“It’s eye-opening,” Peterson said of his team’s speed. “I put those guys up against anybody around.”
This year, as such, they’ve moved more toward an Air Raid offense under 6-foot-7 quarterback Caleb West, who has hit his receivers with decisive reads from the pocket. Two-way star Joshua Clarke, who highlighted a 33-7 win over St. Michael the Archangel in the Huskies’ most recent game with three touchdowns and 150 yards, said he has been surprised to see how many guys can match his pace.
“Yeah, that track speed definitely helps out a lot,” said senior receiver Andrew King, who is considered the team’s fastest player and runs 100 meters in 10.6 seconds.
According to King, who likened their athletic prowess to the Alabama Crimson Tide, it’s impossible to look anywhere on their team — from the transfers to the three-year starters; the linebackers to the running backs; the film to the stat sheet, where they have an abundance of takeaways — and not think of the speed. That has made them anxious to ascend even higher this year on both sides of the ball.
“Now it’s like, ‘Okay, we have to win every game by 30, 40,’ ” King said. “And it’s not just the offense. If you don’t know this side of our defense, just watch out. It’s a wrap.”
Suitland returns after suspension
After a week spent wondering whether they’d have a game on Friday, Suitland players were relieved to hear the team suspension that came as a result of a Prince George’s County school board investigation was lifted Thursday.
The investigation — which is still ongoing — centers on an altercation while the Rams were cheering after their 35-0 win against Bladensburg on Sept. 22, when a coach for the Mustangs grabbed a towel being waved in celebration by a Suitland lineman. Players from both teams rushed the field in response, coaches tried to keep their teams calm, and security officers released pepper spray in the air to prevent further escalation.
The county launched an investigation several days later and suspended the Rams’ season. That suspension resulted in their first loss of the year when they were forced to forfeit against DuVal. After an outcry from the Suitland community, county officials lifted the suspension until further notice, giving the Rams (5-1) a chance to rebuild the momentum of the early season.
While they’re eager to get back to focusing on football — a dominant 40-0 win against Northwestern on Friday helped — senior running back Dehron Johnson says his team knows all eyes are on them and their behavior for the rest of the season.
“The mood for the [Northwestern] game was to have our energy up and play with intensity, but also keeping our calm because we know that … there’s a target on our backs,” Johnson said. “Don’t say anything wrong. Don’t do anything wrong. Play by the rules.”
The petition to lift the Rams’ suspension was launched Sept. 27 and currently has more than 2,300 signatures from players, family members and fans.
“The Suitland Rams are more than just a football team; they are a family,” the petition reads. “ … These young black men face numerous obstacles every day but choose education, teamwork, and personal growth over succumbing to negative influences.”
While the investigation continues, Johnson says he and his teammates are ready to get back to the field and continue their run toward the playoffs. Next up for the Rams is senior day Saturday against Bowie (4-2).
David Avit, Churchill: The senior playmaker rushed 16 times for 242 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown run, in the Bulldogs’ win against Whitman.
DaMarion Fowlkes, Good Counsel: Before Saturday’s win over St. John’s, Falcons Coach Andy Stefanelli said Fowlkes was perhaps the team’s most underrated player. With star receiver Elijah Moore sidelined, the junior pass-catcher showed why, hauling in two key touchdown receptions.
Demarco Valladares, Bell: The junior quarterback threw for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the Griffins’ 42-14 win over Phelps, ensuring his team’s momentum builds for yet another week.
Cael Yates, Madison: The Warhawks picked up their seventh-straight victory behind their junior quarterback, who orchestrated a late comeback against Westfield.
No. 7 C.H. Flowers at No. 9 Wise, Friday, 4:30 p.m.
No. 3 DeMatha at No. 1 Good Counsel, Friday, 7 p.m.
Lightridge at Stone Bridge, Friday, 7 p.m.
Northern at No. 20 Patuxent, Saturday, 7 p.m.
One-handed INT is ultimate highlight
Opposing quarterbacks rarely throw safety Cole Kielhorn’s way when matching up against Loudoun Valley. The senior has a knack for pulling down interceptions over the course of his four-year varsity career and has compiled a highlight reel full of improbable catches for the Purcellville program.
Kielhorn might have come down with his best catch yet Friday in a 14-0 loss to Tuscarora. After shadowing a Huskies receiver on a post route and flipping his head around to locate a deep ball, Kielhorn reached one hand up in the air and nabbed a cross-body interception, sending his teammates on the sideline into a frenzy.
“He decided to throw it my way, and I took my chance and put one hand up there and it kind of just felt like a magnet,” Kielhorn said. “It just stuck to my hand. … It was very electric.”
Coach David Bishop was unsurprised by the one-handed stab, no matter how many Vikings jumped and screamed around him on the sideline. He has seen Kielhorn make similar plays over the course of his high school career, both as a wide receiver and free safety.
“He probably has some of the best ball skills when the ball is in the air of any athlete I’ve ever coached in my life, and that’s 20-plus years of coaching,” Bishop said. “When the ball was in the air I knew he had an opportunity to go get it, and he just made a highlight-reel interception.”
The senior led the team in touchdown grabs last season and has posted six more scores so far this year. He also leads the team with three interceptions through six games.
Kielhorn will have ample opportunity to make more highlight-reel plays as Loudoun Valley (3-3) continues its push toward a playoff berth in a loaded Class 4. But Friday’s play is one he, and his team, won’t soon forget.
After wild defeat, Northern bounces back
In the minutes after Northern’s loss to Great Mills on Sept. 29, Coach Rich Holzer had two messages for his team.
“I told them that we were a good football team when we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot,” Holzer said. “And I told them that the next week was going to be a gut check. I wanted to see who would come back and practice harder than they have before and help us turn it around in the next game.”
It had been a wildly frustrating evening for Northern, one of the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference’s best teams. The Patriots had lost their starting quarterback to an injury, turned over the ball seven times, gone down 28-7 in the first quarter and clawed their way back to a 35-28 lead. But Great Mills won on a two-point conversion in the closing minutes, handing Northern a stunning 36-35 defeat.
“It was a one-in-100 type game, where everything goes wrong,” Holzer said. “But they didn’t bury their heads, and they did get themselves back into that game.”
In the days that followed, Holzer got exactly what he was hoping for from his team. It practiced with a consistent intensity, preparing for a bounceback performance against Leonardtown.
On Friday night, the Patriots earned a physical, 13-7 victory. With quarterback Isaiah Randall still out, junior Alex Moskios took over and helped manage a run-heavy game plan. Senior running back Tyler Brown ran 32 times for 207 yards.
“I think SMAC, and especially the top teams in SMAC, has turned into a very tough and underrated conference in the state of Maryland,” Holzer said. “You can see the quality and the depth of teams every week.”