CVHS Freshmen Football Undefeated for Second Straight Year

For the second consecutive year, the Centreville High School freshmen went undefeated, blowing out most opponents by halftime and keeping four of the opposing teams scoreless on the way to a perfect season.

While the varsity team has , they are not the only team with a notable season. The 62-member freshmen team dominated the field so entirely this year that they outscored opponents by a margin of 263-40. . This year’s accomplishment marks the first time any local athletic team recorded back-to-back undefeated seasons in recent memory.

Coach Brian Scherer, who has engineered both undefeated seasons, gives the credit for a 7-0 season to his players.

“The kids worked real hard and stayed together,” Scherer said. “We start working with them in February and by the time August rolls around, they are ready. Football is the one sport that really emphasizes the team and playing together.”

Although this year was the first time any of the freshmen had played at this level, many had experience with club football while playing on teams in the . As a physical education teacher at Liberty Middle School in Clifton, Scherer is able recruit the eighth-graders with the most potential and get them involved in strength training. That gave many of the players the edge, he said.

“We had an idea that we could be good this year, but we didn’t think we would go undefeated,” Scherer said. Things became clear during the fifth game of the season, at home against cross-town rival , he said. The CVHS freshmen team mauled Chantilly, handing them a 35-0 pasting that was also the first shutout they have ever recorded against the Chargers, Scherer said.

Kainoa O’Connor, 15, a middle linebacker, said that games were the easy part compared to the team’s practices. “The practices were hard,” O’Connor said.

During games, the team confronted opponents with a combination of strength and break-away speed. Charles Tutt, 14, a wide receiver, describes a first-quarter play against that resulted in a 60-yard touchdown run.

The Oakton defenders were playing off Tutt, one of the fastest players on the field. Scherer called a quick hitch pass—which meant that Tutt would run three or four steps beyond the line of scrimmage and get a pass. At the snap, Tutt charged forward, caught the pass and then slipped, almost falling to the turf. He quickly regained his footing, juked the first defender and then it was a footrace to the end zone, which Tutt won. “They weren’t going to catch me,” Tutt said.

Tyler Cove, 15, a linebacker, played on teams for five years before joining the CVHS freshmen team. They were all surprised at their success this year, he said.

“We all knew we could be good, we just didn’t know how good,” Cove said. “This is the best experience in my life. We got to go practice and play together with friends every day.”

CVHS Freshmen Football 2011 Season

Date

Opponent

Location

Result

Sept. 15

Mount Vernon

Home

W 41-0

Sept. 20

Herndon

Away

W 42-13

Sept. 27

Hayfield

Home

W 40-13

Oct. 5

Robinson

Away

W 56-0

Oct. 20

Chantilly

Home

W 35-0

Oct. 27

Westfield

Away

W 49-14

Nov. 3

Oakton

Home

W 49-0