Cavalier head Coach Joe Dishun would like to forget Thursday night’s 40-0 drubbing at the hands of Concorde District powerhouse Chantilly. Woodson survived a scoreless first quarter, but Chantilly took a 17-0 lead into the half and never looked back.
The undersized Cavalier defense, which featured a majority of their offensive starters, could not withstand the power of Chantilly’s running game. The Chargers accumulated 370 yards of total offense, over 200 on the ground.
Andrew Mackay’s struggles picked up where they left off, as the 6’2’’ junior went two of 12 for seven yards. Marcus Dash, whose name fits, was limited to one catch for three yards and only 20 more on eight rushes. Jonathon Stokes was able to pick up 123 yards on 28 carries but couldn’t manage to take one across the goal.
Find out what's happening in Fairfax Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Dishun, who has been coaching in the region for 23 years, is not so quick to be down on his team. He spent the last six as defensive coordinator and assistant coach at Lake Braddock. He and new Cavalier running-backs coach Tom Hogan were both part of the Lake Braddock’s run to the State Championship in 2009. With a focus on “loyalty, teamwork, and a good disposition,” Dishun looks to return Woodson (3-7 in 2010) to the winning ways of their 2009 campaign.
“We are still getting and finding our chemistry, but I think we will be a tight knit crew.” Dishun said. “I don’t like to make predictions, but our goal is to be competitive.”
Find out what's happening in Fairfax Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Woodson will need improvement from Mackay to restore offensive balance to an attack heavily reliant on the run.
Stokes will also be key on the defensive side of play, teaming with senior middle linebacker Mike Reaves to revive a defense that was purely outpowered by the Chargers.
“Woodbridge was a good start,” he said of the first scrimmage. “In the Edison game we had too many turnovers and allowed too many big plays, period.”
Clearly there was more of the same last night, as the Chargers finished the game with two touchdowns on a 76 yard pass and 63-yard run.
The Cavs will look to turn it around Friday against Madison.
