By Alex Moore
George Mason High School’s football team couldn’t end the Central High School Falcons’ undefeated streak last Friday, suffering a 52-8 loss on the road to a powerhouse in Woodstock, Virginia, but still appear poised to end the season strong.
The Mustangs’ record fell to 5-3 with the loss. The Falcons improved to 9-0.
Despite the lopsided score in this high school football game, the Mustangs did fare better against their opponents than other recent competitors have. In its previous two outings, Central had shut out its opponents entirely while accumulating 117 points.
The Falcons dominated the game from the beginning, though. They scored a defensive touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage, and then capitalized on a short punt at the end of the next George Mason drive, giving them an early 14-0 lead. Although Mason would drive the ball deep into Falcons territory twice in the first half, it wouldn’t come away with any points. The Falcons would put the game out of reach with a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half, several minutes before Mustangs senior running back Finn Roou would score his team’s first points on a five-yard run.
The loss was tough, but the Mustangs season is far from over. Although they have a tough road game coming up against the 8-1 Clarke County High School next week, they’ll have a chance to finish the season at home against a weaker opponent, the 2-6 Madison County Mountaineers.
Additionally, the Mustangs appear poised for improvement. The team has been playing without some critical players, such as junior running back Jack Felgar, whose speed is an important key to the offense. As he and other players return to health, the team should benefit the experience other players have gained in their absence.
Head coach Adam Amerine pointed to freshman linebacker Walter Roou as an example. “We played him at safety and I thought he kept his head up and did great,” said Amerine, noting that the youngster had led his team in tackles.
Amerine also observed that his players haven’t let a tough series of games get into their heads. “The effort and energy is still there at practice and on the field,” he said. “These kids have great character and are going to continue to battle until they tell us we can’t anymore. Our locker room leaders have done a great job keeping the focus.”
Mason’s on the road again as they travel to play Clarke County in Berryville on Oct. 27.