By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, Washington D.C. Metro Area
**Click here for other semifinal previews in the Northern Region!!**
No. 3 Lake Braddock (9-2) at No. 2 Robinson (10-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Offensive Rank (ppg/Div. 6): Lake Braddock – 1st (32.6); Robinson – 3rd (30.8)
Defensive Rank (ppg/Div. 6): Lake Braddock – 2nd (15.1); Robinson – 1st (13.5)
Last Meeting: 2009 — Week 5 — Robinson beat Lake Braddock, 28-21
Series Since 1996: Robinson leads, 13-4
For such an anticipated rivalry, Robinson sure has dominated this series.
The Rams are 11-for-11 against the Bruins since 2000, including the only playoff meeting of the decade.
Lake Braddock’s last win came Nov. 12, 1999, a 17-0 regional semifinal win in Burke.
Current seniors were in second grade.
Robinson allowed double-digit points just twice in 11 games since then, including the Week 5 match-up this year, a 28-21, Ram win.
Bruin junior quarterback Michael Nebrich had his best night-to-date of the season, completing 26-of-40 passes for 276 yards and two scores. But he also threw an interception with 2 minutes, 42 seconds remaining that led to the game-winning score by Ram senior Connor Riley.
Riley scored three times that night as part of 201-yard team rushing effort. Robinson has rushed for 198 yards or more in 10 of its 11 games this year.
Talent abounds on these squads.
In the six-team Concorde District, the Rams boast seven first-team all-district players on offense, four on defense and one on special teams. Junior running back and defensive back Jared Velasquez made all three.
Riley was named Offensive Player of the Year in the district, while senior linebacker Brian Laiti was named Defensive Player of the Year.
In the eight-team Patriot District, the Bruins feature four first-team all-district players on offense and five on defense. Nebrich was Offensive Player of the Year in the district.
Both stars were held in check last week.
Riley was held to his second-lowest rushing total and was without a score for the first time this year in a 10-7 win over Chantilly. Nebrich failed to break either 100 passing or 100 rushing yards for the first time, as well.
Lake Braddock has been dominant in recent weeks, though, winning six straight since losing at Robinson. It moved to No. 1 in Division 6 in the Northern Region in points per game scored, sixth among D6 teams in Virginia.
The Bruins are second defensively.
The Rams, not far behind, are third offensively in the region, tops on defense.
We saw these teams meeting at this stage all year — at least I did. This was the last sentence of my Week 5 preview of the BRYC Rivalry.
“This is likely a regional semifinal preview.” (proof)
Booyah.
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
Processing your request, Please wait....
