The Madison Warhawks remember what it felt like to be the punch line of everybody's jokes. They remember walking the halls of their own school with heads down, eyes focused on their shoes. They remember what it was like to be called losers by cross-town rivals, with little ability to defend themselves against that label.

That is why tonight's game is so important.

The 7:30 contest between host Madison (8-2) and Mount Vernon (6-4) will decide the Division 5 Northern Region title. But the fact the Warhawks are playing in such an important game at all also serves as a reminder to the seniors on the team that their dedication to the program the past three years has finally been rewarded.

Last season, Madison hit the low point of a difficult three-year stretch. A lopsided loss to Langley dropped the Warhawks to 0-8 for the year. The team was just 3-25 dating back to the 1998 season, and with McLean next on the schedule, there was little reason for optimism.

``Before the McLean game, everyone was saying we had a chance to go 0-10, and that we were the worst team in the region," senior defensive end Jason Klepic said.

Rather than listen to the critics, however, Madison regrouped and earned its first victory of the season over the Highlanders. As if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders, the Warhawks suddenly began to gain confidence, and the result has been a 10-2 mark over their past 12 games.

``The last few years, we were made fun of," Klepic said. ``Now, everybody's jumping on the bandwagon, and it's a lot of fun."

A victory over the Majors would complete the Warhawks' storybook season, but if Madison is to win tonight they must first find a way to stop Mount Vernon tailback Thomas Clayton.

An explosive senior with sprinter's speed, Clayton has rushed for 1,363 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Surprisingly, in last week's 27-24 victory over Yorktown, Clayton was held to 86 yards, the first time this season he did not break the 100-yard mark.

The Majors have experienced their own reversal of fortune this season. After opening the season with losses to West Potomac and Hayfield, Mount Vernon has won six of eight games, with the other two losses coming against Division 5 playoff teams Edison and Yorktown.

Majors coach Jody Stone - who has guided his team to the playoffs during his first two seasons as head coach - said the development of sophomore quarterback Chris Spencer and a young offensive line has been instrumental to the team's recent success.

``You can't expect a sophomore quarterback to take over [and win] right away," Stone said. ``We went back to the basics and took out some things about four weeks ago, and it helped him gain some confidence. Now he's really comfortable."

Defensively, Mount Vernon must contend with Madison's unorthodox double-wing offense - an almost exclusively run-oriented formation that essentially bunches all 11 offensive players around the center. Using the double-wing, Madison has averaged 231.8 rushing yards per game this season.

The Warhawks gained 299 yards on the ground in a 20-14 Division 5 semifinal win over Edison last Friday. In that game, Tyler Lee gained 153 yards on 25 carries, while Ryan Ginley had 96 yards on 10 carries.

``It's going to be real physical," Stone said of tonight's game. ``Their whole game plan is to dominate the line of scrimmage, to get 5 yards and a cloud of dust. And if they don't get 5 yards, they go back and try to do it again."

Madison has run the double-wing for years, but only recently has the formation caused such headaches for opposing coaches.

``From a defensive point of view, it's like a train wreck," Klepic said with a grin. ``We just try to knock them down, and when the dust settles there's a bunch of bodies everywhere."

Good said the Warhawks loyalty to the formation, in spite of the team's past struggles, is symbolic of Madison's turnaround this year. However, Good said the Warhawks' sudden success with the double-wing has even taken some members of the team by surprise.

``Everybody has run it for a while, we like it, and we all are on the same page," Good said. ``It's all happened kind of quick, but it feels good to know that your hard work for three years pays off."