Welcome back to the Game of the Week: Breakdown, where today we'll break down the match-up in the Battle of the Burg, Heritage-Loudoun County. The Raiders have a shot at the playoffs with a win, while Heritage will look to send Coach Wes Driskill out a winner. Let's get down to it.

THE BREAKDOWN

Heritage Offense vs. Loudoun County Defense

When Ross Madison went down with a knee injury in the Pride's loss to Briar Woods two weeks ago, it looked like Heritage's season might be over. The senior tailback made up such a significant portion of the offensive attack, that without him, the Pride were missing what Coach Wes Driskill called "about half our offense." But the boys in black and red bounced back in a big way last week against Park View, putting up 41 points in an inspired performance. Senior quarterback Zach Gordon led the attack with 131 yards rushing on only 10 carries, finding the end zone twice with his feet and throwing a touchdown pass to Kameron Cole. Despite his three interceptions, it was Gordon's most productive game of the season and the Pride will expect another strong effort from their senior under center on senior night in Leesburg.

After searching aimlessly for a serviceable running back after Madison's departure against Briar Woods, Heritage appears to have found their answer in an option-style rushing attack led by Gordon and supported by David McCarthy and Aaron Summers. It'll be tough sledding against the Raiders as Loudoun County will likely key on stopping the run and forcing the Heritage QBs to beat them through the air - where they have been up and down this season. Neither Gordon nor sophomore Brian Rody throw the ball downfield often, instead connecting on short outs and crossing routes to pick up five or six yards at a time and hope that their receivers can gain yards after the catch. If the Raiders can stuff the run early and get a lead on the scoreboard, it will likely force Driskill to insert Rody, who has a much bigger arm than Gordon. Like most teams, Heritage struggles when they fall behind and are forced to make plays through the air. Both Gordon and Rody have struggled with throwing interceptions in critical situations at times this season, but they're also capable of making big plays. They'll be looking for big targets like TE Russell East and WR Dan Dykema. East leads the team with 27 receptions this season and Dykema has hauled in 15 passes including three touchdowns.

County has one of the most active linebackers in the district anchoring the middle of their defense in junior Chase Williams. He has a knack for disrupting the running game and can also play pass coverage in the middle of the field. If Williams and the rest of the Raiders' front seven can plug the holes up front and put pressure on Heritage's quarterbacks, County's defensive backs will be able to play man coverage and go for interceptions. Against the better rushing offenses in the district, however, the Raiders have really struggled this season. They gave up a whopping 463 yards on 33 carries in a loss to Broad Run and 221 to Potomac Falls on 29 totes. They'll need a better performance in this one if they hope to boost their playoff chances with a key victory.

There's also a chance Madison is able to suit up for his final game at Heritage, Driskill said. If he's able to go, it will give the Pride a massive lift on the field and on the sideline where they're eager for any type of confidence boost they can find.
Edge: Pride (barely, unless Madison plays, then the edge is multiplied ten-fold)

Loudoun County Offense vs Heritage Defense

The Raiders have gone back to the fundamentals in the past few weeks, according to Coach Todd Hill, and must continue to do so tonight against Heritage. In speaking to Coach Wes Driskill, I know that he has been impressed with the strong running of senior RB Andrew Walczak, who has gone over the century mark in the Raiders past two wins.

Walczak will team with Adam Yesuf and Spencer Green in the backfield to form the rushing attack for Loudoun County, and almost moreso than in any other game this season, I believe Loudoun County's ability to run the ball will be key against Heritage. The Raiders are at their best when they are not being forced to air it out too much, with Hill saying he felt the team was throwing too often during the stretch when they dropped three straight, and I think it could help limit mistakes. In the past two weeks, Loudoun County ran the ball at least 34 times each game and attempted just 19 total passes, a far cry from the 35 pass attempts in the loss to Broad Run. Look for similar numbers tonight.

In addition, the more success County finds on the ground, the more Heritage will be forced to crowd the box and the more likely you see one-on-one match-ups with Michael Ayoub and Chase Williams in the passing game. Ayoub has proven to be a go-to receiver in every game this season, and Williams causes mismatch problems with almost anyone. Ross Madison might play, but if he does it'll be on offense only and that's a big loss for the Pride's defensive unit.

I expect Heritage to look to crowd the box (even more than Brooks stuffed the ballot box in Thursday Throwdown's Alumni poll) and stop the run, and if that's the case QB Joe Bushrod must be efficient and limit his mistakes in the passing game. Heritage limited Park View to just 20 rushing yards but gave up 295 to Briar Woods...so it'll be interesting to see what defense shows up tonight.
Edge: Loudoun County

KEYS TO THE GAME

Loudoun County
Establish the Run- As we established above, the key to Loudoun County's success will be how well they run the ball. If you see 35 pass attempts going up, it's probably not a good sign.
Protect the Football- Turnovers are a game killer at any level, and Loudoun County has been burned big by mistakes in some marquee games this year. They must protect the football tonight if they want to grab that playoff berth..
Understand the Implications- You hear coaches try to play down the importance of big games, but this is one of those games where you want your team to understand what a win would mean and allow the emotion to overflow onto the field. Hey County, you could head to the playoffs with a win. Get after it. .

Heritage
Rise to the Occasion: Tonight is senior night at Heritage and 21 Pride players will be honored before kickoff. The atmosphere will be electric as these players try to close the book on their high school careers with their fourth victory over the Raiders. The younger guys on the team know the seniors are the ones who helped build this program and they'll definitely be fired up as they try to send them off with a 'W'..
Win the Turnover Battle: Just as the Pride have struggled with interceptions this season, so have the Raiders. They take chances down the field and are also prone to fumbles that have played critical roles in several of their games. Heritage must value their possessions and pressure Joe Bushrod in hopes that he'll make a mistake down the field. Whoever wins the turnover battle will likely win this contest..
Schadenfreude: What does that mean? It's a German word that means taking satisfaction or pleasure in someone else's misfortune. The Pride are all but out of the playoff picture, but they can still have a huge impact by knocking off their rivals. If they needed any extra motivation on senior night, knowing a win would end County's season should be plenty to get them fired up for this one..

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Loudoun County: Andrew Walczak, Senior, RB: It's been stated over and over again in this blog, Loudoun County must dominate on the ground in this game. Walczak, who has been leading the way running the ball in the past two weeks, will likely be the workhorse again tonight and his success will be critical for the Raiders.

Heritage: Zach Gordon, Senior QB: This season hasn't quite lived up to expectations for Gordon and his fellow seniors. This game is their chance to salvage it with their fourth victory against their rivals in the last four seasons. The Pride have gone back and forth between Gordon and Rody at QB all season, but you've got to think Driskill will go with his senior on senior night in the Burg. Whether or not Gordon lasts the whole game will depend on two things: his legs and his decision making. If he can find running room up the middle and carry a rushing attack missing it's workhorse, the Heritage offense will be successful. He also has to be accurate with his limited passing attempts and avoid taking risks that could result in interceptions. A week ago, he completed just 8-of-21 passes and threw three picks. Needless to say, the Pride will need a much more efficient showing if they're going to spoil County's playoff hopes.

BONUS: Ross Madison, Senior RB, Heritage: It was no fluke that Madison was the district's leading rusher eight games into the season. With 961 yards he was cruising toward the league rushing title before his injury derailed those hopes. If he's healthy enough to play, he'll make a huge impact on this game and force the Raiders to plan the defense around stopping him at all costs.