By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area
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Edison (3-1) at Oakton (3-1)
Last Week: Edison beat Wakefield, 48-13; Oakton beat Annandale, 27-14
Current Playoff Seeding: Edison 5th Div. 5; Oakton T-2nd Div. 6
*6th if South Lakes beats Dominion (AA) in Week 8
With senior starting quarterback Levi Barber sideline last week, Edison beat Wakefield, 48-13, on the road.
Junior Kurtis Thorpe stepped in for 184 passing yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
Eagle senior running back Angus Harper stepped up for his biggest night of the year: 22 carries, 232 yards, two rushing touchdowns and five-yard touchdown reception from Thorpe.
Harper’s rushing yards have increased in every game this season. He has combined for 39 carries, 414 yards and five scores in the last two weeks alone, though against teams with a combined 0-8 record.
Oakton, meanwhile, erupted for 21 first-quarter points at previously unbeaten Annandale. In that frame alone, Cougar junior quarterback Jimmy Boone completed 6-of-7 passes for 92 yards and three scores, each to a different recipient.
After that quarter, tough, they managed two field goals by senior Ray Goins and allowed two long touchdown receptions by the Atoms’ standout receiver.
For Edison to get the mammoth road win, it has to take a page out of Annandale’s playbook and utilize its uber athlete, senior Chris Washington. Washington has 15 receptions this season for 332 yards — 22.1 yards per catch — and three touchdowns, including two last week.
Also, it has to handle the Oakton pass rush better than it did at West Springfield in Week 1.
Another great special teams night would well-serve the Cougars, for their part. Senior Luke Willis had four returns of 20 yards or more last week, two of which set up possession in Atom territory. Though he had 54 yards combined rushing and receiving, it was those returns that kept Annandale at bay in the final quarter.
Also, should it get a lead, Oakton needs to finish stronger than it did last week. From the second quarter on, the Atoms outscored the visitors 14-6 and outgained the Cougars 175-143.
Edison has a knack for late-game heroics against Concorde opposition. In its 21-20, Week-2 win over Centreville, Washington caught a 4th-and-19 pass from Barber that set up the game-winning field goal with :05 seconds showing.
Last season, in Week 10 at Chantilly, Washington caught a 4th-and-5 pass from Barber for the game-winning, 11-yard touchdown with 17 seconds remaining.
In 2007, Eagle quarterback Ben Barber had a similar last-minute drive stymied five yards shy of the go-ahead touchdown against the Chargers.
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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