by Ryan Lowry

Asst. Sports Editor 

Five years ago, LB football reached an all-time low: zero wins, 10 losses. Most of the current starting lineup were in the seventh grade at the time, and over the course of their time at LBSS, the team has transformed from Patriot District bottom feeders to state-title contenders. Loaded with talent and experience, the Bruins appeared in the state final this year for the first time in school history.

The Bruins were led by seven first-team All-Region players, including the Northern Region Offensive Player of the Year, junior quarterback Michael Nebrich. His offensive assault was assisted by Penn State-bound senior offensive lineman Khamrone Kolb and senior wide receiver Brandon Johnson.

The defense, which allowed around two yards per carry on the season, was anchored by four All-Region selections in senior linebacker Chris Lavery, senior lineman Wasim Abbasi, senior defensive back Thomas Stickford and junior defensive end Emmanuel Adetunji. The offense averaged approximately 33 points per game, while the defense allowed an average of only about 15 points.

The AAA Division 6 State Semifinal pitted the Bruins against the Battlefield Bobcats of Haymarket. Battlefield came into the game with a record of 12-0 and was ranked first overall in the state, according to vhsl-reference.com. Despite this purported advantage, the Bobcats were unable to stop the Bruins’ relentless spread offense, losing 27-24 in overtime on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Nebrich to junior receiver Chris Williams.

The game was a thrilling one, showcasing the strength of the Bruins newly implemented offensive strategy. LB runs the spread, which allows the quarterback to pass to a variety of receivers, while also allowing for an effective running game. This enabled Nebrich to rack up 4,276 total yards of offense and 43 total touchdowns on the season. His performance against Battlefield was one of his most productive of the season, passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 108 yards and one score. 

On defense, the Bruins were outstanding, despite giving up 24 points. Highly-touted Battlefield quarterback Bo Revell passed for only 67 yards and zero touchdowns.

Even the Bobcats’ running game, which it relies on for most of its offensive production, was held to a mere 118 yards between five ball carriers.

The win sent the team to the Division 6 AAA State Championship game, where it faced Central Region champion Thomas Dale High School.

The game was held at Scott Stadium on the campus of the University of Virginia.

Dale, which upset nationally-ranked Oscar Smith in the state semifinals, established themselves early, as running back Mike Edmunds scored a two-yard rushing touchdown in the first four minutes of the game.

The Knights would maintain a lead for the remainder of the game, ultimately winning by a score of 35-21.

“Losing in the state championship was a disappointment, but I’m proud that we made it as far as we did,” senior receiver Mike Resetar said. “We worked hard for four years and made a name for Lake Braddock football.”

The Bruins’ defensive line was worn down over the course of the game by Dale’s relentless running game, which averaged five yards per carry and allowed the Knights to stay on the field longer.

By limiting LB’s time of possession, the Knights suppressed the spread offense that accounted for much of the Bruins’ success throughout the season.

Running back Demetrick Jackson rushed for 168 yards on 30 carries, by far the most of any ball carrier. He also scored the Knights’ second touchdown of the game.

In some ways, the game was decided by mistakes on the part of both the Bruins and the officiating crew.

One particularly controversial call came during the third quarter when LB senior Nate Fleming hit Jackson and forced what appeared to be a fumble, which was subsequently recovered by Stickford.

However, the referees missed the call and ruled Jackson down at the one-yard line.

  On the following play, Edmund scored, and then struck again during the Bruins’ next drive, when he intercepted a pass from Nebrich and ran it back 32 yards for a touchdown.

“That call definitely changed the game,” Stickford said. “They scored 14 points as a result, and that ended up being the difference in the game. Still, we could have played better on both sides of the ball.”

The interception return put the Knights ahead 28-7, and though the Bruins were able to score two more touchdowns and hold Dale to just one, their efforts were not enough.

As the clock ran out at the end of the fourth quarter, LB players held their heads in their hands as Dale celebrated on the opposite sideline. 

Missed calls aside, there were other factors that contributed to the Bruins’ loss.

The defensive line, which was dominant for most of the season, was exposed by the Knights’ rush attack, and Nebrich threw three interceptions at critical points in the game.

“We turned the ball over. We didn’t stop the run. We lost the game,” LB coach Jim Poythress told the Washington Post. “That’s about it.”