THE GAZETTE
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 d
Page B-3
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HOW THEY RANK The 10 best football teams in Montgomery County this week as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff.
Rank
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
School
Good Counsel Falcons Quince Orchard Cougars Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles Damascus Swarmin’ Hornets Bullis Bulldogs Sherwood Warriors Churchill Bulldogs Georgetown Prep Little Hoyas Northwest Jaguars Gaithersburg Trojans
Record Points
1-1 58 0-0 56 0-0 48 0-0 41 0-1 32 0-0 27 0-0 26 1-0 16 0-0 12 0-0 6
Also receiving votes: Wootton 4; Blake 2; Paint Branch 1; Walt Whitman 1.
Bullis’s hesitant football star n
Rutgers recruit planned to quit sport after freshman year BY
DAN FELDMAN STAFF WRITER
Justin Herron needed just a couple days of practice his freshman year to impress the Bullis School football coaches. Herron’s father needed mere minutes to undo all that goodwill. The Herrons planned a beach vacation in Delaware, and Herron’s dad told Bullis coach Pat Cilento his son would miss 10 days of practice. In his first year coming from Sherwood, Cilento found such requests quite the culture shock. But all Bullis freshmen must play a fall sport, and Cilento was beginning to realize that meant some who don’t take football seriously would populate his rosters. Cilento wasn’t exactly forgiving, though. “If it was probably anybody else, he probably would have been cut right then and there,” Cilento said. “But with his size and his ability, we said, ‘We’ll let you go now, the first year. But after this, August is football time.’” Herron wasn’t exactly concerned about future Augusts. He fancied himself a
basketball player, and once he met Bullis’ requirement, he planned to drop football. “If it wasn’t for that rule, I would have never played football,” said Herron, a Silver Spring resident. Yet, when he returned from vacation, Herron began to enjoy the sport. He peppered coaches with questions about formations and plays, trying to catch up from the time he missed. That willingness to put in extra work hasn’t dissipated. Now a 6-foot-5, 270-pound senior, Herron is committed to Rutgers and one of the area’s top offensive linemen. “His freshman year, he didn’t even know how to get into a stance,” Cilento said. “... He’s one of the most dedicated kids that I know, and he has an unbelievable work ethic.” Herron’s extra work has come with Bullis assistant coach Anthony Waters, who played at Clemson and then with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints. “I can be sitting at home, and my phone rings, and it’s Justin asking where I am or will be up at the school early, because he wants to work out,” Waters said. “He keeps me going. He tells me he wants to work out, I get up and go.” In the weight room, Waters pulls out several tricks to get the best from Herron. Sometimes, Waters puts Herron
through rigorous workouts right before practice just to see how Herron responds. Other times, Waters arrives early to their one-on-onesessionsandbeginstotrainjust so Herron will feel motivated to catch up. “I don’t allow him to get water,” Waters said. “We sweat. I don’t turn the fans on in the weight room. Doors closed, no music. Just me and him.” And of course, Herron frequently asks his mentor what it takes to reach the next level. The results have been evident. “He looks like an NFL lineman,” Cilento said. Without being prompted by Cilento’s assessment, Waters brings up Bullis’ summer camp. One day, Herron walked by a group of Bullis coaches during lunch, and one said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Herron reach the NFL. Waters agreed. While training with Herron, Waters has appreciated Herron’s desire to best Waters, regardless of the experience and accomplishment gaps between the two. “I’m always telling him he’s never going to be better than me. He’s never going to be stronger than me,’” Waters said. “He always says, ‘Give me one year, coach.’ “Once he gets a year of college football in him, he’s going to be a man amongst all boys.”
STANDINGS Montgomery 4A South Division Team
B-Chevy Chase Churchill Walter Johnson Kennedy Whitman Wootton
All Div.
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Montgomery 4A East Division Team
Blake Blair Paint Branch Sherwood Springbrook
All Div.
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
The Gazette sports staff picks the winners for this week’s games involving Montgomery football teams. Here are this week’s selections:
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Bullis School’s Devonte Williams, expected to lead the Bulldogs’ offense, did not play in Friday’s loss to St. John’s College.
