CHARLOTTESVILLE – For a half, it was a scene of domination: Battlefield’s offense moved at will and its defense did everything to contain a high-powered Hermitage offense.
Things were a little different in the second half when Hermitage seized momentum for a moment and scored its only touchdown of the game in the third quarter.
But Battlefield was too fast, too physical and too good.
And in the end that was the difference as the Bobcats used their speed, solid defensive play and three touchdown passes to defeat the Panthers 26-7. It was a typical Battlefield performance that carried the program to its first Group AAA Division 6 state title in only the school’s seventh year of existence.
Battlefield is the fourth Group AAA school from Prince William County to win a state football title, joining Gar-Field (1990), Hylton (1998, 1999, 2002) and Osbourn (2006).
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” junior linebacker Andrew Smith said. “This is what we all dreamed about winning when we come into high school – coming onto varsity and winning a state championship.
“No one believed we’d win it and we came out here and whipped some [butt].”
For a team playing in this game for the first time in school history, Battlefield certainly was not intimidated.
Instead, the Bobcats (13-2) took it right at Hermitage (13-1), a team that entered the game averaging 32.6 points per game and allowing only 9.1 points per game.
Battlefield forced three turnovers, including a pick-six by safety Bobo Beathard to seal the victory with 2:37 left to go. The Bobcats sacked quarterback Brendon Riddick six times, had 16 tackles for a loss and allowed him to complete only five of 16 passes for 37 yards. They also intercepted him twice. Riddick entered the game having only thrown seven interceptions for the season.
The Panthers faced their largest halftime deficit of the season, 14-0. Riddick’s first three passes were incomplete.
When Riddick completed a pass, Bobcat defenders made certain that most completions went for short yardage.
On one play, receiver Triston Wright caught a pass and was stopped by Smith for negative two yards.
When the Bobcats were not stopping the pass, they were stopping the run. The Panthers rushed 43 times, but managed only 150 yards.
“We blitzed and [applied] pressure on [Riddick],” Smith said. “We forced him to try to step up and run because we knew he wasn’t going to be able to pass on us.”
Smith’s contributions were not limited to defense. He was the recipient of quarterback Ryan Swingle’s first touchdown pass when he got behind Hermitage’s secondary and caught a 30-yard touchdown pass.
Kicker Jason Hoepker’s extra point put the Bobcats up 7-0.
Swingle threw his next touchdown two possessions later. This one went to Hoepker, who ran a pattern similar to Smith’s.
Hoepker caught the ball for a 38-yard score before adding the extra point.
Those plays came after a week of preparing to attack Hermitage’s defense with the deep pass. Battlefield’s coaches noticed some flaws in the Hermitage secondary that could be exploited if an offensive play was properly executed through play action and bootlegs.
“We saw how we could get to them,” said Swingle, a sophomore who threw eight touchdown passes in five postseason games after only throwing two in the regular season. “[Offensive coordinator Mark] Johnson and coach [Mark] Cox called the right play at the right time.
“We just needed to keep playing like we were playing and we’d win.”
Strategizing was not the only thing Cox did to prepare. He instilled in his players the winning feeling that comes with capturing a state championship. It was a feeling he experienced as a quarterback for Annandale High School in 1978 when the Atoms went 14-0 and won the Group AAA title.
His players sensed that this was their time to win one following two straight years of failing to get past the first round of the postseason and then losing to Lake Braddock in double overtime in last year’s state semifinal.
“[Cox] just said, ‘It’s the greatest feeling and I hope you guys can feel it too,’” Swingle said.
Riddick, though, did not allow himself to be shut down for the entire game. The Bobcats drove to the Hermitage 11. But Hoepker missed a field goal. He missed another after Hermitage was whistled for a running into the kicker penalty.
Following the change of possession, Riddick directed an 80-yard drive in which he rushed seven times. His final carry was a six-yard touchdown that with the extra point, cut Battlefield’s lead to 14-7.
Hermitage’s momentum, however, was short-lived. The Bobcats retaliated with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in their third touchdown.
They converted two third plays, one on a 10-yard pass play to Turner Meeks, the other when quarterback Devon Greene rushed for three yards.
Meeks was rewarded five plays after his catch as he caught a 10-yard touchdown from Greene.
Hoepker missed the extra point, however, and the Bobcats led 20-7 with 11:18 remaining in regulation.
When Hermitage’s offense returned, Battlefield’s defense again prevented the Panthers from being effective.
To make matters worse for Hermitage, Riddick went down thanks to a combined sack by Jackson and Meeks. Riddick stayed down for a few minutes before limping off the field courtesy of the Hermitage training staff.
Riddick returned one play later.
But he was no less effective than before. Facing fourth and five from the Bobcats 19, Smith blitzed and hit the quarterback’s arm. That caused Riddick to throw awkwardly and the ball was intercepted by linebacker Chris Wendle, who returned it 12 yards to the Bobcats’ 31-yard line.
Wendle emerged from the game with a grimy uniform. Grass stains were on his uniform top and bottom. He totaled 10 tackles, four for a loss and a sack.
As tired as he looked after a four and a half month season, he could only smile at what his team accomplished.
“It’s the best feeling I’ve had in my life,” Wendle said.
Beathard followed Wendle’s pick with one of his own. He anticipated a deep route, broke on the ball, secured the pigskin and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
“We’d seen that play all week on film,” Beathard said. “I just read the quarterback. I knew where he was going. I made the play that sealed it.”
After scoring 48, 42 and 35 points against Hylton, Colonial Forge and Lake Braddock, Battlefield’s offense was somewhat contained.
In the end, it did not matter. One by one, players lined up on Scott Stadium’s field and took turns running to the medal stand to accept their medals during the post-game ceremony.
Once each player earned his recognition, they surrounded Cox who was buried underneath the trophy that shined brightly above the circle that Battlefield’s players and coaches had formed.
Looking on from the stands, Battlefield’s fans cheered as they finally had a title the school could call its own.
Battlefield’s girls’ soccer, softball and boys’ soccer teams came up short in their respective attempts to win a state crown.
On Saturday, no one cared.
Bobcats’ supporters settled into their seats and witnessed a two hour and 28 minute display of crisp ball movement and all-around contribution.
It was not always pretty – Hoepker also missed two extra points and Greene lost a fumble and threw an interception – but it was more than enough to earn a special achievement.
“There are no words to explain it,” said senior defensive tackle Zavier Stringfellow, who has started each game since his freshman year. “We finally did it. Ever since we stepped on the football field my freshman year, we said our class was going to go to [the state championship]. We did finally.”
Staff writer Robert Daski can be reached at 703-530-3913.
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