By Tommy Keeler Jr. — Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER -- As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Handley coach Tony Rayburn showed a rare sign of emotion with a fist pump. The student section stormed the field to celebrate with the team as soon as the clock hit zeros.

All Sherando could do was stand and watch in shock. The Warriors' 28-game regular-season winning streak had come to an end with a 21-19 loss to the Judges on Saturday at the Handley Bowl.

"Nobody believed in us, but we knew we could do it," Handley junior Jeremiah Wilson said. "We shocked the nation. We shocked all of Winchester and the whole state of Virginia. We beat the No. 2 team in the state."

Wilson had a good day on the offensive side of the ball, 22 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns, but it was a play on defense that helped give Handley the upset.

Trailing 21-19 with 4:20 left in the game, Sherando began its final drive of the game. On second-and-6 from the Handley 46, Sherando quarterback Ross Metheny was intercepted by Wilson at the Handley 29 with 3:34 left in the game.

"I think they thought I might be a little tired, and so I thought they were going to throw to me," Wilson said. "[Coaches] had said [Metheny] likes to look one way and then throw the other way. So I just read the play."

"Jeremiah made a great defensive play," Metheny said. "You can't throw them perfect all the time. That one play didn't lose us this game."

After the interception Handley moved the ball to the Sherando 47, where it faced a fourth-and-inches. Handley quarterback Brian Tavenner easily picked up the yardage with 1:10 left, and the Judges ran out the clock.

If the Judges weren't fired up enough coming into the game, they became even more motivated when Sherando players stuck a spear around the 45-yard line during warm-ups. Handley athletic director Bill Stewart went onto the field and removed it minutes later.

"That was a big no-no," Wilson said. "That got us so fired up."

Sherando was able to strike first during the game. The Warriors (3-1, 1-1 Northwestern) put together an 8-play, 96-yard drive in the first quarter. The Warriors used a combination of runs and passes to methodically move the ball down the field, and Metheny capped it with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Boyd for a 6-0 lead.

Sherando's Aaron Hedrick missed the extra-point attempt. Sherando's regular starting kicker Lukas Stump is out with an injury.

On the Judges' second possession of the game their passing game finally came to life. Handley had struggled through the air all season, but a bye week gave the Judges (3-1, 1-0 Northwestern) an extra week to prepare for the passing game against Sherando.

Handley platooned starter Geremi Long and Tavenner throughout the game. On the second series, it was Tavenner who came up with the big play on offense.

On third-and-8 from the Handley 46, Tavenner connected with Robert Galloway. The senior receiver caught the ball at the Sherando 40 and raced into the end zone to give Handley a 7-6 lead with 48 seconds left in the first quarter.

"I just ran my route. I thought the ball might be coming to me," Galloway said. "Right when I caught the ball I saw daylight, and I just ran as fast as I could."

Sherando retook the lead in the third quarter. On the Warriors' opening possession of the second half they moved the ball 79 yards in just five plays. Metheny connected with Ryan Witt for a 34-yard completion. Four plays later, junior Roger Smith ran for 26 yards to give Sherando a 12-7 lead with 5:20 left in the third quarter.

Handley came right back with an 11-play, 61-yard drive, capped by a Wilson 3-yard run on the final play of the third quarter. The big play again came through the air for Handley as Tavenner connected with Vance Washington for 24 yards on a long third down.

Tavenner finished 2-for-6 for 79 yards. He has seen limited playing time at quarterback, and his passes against Sherando were his first of the season.

"I've been playing on defense all year," Tavenner said. "All I care about is being able to play somewhere. I'd die for these guys.

"The last two weeks Geremi and I have been working on our three-step drops. We know teams are going to stack nine in a box against, so we have to be able to throw the ball."

After the defense forced a three-and-out, Handley didn't need much time to increase its lead. On the second play of the drive, Wilson fought off a couple of tackles and saw a hole open up on the left at the Handley 45. He then raced into the end zone for a 60-yard score and a 21-12 lead with just 9:34 left in the game.

"As soon as I got the ball I knew there would be a cutback," Wilson said. "I just waited for that moment in time and then cut back. The blockers did a good job blocking."

Sherando wasn't about to give up. On the Warriors' next possession Metheny showed why he's headed to the University of Virginia next year.

The Warriors used nine plays to close the deficit, but none bigger than two runs by Metheny.

On second-and-1 from the Handley 45, Metheny was under heavy pressure from the Handley defense. Metheny avoided a near-sack by Stephen Amos and made several Handley defenders miss as he ran 23 yards down the left sideline to the Handley 22.

The Judges' defense stiffened and forced Sherando into a fourth-and-9 from the Handley 21, but Metheny again made the big play. Metheny scrambled to avoid another defensive rush and sprinted to the Handley 10 to keep the drive alive.

"At that point in the game my thought process was, if nobody's open you gotta run," Metheny said. "The line did a great job, too."

Smith finished off the drive with a 10-yard run to cut the lead to 21-19 with 6:35 left in the game. Sherando forced Handley to a three-and-out, but the Wilson interception ended the Warriors' chances and the streak.

"What was it, 28?" Metheny said of the streak. "That's just a number. It's all good, but it doesn't help us win games.

"They say you can learn more form your losses than you can your wins. We didn't finish well today — we learned that. One loss isn't going to make or break your season."

The win could boost Handley's season. The Judges now have three wins over Division 4 teams, which could help them in the playoff ratings.

The Judges, who wore brand-new jerseys with their names on the back, won't have much time to celebrate as they prepare to play another undefeated team — Skyline — on Friday.

"This will give us a lot of confidence," Tavenner said. "We have another big one next week against Skyline. We have to get back in here on Monday and get ready for it."

* Contact Tommy Keeler Jr. at tkeeler@nvdaily.com