For the second year in a row, the varsity football team defeated Broad Run in the Battle of the Burn, finishing strong in what may have been the final chapter of the historic rivalry.

The Bulldogs dominated the Spartans by almost 60 points with a final score of 62-6. Stone Bridge shut out their rival for the first three quarters while scoring 49 points in the first half alone, bringing their record against the Spartans to 15-4.

“We were all really excited and very confident [in knowing] that Broad Run lost a bunch of their star players in the off season,” tight end Will Cross said. “We also lost a bunch [of players], but we still have a very strong team.”

Multiple players outperformed expectations to help put the Bulldogs on top; wide receiver Colton Hinton scored two touchdowns while Quarterback Zeke Wimbush accounted for four, two passing and two rushing. Safety Myles Turpin also had a big game, returning four punts for three touchdowns with one interception during the Spartan’s first possession of the game.

“Zeke always has a dominant performance, even though he’s playing a new position,” defensive lineman Vince Deleon said. “Colton is [also an] extremely talented athlete and puts in a lot of hard work, so it’s fun [to watch] him be successful.”

The Bulldogs have outscored their last two opponents by a combined 108 points and are now on a three game win streak since falling short to Freedom of Woodbridge. The team is looking to finish the regular season off strong and potentially win their third state championship in a row.

“When we lost as a team, it helped [show] us how we need to get better, how we need to communicate more effectively, and what we need to [work on] harder on as a team,” defensive line coach Steve Rudolph said. “We want to continue to learn from our mistakes.”

Defying an ominous forecast, Stone Bridge students still showed up to support their team. The student section was full of Carolina blue as students kept the energy going all night, holding up signs and engaging in cheers with the cheerleaders.

“The energy at Battle of the Burn is on another level compared to our normal games,” sophomore Katherine Streaker said. “Almost all of Ashburn comes together to see who’s on top. We even have specific signs and chants that we use because we run Ashburn like always.”

Varsity now has four games left in their regular season with next week’s game being away at Briar Woods on Friday, Oct. 7. Make sure you come out and support the Bulldogs during their last few games.

“Battle of the Burn is such a big event, and [even though] it sometimes isn’t a battle, we still have a good time,” Streaker said. “The pep rally leading up to it, the specialized shirts, and the different chants we have is what really makes Battle of the Burn so special.”