LEADERS Top rushers
Carries Dage Davis, Geo. Prep 22 Perry Stefanelli, G. Counsel 33 Chris Dawson, G. Counsel 32 Brian Dolan, Geo. Prep 12
Yards 242 154 144 128
Avg. TDs 11.0 6 4.6 0 4.5 3 10.6 0
Top passers
Cmp-Att. Yards Int. TDs B. Strittmatter, G. Counsel 11-22 158 2 3 Wyatt Karem, Avalon 13-22 127 0 2 Dwayne Haskins, Bullis 3-12 29 2 0 Corey Howard, Geo. Prep 2-9 22 0 1
Top receivers
Catches Yards Avg. TDs Myles Robinson, G. Counsel 3 69 23.0 1 Mike Gladney, Avalon 3 60 20.0 0 C.J. Carroll, G. Counsel 3 38 12.7 1 Khamari Williams, Avalon 3 35 11.7 1
Montgomery County record All games
Northwood at Poolesville Wheaton at Seneca Valley Damascus at Einstein Walter Johnson at Wootton Rockville at Richard Montgomery Churchill at Bethesda-Chevy Chase Clarksburg at Quince Orchard Northwest at Magruder Paint Branch at Springbrook Kennedy at Blair Whitman at Blake McNamara at Georgetown Prep Watkins Mill at Frederick St. Frances at Good Counsel St. Mary’s Ryken vs. Avalon Boys Latin at Landon Sherwood vs. Gaithersburg
Team
Clarksburg Gaithersburg Magruder R. Montgomery Northwest Quince Orchard
All starters back plus two talented freshmen make Patriots the favorites BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER
A year after finishing in a three-way tie for the Montgomery County title in 2011, the Thomas S. Wootton High School girls’ tennis team finished second to five-time defending county champion Winston Churchill last fall by a single point. This might be Wootton’s year. The Patriots have established themselves in recent years as a perennial top-three team and major postseason contender but could be poised for a breakout 2013. It would be a nice reward for Wootton’s girls, who have watched their male counterparts win four consecutive county titles, coach Nia Cresham said. “I’d love to have a year that [both teams] could win, but I do think it’s the girls’ turn,” Cresham said. “I think we’re going to be good this year.” Not only did Wootton return all 10 starters, but the addition of two freshmen U.S. Tennis Association tournament players toward the top of the lineup should provide the Patriots with a depth that will be difficult for other teams to match. The biggest challenge, Cresham said, might be figuring out an exact order. Challenge matches are being played this week, but last year’s No. 1 singles player, Aishu Iyer, who won a state mixed doubles title in 2012, and classmate Hannah Hwong will remain integral to the singles lineup. Freshman Miranda Deng, who is currently ranked No. 75 nationally in the USTA Girls 14s and No. 245 in the USTA Girls 16s national rankings, will cer-
PF PA
0 0 0 0 0
PF PA
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
0 0 0 0 0 0
Montgomery 3A Division Team
Damascus Einstein Northwood Rockville Seneca Valley Watkins Mill Wheaton
All Div.
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
PF PA
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Montgomery 2A Independent Team
Poolesville
Private schools
All
0-0
All
1-0 1-1 0-0 0-1 0-1
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PF
PA
0
PF
57 47 0 12 0
0
PA
24 20 0 24 42
Last week’s scores
Nick Cammarota
Travis Mewhirter
Ken Sain
Jennifer Beekman
Dan Feldman
Kent Zakour
3-2 9-3
2-3 9-3
3-2 9-3
2-3 8-4
2-3 8-4
2-3 8-4
Poolesville Seneca Damascus Wootton R. Mont. Churchill Q. Orchard Northwest Paint Branch Blair Blake McNamara Frederick Good Counsel SM Ryken Landon Gaithersburg
Poolesville Seneca Damascus Wootton R. Mont. Churchill Q. Orchard Northwest Springbrook Kennedy Whitman McNamara Watkins Mill Good Counsel SM Ryken Landon Gaithersburg
Poolesville Seneca Damascus Wootton R. Mont. Churchill Q. Orchard Northwest Paint Branch Blair Blake Geo. Prep Watkins Mill Good Counsel SM Ryken Landon Sherwood
Poolesville Seneca Damascus Wootton R. Mont. Churchill Q. Orchard Northwest Paint Branch Blair Whitman Geo. Prep Frederick Good Counsel SM Ryken Landon Gaithersburg
Poolesville Seneca Damascus Wootton R. Mont. Churchill Q. Orchard Northwest Paint Branch Blair Blake Geo. Prep Watkins Mill Good Counsel SM Ryken Landon Sherwood
Northwood Seneca Damascus Wootton R. Mont. Churchill Q. Orchard Northwest Paint Branch Blair Whitman Geo. Prep Watkins Mill Good Counsel SM Ryken Landon Gaithersburg
GIRLS’ TENNIS PLAYERS TO WATCH n Kamilla Beisenova, Whitman; Ashley Chang, Poolesville; Miranda Deng, Wootton; Katie Gauch, Churchill; Stephanie Grodecki, Good Counsel; Kaitlyn Heo, Sherwood; Aishu Iyer, Wootton; Haley Keats, Churchill; Lilly Lynham, Holton-Arms; Syria Mowa, Churchill; Victoria Nguyen, Paint Branch; Leah Owen, Sherwood; Arianna Spirtos, Holton-Arms Thea Postolache, Richard Montgomery; Ines Vias, Bullis; Nicole Welch, Whitman; Rebecca Wuren, Wootton.
