The undefeated Madison Warhawks (11-0) displayed why they are the top seed and the four-time defending champion in the region football playoffs with a one-sided home victory in first-round action Friday night (Nov. 15).
Madison defeated the bottom seed Chantilly Chargers, 44-0, in the eight-team 6D North Region tournament in Vienna. The shutout was Madison’s fourth of the high-school season and second in a row.
Next up, Madison will host the fourth-seed Westfield Bulldogs (9-2) in the semifinals on Friday (Nov. 22) at 7 p.m. Host Westfield defeated the fifth seed Herndon Hornets (8-3) by a 21-14 score in another first-round contest Nov. 15.
Madison had defeated Westfield, 26-21, in a regular-season Concorde District game.
Against Chantilly (5-6), after an interception by Henry Maiden, Madison took a 7-0 lead with 2:16 left in the first quarter when Matthew Weiler ran three yards for a touchdown to cap a 99-yard drive and Julian Hopewell added the extra point. Dominic Knicely had a long 26-yard run during the drive.
Knicely scored on a 29-yard run and Hopewell converted for a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. The margin grew to 28-0 when Cael Yates passed 70 yards to Knicely on a tipped pass in the secondary, Charles Backman returned a fumble 10 yards for a TD, and Hopewell converted two more times.
In the second half, Jack Ricciardiello ran 43 yards for a touchdown, Yates passed 35 yards to Knicely for another TD and the Warhawks picked up a safety when the ball was snapped out of the end zone. Jackson Pham kicked one extra point.
Knicely (97 yards), Weiler (67) and Ricciardiello (53) were Madison’s leading rushers. Knicely caught three passes for 111 yards and Quincy Dewispelaere two for 15 as quarterback Cael Yates went 6 of 11 for 162 yards.
Madison had 400 total yards, Chantilly just 144.
The Warhawks have allowed just 13 points in their last four games.
Along with Backman, other defensive tackling leaders for Madison were Caden Green, Matthew Vojta, Luke Salvosa, Oscar Espanol, Graham Gorkowski, T.J. George, Jackson Ambruzs, Joseph Gore and Heath Tunstall.
NOTE: The region playoff victory was Madison’s 12th in a row, all home games. The Warhawks have played 14 straight home region-playoff contests dating back to the 2019 season, with a 13-1 record.
