The Washington-Liberty Generals saw their 18-game regular-season football winning streak tripped up in a 34-28 road loss to the Centreville Wildcats Friday night (Sept. 26).
Despite gaining 515 yards to Centreville’s 390, W-L couldn’t overcome errors and failed to convert on a late-in-the-game touchdown drive in the high-school game.
“We made too many mistakes and left too many points on the field. We didn’t deserve to win,” a disappointed Washington-Liberty coach Josh Shapiro told ARLnow. “Centreville made plays, has a good team, and they beat us up.”
The Generals fell to 4-1 as their undefeated season ended while Centreville improved to 3-1 in the non-district shootout.
The defeat snapped Washington-Liberty’s run of 18 consecutive regular-season victories. The team won its last four games in 2023, all 10 in 2024 and its first four this season.
In the defeat, the Generals led early by 7-0 and 14-7 scores, fell behind 35-14, then rallied to within 35-28. Washington-Liberty had possession in the final seconds. The Generals drove to the Centreville 24-yard line, where a fourth-down pass to the right corner of the end zone fell inches short of the receiver.
Two of the Generals’ miscues were throwing an interception deep in Wildcat territory and having the clock run out and getting no points at the end of the first half after having a first-and-goal at the Centreville one-yard line.
There also was a pass dropped in the end zone, and a potential interception dropped that would have stopped a Wildcats’ scoring drive.
In addition, Centreville returned a kickoff for a touchdown and scored another TD on a fourth-and-one situation, aided by a penalty on the previous play when the Generals were offside on a field-goal attempt.
“We could have scored 14 to 21 more points. Again, just too many mistakes,” Shapiro said.
The game began just the way the Generals wanted. They received the opening kickoff and put together a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead on a one-yard run by fullback Brayden Black and Lavand Aqrawi’s first of four extra points.
“We did everything we wanted at the start,” Shapiro said.
Centreville answered to tie the score by returning the opening kickoff. Washington-Liberty regained the lead at 14-7 on a 79-yard pass from Tyler Flint-Steinig to Trevor Fullen.
Behind a big-play passing and running game, Centreville then scored the next four TDs to build its 35-14 lead.
Leading W-L’s offense was Flint-Steinig, wide receiver David Toepel and Black, who ran for 90 yards and caught one pass for 11 yards. Flint-Steinig completed 26 of 40 passes, including his first 13 in a row, for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
Toepel caught 14 passes for 192 yards and a score. Fullen caught two for 122 and a touchdown, Luke Jones and Gavin England caught three each and Colby Arenson two for 21 and a TD. Jasper Dennis had one catch and 102 yards in kickoff returns.
On defense for Washington-Liberty, Jack Eustice, Miles Whitaker, Dillon Hathorn, Henry Fonseca-Cruz, Jeremiah Saunders and Andrew Tate were among those with tackles for losses. Aqrawi and Tyler Hawkins also made multiple tackles, and Jamal Sullivan deflected a pass.
Toepel had a 51-yard punt.
Washington-Liberty hosts the Wakefield Warriors (3-1) in a 7 p.m. all-Arlington clash Friday, Oct. 3.
NOTE: Washington-Liberty has lost all four times it has played Centreville, which opened in 1988. The Wildcats won the first three by blowouts: 53-7, 35-7 and 42-0.
