By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area
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Langley (1-4, 0-2) at Marshall (0-5, 0-2)
Last Week: Langley won at Herndon, 28-13; Marshall lost at Stone Bridge, 28-0
Playoff Position (SOS): Langley (Div 6) 14th; Jefferson (Div 5) 12th
After troubling starts, both teams have reason for optimism after their play in recent weeks.
Langley became the last Division 6 team to secure a win when it stunned Herndon on the Hornets’ Homecoming last weekend, dominating all facets of the game en route to a 28-13 win.
The Saxons held a 227-35 advantage in total yards in the opening 14-plus minutes and junior quarterback Braden Anderson threw for 165 yards in the first quarter.
And all that came with sophomore standout Marcus Harvey in a walking boot.
Marshall, though shut out in Ashburn last week, held Stone Bridge scoreless for the first quarter. The Statesmen held the Bulldogs to just 2.52 yards per play in the period, though gaining just 1.88 themselves.
Marshall only gained seven total yards for the game, though, and lost, 28-0.
Its defense was the story the week before, too, when it was within three points of South Lakes at the start of the fourth quarter. The Seahawks scored 21 unanswered points and won, 31-10, at home.
Statesmen senior defensive lineman Andrew Embree is the best player in the region you haven’t heard of — yet. He has been the lead source of the backfield mayhem that led to the closer-than-expected early-game scores the last two weeks.
If Marshall is to get the zero out of the win column against run-happy Langley, Embree will need to be on-point once again.
Also, the offense needs to get more than minus-8 yards over the final three quarters — what it managed last week at Stone Bridge — but that goes without saying. The Statesmen have the second-lowest scoring offense in the region, but seem to have their best formula in place with senior Jordan Stalcup at tailback and senior Ryan Walter under center.
The Saxons need to continue to ride their wave of momentum if they’re to run their win streak to two games.
They could use continued even distribution by Anderson to the stable of receivers. Langley has had at least two receivers with four receptions in three of the last four games.
The Saxons have dominated this series recently, winning 10 of the last 11 meetings by a collective 333-97. The lone Statesmen win in that span came in 2006, 8-7.
Marshall holds the edge in the all-time series, though, with a record of 22-20-1.
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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