The situation was all too similar. After trailing a closely played first half, Stuart used a burst of momentum to take a third quarter lead, only to watch it vanish in the final 12 minutes. It happened in a 16-12 loss to Hayfield last week, and it had happened again on Friday against Annandale, which survived a wild finish with a 31-28 win.
A miraculous 66-yard touchdown pass from Javonte Robinson to Sam Drigo and a successful two point conversion appeared to breathe life into the Raiders, but with 4:55 still on the clock, the Atoms had all the time they needed to drive 65 yards to set up Mohamed Osman for the winning 32-yard field goal as time expired. The loss leaves Stuart with a 1-2 record and not much positive to take on the road against Jefferson next week.
The Raiders defensive line had its hands full with another opponent, as Annandale rushed the ball 59 out of 63 plays. Jack Johnson and quarterback Tony Hysjulien shoulder most of that load. Johnson carried 20 times for 110 yards and a TD, and Hysjulien added 63 yards and two scores on 16 attempts. In addition, the two connected on Hysjulien’s only completed pass attempt, a 21-yard touchdown that broke a tie late in the first half.
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Stuart had particular trouble stopping the Atoms on third down. It seemed no matter what the distance, Annandale managed to move the ball inches past the chains. The defense showed flashes of brilliance just twice, but it wasn’t quite enough. Trailing 14-7 in the third quarter, Ethan Leventhal blocked a punt deep in Annandale’s territory, and Abdul Musa picked it up and took it four yards to the end zone. Another quick stop on the ensuing Atoms possession, and a 17 yard punt return by Amine Chennagui, set up another Raiders scoring drive that ended with Tristain Jordan getting his first TD from four yards out.
A missed PAT on that go ahead touchdown initially appeared to come back to haunt the Raiders. Hysjulien scored on a 4-yard keeper to give Annandale the lead back at 21-20, and Sulaiman Kamara picked off Robinson to give the Atoms a short field. Johnson capped that drive with a 5-yard touchdown to extend the lead to eight points.
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Stuart didn’t pack it in there though, as Robinson hit Drigo after putting the ball in the air for about 40 yards. After one Atom defender underplayed the ball and another missed a tackle, Drigo walked into the end zone, giving the team, and crowd, new life. Chris Kirby, who totaled 107 yards on 17 carries, was untouched on the two point conversion to knot the score at 28-28.
The roller coaster rides that have been the last two games for Stuart, both losses, have certainly left the team dejected. The frustration isn’t beyond Stuart’s head coach, either. Roy Ferri declined to talk following the game.
“We just lost a football game in the final seconds,” said Roy Ferri. “You wanna ask me questions? It feels like [expletive].”
The Raiders have a good chance of righting their path when they play another neighborhood foe next week. Stuart resumes it’s rivalry with Jefferson after a four-year hiatus, and despite losing 30-14 in 2006, the teams have gone in very opposite directions since then. The Colonials have already bested their win total from a year ago with two, but they’ve come against National District cellar dwellers Falls Church and Wakefield.
More football scores around Falls Church
Warren County 40, George Mason 0
George Marshall 34, Falls Church 0
