Keys To A Western Branch Victory Over Freedom

[Kenneth Harris]

It is possible that we have not seen anything like this monster 2022 Freedom Eagles team since the mighty Hampton Crabbers of 1996. With that being said the game still must be played and I am riding with the Western Branch Bruins that sorta look like the Michigan Wolverines until the wheels fall off.

1. Treat your road-trip with a high degree of seriousness and get as much rest as possible to avoid losing your legs in the 2nd half.
2. Hit them.
3. Hit them fast. Get to the ball within one half second to one second after the snap on each snap without fail for 4 quarters and overtime.
4. Hit them twice as hard as you hit every team that you have played up until now.
5 . If you get even a 1 point lead protect that lead as if that lead is all the Crown Jewels from every monarchy on Earth.
6. All of the Eastern Region is behind you even if we cannot make it to Woodbridge. Believe it. Believe you can win. Create the win in your mind and feel it as if it is a physical thing and hold onto that feeling.
7. Do not be the James Madison Warhawks from 1996. No team wins by that margin without actually being that good so respect it. Repeat steps 1-7 until you see the zeros and you win!

Final score Western Branch 60 - Freedom 59

 

[Phoebus Fan]

Yeah let’s stop the 1996 Crabbers talk. They aren’t on that level. That team was number 1 in country. No way Western Branch wins this game in a shoot out. WB best bet is to slow the game down and win off their physical run game like 21-17 or something

 

[SPL311U]

Yeah let’s stop the 1996 Crabbers talk. They aren’t on that level. That team was number 1 in country. No way Western Branch wins this game in a shoot out. WB best bet is to slow the game down and win off their physical run game like 21-17 or something

The '96 Crabbers blew apart James Madison 76-14 in the state semis before wiping out Patrick Henry 51-0 in the championship game... both videos are still on YouTube would you believe...

Phoebus Fan... completely agree with you. Control the ball on offense, long time consuming drives, keep Freedom offense off the field, if they don't have it they can't score (well unless Western Branch makes mistakes).

 

[Kenneth Harris]

The '96 Crabbers blew apart James Madison 76-14 in the state semis before wiping out Patrick Henry 51-0 in the championship game... both videos are still on YouTube would you believe...

Phoebus Fan... completely agree with you. Control the ball on offense, long time consuming drives, keep Freedom offense of the field, if they don't have it they can't score (well unless Western Branch makes mistakes).

Football is still about hitting. Freedom has not been hit really hard in the chops yet. They need to be stunned, stood upright and knocked backwards by the Western Branch Bruins that sorta look like the Michigan Wolverines. Freedom is scoring nearly 900 points so they deserve to be mentioned right up there with all the great VA teams including the '96 Crabbers. '96 James Madison is a cautionary tale for a reason.

 

[OnlyVA]

Don't know too much about Western Branch, what does their team look like this year? I remember they had a team like 20 years ago that made it to the state-semis and supposedly had a high-octane offense.

As far as this match-up goes, I'm thinking less about all the points Freedom has put up on offense and more so about how Western Branch is going to find success moving the ball against Freedom's defense. They pretty much shut down Patriot's offense right out of the gate. Their pass rush looked really good. They were getting into the backfield fast and put the pressure on the QB which really made it hard for Patriot to get anything going. Freedom picked off three passes on the day too.

But yeah, there is a lot to defend with Freedom's offense. They are really well-rounded with a lot of ability and the points show for it. I think they pretty much just need to play their game and get into a rhythm early against an unfamiliar opponent and they should be moving on to the state championship.

I'll say Freedom 41 Western Branch 21

 

[OnlyVA]

Also, just a heads up, if anybody from the Chesapeake area is planning to come to Woodbridge Saturday, Freedom High School is located in close proximity to Potomac Town Center. There is a Starbucks and Wegmans there in case you want to grab coffee or snacks before the game. There are also some dinner options there too for after the game (Uncle Julio's, Brixx, Firebirds, CAVA, etc.). All conveniently located near the 95 exit.

 

[757FridayNiteZ]

my only input for this game is that Western Branch's Coach Cook came from Colonial Forge. He knows Freedom football & Western Branch has better athletes than Forge ever did. I expect this to play out more like a Forge vs Smith Semi-Final game. Mistakes will likely be the difference in the outcome.

i'll be watching & looking for a closer game than most are expecting.

