Will the third time be the charm for the Madison Warhawks in the football team’s quest to win its first state championship?
Next Saturday (Dec. 14) in Harrisonburg, Madison will play in a state-title game for the third time in four years, having been defeated in its 2021 and 2022 appearances.
The undefeated 2024 Warhawks (14-0) qualified for this year’s Virginia High School League Class 6 state final by defeating the visiting Lake Braddock Bruins (11-3) by a 42-19 score Saturday (Dec. 7) in Vienna in the semifinals of the four-team tournament.
The loss ended Lake Braddock’s 10-game winning streak.
In the 5 p.m. state final, played on the campus of James Madison University, Madison will face the high-scoring Oscar Smith Tigers of Chesapeake, also undefeated with a 14-0 record. Oscar Smith defeated Madison in the 2021 state final.
“We’re James Madison High School playing at James Madison University. If there was ever a time for us to win the state, this would be it,” Madison coach Justin Counts said. “It will be tough and we will have to play our best game.”
In the state semifinal against Lake Braddock, led by a strong rushing attack (293 yards and six rushing touchdowns) and no turnovers, Madison built an early 21-0 halftime lead en route to the victory. The Bruins drew as close at 28-13, then the Warhawks had second-half leads of 28-7 and 35-13.
Senior runningback/wide receiver Dominic Knicely led the Madison offense. He rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns (one of 84 yards in the fourth quarter), caught four passes for 76 and returned punts for 42 yards, giving him 301 combined yards.
Fullbacks Jack Ricciardiello ran for 57 yards and two TDs and Matthew Weiler gained 49. Madison quarterback Cael Yates had eight yards rushing and was 4 of 6 passing, all to Knicely for 76 yards.
“Our strength is up front. We knew it would be a tough game, so wanted to make it a physical game like always and run the football well,” Madison senior offensive lineman Ari Rosenberg told FFXnow.
Maukon Khazami, Owen Mannering, Jake Vaught, Teddy Lewis and tight ends Harry Lewis and Jay Pendry are Madison’s other offensive linemen.
Knicely’s 84-yard scoring run broke the game open, giving Madison a 35-13 lead after Julian Hopewell’s fifth of six extra points.
“That was all the O-line’s blocking,” Knicely said. “They created a big hole and I just ran.”
Said Yates: “Physical football is what we wanted to play, and we kept that up the whole game, just like there on Dom’s long touchdown run.”
Lake Braddock was hurt by a turnover (Caden Green fumble recovery) and blocked punt by Jack Ambruzs that set up Madison touchdowns. The Bruins also came away with no points on two scoring opportunities inside the Madison five-yard line.
The first situation ended when Graham Gorkowski intercepted a pass in the end zone that was tipped by Charlie Backman. The other was the stop of a running play on fourth and inches at the Madison one-yard line.
“They have a good explosive offense. We knew we would have to play a full game against them, and our defense made some big plays, as they always do,” Counts said. “Holding that offense to 19 points isn’t bad.”
Lake Braddock relied mainly on the passing game, as top runningback Jason Bordeaux was limited because of a leg injury. With six quarterback sacks, Lake Braddock had minus 47 yards rushing. Bordeaux had just five carries for seven yards.
“We tried to run with him some, but he wasn’t himself,” Lake Braddock coach Mike Dougherty said.
Lake Braddock junior quarterback Tyrone Jackson was 30 of 48 for 365 yards and threw three scoring passes. All three went to Kai Austin for 53, 28 yards and three yards. Austin caught 12 passes for 194 yards. Robert Hollien had six catches for 94, Xavier Main five for 37 and Zach Hibner four for 21.
Austin also had a 40-yard kick return and Payton Holmes had more than 100 yards in kickoff returns.
“You can’t get down in a 21-0 hole against a team like that,” Dougherty told FFXnow. “We came back some, but that’s a lot to overcome. I don’t like losing, but I love playing over here in Vienna in this kind of atmosphere.”
On defense for Madison, Ambruzs, Backman, Green, Luke Salvoso, Oscar Espanol, Quincy DeWispelaere and Henry Maiden were among those credited with sacks. Green deflected a pass and Backman and T.J. George had pass breakups.
NOTES: The 14 wins are the most ever in a single season for Madison … The Warhawks have won 14 straight home playoff games games in region and state competition.
