At the football district playoff game on Nov. 12, there were bursts of cheering and enthusiasm. Langley students stomped and pounded the bleachers with excitement over the 56-12 win against McLean. It was enough to get us into our first playoffs since 2004.
Since that fateful McLean game, varsity players started getting fired up for their first playoff game against Lake Braddock. Even with under a week to prepare, the players practiced hard and kept their efforts strong. “We have a tough group. They like to play. They want to do well so badly that they just keep on going,” Coach Howerton stated.
Even with Lake Braddock’s record of 9-1, our Saxons were not in the least bit anxious. “I don’t think they’re intimidated at all. We’re better than before. Our team has matured and we’re gonna do the best we can,” said Howerton. “It’s a pretty big deal for us to go to the playoffs,” said Ben Greenspan (12), starting varsity player. “We’ve worked really hard this season and our team has gotten a lot better.” Ben described the team as a “mesh” of players that have worked hard over their 4 years together to get to where they are now.
Other schools that made it to the playoffs include Robinson, Oakton, Centerville, Westfield, Lake Braddock, Chantilly, and Fairfax.
But in the end, it all came down to the coach’s words, “[Lake Braddock] is 9-1 for a reason.” Langley lost 34-10.
Additional reporting and writing done by Veronica Smith