Friday Night Lights: Flowers and Wise battle for Prince George's County supremacy
WASHINGTON - A massive and meaningful tilt of DMV high school football games are on the docket this weekend.
We’re taking a deep dive into a team on the rise and two top-ten match-ups that will not only have playoff implications but will also affect our FOX 5 Top 5. These are our games to watch.
No. 3 DeMatha at No. 4 Good Counsel
The idea of a regular season game having a "playoff atmosphere" is often overstated and rarely lives up to the hype. That will not be the case Friday night when DeMatha travels to Olney for a date with Good Counsel. The GC student section is among the most lit in all the DMV, and they will be in rare form in hopes of helping their Falcons take flight. Dancel Field will be packed and presents a bevy of challenges for competition.
Cue the sparklers.
DeMatha enters the contest 6-0. Though unblemished, they have been tested and that may be a good thing. In addition to crushing the likes of Rock Creek and Life Christian, defeating those perennial contenders by a combined score of 83-3, they’ve also shown grit, coming from behind in victories over Roman Catholic and Gonzaga.
Three-year starter Denzel Gardner is in complete control of the Stags offense, getting it done with his arm and legs. The Stags quick pass game puts the ball in the hands of its playmakers, potentially none more impactful than sophomore LaVar Keys, who is always one missed tackle from taking it to the house.
When it comes to passing and explosive plays, the Falcons are primed to go toe-to-toe. Everyone knows the threat Florida State commit Elijah Moore is, but it’s been the contributions of student-athletes such as Damarion Fowlkes and Drew Williams who have helped evolve the Falcons’ "O".
"The keys to our success is mostly being on the same page with each other," Good Counsel quarterback, Frankie Weaver said. "Offensively, we’ve come together as a family since week one and it has worked out perfectly! The o-line is on fire, the receivers are on fire and of course, the running backs are on fire."
After dropping their opening contest, the Falcons have won five in a row, beating their opponents handedly, including a 28-7 beat down of St. John’s last Saturday. The defense, led by Aaron Chiles and Darien Mayo, has also been clicking on all cylinders and they’ll need to continue to do so if they are to slow down Bud Coombs and the DeMatha rushing attack.
No. 5 Flowers at No. 9 Wise
Who is the current king of Prince George’s County high school football? That depends on who you ask.
Purists likely say it’s still the Pumas, pointing out their five Maryland 4A state championships over the span of the last two decades. Others though, recall the more recent history of Flowers defeating Wise twice last season, 16-13 (overtime) in the regular season and again, 20-13 in the semifinal playoff rematch.
In Springdale, Maryland, there is no question.
"We always think to ourselves we’re the best competition we got," said, Jags defensive back, South Carolina commit, Braydon Lee, "we take it one week at a time, no matter who we’re facing, we’re just going to dominate on the field".
Flowers has every reason to be confident. Coach Powell’s squad has followed last season’s 15-1, Maryland state runner-up campaign, by starting this season, 6-0 with five of those victories coming by way of shutouts. With Division 1 level student-athletes at virtually every position, it is not hyperbolic to say the Jags are among the most talented defenses in the nation.
"I don’t think they have too many weaknesses," Wise head coach, DaLawn Parrish said, "They’re stout, especially in that front seven and they have some outstanding defensive backs".
The Pumas' season did not start so well. They lost their opening tilt to Maury (Va.), 34-14, then lost their projected starting QB, West Virginia commit, Khalil Wilkins, the following week. That said, rumors of the Pumas' demise were premature. Coach Parrish’s team has reeled off five consecutive victories, including blanking their last four opponents.
In a match-up that promises to be a defensive struggle, It could come down to whichever team does the best job at taking care of the ball, "Punt the ball. Do not turn the ball over. Do not put the ball on the ground," said Parrish, "If we can get them to turn the ball over, we have a great chance".
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Top high school football teams in the DMV this week
As the proverbial creme has risen to the top, the top five teams in the DMV has remained the same for three weeks in a row. Week 8 though is separation week as teams ranked no.3, no.4 and no.5 will each face an opponent currently in the top ten.
Paint Branch at No. 24 Blake
Don’t look now, but the Blake Bengals are 6-0 and rolling into Friday night’s match-up with Paint Branch.
Through six games, the Bengals defense has registered two shutouts and held two other opponents under ten points. A 31-28 overtime victory over Sherwood serves as the height of Blake’s campaign thus far, but according to running back, Jeremiah Seaton, the Bengals are just getting started,
"We have great chemistry as a team and great coaching from our coaching staff. We have very talented players all around," Seaton said, "As a team, I can see us going to states as long as we execute our assignments and play to the best of our potential".
Paint Branch, on the other hand, is in the midst of a roller coaster of a season, decisively beating the teams they should – their three wins coming by a combined margin of, 182-0 – games versus stiffer competition though has resulted in three losses, with Northwest, Walter Johnson and Sherwood all getting the better of the Panthers.
Can Paint Branch find a way to reverse the trend and upset the upstart Bengals, or will Blake make it ‘business as usual’?
Find out the answer to this question and see highlights of all three of these games, Sunday at 11:30p on In The Sports.