It will be the defending champion Lake Braddock Bruins hosting the Fairfax Lions tomorrow (Saturday) in the championship game of the 6C North Region high school football tournament.
The contest will begin at 1 p.m. at No. 2 seed Lake Braddock (10-2) in Burke. Fairfax High School (8-3), which won the 2022 regional champion title, is the third seed.
After topping the No. 6 West Potomac Wolverines, 29-19, in the first round of the playoffs, Fairfax was supposed to play the top seed and host the Hayfield Hawks (10-1) in the semifinals last Tuesday (Nov. 26), but Hayfield dropped out of the tournament because of ongoing scrutiny of its player recruiting practices.
The squads now vying for the regional championship met during the regular season in Patriot District action, with host Lake Braddock winning 35-21. The Bruins won the district title with a 7-0 record, with Fairfax finishing second at 5-2.
Lake Braddock has won nine straight games and is 2-0 in the region tournament so far with, lopsided wins. The Bruins blew out the No. 7 seed Mount Vernon Majors, 56-6, in the first round, then Tuesday (Nov. 26) routed the fourth-seeded West Springfield Spartans, 54-19, in the semifinals. Both playoff games were at Lake Braddock.
In the win over West Springfield, the scoring barrage began on the Bruins’ second offensive play when Jason Bordeaux ran 35 yards for a touchdown, then Maks Barrigan added the extra point for a 7-0 lead just 1:59 into the contest. Lake Braddock led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, 24-7 at halftime and 47-7 after three periods.
The Bruins dominated and gained 592 total yards with their fast-paced, quick-snapping offense. Bordeaux ran for three touchdowns and 92 yards, with Tyrone Jackson and Matias Oliva each running for a TD. Payton Holmes and Browne Callanan were other top rushers for Lake Braddock.
In the passing game, Jackson was 6 of 7 for 211 yards and two touchdowns and Michael Suris 8 of 15 for 143 yards. Kai Austin caught four passes for 137 yards and a score and Robert Hollien four for 107 and a TD. Xavier Main caught three for 62.
Barrington booted two field goals, with his longest of 45 yards, and six extra points.
On defense for Lake Braddock, Camden Gallant, Elisha Oladipo and Xander Cuadros had interceptions, with Callanan and Trent Pane having sacks.
For West Springfield, Mark-Anthony Whyte caught an 80-yard touchdown pass, Brady Davies ran for two scores and Christian Sadek kicked an extra point. Whyte was the team’s leading rusher in the loss.
West Springfield finished the season with a 7-5 record, having defeated the No. 5-seeded South County Stallions, 41-12, in a first-round region game.