 

[SFUWO]

Football is still about hitting. Freedom has not been hit really hard in the chops yet. They need to be stunned, stood upright and knocked backwards by the Western Branch Bruins that sorta look like the Michigan Wolverines. Freedom is scoring nearly 900 points so they deserve to be mentioned right up there with all the great VA teams including the '96 Crabbers. '96 James Madison is a cautionary tale for a reason.

We can't compare teams 26 yrs apart. Football has changed jumps and bounds since then. Some of the teams were probably still had wr in 3 point stances😂

 

[Kenneth Harris]

We can't compare teams 26 yrs apart. Football has changed jumps and bounds since then. Some of the teams were probably still had wr in 3 point stances😂

Lol! No, don't get me wrong. I'm not comparing '22 Freedom and '96 Hampton. I am saying Freedom deserves that type of respect. We should not act like what Freedom is doing at the D6 level is normal. They are an exceptional team and one of the best in the history of Va high school football history. I don't appreciate you joking receivers in the 3 pt stance. Our coaches mades us do that. 😁

 

[SFUWO]

Lol! No, don't get me wrong. I'm not comparing '22 Freedom and '96 Hampton. I am saying Freedom deserves that type of respect. We should not act like what Freedom is doing at the D6 level is normal. They are an exceptional team and one of the best in the history of Va high school football history. I don't appreciate you joking receivers in the 3 pt stance. Our coaches mades us do that. 😁

Don't worry. We had to do it too😂. Just look at the HS and SB game today. As good as HS is they only scored 19. Freedom put up 36

 

[Kenneth Harris]

Don't worry. We had to do it too😂. Just look at the HS and SB game today. As good as HS is they only scored 19. Freedom put up 36

It is past time to state that the 2022 Freedom Eagles are the best team in Virginia hands down. They are special and what they are doing is extremely special. It is generational. That is why I say we have not seen this type of performance since 1996.

 

[540 Athletes]

It is past time to state that the 2022 Freedom Eagles are the best team in Virginia hands down. They are special and what they are doing is extremely special. It is generational. That is why I say we have not seen this type of performance since 1996.

Absolutely!

 

[OnlyVA]

I thought my score prediction may have been too low on scoring for Freedom. That was a ridiculous showing on offense by them yesterday. Defense dominated as well.

Congrats to Western Branch on a great season and taking their region this year.

 

[Kenneth Harris]

I thought my score prediction may have been too low on scoring for Freedom. That was a ridiculous showing on offense by them yesterday. Defense dominated as well.

Congrats to Western Branch on a great season and taking their region this year.

This may not go down well. Use a cold glass of water while you read it. I would not make too much of defeating Oscar Smith or Western Branch. Both Oscar Smith and Western Branch are many levels worse than the Brentsville District Tigers. The Tigers are much more talented than both of them. How 'bout that?

 

[OnlyVA]

This may not go down well.

Similar to your prediction on the game?

 

[Kenneth Harris]

Similar to your prediction on the game?

Exactly.

 

[CavsGrad]

I thought my score prediction may have been too low on scoring for Freedom. That was a ridiculous showing on offense by them yesterday. Defense dominated as well.

Congrats to Western Branch on a great season and taking their region this year.

Agreed. Their offense just about scored at will. There are some standout sophomores around the state, but the coach's son (Overton) is a man-child. I saw some stats in a NOVA article - Freedom had 462 yards of offense on 27 plays in the first half and 711 for the game. I don't think their quarterback had an incompletion. They look like they will bring a lot back next year too. Add the D6 traditional heavyweights and HSHS into the mix, next year will be a lot of fun.

 

[OnlyVA]

Agreed. Their offense just about scored at will. There are some standout sophomores around the state, but the coach's son (Overton) is a man-child. I saw some stats in a NOVA article - Freedom had 462 yards of offense on 27 plays in the first half and 711 for the game. I don't think their quarterback had an incompletion. They look like they will bring a lot back next year too. Add the D6 traditional heavyweights and HSHS into the mix, next year will be a lot of fun.

Yeah, I definitely agree with what you said there about Overton Jr. He plays physical and already looks like a senior out there who has been starting varsity for four years. It's fun to watch players like him that go both ways and make that much of an impact on both sides of the ball too.