Blog LIVE Game Blog: Freedom-PW 36, Stone Bridge 13 - FINAL

[matthew328826]

Greetings from Freedom High in Woodbridge beautiful 72-degree night as the high-octane Eagles (2-0) play host to the reigning two-time State Champion Stone Bridge Bulldogs (2-0), who come in riding a 26-game winning streak.

Last year, these two played a classic with Stone Bridge winning 38-35 at home. This figures to be another good one and in my opinion maybe the best regular season matchup on the docket, save for the finale before the playoffs in Richmond between Highland Springs and Varina.

Our Picks for tonight between my ESPN Radio 94.1 partner Coach Ed Young and myself...

Matt Hatfield Says – Freedom 35-34
Coach Ed Young Says – Stone Bridge 24-20

So as you see, we disagree.

Regardless of who wins, let's hope my 3-hour trip from Virginia Beach is worthwhile and we get a good game.

Follow Updates tonight via Twitter @hatfieldsports and here on the Blog. Stay tuned!

 

[matthew328826]

Stone Bridge burns its first time-out at the 9:40 mark of the opening period, but they are on the move at the Freedom 41 after a pair of first downs on the run from receivers turned slot-backs Zeke Wimbush (Charlotte commit) and Colton Hinton. On the first play from scrimmage, Hinton gained 13. On 3rd & 1 just inside midfield, Wimbush knifed his way ahead to move the sticks.

The Bulldogs then draw a pass interference on Freedom with a one-on-one matchup on the outside with Wimbush against a smaller Freedom corner.

 

[matthew328826]

Stone Bridge's drive stalls, thanks to a tackle for loss by Aaron Duncan and then on 3rd & 8 it's a bad snap, resulting in Coastal Carolina commit T.J. Bush dropping Colton Hinton for a loss of 13.

The Bulldogs end up punting it away om 4th & 21 from the Freedom 37.. A touchback results in Freedom starting at their own 20 their first series with 7:19 to go in the opening period.

 

[matthew328826]

Freedom is in the midst of a nice opening drive themselves, more of the methodical kind though than the quick-strike ones they had at will against Brooke Point and Riverbend. Through the running game, QB Tristan Evans moves the sticks on gains of 14 and 11, the ladder coming on 3rd & 9 near midfield. Jeff Overton also had an 8-yard run.

However, on 4th & 7, the Eagles leave the offense on the field until they decide to use a time-out to discuss with 3:33 to go in the opening period from the Stone Bridge 37. Earlier on the series, Evans almost hooked up with Aaron Duncan, attempting a one-handed catch along the Stone Bridge sideline. On the 3rd & 7 play before this one, it was incomplete.

Jakob Lawyer and Micah Smith made a solid stuff against the run a couple plays earlier. Looks like Freedom will leave the offense out there for this 4th & 7.

 

[matthew328826]

So far, the Freedom pass game is just 1 of 4 with 2 yard passing. The Bulldogs don't help themselves with a 5-yard penalty to push them back to their own 32. Zeke Wimbush runs up the middle for 4 to make it 2nd & 11. After back-to-back penalties on each side, Coach Mickey Thompson tries an outside the box play and Zeke Wimbush just misses Colton Hinton on a big pass play by a hair.

On 3rd & 11, the give up the middle to Tyson Miller nets 12 near midfield to the 48.

 

[matthew328826]

On 3rd & 7 from the 49 of Freedom, Stone Bridge RB Tyson Miller is stopped by Braxton Hunt for a gain of 1.

We've reached the end of 1 quarter and it's a scoreless battle between heavyweights here at the Class 6 and class 5 levels.

 

[matthew328826]

Mickey Thompson leaves the offense on the field and it looks like Tyson Miller's run will be right near the first down marker. Devin Reeves made the tackle.

In fact, after the measurement, Miller is short by a hair.

So Freedom's second series starts at the 11:55 mark of the secod period from their own 43.

 

[matthew328826]

A penalty pushed Freedom back 5 yards and Coach Darryl Overton elected to go for 2. But big props to Freedom going for the big strike after the stop to see if they can catch Stone Bridge off guard and they did enough to get the game's first score.

