| Period | Time | Team | Play | Score |
| 1Q | 5:05 | Potomac Falls | AJ Pawlowski 21-yard TD run (2pt failed) | 6-0 |
| 1Q | 1:31 | Potomac Falls | AJ Pawlowski 2-yard TD run (Donovan Allen 2pt run) | 14-0 |
| 2Q | 9:07 | Dominion | David Reyes 3-yard TD run (Zayn El-Hamalaway PAT) | 14-7 |
| 2Q | 5:58 | Potomac Falls | AJ Pawlowski 2-yard TD run (PAT blocked) | 20-7 |
| 3Q | 9:27 | Potomac Falls | Landon Quinones 2-yard TD run (AJ Pawlowski 2pt run) | 28-7 |
| 3Q | 5:30 | Dominion | Gabriel Peterson 6-yard TD run (Zayn El-Hamalaway PAT) | 28-14 |
| 4Q | 10:43 | Potomac Falls | Walter Funez 29-yard field goal | 31-14 |
| 4Q | 5:20 | Dominion | David Reyes 10-yard TD run (PAT blocked) | 31-20 |
| 4Q | 4:01 | Potomac Falls | Landon Quinones 2-yard TD run (Walter Funez PAT) | 38-20 |