Relentless rain postponed seven Northern Virginia football games Friday evening, but South County officials decided to brave the elements and play on against T.C. Williams.
For 48 soggy minutes, players from both teams struggled to gain traction on South County’s grass field. In the end, first-year coach Gerry Pannoni's Stallions earned their first win of the season, defeating T.C. Williams 35-13.
Failure to establish the running game and three lost fumbles contributed to the Titans’ defeat.
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T.C. Williams fell to 1-3 on the season. The Titans haven't won since their Sept. 1 season opener, a 51-7 victory over Wakefield.
With dismal field conditions, both teams relied heavily on the ground game. The Titans got on the scoreboard first on a one-yard touchdown run, which capped a seven-play, 30-yard drive.
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Titans kicker Manuel Benites later added a 27-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.
The Stallions answered with a touchdown of their own on a 38-yard strike from quarterback Shane Foley to tight end Jeremy Haynes.
Later, Benites' 39-yard field goal to put the Titans up 13-7. Unfortunately for T.C. Williams coach Dennis Randolph, that would be all his team could muster.
In the waning seconds of the second quarter, South County’s Peter Basnight scored from 1 yard to give the Stallions a 14-13 halftime lead.
Nursing a one-point lead, South County continued to keep the ball on the ground and away from the T.C. Williams offense in the game’s final half. The Titans struggled to earn positive yardage for most of the first half and did not fare much better in the second.
South County added to its lead in the third quarter on a 1-yard keeper from Foley. A successful extra-point attempt gave South County a 21-13 lead.
The Stallions' Timmy Hunt scored twice in the fourth quarter, once on offense and once on defense.
Hunt’s first fourth-quarter score came on an 8-yard scamper. His second came on a fumble recovery (forced by Nick Hicks) he returned 39 yards for a touchdown and a 35-13 lead.
T.C. Williams hosts Lake Braddock on Oct. 1.
T.C. Williams Stats:
First Downs: 11
Carries/Yards/TD: 28-71-1
Passes Att./Comp./Int.: 25/14/0
Passing Yards: 90
