What a difference a year makes.
The McLean Highlanders finished 1-9 last fall in high-school football, defeating a winless team for its lone victory.
This fall, the Highlanders finished 8-2, tied for second in the Liberty District at 4-2, earned a 6D North Region playoff berth as the fourth of eight seeds, and two of its wins were over the Yorktown Patriots and Langley Saxons, in the case of Yorktown a team McLean hadn’t defeated in years.
McLean capped its 2023 campaign with a 12-7 road win over Langley (5-5, 3-3). That Nov. 3 victory earned the Highlanders the right to keep the neighborhood rivalry Rotary Cup trophy around for the next year. The winner of the annual clash earns that honor. The last time McLean defeated Langley was in 2020.
McLean’s last winning season was in 2011, also the last time the team earned a region-playoff berth. McLean hosts the No. 5 seed Herndon Hornets in a first-round game. Herndon defeated McLean in regular-season action.
Before a big crowd against Langley, senior runningback Kaelan Ferris led the McLean offense, as he has all season. He ran for 171 yards on 22 carries, including a three-yard scoring run. Nathan Bender accounted for McLean’s other points with field goals of 24 and 32 yards.
“The kids played really hard,” McLean coach Joe Cockerham said. “Beating Langley is huge. The community showed up, which was a lot of funand it's special for the community.”
McLean quarterback Ethan Ball threw for 63 yards and ran for 13.
On defense for McLean, Kevin Kabasele, Ndalo Ndebele, Easton Johnson, William Lewey, Noah Jander, Carter Brown and Jahi Jemison were leading tacklers.
"It has been a fun season," Cockerham said. "Looking back this season will be something the team can be proud of."
Cockerham believed the Highlanders would be improved this season, but he did not envision an 8-2 record so far.
For Langley, quarterback Cole Samburg scored on a four-yard run and Mateo Arboleda added the extra point. Samburg passed for 71 yards and ran for 43. Robert Roncskevitz ran for 165 yards and 23 carries for the Saxons. Cannon Clarke and Blake Thompson each caught three passes.
On defense, Roncskevitz and Clarke were among the leading tacklers.
Langley also earned a region playoff berth as the No. 8 seed will play the host and top seed Madison Warhawks (9-1) in a first-round game.
NOTE: Ferris (1,298) and Roncskevitz (1,027) each rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season. Ferris ran for more than 100 yards in seven games, and Roncskevitz did the same in six contests.
