While the Madison Warhawks want a similar result, the Lake Braddock Bruins are hoping for a different outcome from when the football teams met in September.
Visiting Madison dominated early by building a 22-0 first-half lead and won, 36-15, in that regular-season contest, just the second for both high-school squads this fall.
The two will meet again Saturday (Dec. 7) at 2 p.m. in Vienna at Madison in a semifinal game of the Virginia High School League Class 6 state tournament. Madison is undefeated at 13-0. Lake Braddock stands 11-2 with a 10-game winning streak.
Both are region champions. Madison won the 6D North Region crown for the fifth year in a row, while Lake Braddock captured the 6C title for the second straight season. Lake Braddock averaged 50 points per game in those three region contests and Madison 42.3.
In that September showdown, Lake Braddock gained 205 total yards, of which just 42 were rushing. The 15 single-game points were a season low for the Bruins.
Lake Braddock’s fast-paced offense has become more efficient and productive since that loss, with quarterbacks Michael Suris and Tyrone Jackson sharing duties under center.
Cael Yates has remained the top quarterback for Madison, efficient both as a runner and passer. In Madison’s September win over Braddock, Yates passed for 166 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for two scores.
The Warhawks’ big weapon was senior Dominic Knicely. He ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 80 yards. Combined, the speedy, elusive and versatile Knicely accounted for 250 yards in the win. He rushed for 78 and caught five passes for 92.
The difference in the game could be on defense, where Madison has four shutouts and allows an average 9.6 points per game. Lake Braddock has no shutouts and yields an average 20 points per contest.
The teams played three common opponents in the Westfield Bulldogs, Robinson Rams and South County Stallions. The scores of the Westfield games were close. Madison defeated the Bulldogs twice, 36-21 and 35-28. Westfield defeated Lake Braddock, 24-17, in the third game of the season.
Against South County, Lake Braddock won 22-14 and Madison in a road blowout triumphed 42-0.
Against Robinson, Madison won 37-7 on the road and Lake Braddock 35-28.
The winner of the Dec. 7 semifinal advances to the Dec. 14 Class 6 championship game at 5 p.m. at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.
The other Class 6 state semifinal pits the undefeated host Oscar Smith Tigers (13-0) of Chesapeake against the Colonial Forge Eagles (10-3) of Stafford. That game also is Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.
