Game Time Blog

FINAL: Well, it was ugly for both sides, but Woodbridge held off Osbourn Park and takes possession of first place in the Cardinal District with a 9-3 Vikings win.

The Woodbridge offensive line did a terrific job tonight as did both teams’ defenses. The defensive players will be sleeping well tonight. As for everyone in Blog-World, take it easy and be sure to read Robert Daski’s game story online and in the Sunday edition of the News & Messenger.

Thanks and have a good week.
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1:30, fourth quarter: The Woodbridge fans get a nice salute from Darryl Haley after Jaylen Avent picks up what will be the final first down of the game.

A couple kneel downs and this will be official, 9-3 Woodbridge.
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1:48, fourth quarter: And Collin Frazer drops another pass that hit him in the hands. That has to be four or five tonight. This game could be really ugly already had Frazer caught a few of those. Most of them would have turned into big gains if not scores.
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2:58, fourth quarter: The attempt is unsuccessful as Anthony Earl grabbs the ball and Woodbridge takes over at its 40 with less than three minutes to go.
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3:00, fourth quarter: Kicker Zach Roy puts the Yellow Jackets on the board with a 25-yard field goal.

OP will likely attempt an onside kick here as they’ve been pretty much unable to stop the Woodbridge running game in the second half.
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4:05, fourth quarter: Osbourn Park is threatening to score, getting the ball down to the Woodbridge 11. Stay tuned if you like thrillers.
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5:14, fourth quarter: Despite an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (for high-stepping into the end zone), Woodbridge may have just locked this game up with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Frank Buckley to Collin Frazer.

The receiver must have picked up all 49 of those yards on a quick screen pass and then just out ran everyone on OP’s defense, including the guys in front of him.

The once boisterous home crowd is now sitting quietly stunned as Woodbridge leads 9-0 (the point after failed).
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7:14, fourth quarter: Woodbridge’s defense forces yet another punt. The Vikings pick up at their own 40 and only need to eat up clock to hold on.

Oh, and they need to hold onto the ball.
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9:09, fourth quarter: Ford took another long run to inside the OP 10, but lost control of the ball and Christian Portillo picked it off in mid-air, returning it to the 18.
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END OF THIRD: Still 3-0 Woodbridge and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change much anytime soon.
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4:19, third quarter: Terrific punt by OP pins Woodbridge inside it’s own 5 yard line.
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4:56, third quarter: For some reason the Woodbridge faithful have broken into the Atlanta Braves’ Tomahawk Chop motion. I’m not sure I get why: that motion only works for Indians teams.
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8:29, third quarter: The only thing that could stop Woodbridge’s running attack was a fumble and OP recovered at it’s own 15 yard line.
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8:35, third quarter: Woodbridge seems to have found something with the running game. The Vikings are picking up chunks of yardage on the ground now and that will only open up the passing game with some play action soon.
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10:20, third quarter: Remember that play Michael Ford ran against Stafford like three times? Well, the Vikings just ran it again and he picked up a 34-yard gain and OP looks almost helpless to stop the Woodbridge running game now after a Jaylen Avent run following.
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HALFTIME UPDATE: OK, so I got an answer (I think) about what happened with Darius Smith. I talked with the Woodbridge coaches in the press box and I was told Smith was thrown to the ground out of bounds on a play by Pat Derenda and Smith “popped up” quickly and the refs made two calls.

Derenda was called for a personal foul (throwing Smith down out of bounds) and Smith was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty earning him an early night.
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END OF HALF: And the players are heading to locker rooms with Woodbridge clinging to a slim 3-0 lead.

Someone better find their offense in the meantime or it’s going to be a short postseason for Prince William County.
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0:20, second quarter: Woodbridge has to punt after another incomplete pass and OP takes over on it’s own 17,
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0:35, second quarter: Buckley spikes the ball after a huge gain and Woodbridge has second and 10 from the OP 31.

The quarterback throws the ball away after finally being flushed from the pocket—perhaps the first time today—but he’s inexplicably called for intentional grounding. I’m not sure I agree with that decision.
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1:02, second quarter: Again with plenty of time in the pocket, Frank Buckley hooks up with the recently returned Demetrius Quarles to bring up fourth and short.

The Vikings pick up the short gain for a first at the Jackets’ 44.
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1:44, second quarter: Travis Marion ran up the Woodbridge DB’s back on the fourth down play and Terrell’s pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over.

Woodbridge moves the ball to the OP 45 almost immediately.
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1:59, second quarter: A nice pass attempt by Dominique Terrell, but it may have been too nice, as Logan Farrar nearly intercepted it in the end zone. Instead, Farrar just broke it up.

Terrell has consecutive overthrows on the next two plays, bringing up fourth and 10. OP is going for it.
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2:12, second quarter: It appears that Woodbridge’s Darius Smith may have just been kicked out of the game for some kind of unsportsmanlike call. I’ll let you know more when I have it.
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2:18, second quarter: A tipped Frank Buckley pass—he had all day in the pocket, by the way—and Josh Ramseur has an interception. Ramseur returns the ball to the Woodbridge 45, turning some of the previous momentum back to OP.
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4:12, second quarter: Calls of ‘Warm up Jamil!‘ are eminating sporadically from the fans, refering to back up Yellow Jackets quarterback Jamil Brown.

