Briar Woods has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Stone Bridge Bulldogs at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Briar Woods had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They claimed a resounding 48-18 win over Riverbend at home. The high flying offensive effort was a huge turnaround for Briar Woods' six-point performance the matchup before.
Brady Carmical was his usual excellent self, rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.8 yards per carry, and also throwing for 194 yards and three touchdowns on only 17 passes. Carmical was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 65 yards. Trey Dudley also helped out as he racked up 119 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Stone Bridge came tearing into Friday's match with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 41.4 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past Massaponax 35-14. Given Stone Bridge's advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia football rankings (they are ranked 17th, while Massaponax is ranked 62nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Stone Bridge's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Na?eem Abdul-rahim gladding led the charge by picking up 183 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Troy Marquez and his 107 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Stone Bridge's win.
Independence's victory bumped their season record to 0-0 while Briar Woods' defeat dropped theirs to 7-3.
Briar Woods lost to Stone Bridge on the road by a decisive 29-12 margin in their previous meeting back in October. Can Briar Woods avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
