History was made Sunday night.

The new kids on the block halted Centreville's five-year domination of the Concorde District. Westfield defeated visiting Centreville, 21-14, on a rain-soaked, muddy field with little grass left by the end of the night.

The Bulldogs erased a 14-point deficit, claimed their first district title and avoided having to travel to Robinson for a region semifinal this coming weekend. The third-ranked Bulldogs (10-0, 4-0 district) will host No. 4 Oakton (7-3, 2-2), while No. 2 Centreville (9-1, 3-1) travels to No. 1 Robinson (10-0, 6-0).

Standard for such a momentous victory, Westfield was loaded with heroes.

But they only emerged after a bleak first half that had Westfield questioning its fate and Bulldogs coach Tom Verbanic upset with his awestruck players. The Bulldogs had never been here before. They never played in a game that meant as much as this.

Trailing 14-0, Westfield quarterback Sean Glennon's 33-yard pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal advanced Westfield to the Centreville 5-yard line. And with 39 seconds left in the first half, Glennon dove across the goal line to get Westfield on the board.

Still, Centreville had to feel good about its position. Wildcats running back Daniel Bailey had carried 13 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns by intermission. But as the rain continued to pound the field, the mud got thicker. That, combined with a feisty Westfield defense, slowed the Wildcats.

About midway through the third quarter, it was apparent those in attendance were seeing something.

Glennon (14-of-25 passing, 204 yards) hit wide receiver Justin Born on a sideline route for 39 yards. Two plays later, Chris Black, a receiver without a score all season, chose a good time to get his first. His diving, acrobatic catch in the end zone tied the score and sent the home crowd into hysterics.

The teams then traded empty possessions before Westfield took over at its own 41. On second down, Born (four catches, 81 yards) fully extended to catch a 17-yard Glennon pass. The next play, however, was one that immediately enters Westfield's young annals of great plays. Running back Dan Carmack took a handoff from Glennon, burst up the middle and after breaking at least six tackles and picking up a great block from Born down field, Carmack stumbled before diving across the goal line for a 47-yard score.

After the game, Carmack was too gracious, too much of a team player to take credit for arguably the best run of the football season. Verbanic, never before heard singling a player out, said Carmack's run typified the team's effort.

Whether it was Eddie Royal (eight catches, 101 yards) turning a 10-yard catch into 21 yards on 3rd-and-19 or Carmack defying mud and gravity to score, Westfield knocked off the district heavyweight in truly dramatic fashion.

While Westfield will host its first-ever playoff game this weekend, the other Division 6 playoff game will take place at Robinson, who startled the West Springfield faithful with a 35-0 win over the Spartans Friday night.

Maybe it shouldn't be surprising considering who did it. Robinson entered Friday having won 32 of its last 34 games, including last year's state title matchup over Thomas Dale. But it was the way the Rams dominated West Springfield - especially in the first half - that was so impressive.

The Spartans are a solid team. Their running game, led by junior tailback Derrick Braziel and senior tackles Marshall Ausberry and John Massie, had fared well against some of the region's top defensive units.

But Robinson wasn't having it.

It appeared Rams senior defensive tackles Brent Jones and All-Journal Adam Fassnacht were in the backfield meeting Braziel, who was held to a season-low 35 yards, on nearly every play. When the region's leading rusher was able to avoid the first would-be tackler, senior linebackers Blake Shubert and Danny Adams halted any further progress.

Normally a business-like group, the Rams defense was more talkative Friday, maybe in an effort to let the Spartans (6-4, 5-1) know the Patriot District title is not relinquished easily. There's no question the Rams were inspired, and the drive to repeat as district and state champions wasn't their only motivation.

Last season, a Week 8 loss to West Potomac righted Robinson's ship. The dose of reality deflated some egos and from then on the Rams were clearly the state's best Division 6 team.

This year, the suspension of 14 seniors for two games was a king-sized dose of reality. But it's not the only factor. There is still an underlying desire among the returnees from last year to prove the Rams weren't a one-man show now that Mike Imoh spends football season in Blacksburg.

The truth is no team can win a state title with one threat. But Imoh's presence overshadowed his mates at times and opponents who thought his absence would halt Robinson's run were sorely mistaken.

The Rams jumped on West Springfield early, and the momentum never swung back the visitor's way.

Any team that runs the ball as much as West Springfield isn't built to come from behind. The Spartans would rather get up early then eat away at the clock and your resolve as they continually hand the ball to Braziel and move the chains.

That's why the game was effectively over at halftime. A look at the first-half numbers tells all you need to know: West Springfield rushed for just 16 first-half yards and failed to pick up a first down.

Robinson, on the other hand, racked up 305 yards of total offense, had 12 first downs and led 21-0. If not for a questionable fumble call inside the Spartans 5-yard line, it could have been worse.

And the Rams are peaking at just the right time. Junior quarterback Andy Hartigan looks like a different player than the one who started this season. His ability to throw on the run and make plays with his feet when he has to has added another element to Robinson's offense.

Friday was a perfect example of that. On the Rams' second drive, he hit senior tight end John Kinzer for 21 yards to advance Robinson into Spartans territory. Hartigan capped the march three plays later when he scooted untouched around right end on a 28-yard touchdown run. He sold the play with a fake to the fullback that had everyone in attendance thinking the play was a run up the middle.

They took different roads to this point, but the region's four best teams make up the Division 6 playoffs. Westfield, Robinson, Centreville and Oakton were a combined 28-1 against the rest of the region this season. And for the first time in recent memory, all four teams have a legitimate shot at hoisting the region title trophy in 12 days.

This season has had more ups and downs and more adversity than some who have been around the game for 20-plus years have ever seen. The way it has turned out, the playoffs might be worth the trouble.