By Jimmy Thomas
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
** Check below the story for a video player with complete game highlights! **
Last season Madison beat Oakton in the first game of the year, ending a four-year drought in the Annual Outback Bowl. The win propelled the Warhawks’ into a 9-2 season and a berth in the Northern Region Division 5 semifinals.
Friday night in front of a monster crowd at Madison High School, the Cougars took the Outback Steakhouse trophy back in a 21-14 win. Oakton Coach Joe Thompson hopes this win catapults his team much like it did for his counterparts a year ago.
“You cant imagine how big this was for these guys,” Thompson said. “This group really hasn’t experienced a big-time win, a win they can call their own. We told the kids all week long that this was going to be a seven-point game. Under the conditions, they responded well and I couldn’t be happier.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Madison senior quarterback Will Clarkson was under pressure but bought some time and connected with junior Kevin Sampson on a 65-yard pass that paved the way to a 12-yard touchdown run by junior Sasha Vandalov. The score gave the host Warhawks an early, 7-0 lead.
After turning the ball over on their first three possessions, Oakton used the ensuing drive to march 59 yards on seven plays, scoring ona 6-yard run by senior Trey Watts. The point after attempt was blocked.
Down by one and kicking off to start the second half, sophomore Luke Willis and his hustle may have made the play of the game for the Cougars. Junior kicker Ray Goins sent the kick high down the Madison sideline, and with the return man thinking the ball would travel out of bounds, he backed away. That moved cleared a path to the live ball for Willis, who alertly covered the ball– which took an Oakton bounce — at the 5-yard line.
Three plays later senior Jonathan Meadows reached the ball over the goal line in traffic for the score. After a successful 2-point conversion from senior Chris Coyer, Oakton held a seven-point lead.
“We really needed something and special teams gave it to us,” Thompson added. “We work special teams live as fast as we can go hoping it can help us win a game … and tonight I think it did.”
After stalling on two third-quarter drives, Madison tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter when Clarkson hit junior Mike McCool deep for a 42 yard play that knotted the score at 14.
The next drive the Cougars went almost exclusively to Coyer, and it paid off in large fashion. Coyer handled the ball on five of the next eight plays from scrimmage before capping the drive with a 52-yard run on 4th-and-1 for the score that proved the game-winner.
“Its really tough to win here at Madison,” Thompson explained. “All three phases of the game made big plays when they had to make them. It was ****, but you know what … an **** win is better than a beautiful loss any day.”
Email: jthomas@digitalsports.com
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