South Lakes Ready To Settle The Score With Battlefield In Reston

By Brian McNicoll

South Lakes High Coach Jason Hescock said he has watched the ending of last year’s game against Battlefield 40 times or more – plus 10 more in the last week or so.

It was that painful. The Seahawks had refused to fold against a team coming off a state semifinal appearance and actually took the lead on an 11-yard pass from Christian Wyatt to tight end Nate Zschunke with 34.8 seconds left.

Hescock said he considered a squib kick along the ground in which the returner would likely pick up the ball at about the 15-yard line with a lot of Seahawks nearby. But his kicker came to him and said he was “jacked up” and was sure he could get the kickoff into the end zone, which is an automatic touchback in high school football.

That sounded like a good deal – 80 yards to go for a team that had completed six passes all night. But the kick didn’t quite get it into the end zone, and Keaton Ramey, now playing for Division 1 Stony Brook, took it at the one, veered left, beat two defenders and ran 99 yards for a touchdown that gave Battlefield a 20-16 victory.

“We proved we were the best team except for that one play,” Hescock said that night. “It was just two to three guys who got caught up in the moment.”

The Bobcats will be in Reston for a rematch on Thursday night, and Hescock says it’s now time to “put the universe back in balance and make that right.”

Both Teams Bring 2-0 Records Into Rematch

And the Seahawks have a good chance to make it happen. Both teams are off to 2-0 starts. Battlefield defeated North Stafford, which is rebuilding after a state finals appearance last year, 41-0, and defeated Mountain View, 18-7.

South Lakes unloaded a 37-point second quarter on Yorktown on the way to a 43-21 victory and rolled over Robinson, 30-7, last Thursday.

On top of that, Hescock is right about the Seahawks dominating last year. They outgained Battlefield, 309-230, and Wyatt completed 20 of 24 passes for 175 yards.

South Lakes Brings More Weapons On Offense

The Seahawks are far more diverse on offense this season. Against Robinson, not only did Wyatt scramble for 126 yards, but James Smith, a big, physical running back who wasn't on the team last year, added 124.

Nick Picarelli became South Lakes’ all-time leader in catches in the second quarter of the Robinson game, and although he has not scored this season, he continues to be a team leader in catches and yards as well as the area’s best kick returner.

With opponents focusing on him, Wyatt is taking advantage by hitting Joshua Dagbe, a junior, with seven passes against Yorktown and six against Robinson for a total of 140 yards and three touchdowns.

“We should have some confidence on offense. We have a lot of ways to move the ball,” Hescock said. “Whoever’s turn it is, we’ll let it come to them. If we keep scoring 30 points per game, we’ll win a lot of games.”

Seahawks Defense Creating More Turnovers

The South Lakes defense comes in off a week in which it allowed 101 total yards, three completed passes (with two interceptions) and five first downs.

“We credited them with a shutout … even bought them donuts,” Hescock said.

As for Battlefield, Hescock said the defense will have to get used to the bigness of the Bobcats. Not just big linemen but big backs as well and a big quarterback who makes plays.

The Seahawks hope to keep producing turnovers. South Lakes has four interceptions already this year, more than the three they had in all 2025. They’ve also recovered two fumbles after recovering just three a year ago.

“It’s good to see. We’ve put a lot of work into it, especially the interceptions. We’ve made that a big part of our defensive circuits in practice. And our front seven has really done well at being in the right places and not shooting ourselves in the foot.”

South Lakes Ready For Another Shot At Battlefield

Hescock said the team is eager to get revenge, and he was on the way to the special teams meeting to point out what happened last year and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“Imagine where we would’ve been,” he said this week. “Imagine the difference that would’ve made in our whole season. We were so close. And we’re so ready to see them again.”

Also See ...

• South Lakes Forces 3 Turnovers, Rolls Past Robinson 30-7
• South Lakes Scores 37 In Second Quarter, Cruises Past Yorktown 43-21
• Seahawks Promise A Strong Ground Game As South Lakes Opens At Yorktown