By Frank Gorey
Special to LoCoSports
Sterling (August 31, 2015) — Broad Run High School head coach Matt Griffis has had to face many challenges over his first five years at the helm of the Spartan football program, but perhaps none have been as daunting as what he and his Spartans are up against this year.
Every single regular season opponent on this year’s schedule made the playoffs last year in their respective classes while compiling a cumulative record of 82-40 along the way! And to top it all off? With their home field still under construction, this year’s Spartans will be forced to play their first eight games on the road.
Despite the difficult circumstances facing them, opening night came on August 28, and the 2015 Spartans looked to get off to a fast start with a 28-7 win over Conference 14 foe Potomac Falls High School.
One group not offering a whole lot of sympathy to the Spartans was their opening night opponent. Potomac Falls head coach Jason Allen has seen steady improvement in his Panthers since taking over, culminating in perhaps the program’s biggest win in its’ history last year with a win over Briar Woods that helped propel them into the playoffs.
Potomac Falls senior quarterback Brady Williams had the Panthers on the move early on during their opening drive, but Broad Run junior Meech Hembry came up with the first big play of the year for the Spartan defense, picking off Williams’ second pass attempt.
Broad Run junior quarterback Kyle Brickerd and his offensive mates looked nervous as they came out, as three straight plays resulted in negative yards, leaving the Spartans with a 4th-and-35. The teams traded punts as the first quarter came to an end with no score.
Midway through the second quarter, Brickerd found senior receiver Chris Moore down the middle, and hit him in stride for a 40-yard strike and the first Spartan touchdown of the season.
Quick work by the Broad Run defense gave Brickerd and company a short field from which he eventually carried in a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Spartans a 14-0 lead at the half.
The second half did not start as planned for Broad Run as Brickerd was picked off early in the third quarter. The Panthers were in business, and after a big third down conversion by junior running back Kash Jackson, Williams found the end zone cutting the Spartan lead in half.
A defensive end to the third, meant Brickerd’s second and third touchdown runs of the night – both in the fourth quarter – gave Broad Run a three score lead with little time for Potomac Falls to close the gap.
Potomac Falls hosts Dominion in the LoCoSports Game of the Week at 7 p.m. in Sterling.
Scoring Plays:
2Q BR Kyle Brickerd to Chris Moore 40-yard TD pass (Sherman PAT)
2Q BR Kyle Brickerd 6-yard TD run (Sherman PAT)
3Q PF Brady Williams 1-yard TD run (Nemer PAT)
4Q BR Kyle Brickerd 6-yard TD run (Sherman PAT)
4Q BR Kyle Brickerd 4-yard TD run (Sherman PAT)