 

[matthew328826]

Stone Bridge gets a nice kickoff return following the score from Kyle Galloway to the Freedom 49; After a 5-yard Zeke Wimbush catch and run from Colton Hinton, the Bulldogs are near the red zone to the 26 following a face-mask penalty on the Eagles.

The Bulldogs are thinking 6 as QB Brandon Pena lofts a pass in the end zone for Colton Hinton. Jumping out of nowhere for a great INT is Kendall Bannister That's a huge swing of momentum for the host Eagles and their fans love it...

 

[matthew328826]

Freedom's offense is effectively getting the Stone Bridge defense to bite down on the inside handoff and get outside with QB Tristan Evans - who races 27 yards - and RB Jeff Overton, picking up 9. They're already near midfield.

A screen with Evans to Overton gains 9 and gets them into Stone Bridge territory. They go for a long shot down the near sideline with Evans to Aaron Duncan and it's incomplete on 3rd & 6. But expect the offense to stay on the field for 4th & 6 from the Bulldogs 42 with 6:22 till half-time.

 

[matthew328826]

Chris King bats the pass down on 4th & 6, so Stone Bridge gets a much-needed stop to take over at their own 42 with 6:17 till half-time, trailing Freedom 6-0.

 

[matthew328826]

The Freedom defense is able to hold as Stone Bridge hurt itself with a couple of penalties - a delay of game and illegal shift - to bring up 3rd & 20, where Tyson Miller's run only picked up as Jeff Overton and Devin Reeves combine for the stop.

Stone Bridge punts it out of bounds. Freedom takes over at their own 19 with 3:08 till intermission.

 

[matthew328826]

JuJu Preston on a quick screen is tackled right away for no gain. However, on 2nd & 10, Jeff Overton shows excellent wiggle to avoid a few tackles and get 8. On 3rd & 2 from their own 27 with three receivers to the far side, Evans keeps it on a QB run and gains 5 to move the sticks.

We've reached the 2 minute mark of the half and Freedom would love to get one more score before the break.

 

[matthew328826]

With Freedom facing 2nd & 7 from their own 35, the Stone Bridge defense burns a time-out to slow their up-tempo pace.

Out of the time-out, Freedom gets a screen to the near side with QB Tristan Evans finding Elijah Reid and he scoots forward for a gain of 17 before Jakob Lawyer tackles him. Freedom burns a time-out with 1:11 before the half.

 

[matthew328826]

What a big boost going to the half for Freedom, just when Stone Bridge's defense was close to stopping them befpore the half.

These Freedom receivers have made some terrific plays after the catch tonight, Reid and Duncan. That 2-point conversion is also important to give them more of a cushion.

From their own 39, Stone Bridge runs one play on a sweep with Colton Hinton that gains only 3.

 

[matthew328826]

Numbers at the break forthcoming...

 

[matthew328826]

Stats at the Half:

Freedom 14:
Tristan Evans - 8-12 for 145Yds; 6Car. 60Yds.
Elijah Reid - 2Rec. 74Yds. TD; TFL
Aaron Duncan - 2Rec. 57Yds. TD
Jeff Overton - 10Car. 43Yds; 2Rec. 14Yds.
Kam Courtney - 1Rec. 2Yds; 2 Solo Tackles
Devin Reeves - 5 Tackles (3 Solo)

Eagles - 28 plays for 248 total yards (8-12 for 145 yards passing, 2 TD's; 16 rushes for 103 yards); 0 turnovers; 6 penalties for 60 yards


Stone Bridge 0:
Tyson Miller - 6Car. 32Yds
Colton Hinton - 7Car. 11Yds.
Zeke Wimbush - 2Car. 9Yds; 1Rec. 5Yds.
Jordan Kaiser - 1Rec. 7Yds.
Jakob Lawyer - 5 Tackles (3 Solo)
Kyle Galloway - 4 Tackles (3 Solo)

Bulldogs - 20 plays for 59 total yards (1-3 for 5 yards passing, 1 INT; 17 rushes for 54 yards); 1 turnover; 4 penalties for 20 yards

 

[matthew328826]

Freedom gets the ball to begin the 2nd half on a touchback. If the Eagles score to begin the 2nd half, then they have to love their chances of getting to 3-0.

