Broad Run wins it late 28-24 over Salem to advance to state finals
Spartan Stadium, Willis White Field, Salem, Va – In a game for the ages, Broad Run answered Salem with a 67-yard drive with only 0:32 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter with a 13-yard TD pass from QB 10 Glen Griffis to WR 13 Kyle Love for the winning score. Griffis was key on the last drive, completing a big 20 yard fourth down pass to WR 24 Amare Thornhill to keep Broad Run’s hopes alive. Twelve plays later they had the lead for good. Defense on both sides was paramount to the outcome. 
The Spartans from Loudoun County kept the Spartans from Salem from controlling the ball on the ground and forced them to throw it more than typical. Broad Run Coach Matt Griffis knew his defense was going to have to be at their best, “Our defense was gap sound and everybody did their one-eleventh. We had to stop the run. Our defense did what they had to do. That running back (FB 28 Cam Leftwich) is tough.” Leftwich finished the game with 61 yards. Broad Run’s size advantage across the line aided the visitors, especially in the second half. Salem DB/WR 11 Chauncey Logan gave the Spartans a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter with a ‘scoop and score’ TD from 45 yards out, and the subsequent 2-point pass from QB 10 DaRon Wilson to TE 14 Jake Massey. Back and forth the final quarter went with Broad Run tying it up on a 4-yard run by Griffis. Salem K/C 57 Caleb Wright nailed a clutch 45-yarder to put Salem up 24-21 with just over two minutes left, but Broad Run was up to the challenge on the final drive. Salem Coach Don Holter summed it up in post game, “Broad Run is a good football team. They executed better than we did. That is the bottomline.”
Broad Run and Salem players console/congratulate each other after the state semifinal game Saturday
First Quarter – Broad Run held Salem on their first drive and looked for early points as they countered with the ball. They made it to the Salem twenty-nine before DB/WR 11 Chauncey Logan picked off QB 10 Brett Griffis at the sixteen and the Senior playmaker returned it 13 yards out to Salem twenty-seven in front of the Salem bench.
Salem DB 11 Chauncey Logan picks off QB 10 Brett Griffis
Salem harnessed that momentum into a drive into the Loudoun County Spartans territory. But the drive stalled at the Broad Run twenty-eight. Salem, looking back, will not be happy with the opportunities to put points on the board where they didn’t cash in. You have to credit the Broad Run defense for some of those stops.
The quarter ended in a scoreless tie.
Second Quarter – Broad Run drew first blood, with a 1-yard TD run by Griffis, the coaches son, early in the second set up by a 12-yard run by Sophomore RB 6 Aslin Shipe.
Broad Run QB Griffis follows his blocks to the end zone
Salem answered, as a Coach Holter team will, driving the ball from their own forty-two to the Broad Run eighteen. Again, the drive stalled as the big Broad Run defensive line and linebackers jammed the line. A costly five yard penalty put the Spartans behind the sticks. Enter K/C 57 Wright for a 35-yard boot. The Junior striped the goal posts and it was a 7-3 ballgame with 4:09 left in the first half.
Spartan TE 14 Jake Massey hauls in a 13 yard TD pass from QB 10 DaRon Wilson
The Salem defense held Broad Run on their next series. Facing fourth down and twelve, Salem LB 7 Noah Collins blitzed from the left side of the line and pounded Griffis to the ground (see cover). The quarterback nearly coughed up the ball, but little did it matter, because Salem took over on downs. From there the Spartans began to get into an offensive rhythm. The home team used all the clock and ten plays in the 1:31 left to take the lead. FB 28 Cam Leftwich had a big 14 and 11 yard runs to move the ball down to the thirteen of Broad Run. Credit the Mules (Salem’s O’line) for the room to run. Two plays later QB 10 DaRon Wilson fired a crisp bullet to TE 14 Jake Massey on a skinny post in the end zone. K/C 57 Caleb Wright’s PAT gave Salem their first lead 10-7 with :18 left.
Broad Run took a knee and that’s how the half ended.