Not sure whether that’s tongue-in-cheek or serious (Terrell hasn’t been terrible or anything).
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5:14, second quarter: The Vikings have to punt—eventually, following a long talk between the referee and a player and coach from each team—and Osbourn Park takes over at it’s own 8.
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6:15, second quarter: Great pass and catch between Frank Buckley and Collin Frazer for a first down is erased by—you guessed it—another holding call.

Second and very long for the Vikings at the OP 46.
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7:45, second quarter: A terrific move by Darius Smith out of the backfield—on a direct snap, no less—and Woodbridge is on the OP 33.
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8:25, second quarter: Another penalty on Woodbridge. The Vikings are looking like anything but disciplined tonight. Maybe there is no team from this area going anywhere beyond the region playoffs.
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8:30, second quarter: And Woodbridge recovers a fumbled snap at the 50. Trouble looming for OP…
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9:49, second quarter: The Vikings were almost stopped in their own endzone for a safety on a Jaylen Avent run that went absolutely nowhere (following a holding penalty on the previous play).

Throw in an unsportsmanlike penalty, and Woodbridge is backed up to it’s own goal line. Punt time.
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10:54, second quarter: The Yellow Jackets’ offense stalls, picking up just one yard on the drive, culminating in another Dominique Terrell overthrow of Travis Marion on third down.

OP punts and is saved from a terrific run back by Collin Frazer thanks to an illegal block by Woodbridge, pushing the Vikes to their own 14.
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11:56, second quarter: Wow, OP just got a gift. Collin Frazer was left almost completely unattended on third and long, but Frank Buckley‘s pass just banged off Frazer’s chest to bring up fourth down.

Woodbridge punts and OP takes over at their own 40.
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END OF FIRST: So far it’s been a defensive struggle with neither giving any breathing room.

Woodbridge is in the lead, 3-0 as the teams switch sides.
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1:31, first quarter: With Woodbridge backed up on its own 6 (after a holding call), Osbourn Park is called for defensive pass interference, giving the Vikings a huge first down to the 21.
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2:42, first quarter: So much for that as Woodbridge forces a punt.

This one is much better, pinning the Vikings at their own 12.
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3:54, first quarter: The Yellow Jackets respond with a big 24-yard pass from Dominique Terrell to Travis Marion to convert a first down.

OP is still in its own territory (45), but they are giving the Woodbridge ‘D’ something more to think about.
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5:39, first quarter: Woodbridge gets stopped at the 14 and kicker Chris Drisko puts the Vikings up 3-0 with a 29-yard field goal.
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9:10, first quarter: Uh, oh, the first bad call of the night by the refs doesn’t take long. On third and inches, Frank Buckley threw a lateral to Demetrius Quarles that ended up rolling out of bounds. The call: Incomplete pass. Should have been a fumble and loss of about six or seven.

Instead, Woodbridge picked up a first on the next play.
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11:03, first quarter: Woodbridge forces a three-and-out on OP’s opening drive which saw Dominique Terrell pick up all nine yards of offense for the Jackets and an incompletion.

The ensuing punt didn’t help as the Vikings take over at the OP 46.
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Coin flip: Osbourn Park won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. We’ll be getting started in a matter of minutes.
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PREGAME: When I pulled into the parking lot, the computer in my car said the temperature was 58 degrees and it feels like it might be a bit cooler by now. Not a bad temp for football, though, and the skies, though dark, are clear.

Shouldn’t have to worry about any precipitation tonight.

I’d like to personally thank the OP athletic department secretary Sandy Crow for the sets of rosters for both clubs, a big help. The extra effort is definitely appreciated.
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Welcome to the News & Messenger Game Time Blog for the Woodbridge-Osbourn Park game.

Woodbridge (8-0, 4-0) heads to Osbourn Park (7-1, 5-0) for a Cardinal District matchup tonight at 7.

Let’s go over a few keys to today’s game.

> Bye week up for grabs: With the new regional playoff format instituted this year, the top two teams in the VHSL points ratings earn a first round bye week. Battlefield (33.0) and Woodbridge (29.5) are No. 1 and 2 respectively in the Division 6 grouping with Osbourn Park fourth, trailing Colonial Forge by one point (29.0 to 28.0).

Tonight’s game could be a major factor in determining the No. 2 spot in the division.

> Very offensive: The Vikings and Yellow Jackets feature the top two offenses in the Cardinal District this year as Woodbridge has averaged more than 36 points a game and OP nearly 25.

The clubs do it in contrasting ways, however. Woodbridge has a varied attack with 15 different players scoring touchdowns this year and Osbourn Park relying mostly on Dominique Terrell and Gary Jackson (16 TDs).

> Getting defensive: In addition to high-powered offenses, these teams also have shut-down defenses. Aside from the 44 points they allowed to Colonial Forge (in five overtimes), Woodbridge has given up 14 points just once (Stonewall Jackson) and owns a 10.1 points allowed average.

Osbourn Park has given up the fewest points of any area team (67) and is allowing opponents just more than a touchdown a game.

> About last week: Woodbridge continued it’s undefeated season with a 21-7 victory over Potomac, holding the Panthers scoreless until the final three minutes of the game.

Quarterback Frank Buckley finished with 132 yards passing on 11 of 19 attempts while three players—Jaylen Avent, Michael Ford and Zayd Hamilton—each rushed for 20 or more yards apiece.

Osbourn Park easily dispatched Forest Park 41-6 thanks to a banner day by Jackson (career-high 205 yards, two touchdowns). The Jackets’ defense, meanwhile, held the Bruins to negative-16 yards rushing and just 113 yards through the air.