 

[matthew328826]

Excellent drive working for Freedom as Jeff Overton rushes for 16 yards on the first play from scrimmage. QB Tristan Evans finds Aaron Duncan for a 29-yard completion, where he bounced away from a couple of tacklers.

On 4th & 3 from the Stone Bridge 32, it's senior linebacker Kyle Carpe making a huge tackle on Evans to get a turnover on downs. The Bulldogs save their chances in this one there.

 

[matthew328826]

Junior halfback Troy Marquez is inserted and his first carry of the night is a good one for Stone Bridge, gaining 24 yards. After losing a yard, he busts off an 11-yard run. They're at the Freedom 34.

On 2nd & 8, it's Brandon Pena trying to connect with Charlotte pledge Zeke Wimbush in the end zone and he can't haul it in end to get the Bulldogs on the board.

Stone Bridge will burn its first time-out of the half at the 6:54 mark of the third quarter.

 

[matthew328826]

Tyson Miller gains 2 and it's 4th & 6 from the Freedom 30 for Stone Bridge, needing to go to the air in my opinion here.

Colton Hinton makes a terrific snag down to the Freedom 9 from QB Brandon Pena. On the next play, it's Hinton dashing up the middle for the first TD for the Bulldogs.

So Freedom won't be the first team since Park View-Sterling in 2001 to shut out Stone Bridge. However, they can still win this game by answering a score with a score.

 

[matthew328826]

Who am I to question Mickey Thompson, but I'm not sure I would've gone for 2 there. You have a great kicker who booted through the game-winner in Dylan Dastejerdi (spelling?) in the opener vs. Madison. A bit early to chase the point in that spot to me.

Ordinarily, Thompson might try an onside kick here... however, giving Freedom a short field is a very risky move.

 

[matthew328826]

The injured Bulldogs player appears to be Kaden Irizarry. Just like that, Freedom reclaims control in a hurry. They've gotten big plays and answers all night long in each phase - offensively with a pair of passing touchdowns (one coming on a drive where they converted a fourth down), defensively (the Bannister INT in the end zone) and now here on specials with the return game.

 

[matthew328826]

Not a pretty sight here as a stretcher has been brought out for the injured Stone Bridge player, Kaden Irizarry/

Let's keep him in thoughts and prayers. 🙏

Play has been paused with 5:45 to go in the 3rd period.

 

[matthew328826]

Fans on both sides applauding as Jaden Irizarry appears to be moving his extremities while being carted off the field. Classy of Freedom Coach Darryl Overton to urge the fans to continue the applause as we get set to resume play with the point after attempt.

 

[matthew328826]

On the 2-point try, Jeff Overton looked to be in to me on the run, but officials say his knee was stopped short of the goal-line. So the score remains 20-6 in favor of Freedom with 5:45 to go in the third quarter.

 

[matthew328826]

Stone Bridge begins its second series of the half at their own 40 with 5:39 to go in the third quarter. A loss of 3 as Isaiah Harper drops Troy Marquez backwards on the run. On 2nd & 13, it's Zeke Wimbush hauling in a pass for 7. The 3rd & 7 screen pass is sniffed out by Aaron Duncan.

Stone Bridge leaves the offense on the field and Marquez is stopped by Harper for a loss of 1.

Freedom takes over for their second offensive possession of the half with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter at the Stone Bridge 46-yard line, leading 20-6. A score here would give them plenty of breathing room.

 

[matthew328826]

Even though his team trails by two touchdowns, Stone Bridge defensive lineman Micah Smith is a heck of a football player. He's got about 8 tackles tonight and you see why he's getting recruited by such schools as William & Mary. His stop of QB Tristan Evans on 3rd & 13, two plays after halting Jeff Overton to a gain of 2, bring up 4th & long and Freedom appears to be punting.

With the passing game limited this evening, the Bulldogs need to get a trick play and lean on their running game here as they trail it 20-6 with 3:05 left in the third period. They start this third series of the half at their own 23. Maximizing Wimbush and Hinton in space is crucial.