The Salem faithful were out in full force
Third Quarter – The start of the second half started well for Salem. They kicked to Broad Run, got a stope and forced a short 6-yard punt that put the Spartans squarely on Broad Run’s twenty-two. Coach Holter rolled the dice and took a shot with a potential TD toss to the corner of the end zone to WR 11 Chauncey Logan. The Senior receiver never got to the spot as he was knocked off his route around the five yard line.
Playing centerfield, S 13 Jake Love rolled over and snagged the interception for the quick change. Salem would stuff Broad again on their next series to a ‘three and out’ and look to be in good position to get into the end zone again. Senior WR/DB/KR 8 Chase Greer made a gutsy return for 18-yards to the Broad Run twenty-seven. Salem needed to “make hay.” The Spartans looked for six but had to settle for three. The Spartans of Salem’s run game was stifled with the box being filled with big Broad Run bodies. After a 15-yard penalty on Broad Run to the eleven, a run by RB 21 Jaelyn Jones picked up only one. Two runs by FB 28 Leftwich could only squeak out four more yards. So K/C 57 Wright was called on again and made the most of his opportunities with a 23-yard field goal to increase Salem’s lead to 13-7.
Broad Run WR 24 Arnav Thornhill hauls in a TD pass
Broad Run answered the bell. Utilizing mostly short passes to his bevy of receivers, Griffis guided the Northern Virginia Spartans down to the twelve, where he hit a well defended WR 24 Arnav Thornhill over the middle for the go ahead score. DB 8 Greer was all over him but somehow the ball made it through and the Senior took it the last 8-yards into the end zone. K 1 Garrett Benion’s extra point gave Broad Run the lead back at 14-13 with 2:53 left in the third.
Salem RB 21 Jayveon Jones looks for room to run
Salem would storm back. The Spartans reached the Broad Run forty before two short FB 28 Leftwich runs and an incompletion forced the Spartans back into punt formation. Coach Holter can be a bit of a riverboat gambler. If you watched his teams over the last few years, he isn’t afraid to call a fake punt, especially when the ball is in the capable hands of arguably Salem’s best player, WR/DB/P 11 Chauncey Logan. Having done their homework, notably, each time Salem dropped back to punt, Broad Run kept everyone at the line of scrimmage, deciding not to put a returner back. It paid off this time as Logan took off, ran the option to WR/DB/KR 8 Chase Greer who had gone in motion. But Greer was tripped up at the line for no gain and Broad Run had the ball, the momentum and the lead, 14-13, heading into the fourth quarter.
FB 28 Cam Leftwich runs through a hole made by the ‘Mules.’
Logan returns a fumble recovery for a TD to give Salem the lead
Fourth Quarter – The final quarter was a wild one. On Broad Run’s fourth play, Griffis handed off to RB 6 Aslin Shipe on a wide run. The Sophomore was stripped of the ball and WR/DB/P 11 Logan scooped it up and darted the forty-five yards to the end zone. The Salem faithful went wild. Salem went for two and QB 10 DaRon Wilson calmly rolled out to the left and found TE 14 Jake Massey for the completion and the 21-14 lead.
Salem OL 50 Landon Miles, TE 14 Jake Massey, and OL 79 Andrew Lutz celebrate Massey’s 2-pt catch
Broad Run regrouped and came back again. It took the visitors ten plays to notch the game at 21 apiece. Aided by an interference call on Salem and several short passes, Gillis took it in on the ground from 4-yards out with 7:14 left.
Broad Run QB 10 Griffis scores his second TD from a yard out
Salem, not to be outdone, also regrouped and drove the ball down to the Broad Run eighteen. Again, once inside the red zone, Salem’s offense sputtered. FB 28 Leftwich picked up one on first down. RB 32 Isaiah Barlow was dropped for a two yard loss. Those runs, sandwiched around a QB 10 Wilson incompletion, sent K/C 57 Wright back on to try a field goal. The Junior’s kick was true and his second thirty-five yarder and third field goal of the game made it 24-21 Salem with just over two minutes left.
