Wildcats were looking for a rematch after the painfully close double-overtime loss in 2006. They got it. In their first district contest Centreville defeated the Herndon Hornets with a final score of 24 to zero. This victory was a loud testament to Centreville’s defense as they contributed a quarter of the points on the scoreboard and prevented their opponents from scoring even a single point. The game saw not only a confident victory, but exciting performances by the marching band, dance team, and even a massive quantity of SYA cheerleaders!

Centreville kicks the ball to Herndon and into a touchback. The Hornet drive ends quickly with a punt… and it’s blocked! Darryl Hamilton recovers the ball in the end zone for the first Wildcat touchdown of the night. The extra point misses the mark and the score begins early with Wildcats 6 and Hornets zero. With 9:10 left to play in the first quarter the Wildcats again kick the ball to Herndon.

The Wildcat defense is flexing their muscle. They force the Hornets to relinquish the ball after fourth down with a powerful quarterback sack by Jamey McClendon. Centreville completes a quick drive with a punt to Herndon. In the first play of the Hornets’ drive they fumble the ball as the Wildcat defense recovers – Centreville ball! Wildcat offense takes control and finished the first quarter with a score of Wildcats 6, Hornets zero.

Making Something Happen

Centreville and Herndon squads take turns with fruitless attempts at the end zone. Then the Wildcat defense again makes something happen. With 4:53 left in the second quarter the Hornet offense has control of the ball. On the third play of their drive Centreville forces another fumble and recovers – Wildcat ball! With three-and-a-half minutes remaining to play in the first half the Centreville offense is fired-up. It takes just three plays to move the ball from the 27 yard line into the end zone. With a short pass from P.J. Dunegan to Zack Glatter and a big step into the end zone the Wildcats gather another 6 points! The extra point is a successful 2-point conversion pass play with Darryl Hamilton rocketing into the end zone. With 2:36 left in the second quarter the score is now Centreville 14, Herndon zero.

The next play caused a gasp in the Centreville bleachers. Herndon received the kick and ran it clear into their end zone, but wait – there’s a flag. Herndon is busted for an illegal block below the waist, and the ball is moved back to their own 14 yard line. The Hornets are pummeled by the Wildcat defense as they go four-and-punt. Wildcats finish the first half with the ball in their possession along with the lead and a score of Centreville 14, Herndon zero.

Half Time SYA Night

Jimmy Sanabria sparked the half time activities by awarding the SYA Player of the Week honor to Ben Mason, a 110-pound halfback and defensive tackle. Ben had a great run for a touchdown with another for the extra point to win his team’s game in overtime, 13-12 against Vienna. But wait, there’s more! The Wildcat Marching Band entertains the crowd with some popular favorites followed by a spirited performance by the Wildcat Dance Team. Don’t fret if you missed any of the show, click here to see our collection of 81 photos of all the half time activities, including SYA Night! That’s right, Wildcat cheerleaders hosted a number of younger cheerleading squads from SYA and each group of girls performed for the crowd. Click here to check out all the photos!

And We’re Back!

Centreville receives the kick for the second half and demonstrates they are here to keep playing strong. The offense works their way through the Hornet defense and into position for Kevin Maslyn to boot the ball through the uprights and an additional 3-points for the Wildcats. With 8:03 remaining in the third quarter the score is now Wildcats 17, Hornets zero.

The teams exchange a series of drives that result in punts. Centreville regains and maintains control of the ball through the end of the third quarter, where the score remains Centreville 17, Herndon zero.

Defense Mechanism

There’s a fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Herndon defense recovered the fumble to take possession early in the fourth. The Hornet offense continues to be abused by the Wildcat defense, including big stops by Brett Miller. Brandon Carpenter makes a vital stop during a rare Herndon sprint down the field, and soon the Wildcats take over possession on downs. Centreville ends their drive with a fumble back into the hands of the Hornets.

Good Points

With 6:23 left on the clock Herndon begins to drive the ball down the field. But it doesn’t take long before Courtlan Whiting reaches up and grabs a Wildcat interception at the 13 yard line. Again the defense is successful setting-up another Wildcat scoring drive. With 5:30 ticking-away on the game clock the Centreville offense is looking sharp as they complete one gain after another toward the end zone. P.J. Dunegan completes a series of passes to Ricky Staggers and Calder Street as the offense gets closer and closer to the end zone. With one final pass Dunegan fires the ball to Brandon Carpenter who slips into the end zone for another Wildcat touchdown. Maslyn’s extra point is good and the score is now Centreville 24, Herndon zero.

Herndon attempts one final drive toward the end zone, but fail to score any points as the Centreville defense remains strong. The game ends with the Wildcats finding their third win in a row and completing two consecutive shut-outs of their opponents.

Photo Momento

We have two photo galleries from the Herndon game. The first enormous photo gallery is full of football action and fan reaction. Click here to see that gallery of 96 photos from the Varsity victory over Herndon. If you wish to remember the half time activities, click this to see our Half Time Gallery. Stay tuned, as we expect to see more photos roll into our hands in the next few days!

Next Week

Varsity boards the buses on Friday, September 28 for their first road trip in three weeks. It’s not far, just a short trip to Fairfax High School. Click here to see directions and join us for some exciting football on artificial turf. Want to see some history of Wildcat v Rebel activity? Click this for the 2006 match up, and then click here for a report about the rainy 2005 game.