WASHINGTON 鈥� Friday鈥檚 matchup between Tuscarora and Broad Run would be a big one by the records alone. The Huskies (9-0, 3-0 VA 5A-14) have answered every call this season, winning tight games and blowouts alike. The Spartans (7-2, 2-1) were rolling along until injuries slowed them up, as they鈥檝e dropped two of their last three. But this game has more intrigue than a simple late-season rivalry with two teams jockeying for playoff positioning.
It starts with Tuscarora coach Michael Burnett. He鈥檒l be in familiar surroundings Friday night, albeit on the opposite sideline. Burnett led Broad Run to a pair of state titles and won his final 28 games with the Spartans聽before joining Tuscarora as the school opened in 2011. He鈥檚 beaten his old school each of the past two years, even knocking them out of the playoffs. Now, he鈥檚 poised to win his 100th game in just 10 years as a Virginia high school coach if he can do it again in Ashburn on Friday.
鈥淎s a coach, it鈥檚 just another game 鈥� we鈥檝e got to execute,鈥� Burnett said Thursday, but conceded the personal ties add something to matchup. 鈥淚 spent four years over there, won a lot of games over there. There are a lot of good memories for me.鈥�
If those good memories are to continue, they鈥檒l likely rest on the arm and legs of senior quarterback Danny Smith, whom Burnett called the 鈥渉eart and soul of our football team.鈥� Smith had passed for over 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns while racking up 500 yards on the ground as a dual-threat signal caller.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the key to our offense,鈥� says Burnett. 鈥淗e kind of makes everything work. I think he鈥檚 the best all-around player in this area.鈥�
Another player who looked to be staking a claim to that title early in the season, and who could throw a wrench in the celebration, is Broad Run running back Meech Hembree. He鈥檚 battled both ankle and shoulder injuries lately, but reeled off consecutive weeks of 163, 253, 174, and a preposterous 336 yards on the ground before getting hurt. He鈥檚 averaging better than 11.5 yards per carry and has found the end zone on 13 of his 88 carries.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a great player, so we鈥檝e got to be prepared for that,鈥� says Burnett. 鈥淛ust how much (he will play), we don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Hembree has just 15 combined carries for 58 yards in Broad Run鈥檚 two losses, so it鈥檚 no stretch to say he could well be the X-factor Friday night, if he’s healthy. Either way, it should be a great night for football in Ashburn.
