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Ingram goes down, Khosa steps up
The process of changing the balance of power in the Cedar Run District was in full swing Friday night in Haymarket. Visiting Liberty was playing smart, tough, confident football, and leading the defending champion Battlefield Bobcats 21-14 late in the third quarter.The Bobcats — ranked No. 14 in The Washington Post — weren’t playing poorly, but things weren’t going as scripted.
Star running back Adrian Ingram exited in the second quarter with a sprained ankle and wouldn't return. Junior quarterback Bo Revell was missing open receivers by subtle, but significant, inches. And Liberty’s strong-armed quarterback Nick Potts was conducting a clinic on how to deliver a long, feathery pass into the hands of a teammate running in full stride.
So how did Battlefield end up with a seemingly one-sided 40-21 victory that turned all its tribulations into a glorious Homecoming?
The reason: Battlefield is resilient, and has a backup plan. Two of them, actually.
Just as at the Metropolitan Opera when the star baritone has a sore throat, the performance must go on. Enter Bobcat backup running back Gerald Khosa, who trotted into the spotlight and proceeded to shine, running 23 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns.
“This was a breakthrough night for Gerald. He had some big games in preseason, but it's the first time he's been 100 percent,” said Battlefield coach Mark Cox, who said Khosa has been bothered by turf toe.
Khosa had never had a 100-yard game before — and got only a handful of carries as Ingram enjoyed star status in the Bobcats' one-back offense.
The rugged 185-pound senior dedicated his performance to Ingram. “Adrian does everything for this team. When Adrian went down, I just tried to do my job. This game is for him,” said Khosa.
Ingram's injury was ironic, actually. Liberty was shutting the shifty senior down — holding him to just 12 yards on seven carries. But Khosa was instantly effective — a fast, physical back who shot into the LHS line like an artillery shell, and often carried tacklers. “I like to hit people,” he said.
Another side benefit was that Ingram’s injury put more emphasis on highly-regarded junior quarterback Bo Revell.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder at times looked like the second coming of Ben Roethlisberger, standing in the pocket like a giant redwood tree, a towering pillar that would not topple as Eagles came chopping at him.
With Battlefield down 21-14, Revell (10 of 16, 189 yards, 2 TDs) waited until the last instant before delivering a clutch 14-yard TD pass to Blaine Mason in the middle of the end zone that tied the game 21-21.
Khosa took over on the next possession, carrying five times for 55 yards and scoring the eventual game-winning TD on a 29-yard gallop up the middle. Revell also delivered a key 21-yard pass to Cooper Bull as the Bobcats drove 91 yards in less than three minutes to go ahead 28-21.
The second half explosion improved Battlefield to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the district, and confirmed they are the team to beat, although Osbourn is also 3-0.
“Offensively we always feel we can put points on the board when need to. Once we did catch up, it burst their bubble a little bit,” said Cox of his team's offensive mentality.
When Liberty coach Tommy Buzzo looks at the film, he may want to skip the fourth quarter , because until then it was very pleasing viewing.
Liberty took a 7-0 lead by scoring on its opening possession, an impressive 69-yard drive that consumed almost five minutes. Potts rolled to his right and connected with Wayne Fleming on a sideline pattern; Fleming broke free and scored to complete a 39-yard passing play.
The Eagles (4-2, 1-2) — hoping for the upset that would define their season — led most of the game and drew kudos from the Bobcats. “They came at us. They were well-coached. They were good people, a good team,” said Revell.
Liberty made a major statement before halftime by taking a 14-6 lead on a 73-yard drive. Again Potts was involved, as he lofted a perfect arching ball deep to Derrick Lee in the back left corner of the end zone for a 30-yard TD.
And the Eagles hurt the Bobcats in the third quarter, marching 74 yards for a TD , with Potts again hitting Lee on a lofting 24-yard strike for a 21-14 lead.
“We knew they had a good quarterback, and that they could put a lot of points on the board,” said Cox.
But Battlefield just kept coming.
After catching Liberty, the Bobcats stormed past the Eagles with two late scores for the lopsided 19-point final margin.
The loss left the Eagles pondering their positives going into Friday's big game at Osbourn Park.
“Potts played well, Derrick Lee had some nice catches. I know the final score was not indicative of the game,” said a subdued Buzzo, whose Eagles still have a chance at the playoffs as a Group AAA Division 5 team.
Battlefield, meanwhile, is gunning for its second straight berth in the Group AAA Division 6 playoffs, and looking armed and dangerous.
“Our kids are pretty tough when it comes down to it,” said Cox. “We're not new to coming from behind. We can do it that way. We feel we can match teams score for score, and not make many mistakes.”
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