No. 7 BALLOU at No. 2 H.D. WOODSON, 7:30 p.m., Friday, 7 p.m.
This is likely the pivotal game on the DCIAA East division ledger. Ballou (4-1, 1-0) has outscored its opponents, 104-6, the past two games including a 47-0 pasting of winless Spingarn last Friday. The Knights scored 41 points in the first half as senior Eric Shaw rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and junior quarterback Delonte Edwards threw for two scores. Woodson (4-3, 1-0), the defending league champs, started slow last Friday evening against McKinley Tech before pulling away to a 29-6 decision. After sitting the first half, Ricardo Young passed for 157 yards and threw a 73-yard score to Alonzo Russell in the fourth quarter. Russell, a 6-foot-5 senior receiver, had five catches for 108 yards. Woodson won last season’s contest, 35-8.
No. 5 COOLIDGE at No. 8 WILSON, Friday, 7 p.m.
The Colts look to move to 2-0 in the DCIAA West division. Coolidge exploded for 27 third quarter points en route to a 43-6 decision over Theodore Roosevelt last Friday. Senior running back Avery Williams rushed for 132 yards and scored three touchdowns, and Anthony Bowser passed for 179 yards and three touchdowns, including two scores to Martize Barr (three catches for 75 yards). It’s the division opener for Wilson, which handled Sidwell Friends, 47-0, in its last effort Oct. 2. Junior running back Brian Glover has rushed for 618 yards and nine touchdowns, and leads the defense with 29 tackles (16 solo). Coolidge posted a 40-14 decision over the Tigers, and have the last two meetings by a combined 74-26.
DEMATHA CATHOLIC (MD) at No. 1 ST. JOHN’S , Saturday, 2 p.m.
The Cadets face their most daunting task of the fall. St. John’s (4-2, 2-1) dropped its first game in WCAC play last Saturday with a 38-35 decision to Bishop McNamara (MD) after rallying from a 17-point second half deficit. Senior running back Charles Brown rushed for 162 yards and had four touchdowns, and Brandon Baylor returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown. Baylor and the Cadets’ defense will have to figure out a way to slow down DeMatha’s offense, mainly senior running back Marcus Coker. Coker, who’s given a verbal commitment to the University of Iowa, has 1,279 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season. Last weekend, Coker had a 64-yard touchdown run as the six-time defending WCAC champ Stags (6-0, 3-0) rallied for a 24-21 decision over Good Counsel. DeMatha has won its last 13 decisions dating to back to last season including a 34-6 win over St. John’s last November.
No. 6 GONZAGA at ARCHBISHOP CARROLL, Saturday, 2 p.m.
The two District members of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference renew their rivalry. Gonzaga avenged a 40-point loss last season to Bishop O’Connell with a 47-7 romp last Saturday. Senior James Valerias scored three touchdowns including a 25-yard interception return for the Eagles (3-3, 1-2), and quarterback Kevin Hogan passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Carroll (2-4, 1-2) ended a 23-game losing streak in league play with an 18-0 decision at Paul VI (VA) last Friday as junior Malik Jackson rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown, and Jeremiah Attaochu had 11 tackles and a returned a fumble 31 yards for a score. Last season, Gonzaga posted a 34-12 victory.
ANACOSTIA at MCKINLEY TECH, Friday, 7 p.m.
McKinley Tech looks to bounce back in this DCIAA East division matchup. The Trainers (2-3, 0-1) played even with defending league champ H.D. Woodson in the opening half before the Warriors exploded for 22 fourth quarter points en route to a 29-6 decision last Friday. Senior Desma Nicholson’s 34-yard scoring catch from Malik Jarrett accounted for McKinley’s only score, and junior lineman Henry Manning had two quarterback sacks to lead the defense. Anacostia routed Eastern, 36-0, last Friday, ending an eight-game winning streak dating back to last season. Senior running back/wide receiver Jordan Smiley leads the Indians (1-6, 1-0). McKinley won last season’s meeting, 21-14.
No. 3 DUNBAR at THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Friday, 7 p.m.
The Crimson Tide looks to extend their winning streak to seven in this DCIAA West division battle. Dunbar won its 24th straight in DCIAA regular season play last Friday with a 61-6 romp of Cardozo. Vernard Roberts rushed for 185 yards and five touchdowns, and Olu Izegwire rushed for 105 yards and returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Javarie Johnson, who’s given a verbal commitment to the University of Miami, had eight tackles as the Crimson Tide (6-1, 1-0) allowed just 24 points in their win after giving up 37 in a season-opening loss to Friendship Collegiate Academy. After a 2-1 start, Theodore Roosevelt has dropped its last three decisions including 43-6 at Coolidge last Friday. Senior quarterback Imani Kelly had the lone highlight with a one-yard run. The Crimson Tide won last season’s meeting, 57-27.
EPISCOPAL (VA) at No. 9 ST. ALBANS, Saturday, 2 p.m.
St. Albans begin its pursuit of the Interstate Athletic Conference crown. The Bulldogs (2-3, 0-0) have won two straight victories including last Saturday’s 24-6 decision over Bishop Ireton (VA). Rob Sniezek rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns and Andrew Jones caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Henry Brooke. Episcopal was unable to recover from a 27-7 halftime deficit, and lost to Landon (MD) in the team’s league opener last weekend. Hunter de Butts had 197 total yards and two touchdowns, and threw a five-yard pass to senior Will Kalaris for Episcopal (1-3, 0-1), which has dropped its last three. St. Albans hopes to flip the script from last fall’s 38-21 loss at Episcopal.
SPINGARN AT EASTERN, Friday, 7 p.m.
Two of the DCIAA’s three winless squads meet in this East division contest. Spingarn dropped its sixth straight dating back to last season with a 47-0 home loss to Ballou last Friday. The Green Wave (0-5, 0-1)has been shutout in four of their five games after being held scoreless just twice last season. Finding the end zone has been difficult for Eastern (0-4, 0-1), which was shutout by previously winless Anacostia last Friday. Senior quarterback Phillip Hawkins has accounted for the Ramblers’ two scores so far this fall. The teams last met on the field in 2007 when Eastern posted its last victory, 14-6. Eastern didn’t field a team last fall.
No. 4 FRIENDSHIP COLLEGIATE vs. RIVERDALE BAPTIST at Fletcher’s Field Park, Friday, 7 p.m.
After two straight tough losses, Friendship Collegiate heads to Prince George’s County. The Knights (3-3) were no match for Linganore, the No. 2 team in Maryland, last Friday as the Lancers rolled to a 48-8 decision. Penn State University commit Zach Zwinak rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns in the first half and Brandon Beisser caught two scoring passes. Albert Reid had a five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for Friendship Collegiate, which fell in overtime to defending DCIAA champ H.D. Woodson, Oct. 2. Riverdale Baptist (2-3) posted a 27-0 victory over Leonard Hall (MD) as Devin Goode scored three touchdowns including a 47-yard punt return. Like the Knights, Riverdale Baptist is trying to establish itself as a viable private entity, playing teams like Washington Catholic Athletic Conference powerhouse DeMatha Catholic and Prince George’s County public stronghold Friendly.
Comments: