Bishop Ireton narrowly defeated Flint Hill (Oakton) 12-7 to catapult themselves into the VIS championship game for the first time in school history.
The semifinal contest was played Nov. 10 in Alexandria, and with the win, Ireton improved to 9-2 on the season.
Flint Hill, champions of the Mid-Atlantic Conference, drew first blood with a late first quarter scoring pass. Not only did the Huskies 7-0 lead hold up through halftime, it also held up throughout the entire third quarter.
With 10:07 remaining in fourth quarter however, Ireton senior running back/wide receiver Andrew Rodriguez scored on the ground from nine yards out down the right sideline and pierced the end zone right near the pylon.
The point after was shanked leaving the Cardinals trailing 7-6.
On the Cardinals winning drive of the contest, sophomore Doug Vines ran
for two yards; senior QB Ed Pastorino connected with Rodriguez through the air for a 13-yard gainer, Vines ran for three yards on two more carries before Pastorino connected with Rodriguez down the right sideline in front of the Ireton bench for what turned out to be the game winner.
Rodriguez caught Pastorinos ball near midfield and worked his way down the right sideline for the games decisive score.
We bit a little bit on defense and Ireton made a big play right there, said Flint Hill head coach Michael Wright.
Junior running back John Attiliis was short on the two-point running attempt and the Cardinals led 12-7 with just 4:15 remaining.
Flint Hill got the ball back twice more but they fumbled the pigskin away and the game clock ran out.
This Friday night, Nov. 16, under the lights at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Ireton will play Liberty Christian at 7:30 for the 2007 VIS state title.
Saints lose in semis
Liberty Christian (Lynchburg) defeated St. Stephens & St. Agnes, 41-7 in the other VIS semi-final contest also played on Nov. 10.
The Saints traveled 170 miles down the road and were tied 0-0 with LC after the games initial 18 minutes. Over the games final 30 minutes, Liberty Christian blew the game open and outscored the Saints 41-7 to set a date with Ireton in the title game.
The Saints generated their touchdown when sophomore quarterback Ryan Seher
connected with senior running back Isaiah Carpenter on a long scoring completion.
After finishing last season with an overall record of 3-6, the Saints improved dramatically this season as their 6-4 overall final record indicates, in head coach Dave Holms second season at the helm.
Episcopal wins finale
Episcopal concluded their season with a stirring 14-13 victory against arch-rival Woodberry Forest of Orange, Va. The Maroon and Black, coached by veteran Mark Gowin, trailed 3-0 early on and trailed 10-0 at the conclusion of the first quarter.
Episcopal, playing at home Nov. 10, generated their first score of the day when tri-captain/senior wide receiver Graham Jones caught a 25-yard TD pass from junior QB Alex Helm.
The Maroon trailed 10-7 at halftime, but 24 more game minutes remained.
In the decisive third quarter, Alex Helm ran for a two-yard score and junior Sam Dashiell added his second successful PAT of the contest as Episcopal built a 14-10 lead.
The Episcopal-Woodberry rivalry goes back 107 years. It is believed to be the longest continual high school rivalry in the South.
