Clarke County whips Manassas Park

By Robert Daski

Published: October 24, 2008

The four-point deficit Manassas Park’s football team faced at halftime of Friday’s game against Bull Run District rival Clarke County was such that the Cougars strolled into the locker room with confidence, knowing they had a shot to knock off their opponent and seize sole possession of first place.
“We went in with the mindset that we’re going to win the football game,” Manassas Park coach David Coccoli said.
That belief disintegrated in the third quarter.
Clarke County returned the second half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown and scored on its next possession. Those scores helped Clarke County beat Manassas Park 41-17 and snap the Cougars’ two-game win streak.
Trailing 28-10, the Cougars appeared to regain momentum when Brandon Livingston returned a kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.
After Clarke County went three-and-out on its ensuing offensive possession, the Cougars’ offense returned to the field with 3:53 left in the third.
But the Cougars ran six plays before punting.
And after Manassas Park’s Desmond McDonald recovered a fumble at the Cougars’ 17, quarterback Corey Swanson threw an interception which Clarke County’s Sam Shiley returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
That score with the extra point put Clarke County up 34-17.
Clarke County’s Zach Shiley and Tyler Morley combined for the game’s final score as Shiley threw a 27-yard touchdown to Morley.
“They’re a good football team,” Coccoli said.
“They made the plays in the second half. All the credit goes to them.”
Manassas Park (2-6, 2-1) moved the ball in the first half. The Cougars received the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards downfield. The drive lasted 12 plays and ended on running back D.J. Gaskins’ one-yard touchdown run.
Clarke County retaliated with a 13-play, 56-yard drive as Jeremy Rhoads scored from one yard out.
Kicker Raymond Smetanick’s extra point tied the game at seven.
A 28-yard field goal from Edwin Romero gave Manassas Park a 10-7 lead.
Clarke County’s ensuing possession began at its 31-yard line. After a one-yard run on third and one gave Clarke County a first down, Cougars linebacker Keith Grand sacked Shiley at the Clarke County 47 for a seven-yard loss.
The next play, however, made Cougar fans forget the sack. Shiley completed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Morley with 1:04 remaining until halftime.
The extra point gave Clarke County a four-point advantage.
“This is a tough loss,” Coccoli said. “We’ll bounce back. We’ve got two games left.”