One is a bruising, 275-pound fullback who makes his living between the tackles. The other is a sleek, 185-pound halfback blessed with a sprinter's speed.
Centreville's Curtis Lewis provides the thunder; Kenneth Tynes takes care of the lightning.
Oakton's handling of that impending weather pattern will go a long way toward determining the winner of tonight's Concorde District tilt between the top-ranked Wildcats (3-0) and fourth-ranked Cougars (3-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Oakton.
``It's scary because you can't focus in on any one thing," Oakton coach Pete Bendorf said. ``Centreville pounds you up the middle with Lewis, and when you adjust, Tynes gets loose on you as their home run threat."
Tynes and Lewis have wreaked havoc on opposing defenses thus far. Tynes ranks second in the Northern Region in rushing yards (493), yards per carry (10.1) and touchdowns (seven). Lewis has 263 rushing yards and averages 6.7 yards per carry. Their diverse talent, combined with a year of experience in Centreville's complex hybrid single-wing offense, has helped ease the loss of quarterback Nick Smith and wide receiver Tony Grossman to graduation.
``The nice thing is there are only so many ways to defend this offense," Centreville coach Mike Skinner said. ``And when [opponents] make adjustments, we've seen it before and have a good idea what to do. If they stock up the middle to stop us inside, we can get Tynes on the edge. If the defense spreads the field, that's when Lewis usually has a big game."
Led by inside linebackers Danny Prentice and Jon Hansen and interior linemen Stewart Maestas and Ryan McLean, Oakton's defense has succeeded by shutting down the run. The Cougars have allowed opponents just 64.3 rushing yards per game and 1.9 yards per carry.
``Improving our rush defense was something we talked about in the off-season," Bendorf said. ``Obviously, we're not going to see a better rush offense all season than we will [tonight]. And if you don't stop the run, you don't have a chance."
In last year's matchup with Centreville, the Cougars didn't stop the run and lost 36-0. Lewis and Tynes combined for three touchdowns as the Wildcats amassed 377 yards of offense. Oakton managed 71 yards offensively, only 20 of which came on the ground.
The Wildcats simply don't give up points. Centreville shut out the Concorde District last season, and the 2001 defense hasn't allowed a point yet. To beat the Wildcats, the Cougars must match Centreville physically and hope for a low-scoring game.
``Our kids know what they're going to get," Bendorf said. ``They've been playing against Centreville on the [freshmen and JV teams] and compete against them in the off-season powerlifting meets.
``The bottom line is, we've got to execute the best we possibly can, and if we get a chance for a play, make it happen."
Centreville has not lost to Oakton since 1993, when the Cougars prevailed in double-overtime. But since Skinner arrived in 1994 - he took over as head coach in 1999- Centreville is 8-0 against Oakton.
Annandale at Robinson
Can the Atoms derail the Rams express?
Second-ranked Robinson (3-0) has outscored its first three opponents by a combined score of 148-21. Seventh-ranked Annandale (2-1) fell for the first time last week in a 21-3 loss to Hayfield.
The Atoms had their chances against Hayfield, but their inability to convert inside the Hawks 30-yard line cost them.
Herndon led Robinson 7-0 after the first quarter of last week's game - the first time the Rams trailed this season. That didn't last long. Behind a combined 315 rushing yards from running backs Mike Imoh and Chase Anastacio, Robinson won 31-7.
The Rams' defense, which allows only seven points per game, buckled down after giving up Herndon's lone touchdown. Robinson senior cornerback Cary Wade, who verbally accepted a scholarship offer from Virginia Tech yesterday, heads a strong secondary.
``There was no sense of panic," Rams coach Mark Bendorf said of his team's first-quarter deficit. ``Our varsity kids are pretty experienced and understand we're going to be behind in some games. We didn't expect to roll over Herndon."
Last year's meeting between Annandale and Robinson wasn't close. The Rams rushed for 467 yards and held the Atoms to 58 yards of total offense en route to a 48-0 win.
But the Rams expect a much stiffer test tonight.
``They're vastly improved," Bendorf said of Annandale. ``This is not your father's Annandale, because they're throwing the ball quite a bit more - obviously because of Travis Johnson."
Johnson, who transferred in from Florida this year, is the region's second-rated quarterback (56.82). Last week, however, Johnson struggled against the Hawks. He completed 7 of 21 passes for 79 yards and threw his second interception of the season.
``The guy is just a rookie," Annandale coach Dick Adams said of Johnson, a junior in his first season as a starter. ``We confused him by doing a lot of things, and we have to get back to being more balanced."
Monte Moyer, the Atoms' leading rusher with 311 yards, should play a larger role tonight than he did last Friday. Against the Hawks, Moyer carried the ball seven times after averaging 19 carries over the first two weeks.
Defensive tackle Jake Edwards and offensive lineman David Eliff return from injury, giving the Atoms a boost. Edwards (knee sprain) and Eliff (ankle sprain) each missed the last two games.
