There are only so many mistakes a football team can make against a regional champion and continue to get away with it without paying a price.

Battlefield found out that lesson the hard way on Saturday afternoon in Haymarket, losing to Chesapeake's Oscar Smith High School 42-14 in the Group AAA Division 6 state semi-finals.

Losing that game eliminated the defending state champs from the playoffs on the same day that their 2010 state title opponent Hermitage fell to Centreville 10-9.

The Tigers turned four Bobcat turnovers into touchdowns while BHS missed several scoring opportunities of their own.

Oscar Smith defenders picked off junior Battlefield quarterback Ryan Swingle three times. That came one week after Swingle tossed three interceptions against Hylton in the Northwest Region championship match won by Battlefield.

Check this spot again on Sunday and the Dec. 9 print edition of newspaper for a full recap about the game featuring analysis, keys to the game, player quotes and a preview of what's in store for the 2012 season.