"They're definitely a faster team. I don't think they're a talented team, they just have a lot of speed."

The Brentsville District players might dispute the middle analysis by Fauquier head coach Victor Hernandez, but his main claim about the Tigers' ability to break down field and beat its opposition is pretty much indisputable at this point of the season.

After a weird situation where lightning forced Kettle Run and Liberty to exit its game tied on Friday, Brentsville found itself in the driver's seat for control of the Evergreen District regular season title. That would guarantee the Tigers not only the top seed entering the playoffs but a berth to regions.

Against Fauquier last Thursday, the Tigers showed exactly why they're in the position to run the table within the district by defeating the Falcons in Warrenton 5-0. Six days earlier, Brentsville took out Liberty in a similar 6-0 fashion at home in Nokesville. All that came after BD gave up a 2-0 halftime lead to Kettle Run in the week prior only to lose in overtime 3-2.

Following that loss, Tigers coach Nate Nemerow remarked, "This was good for us. We'll learn from this."

Given the combined 11-0 route of the last two games, his prognostication seems accurate.

The April 30 match against the Cougars marked the Tigers' (9-3-1 overall, 5-1 district) one and only district loss of the year. Brentsville's outscored its opponents 32-13 this season after starting the year 0-2-1 through its first three games.

Much of that is due to a sterling combination of attacking and defense, led by veterans Trey Bright, Philip Nunes and Zach Willis among others on the forefront and goalie Hunter Mihalik in the back row.

According to Hernandez, one of the defining traits about the Brentsville team from an opponent's point of view aside from height and speed is watching how they talk on the field.

"The thing that I saw with them is they did communicate a lot better. They seem to possess the ball in the back and then they'd just play it full," said the Falcons' coach.

So far, the playoff picture appears set that Brentsville will take first place, Kettle Run should finish in second, Fauquier and Warren County are likely to jostle for third and fourth and Liberty is in fifth. That means the winner of Liberty vs. Fauquier/Warren County in the play-in game will head over to Nokesville to tangle with the Tigers in the first round of the district tournament, set for Friday, May 21.

Referring to the team's speed as a reason for the Tigers' success, Hernandez said bluntly, "They'll beat you. That's how they beat us (on the scoreboard) the first time we played them."