Hayfield at West Potomac
Hayfield's 39-7 win over West Potomac last year was the first time the Hawks defeated their Patriot District and neighborhood rival since a 35-14 win in 1993.
Third-ranked Hayfield (3-0) enters tonight's game at No. 6 West Potomac (2-1) as the favorite.
None of the players who accounted for the 39 points in last year's win over the Wolverines play for the Hawks this season. Still, Hayfield has outscored its first three opponents 77-21 and is establishing itself as a program that doesn't rebuild, but reloads.
``We're very talented and more talented than I thought we'd be," Hayfield coach Billy Pugh said. ``Our young kids have really stepped up to the plate."
Hayfield's offense garnered much of the early praise, but its defense has been equally formidable. Through three games, the Hawks are allowing seven points per game and have not given up any points after halftime. Strong play from inside linebackers Ian Pleasant and Eric Orr are big reasons for that.
``They haven't gotten a lot of notoriety," Pugh said, ``but those two children can play some football."
Hayfield's defense contends with a potent West Potomac rushing attack tonight. Junior quarterback Darren Baker is the catalyst, and he missed last year's matchup with Hayfield with an injured wrist.
``[Baker] makes all of the X's and O's get tossed out of the basket," Pugh said.
Not having Baker hurt the Wolverines in the 39-7 loss to the Hawks. Hayfield posted 442 yards of offense while holding West Potomac to 94 - its lowest output of the season.
Yorktown at Herndon
The fifth-ranked Patriots (3-0) have been Division 5's best team thus far. A 23-20 win over West Potomac in Week 2 proved Yorktown could deal with a Division 6 opponent. When the Patriots travel to Herndon (1-2) Saturday at 1 p.m., they'll get a chance to provide further proof.
Herndon's two losses have come to No. 2 Robinson and No. 3 Hayfield. The Hornets are solid defensively, but are struggling on offense. Herndon has yet to score more than seven points in a game and is the third-lowest scoring team in the region.
Yorktown, which averages 28.3 points per game, features a variety of talented running backs. While the Patriots lack size, their depth in the backfield could be a problem for Herndon.
T.C. Williams at West Springfield
The eighth-ranked Spartans (2-1) earned a crucial 21-14 win over Patriot District rival Lake Braddock last week, arguably West Springfield's biggest win since Bill Renner took over as head coach in 1999.
T.C. Williams (0-3), on the other hand, is struggling. The Titans have been outscored 113-20 this season.
Senior Jamie Langley led the Spartans to victory last week by rushing for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Bad news for T.C. Williams: Langley had his best game of the 2000 season against the Titans, rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns.
These two teams have met 29 times since 1969, and T.C. Williams leads the series 15-14. But West Springfield has won the last three meetings and is a heavy favorite tonight.
Madison at Lee
Welcome to The Journal Top 10, Madison. After knocking off Liberty District favorite W.T. Woodson 29-22 in overtime last Friday, the Warhawks crack the rankings for the first time in over four years.
``The win was certainly a good re-enforcer for what we're trying to do here," Madison coach Gordon Leib said. ``We definitely feel good about winning, but we also feel some added pressure now."
In last year's meeting, Lee hammered Madison 42-6. This year, however, has been difficult for the Lancers.
Their most heavily recruited player, senior wide receiver-defensive back Ryan Hash, was sidelined for the season after suffering an ankle injury in practice prior to Lee's first game. Senior Clarence Howard, a three-year starter at linebacker and tight end, is no longer with the team because of an unrelated disciplinary matter. And senior linebacker Brian Coates, one of Lee's leading tacklers, broke his ankle in practice Wednesday.
The losses have forced young players into those spots, and ``where we need to be older, we're making mistakes," said Lee coach Gerry Pannoni.
While the Lancers have outrushed their opponents 701-423 so far, they are still 0-3. In the last two games, Lee has been penalized for 227 yards.
Madison is thriving behind an experienced group of seniors.
``[Madison] has got about 19 kids who have started before, and they execute very well," Pannoni said. ``Defensively, they blitz a lot and come after it."
Washington-Lee at Westfield
The Bulldogs (2-1) make their first-ever appearance in The Journal Top 10 after a 35-0 win over T.C. Williams last week.
It's been all or nothing for Westfield this season. The Bulldogs shut out Wakefield and T.C. Williams, but gave up 68 points to Annandale in a five-overtime loss. Expect the Bulldogs to be stingy again on defense tonight. Their opponent, Washington-Lee, lost to Wakefield 25-14 in Week 2.
Westfield wide receivers Brian Vaccarino and Paris Jackson have been among the region's top performers on special teams thus far. Vaccarino has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, and Jackson has scored on a kickoff and a punt return. Jackson also ranks in the region in receptions (12) and touchdowns (six).
The Generals (0-3) have been outscored 73-21. A recent bright spot, however, has been the play of Sean Somlar. In last week's 14-7 loss to Falls Church, Somlar rushed for a game-high 116 yards and scored the Generals' third touchdown this season on a 37-yard scamper.
