On Friday, Sept. 19, hope bloomed for the McLean football team as they faced their best chance at a win all season. The Highlanders squared off against Edison High School, a team known for its subpar football and an inability to score all season with a score of 117-0 over their first three games coming into the matchup.

“We were all told by the coaches to do our jobs, execute, and start the game fast,” sophomore linebacker Mark Devore said.

The Eagles started the game with the ball, but it was clear McLean was ready; they forced a fumble and got the ball on the 40-yard line. The offense proved to be inefficient, though, going three and out and punting.

“Right away, we felt like we were in favor,” Devore said. “When we forced that fumble, we knew we had this game.”

With the ball in Edison’s hands the defense made yet another big stop, giving the Highlanders the ball right where they left off.

McLean’s second drive started with a huge run from junior running back Chase Forde, which went for 25 yards right as time expired in the first quarter.

To begin the second quarter, senior quarterback Christian McNeill tossed a screen pass to senior wide receiver Steven Conroy. At first, this play seemed to be a loss, but Conroy broke multiple tackles and stormed into the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown, putting McLean up 7-0.

The Highlanders kicked off the ball following the touchdown, which brought the ball to the 35. McLean’s defence started strong with a near interception from junior cornerback Richie Gust, then two stops, which made Edison hand the ball back over to the Highlanders.

McLean ran the ball twice using Forde, but only went for five yards. They then called a timeout to discuss and make something out of the drive. On third down, McNeill made a long 15-yard pass to senior wide receiver Aidan Reid, moving the chains and keeping the drive alive. Two flags were called on McLean following the catch, moving McLean back for second and long. McNeill and Reid then made another connection for a huge 25-yard pass, putting McLean on the 5-yard line.

The Highlanders tried to keep the drive going, handing off the ball to Forde twice, going for 2 yards, then an incompletion forced a field goal for McLean. Making the score 10-0.

Edison, with possession, needed a big play with only 30 seconds left. On first down, they threw a screen pass that went 65 yards and a touchdown. However, they missed the extra point, pinning the score at 10-6 right as the half ended.

McLean received the ball to start the second half, with their first play being another screen pass to Conroy. It worked like clockwork,going for 25 yards and the first down. McLean wasn’t slowing down either, with another pass going to Reid for a touchdown and the 16-6 lead all in the span of one minute.

McLean then tried a squib kick strategy, which fooled the Edison special teams and caused a fumble recovery for McLean.. On the first down of the new drive, McNeill went right back to Reid and placed the ball perfectly for another touchdown, making the score 22-6.

“The momentum shifted at the start of the half after the two touchdowns,” sophomore tackle Shane Martin said. “There was a lot of energy, and Edison seemed to be defeated.”

From there, the game seemed to be pretty much over, with the Highlanders putting in the second strings on defense and some on offense. Though Edison did score once more, they failed the two-point conversion, which made the score only 22-12, maintaining Mclean’s score lead.

McLean’s offense took over and scored another touchdown on a clock-eating drive, putting the final nail in the coffin at 29-12. With the Eagles’ final chance, they had four back-to-back incompletions and turned the ball back over to the Highlanders. McLean got one first down using Forde, then used two kneels to end the game in a valiant victory at 29-12.

“We performed really well,” Martin said. “The energy was there all game on the field and from the sideline”.

Next Friday, McLean will play Yorktown, a team that beat McLean 39-7 last year, and is currently 1-0 in Liberty District games. The Highlanders will look to carry this momentum into this game and win.

“We can’t get complacent, and we have to realize that one win doesn’t mean much,” Conroy said. “We’re also driven by the fact that district games are the only thing that matters when it comes to the playoffs.”