ASHBURN — All week long, all Maury coaches and players heard about was Stone Bridge’s defense.

And rightly so. The Bulldogs had allowed just 52 points this season, including seven shutouts.

But Stone Bridge, of Ashburn, had never faced an offense like the Commodores.

And the Commodores took the talk to heart.

“I did, I did,” said Maury running back Tayshawn Branche. “Then we get here and they tell us that we don’t belong here. That took a toll on us.”

Branche did all the talking for the Commodores and rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns to lead Maury to a 48-27 win over host Stone Bridge to advance to the Class 5 state championship game next Saturday in Harrisonburg. The Commodores, who play Highland Springs of Richmond, are trying to win their third consecutive state title.

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