tainly add strength to the top. Classmate Rebecca Wuren, ranked No. 561 nationally in the USTA Girls 14s will also likely be a major factor. Doubles often decides close matches and an experienced pair such as defending No. 1 doubles county champion Katarina Sherman and Karrie Shi could play an important role. “No matter what happens [with the order] it’s going to deepen the lineup,” Cresham said. “Right off the top of my head I have three freshmen who could conceivably work their way into the starting lineup. And I have all my returners. Automatically that strengthens the whole team. And it’s great because they’re great kids, they’re nice kids and they immediately gelled.” However strong Wootton has the potential to be, Cresham said there is no looking past any of the Patriots’ opponents, especially traditional rivals Churchill and Whitman. Both teams have the personnel to pull off county titles as well. Katie Gauch, who won the mixed doubles state title with her brother Michael in May, and Haley Keats and Syria Mowa, who won the state girls doubles title, return to the top of Churchill’s lineup. After a year away Kamilla Beisenova, who won the state girls doubles title in 2012, will rejoin Nicole Welch atop the Vikings’ roster. Regardless of the division and county team titles, there are some entertaining individual matches
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
All Div.
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Georgetown Prep Good Counsel Landon Avalon Bullis
Move over boys, Wootton’s girls ready to win n
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
0 0 0 0 0 0
Montgomery 4A West Division
Team
FEARLESS FORECASTS
PF PA
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
on the horizon. For the first time in a while there is no true rivalry, though it’s possible one will surface. There are, however, a bunch of top singles players all capable of winning a postseason title, including last year’s all-county Region II winner Thea Postolache of Richard Montgomery. Sherwood’s Kaitlyn Heo nabbed the only regular season win over Postolache last fall. “I think we’ve got a lot more balance among the Nos. 1 right now. I think balance is the rule,” Richard Montgomery coach John Fahrner said.
Private schools Holton-Arms will go for its ninth Independent School League title in 10 years without seven players from last year’s squad. Coach Yann Auzoux said he feared he might also lose additional top players thanks to a new USTA rule that will make it difficult to balance high school and tournament training. “There is a new requirement that to attend Super Nationals, you have to be top seven in your section,” Auzoux said. If junior Lilly Lynham, who was the No. 1 singles runner-up to Bullis junior Ines Vias at last year’s season-ending ISL tournament, Arianna Spirtos and Maya Das stick with the team, the Panthers will likely remain in the running despite going through some growing pains. jbeekman@gazette.net
St. John’s College 42, Bullis 0 Potomac (Va.) 24, Avalon 12 Good Counsel 33, Immokalee (Fla.) 0 Geo. Prep 57, Fork Union (Va.) 24
BEST BET
No. 6 Sherwood vs. No. 10 Gaithersburg, 7 p.m. Saturday
at Richard Montgomery. Sherwood and Gaithersburg are the only ranked teams playing each other, and whichever playoff contender wins this matchup is poised to claim several bonus points. The game features two of the county’s top running backs: Gaithersburg’s Solomon Vault and Sherwood’s Elijah Spottswood. Gaithersburg went 3-7 last season, and Sherwood is breaking in a new coach, Chris Grier, so both teams face big questions entering this early test.