Broad Run ends Amherst’s two-year run as state champs

Senior center Sean Clark knelt on the sideline, shaking his head and trying not to cry. There was six and a half minutes left in the Group AA, Division 4, state championship game, but when the Lancers failed to convert on a fourth-down fake-punt play, Clark knew Broad Run wouldn’t give them another chance to overcome a 7-0 deficit.

“When I came off, I knew we weren’t clicking,” Clark said. “We usually play as a family. I didn’t feel it today. There was a lot of yelling and not a lot of working together.”

Clark and his teammates felt another blow as the Spartans capped a 12-play drive with Breon Earl’s 3-yard touchdown in the final minute of the game.

Broad Run won its first state championship Saturday at Liberty University, beating back-to-back defending state champion Amherst County 13-0.

“It’s been a long road for us,” Spartans coach Michael Burnett said, “and then the snow came ... honestly it’s just surreal. I’m going to wake up tomorrow and think we’ve got to play again.”

The snow fell steadily throughout the game, and had blanketed the field before kickoff. This caused some confusion early for the Spartans, who were marching steadily to the end zone with Earl and T.J. Peeler carrying the ball.

From the 18, Peeler broke free and, thinking he was in the end zone, put the ball down and lifted an arm in celebration as the Lancer coaches yelled for players to pick the ball up. This squandered touchdown and another lost fumble early in the second quarter didn’t faze the Spartans, led by senior quarterback Chris Jessop.

In the second quarter, Jessop and the Spartans switched to an aerial attack. The blitzing Lancers didn’t slow Jessop when he completed pass after pass with one or two defenders in his face.

On an 81-yard drive, Jessop completed six of eight passes, the final from 10 yards out. Jessop lofted the ball to the corner, just out of reach of 5-foot-9 Lancer defender Sage Mays, but a perfect pass for 6- -4 receiver Adrian Flemming.

Flemming’s touchdown catch with 13.8 seconds left in the half gave Broad Run momentum that carried through the game.

“I’ve been telling people all year that on most teams, (Flemming’s) probably the best player,” Burnett said. “But he has to take a back seat to the running backs because we run the ball so much. For him to step up and shine tonight, I’m happy for him, but it doesn’t surprise me.”

Flemming made another key catch on a Spartan fourth down as his team was working the clock in the final minutes of the game. His 23-yarder set up Earl’s touchdown.

The Lancers’ opportunity for a third straight state title was dashed early and often by the offense’s inability to execute and 53 yards lost through penalties.

“That’s very uncharacteristic,” Lancers coach Cecil Phillips said. “We have not had that all year long, especially that many. We did not execute like we were very capable of. That simply falls on my shoulders. It’s our responsibility to prepare these kids to come out here and play a perfect ball game, and we came up short in that regard.”

The Spartan defense came up with big stops when it needed to as well, including the Lancers’ few short-field situations in the second half. The biggest was to stop quarterback Anthony Rose when he took the snap instead of the punter in the fourth quarter and dashed to the outside. The Spartans stopped Rose four yards short of a first down.

Burnett said his defense was one of the most special he’s ever seen play.

“It’s because they play as a unit,” he said. “Nobody dominated. Nobody made great plays. We didn’t have any big sacks. It was just one guy or another. They really are very disciplined.”