As Madison football players ran onto the field ahead of their state semifinal game Saturday against South County, they ripped through a banner decorated with three tombstones for the three playoff opponents the Warhawks already beat this fall. “Rest in defeat, you’re next,” the banner read.
The Warhawks made good on that promise and will add another tombstone after throttling South County, 28-6, in front of a cowbell-swinging home crowd in Vienna to advance to the VHSL Class 6 championship game for a chance at the first state title in school history.
The Warhawks (13-1) will play at Old Dominion University at noon next Saturday against defending state champion Oscar Smith (12-1), which easily handled Battlefield, 49-10, in the other Class 6 semifinal.
“We keep ticking off teams on our checklist on the way to [Norfolk], but now we’re going there, so that’s great,” senior quarterback Connor Barry said.
Saturday’s game was a rematch of a state semifinal from last season, when the Stallions came back and defeated the Warhawks with a late touchdown, 29-22. South County Coach Tynan Rolander warned his team the Warhawks would be motivated for payback, and they sure were. Madison raced out to a 21-0 lead before South County mustered a first down.
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That first Stallions first down came with just under two minutes left in the first half. Two plays later, they fumbled to hand the ball right back to Madison.
The Warhawks made no such mistakes. They marched down the field for a five-yard touchdown run by Barry, who wriggled through a mass of bodies at the line of scrimmage but never hit the ground as he made the score 28-0.
The senior showed his composure throughout the game. On that touchdown drive, he dropped the snap before picking it up and rifling a completion to wide receiver Darren Knicely. Barry rushed for two touchdowns and added one through the air.
“I don’t know how he’s not a Division I football player,” Madison Coach Justin Counts said. “He’s a leader in the huddle, he made big throws all the time, he’s confident — gets us in and out of what we need to do. I couldn’t say enough good things about Connor Barry.”
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Barry entered high school as a wide receiver and tight end and first played quarterback as a freshman. He slowly improved, taking a large step in his development this summer when he refined his mechanics after last season’s playoff loss to South County.
The Warhawks did not hit much during practice this week because of some banged-up players, meaning that they were itching for contact. That physicality paid off with forced fumbles.
South County (11-3) scored its lone touchdown early in the fourth quarter and got the ball back on the ensuing onside kick, but another fumble ended any comeback threat.
Madison, which dropped its season-opener to Class 5 powerhouse Stone Bridge, will enter the championship game on a 13-game winning streak.
“Coming into the playoffs we were pretty hot off the regular season,” Barry said. “And like we said before, whoever is the hottest team will continue to go the furthest.”
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