He additionally knew the workforce’s efficiency in opposition to a program of No. 19 Patriot’s caliber would rely for one thing. But a slew of first-quarter turnovers left the Knights down 42-7, a deficit others could have simply conceded. Though Champe in the end misplaced, 76-59, the offensive onslaught was nothing new to this system.
With only one recreation earlier than the playoffs, the Knights (6-3) imagine they’ve the instruments to hold with prime groups. Elements that emerge in November playoff environments — specifically defending the ground-and-pound style chilly climate encourages — might be a spotlight in follow over the following couple of weeks. But the workforce additionally options an offense that’s troublesome for opponents to arrange for.
“Our style is different, so it’s not something teams see every week,” Carter mentioned. “I know my guys are going to fight to the end. And yeah, I feel pretty good knowing we’re not going to turn the ball over five times in a game, let alone in the first quarter.”
Crounse, Patuxent back in familiar territory
They say you may’t go house once more, and but house is the place Steve Crounse finds himself in late October. His Patuxent Panthers have simply wrapped up the common season with a powerful 23-15 win over North Point, and it’s time for playoff soccer. There are emotions of fall pleasure in Lusby, and the coach is aware of them nicely.
“To be honest, last night it felt like I had never left,” he mentioned Saturday.
Crounse spent 15 years because the coach at Patuxent, instituting this system as the most effective in Southern Maryland with a historical past of playoff wins and a state title in 2015. In 2017, he left for a brand new problem at Northern. After serving to the Patriots get established as a contender, he stepped away to function offensive coordinator at DeMatha.
In January 2022, it was introduced Crounse was coming house and taking the highest job at Patuxent. His son, Tyler, had been serving because the offensive coordinator for the Panthers, so Crounse was familiar with the roster. He noticed potential.
“I saw a lot of young athletes that were able to get their feet wet last year,” Crounse mentioned. “And they never lacked effort. It was just about getting kids into a better fit positionally and giving them time to grow.”
The first recreation of this season proved to be one of many stronger challenges of Crounse’s return, because the Panthers took on Northern.
“Most of that Northern staff are guys that I hired when I first went out there, and the kids are all kids that I taught or who played with my son Zach, so I knew them personally. It was a strange thing,” Crounse mentioned. “And we were still trying to figure out who we were at the time, so that night came and went pretty fast. But we learned a lot about ourselves that night and built from there.”
Patuxent misplaced that recreation, 20-13. But because the season went on, the Panthers (7-2) bought on the precise monitor thanks in half to the emergence of quarterback Evan Blouir and the play of defensive leaders Jalon Edwards and Jed Lancaster. Now, having defeated North Point on Friday night time, they enter the Maryland 1A/2A South playoff bracket with loads of momentum and a coach who has been on this stage many instances earlier than.
“Coming back here has been like coming back to family,” Crounse mentioned. “It’s coming back to people who helped raised my children. It’s been a blessing. It’s revitalized me and my love for the game of football.”
Tahj Smith, Rock Creek Christian: The senior quarterback accounted for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Eagles’ 28-6 win over Friendship Collegiate.
Zaire Kennedy, HD Woodson: The senior operating back had 200 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns, because the Warriors knocked off Jackson-Reed, 34-7.
Dillon Dunathan, Damascus: The senior racked up 209 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries because the Hornets completed the common season with a powerful win over Seneca Valley.
Jackson McCarter, Patriot: The sophomore had 317 yards and three touchdowns in the workforce’s 76-59 win over Champe to maintain the Pioneers unbeaten heading into their remaining week of the common season.
Gaithersburg at Walter Johnson, Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 1 Good Counsel at No. 2 DeMatha, Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 20 Lake Braddock at South County, Friday, 7 p.m.
Richard Wright at KIPP, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Potomac School wins first house night time recreation
Without lights at its subject, Potomac School has lengthy performed its house video games Saturday mornings and afternoons. When Coach C.J. Remmo reviewed this season’s schedule in March, he aspired so as to add pleasure to the workforce’s rivalry recreation in opposition to Maret.
Remmo scheduled this previous Friday’s recreation in McLean to start out at 7 p.m. — the primary night time recreation at Potomac. He ordered and put in lights, creating what Remmo mentioned was one of many college’s finest atmospheres.
Potomac made the night time extra particular with a 38-35 victory over the Frogs. Entering their common season finale at Sidwell Friends on Friday, the Panthers (5-2) are tied for first place in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference with Flint Hill and Saint James.
“Every high school kid kind of dreams about playing under the Friday night lights,” Remmo mentioned. “We’ve certainly had games under lights at other places, but it’s nice to host that.”
Throughout the spring Remmo and others in Potomac management researched firms that would ship lights. When Remmo erected eight gentle towers Thursday, he didn’t imagine there have been sufficient. That night time, an organization owned by a pupil’s household, Clark Construction Group, donated 10 extra gentle towers Remmo organized Friday morning and afternoon.
In entrance of Potomac’s largest crowd this season, operating back Marcel Gaskins rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was kind of an illustration of why I love Potomac so much — the community support, the family feel,” Remmo mentioned. “That’s why Potomac’s a special place and, you know, our football players really felt that. We preach that all the time, but it was on display [Friday] night.”
Oxon Hill relying on sophomores
When Oxon Hill opened the yr with a 24-22 victory at Eleanor Roosevelt, the most effective groups in Prince George’s County, the Clippers appeared prepared for a breakout yr.
But a younger workforce predominantly led by sophomores has as a substitute been inconsistent. Frustrating one week, encouraging the following, and in the end 4-5 in the standings.
“With us only having six seniors on the team, we’ve probably overachieved this season,” Oxon Hill Coach Craig Jefferies mentioned. “But on the other hand, when you look at all the close games we’ve been in, it’s hard not to say we didn’t leave some meat on the bone this season, too.”
Three of the Clippers 5 losses have been by six factors or fewer. And in a 35-26 loss to Laurel on Oct. 21, Oxon Hill led coming into the fourth quarter.
“In a sport like football, it can really be a game of luck,” Jefferies mentioned. “And this year we’ve had dumb luck. We’ve had to reschedule games because the entire team had food poisoning, then we’ve lost guys to covid and concussion protocol and then there’s just been situations where we let games that we had slip between our fingers.”
With all groups qualifying for the Maryland playoffs, the Clippers will enter the 3A bracket because the No. 5 seed. They will face St. Charles (7-3), out of Waldorf, in the primary spherical for a second consecutive season.
Waldorf gained final yr’s matchup, 46-0, so for the Clippers to get revenge, they’ll want operating back Cameron Azodeh and quarterback Aaron Ayodeji, each sophomores, to be at their finest.
Azodeh has 1,100 dashing yards and 11 TDs, whereas Ayodeji has handed for 13 touchdowns and rushed for an additional.
“I’m excited to see how we’ve improved from last year to this year,” Jefferies mentioned. “But regardless of the result, the experience will go along way in preparing this class for their true window of opportunity these next two years.”