K/C 57 Wright nails another 35 yard field goal
Again, Broad Run recoiled and struck. This time the Gillis-led offense would use eight short passes mixed in with three runs to get into position. The biggest play of the drive was a clutch fourth down and fourteen pass completion over the middle to WR 24 Thornhill down to the thirteen. With only :32 seconds left Gillis found one of his six favorite targets on the day, WR 13 Jake Love, with a 13-yard TD pass into the end zone.
Broad Run WR 13 Jake Love catches the game winner with :32 seconds left in the game
Salem had one more chance with :29 seconds left but they needed a touchdown. On fourth down from their own thirty-nine QB 10 Wilson aired it out down the left sidelines towards WR/DB/P 11 Logan into double coverage. Gillis, put in to play centerfield, picked off the well thrown bomb. Broad Run celebrated, drawing three straight unsportsmanlike conduct penalties pushing the ball inside their own five, but it matted little to the outcome. Broad Run would move on with the hard fought 28-24 win.
Despite the flags at the end, both teams paid each other a great deal of respect after the game was over. Coach Gillis compared it to a famous boxing match, “They are Mike Tyson, right, and we are Buster Douglas. If they beat us they would have been the winningest team in the state of Virginia (in postseason play). Our kids played hard as hell.” It’s hard to describe Salem’s disappointment. This team had come so far and hadn’t lost since the opening week to Martinsburg, WV (crowned WV’s big school champion this week 62-21 over Huntington). Salem Coach Holter made it short and sweet, “Our Seniors… we are going to miss them. Our underclassmen, we are going to learn from this and carry on.” – Cap’n Crunch
Salem’s Seniors walk the field one last time
Broad Run (13-1) will now advance to take on Varina (12-1) in the 4A State Championship in Lynchburg this Saturday at Noon. In the second game, the 3A State Championship tilt, will pit Liberty Christian Academy (13-0) against Phoebus (13-1).
Offense:
Rushing – Broad Run – Brett Griffis 20-93, 2TD, Aslin Shipe 5-22, Isaiah Lemmond 1-5, Team 2-(-3) Salem – Cam Leftwich 20-74, Jayveon Jones 9-21, Isaiah Barlow 2-10, DaRon Wilson 5-7, Chase Greer 1-0
Passing – Broad Run – Brett Griffis 21/32, 236, 2TD, INT Salem– DaRon Wilson 10/23, 119, TD, 2ptr, 2 INT
Receiving – Broad Run – Arnav Thornhill 9-90, TD, Isaiah Lemmond 5-48, Kyle Love 3-53, TD, Jack Davis 3-27, Jayson Viernes 1-8 Salem– Chauncey Logan 4-69, Jeffrey Phillips 3-24, Jake Massey 2-16, TD, 2ptr, Chase Greer 1-8
Punting – Broad Run – Garrett Bennion 1/6 yd avg, Brett Griffis 1/30 yd avg Salem– Chauncey Logan 1/14 yd avg
Kicking – Broad Run – Garrett Bennion PAT 4/4 PAT Salem– Tyler Pierce, PAT 2/2, 3 FGs – 35yd, 23yd, 35yd
Scoring:
First Quarter
Second Quarter
• Broad Run : B. Griffis 4-yard TD run; G. Bennion PAT (9:04)
• Salem: T. Pierce 35 yd FG (4:09)
• Salem: J. Massey 13-yard pass from D. Wilson, T. Pierce PAT (0:18)
Third Quarter
• Salem: T. Pierce 23 yd FG (5:27)
• Broad Run : A. Thornhill 12-yard pass from B. Griffis; G. Bennion PAT (2:53)
Fourth Quarter
• Salem: C. Logan 45-yard fumble return, T. Pierce PAT (10:31)
• Broad Run : B. Griffis 1-yard TD run; G. Bennion PAT (7:14)
• Salem: T. Pierce 35 yd FG (2:21)
• Broad Run : J. Love 13-yard pass from B. Griffis; G. Bennion PAT (0:32)