| No. 8 Oakton 40, No. 10 Robinson 14
By Eric Avissar
Robinson High Senior
Sports Editor, Valor Dictus
In a game that was moved from Friday night to Saturday afternoon due to ominous weather, Oakton was determined to make it rain in a variety of ways on Robinson�??s Homecoming game, rocking the Rams, 40-14.
The game stats, at first glance, are deceiving. Oakton accumulated 255 yards of offense, while Robinson was not far off the pace, finishing with 234 total yards. The Rams even won the time of possession battle.
However, Oakton set the tempo from the very beginning, as junior defensive back Joey Kopfman intercepted a Tim Meier pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive. The interception return was quickly followed by an Oakton field goal to give the Cougars an early, 10-0 lead.
Robinson made its first and only answer to an Oakton score early in the second quarter, with a slash-and-burn touchdown run by junior running back Wynton Fox from just inside Cougar territory to pull the Rams within three.
That was as close as Robinson would get, though, as Oakton answered back almost immediately on of a quarterback scamper in which senior Chris Coyer went untouched to the end zone from 21 yards out. Coyer�??s touchdown sparked what proved to be 30 unanswered points by the Cougars.
Oakton scored in an array of ways, converting both of its field goal attempts while Coyer threw for two touchdowns. The Cougars’ leading rusher was Trey Watts, who totaled 55 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. His lone touchdown proved to be crucial as Watts�?? 16-yard score — set up by his own 44-yard punt return — effectively put the game out of reach at 33-7.
The key to Oakton�??s victory was field position. The Cougars continually forced Ram turnovers and utilized their team speed in the return game to gain an advantage. Oakton’s average starting field position in the first half was its own 49-yard line; Robinson�??s best was its own 36.
“I think the key to the win was field position,” Oakton junior linebacker Jack Tyler said. “We definitely got them on that. … We had great defensive stands, and our offense drove the ball down the field. We came into this game like it was a playoff game and we treated it like that. We played hard the whole game and it showed on the score board.”
Both Oakton�??s running backs and receivers found plenty of daylight, scoring points in key situations. Meanwhile, the Rams offense self-destructed. Robinson (4-4 overall, 1-3 Concorde District) was called for eight penalties for 65 yards, most of which came in situations that swept away momentum.
The loss comes as a blow to Robinson’s playoff hopes as they fall to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the Concorde District. Oakton, which was won five of its past six games, improves to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the league. The Cougars are hoping the momentum from Saturday’s win carries over into a home showdown with top-ranked Westfield on Friday.
“They are a great pass offense and they have a great quarterback, so we need to shut their receivers down and shut their quarterback down,” Tyler said of the Bulldogs. “We need to stop them. I know our offense will play well, but our defense will need to stop them. They have a great offense.”
No. 1 Westfield 34, Herndon 0
By Jessica Lloyd
Westfield High Senior
As the Herndon and Westfield captains took the field Friday night, the Bulldogs, taking pride in their 42 seniors on their final regular-season home game, had all of its players line up right behind their captains.
It proved to be a good omen: Every point scored by the Bulldogs came from a senior player.
No. 1 Westfield (8-0 overall, 4-0 Concorde District (3-5, ) defended their undefeated title, beating visiting Herndon (3-4, 1-3), 34-0 in only three quarters of play.
Both teams were sluggish at the start, but Westfield scored the first points of the game on an easy touchdown run by Johnny Pickett. Dave Kruchko then scored his first of two touchdowns on the night on a pass reception from quarterback Mike Glennon. Westfield failed on the 2-point conversion attempt, but still held a 13-0 lead.
Then the Bulldogs’ defense got in on the fun with an interception returned for a touchdown by Kyle Goffredo, and Kruchko scored again for a 27-point lead at half time.
Only a few plays after the opening kickoff in the second half, Steven Tabot made the longest play of the night on a 64-yard touchdown run.
But then Mother Nature took center stage. Rain came pouring down with just :17 seconds remaining in the third quarter, forcing the officials to call a 30-minute rain delay and sending parents, fans and both teams running for cover. After the storm passed, the officials deemed the field unplayable, ending the game at 34-0.
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