The Division Three title game that takes place Saturday at Liberty University. The Brookville Bees will make the short drive into the city of Lynchburg for the 12 p.m. kick against James Monroe of Fredericksburg.
You can pardon Jeff Woody and the Brookville Bees if they succumb to a little deja vu on Saturday. They have, after all, been here before.
"Lot of big plays in 2008, both sides of the ball," said Jeff Woody, Brookville's Head Coach.
"It was good until the end," said Brookville Senior Tyler Pitts.
Undefeated Brookville rolls into the State Championship game to face a tough test from James Monroe. Sound familiar? That was the exact scenario three years ago when the Bees, led by Logan Thomas, were stung with a 50-46 shootout loss to those very same Yellow Jackets.
"If you paid your $10 to get into Liberty University in 2008 to watch that you got your money's worth. One of the greatest football games I've ever been associated with," Woody said.
"Going undefeated and then losing, last game of the season. It was heartbreaking. Horrible," said Victor Montalbano, a Brookville Offensive Lineman.
Three years later Brookville has a shot at revenge. And the senior class could go out with just the second state title in school history.
"Each game gets more enjoyable. You start realizing you're running out of time and you just enjoy it more and more every day," Pitts said.
"It don't mean nothing if you go 13-1. Nobody ever remembers the number two," said Brookville wide receiver Mark Boyd.
When Brookville scouts this year's edition of James Monroe, also unbeaten at 13-0, the Bees see familiar traits.
"They mirror us in the sense that they've got four great athletes at wide receiver and all of them can make catches, all of them can make plays after they catch the ball. You got a quarterback that can throw the ball as well as run. And their running back is solid," Woody said.
"Pick your poison with our team. If you shut one guy down we have more guys we can go to. Not just that one guy that takes over the team," said Brookville running back Michael Carwile.
The Bees won't have the services of their All-American Korren Kirven on the defensive line. He broke his ankle in last week's semifinal victory over Cave Spring. What they will have is the home field advantage of playing right down the road at Liberty University, just like in 2008.
"I remember looking back and seeing nothing but maroon and gold," Carwile said. "And it was definitely something I'll never forget."
"I've got family coming from everywhere," Pitts said. "So I'm looking to shine and I'm hoping my Bees will shine with me and we'll come out on top.
Brookville has seen this script before."
All that remains is writing a different ending to the story.
Brookville also lost to James Monroe 7 to nothing back in 1996. Head Coach Jeff Woody was a wide receiver on that Bees squad. He won Friday Football Extra Player of the Week honors late in that season.
You can pardon Jeff Woody and the Brookville Bees if they succumb to a little deja vu on Saturday. They have, after all, been here before.
"Lot of big plays in 2008, both sides of the ball," said Jeff Woody, Brookville's Head Coach.
"It was good until the end," said Brookville Senior Tyler Pitts.
Undefeated Brookville rolls into the State Championship game to face a tough test from James Monroe. Sound familiar? That was the exact scenario three years ago when the Bees, led by Logan Thomas, were stung with a 50-46 shootout loss to those very same Yellow Jackets.
"If you paid your $10 to get into Liberty University in 2008 to watch that you got your money's worth. One of the greatest football games I've ever been associated with," Woody said.
"Going undefeated and then losing, last game of the season. It was heartbreaking. Horrible," said Victor Montalbano, a Brookville Offensive Lineman.
Three years later Brookville has a shot at revenge. And the senior class could go out with just the second state title in school history.
"Each game gets more enjoyable. You start realizing you're running out of time and you just enjoy it more and more every day," Pitts said.
"It don't mean nothing if you go 13-1. Nobody ever remembers the number two," said Brookville wide receiver Mark Boyd.
When Brookville scouts this year's edition of James Monroe, also unbeaten at 13-0, the Bees see familiar traits.
"They mirror us in the sense that they've got four great athletes at wide receiver and all of them can make catches, all of them can make plays after they catch the ball. You got a quarterback that can throw the ball as well as run. And their running back is solid," Woody said.
"Pick your poison with our team. If you shut one guy down we have more guys we can go to. Not just that one guy that takes over the team," said Brookville running back Michael Carwile.
The Bees won't have the services of their All-American Korren Kirven on the defensive line. He broke his ankle in last week's semifinal victory over Cave Spring. What they will have is the home field advantage of playing right down the road at Liberty University, just like in 2008.
"I remember looking back and seeing nothing but maroon and gold," Carwile said. "And it was definitely something I'll never forget."
"I've got family coming from everywhere," Pitts said. "So I'm looking to shine and I'm hoping my Bees will shine with me and we'll come out on top.
Brookville has seen this script before."
All that remains is writing a different ending to the story.
Brookville also lost to James Monroe 7 to nothing back in 1996. Head Coach Jeff Woody was a wide receiver on that Bees squad. He won Friday Football Extra Player of the Week honors late in that season.