 

[matthew328826]

Not the way Stone Bridge wanted to begin this series with a bad snap from center going over QB Brandon Pena's head. Pena gets to it after a loss of 14. ANOTHER bad snap results in Pena getting to it in the end zone and being brought down by Coastal Carolina commit T.J. Bush for a safety.

That extends the Freedom lead to 22-6 with 2:14 to go in the third period.

 

[matthew328826]

A long kickoff return for a TD bv Kam Courtney - who had one earlier this half - is called back on a holding penalty following the safety..

Elijah Reid catches a deflected pass by QB Tristan Evans, good for 12 yards to move the sticks. Stone Bridge thought they were able to get a key takeaway.

Another tough injury as Bucknell commit Deuce Geter - one of Stone Bridge's best DB's - is now helped off the field.

 

[matthew328826]

Overton is only a sophomore and he's got a bright future ahead of him. His dad once quarterbacked C.D. Hylton to a state title. Son might get a chance come December to help Freedom capture one at the Class 6 level.

 

[matthew328826]

The Freedom defense deserves some credit tonight for how well they've tackled and handled the Stone Bridge run game. Devin Reeves has 8 tackles tonight. The secondary, which features many of the skill guys on offense, has kept Hinton and Wimbush from burning them this evening and done their job, too.

 

[matthew328826]

Again, the Freedom defense has stepped up to the occasion tonight.

 

[matthew328826]

Thoroughly impressed with Freedom tonight as they've been as good as advertised.

The only thing to really nit-pic about would be the 8 penalties for 70 yards.

Stone Bridge has certainly missed a healthy Mario Suarez, their senior QB, still dealing with a back strain. Also, key lineman Nate Moorehead is out with an ankle injury. But Mickey Thompson and company will make no excuses for this performance, filled with miscues. It was untypical of a Stone Bridge team in many ways.

 

[matthew328826]

That's an encouraging score to see for Stone Bridge as they get the passing game clicking, albeit too late.

Had the 36-6 score held, it would've marked the most lopsided defeat for the Bulldogs since Phoebus walloped them 38-8 in the 2008 State Semis at Darling Stadium.

As it stands now, these are the biggest losses they've had by margin since...

2015 - Highland Springs 27, Stone Bridge 7
2015 - Tuscarora 42, Stone Bridge 19
2013 - Westfield 30, Stone Bridge 6
2011 - South County 25, Stone Bridge 3

 

[matthew328826]

More to come later...

 

[matthew328826]

Final Stats:

Freedom-PW 36: (Eagles 3-0 Overall)
Tristan Evans - 13-18 for 209Yds. 2-0 TD/Int. ratio
Jeff Overton - 19Car. 177Yds. 2 TD's; 2Rec. 11Yds; 5 Tackles (4 Solo)
Elijah Reid - 3Rec. 86Yds. TD; 3 Solo Tackles, PBU
Aaron Duncan - 3Rec. 86Yds. TD; 2 TFL, PBU
Kam Courtney - 2Rec. 20Yds; 1Car. 4Yds; 97-yard KR TD; 4 Solo Tackles
JuJu Preston - 2Rec. 3Yds.
T.J. Bush - 5 Tackles, 3 TFL, 2 Solo TFL
Devin Reeves - 8 Tackles (6 Solo)
Braxton Hunt - 7 Tackles (6 Solo)

Eagles - 52 plays for 446 total yards (13-18 for 209 pass yards, 2 TD's; 32 rushes for 237 yards); 0 turnovers; 11 penalties for 85 yards


Stone Bridge 13: (Bulldogs 2-1 Overall)
Brandon Pena - 6-11 for 120Yds. 1-1 TD/Int. ratio
Colton Hinton - 2Rec. 64Yds. TD; 12Car. 37Yds. TD
Zeke Wimbush - 2Rec. 12Yds; 2Car. 9Yds.
Tyson Miller - 8Car. 32Yds.
Troy Marquez - 6Car. 28Yds.
Micah Smith - 9 Tackles (6 Solo), TFL
Jakob Lawyer - 8 Tackles (4 Solo)
Myles Turpin - 6 Tackles (5 Solo)

Bulldogs - 46 plays for 185 total yards (6-12 for 120 pass yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 34 rushes for for 65 yards); 1 turnover; 5 penalties for 35 yards