THE GAZETTE
Page B-8
Wednesday, December 4, 2013 g
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
A TALE OF OPPOSITES n
4A STATE TITLE TEAMS HAVE LITTLE IN COMMON
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE CLASS 3A BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Northwest High School receiver Matt Watson runs around the flank and down the field to score during Friday’s victory against Paint Branch in the Class 4A state semifinal football game in Burtonsville.
Franklin (11-2) vs. Linganore (12-1) BRIAN LEWIS/FOR THE GAZETTE
Northwest High School quarterback Mark Pierce drops back to pass in the 4A West final.
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Suitland’s Robert Wigfall runs against Duval during a playoff game on Nov. 23.
NORTHWEST: QUICK STARTS
SUITLAND: SLOW STARTS
The Jaguars have been hot to start games in their current winning streak, jumping out to big leads early and holding on while opponents try to claw back. They have outscored foes 35-6 in the first quarter of the past four games.
The Rams had to rally in the fourth quarter to defeat Bowie (a spread offense) and DuVal. They were tied with Flowers 0-0 at halftime before dominating the second half. Last week, Meade scored first and the Rams went scoreless in the first quarter.
NORTHWEST: HIGH-SCORING OFFENSE The Jaguars have averaged 34.1 points per game. It’s 37.8 during the current win streak, which includes two wins against Quince Orchard, usually one of the top defenses in the state.
7:30 p.m. Friday
BY
The Rams’ defense gave up only 7.2 points per game in the regular season. It hasn’t been as good in the playoffs, up to 16.3. Still, it is the strength of the team.
Fort Hill (13-0) vs. Douglass-Balt. (13-0)
Despite being a run-first team, Wesley Wolfolk has proved to be one of the top quarterbacks in Prince George’s County by completing 61 percent of his passes for 1,832 yards and 20 touchdowns. He can also run with the ball.
Noon Saturday
CLASS 2A
SUITLAND: RUN FIRST
The Jaguars run a spread offense with a short passing game that tries to find the gaps in the defense’s coverage. What makes it work is Northwest’s team speed. They can run it too, behind E.J. Lee (176 yards the past two weeks).
While they can pass if they need to, the Rams prefer to run, mainly behind senior running back Robert “Trey” Wigfall. He has nearly 1,700 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns. Wolfolk does throw deep passes to keep defenses from packing it in.
Northwest vs. Suitland
Middletown (13-0) vs. Patuxent (13-0) 3:30 p.m. Saturday
FEARLESS FORECASTS
n All games at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore
Ken Sain
Nick Cammarota
Jennifer Beekman
Dan Feldman
Travis Mewhirter
Kent Zakour
154-30 306-59
152-32 304-61
153-31 303-62
151-33 301-64
148-36 300-65
144-40 288-77
Suitland
Suitland
Northwest
Suitland
Northwest
Suitland
n Tickets are $8 n Games shown live on The CW network in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and streamed on the web at www.nfhsnetwork.com/ channels/maryland
Suitland advances to 4A state championship BY ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER
The afternoon started with a 68-yard Meade High School rushing touchdown, followed by an assortment of penalties and a couple dysfunctional offensive possessions.
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But what Suitland’s football team lacked in the first quarter of Saturday’s Class 4A state semifinal football game, it made up for in the next three. The Rams scored seven touchdowns — all after the first quarter — en route to a 46-25 victory against Meade to earn a berth in Friday’s state championship game. “Ultimately we wanted to win the championship,” senior quarterback Wesley Wolfolk said.
Wolfolk threw for 281 yards and rushed for two touchdowns, sealing the victory with a 47-yard score in the fourth quarter. The offensive line played a key role against a much bigger Meade defense. After giving up two sacks in the first quarter, the line cleared lanes for Suitland’s running backs and gave Wolfolk more time in the pocket. Senior running back Robert Wigfall ran for three touchdowns, including a 72-yard
score that gave Suitland a 33-17 lead. Rams senior Nick Nelson caught four passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. He helped set up a Suitland touchdown with a 64-yard reception in the second quarter. Wigfall ran for 129 yards on 11 carries and Wolfolk added 60 yards on the ground. The Rams fell behind 7-0 after Meade’s Kyle Evans ran for a 68-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Evans
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Rams overcome slow start; offensive line keys 46-25 victory over Meade n
ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER
CLASS 1A
NORTHWEST: PASS FIRST
Montgomery County record All games
Sophomore QB scores seven TDs to lead defeat of Paint Branch
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SUITLAND: SENIOR QB
In the five games since the Jags lost to Clarksburg, Mark Pierce has completed 95 of 134 passes (71 percent) for 1,427 yards and thrown 18 touchdowns and ran for another. He has had four interceptions in those games.
The Gazette sports staff picks the winners for this week’s games involving Montgomery football teams. Here are this week’s selections:
CLASS 4A
Northwest (11-2) vs. Suitland (13-0)
SUITLAND: LIGHTS-OUT DEFENSE
NORTHWEST: SOPHOMORE QB
Northwest a win away from state title
7 p.m. Thursday
Northwest High School football’s offense rushes to line up for the play, but then the quarterback calmly steps back, looks to the sidelines and waits, patiently, for the signals from the coaches. It’s the “no-play,” as sophomore quarterback Mark Pierce calls it. The team runs a hard count while offensive coordinator Justin Sickeri selects a play based on the defense he sees. In Friday’s 4A state semifinal victory against Paint Branch, the “no-play” worked to perfection. Led by Pierce’s seven touchdowns, Northwest defeated Paint Branch 55-36 to advance to next week’s Class 4A state championship game. Northwest (11-2) plays Suitland at 7:30 p.m. Friday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. “It’s great. I throw it to everyone,” Pierce said. “It’s good to have a good six or seven people that you can rely on to throw it to every down.” Pierce completed 29 of 37 passes for 335 yards, throwing six touchdowns to four different players. Senior Matt Watson caught two touchdown passes and ran for a third. “We didn’t want to lose, period. We were trying to go to states, and we’re championship bound,” Watson said. Northwest pulled away late in the fourth quarter. After a red zone stop on fourth down, the Jaguars regained possession deep in their own territory. Following a short run play, they ran an end-around for Watson, who sprinted for a 93-yard touchdown to seal the victory. “It just happens,” said Watson, who has eight postseason touchdowns. “Whoever’s hot on the field, we
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try to go to them as much as possible.” Pierce was hot to start the game, completing his first seven pass attempts and 19 of 24 in the first half. Senior Joshua Gills was his favorite receiving target. Gills caught eight passes for 159 yards and a 32-yard touchdown. “We just have a bunch of playmakers,” Gills said. “If you get the ball to any of our offensive skill players, something good is going to happen, every single time.” Northwest’s defense allowed 29 points in the first half but picked up the intensity as the game progressed. On a rare occasion when the Jaguars offense stalled in the second half, the defense stepped up. After Northwest was stopped on a fourth-andgoal play, senior Rasheed Gillis forced a Paint Branch fumble and helped the Jaguars regain possession. The offense capitalized, with Pierce connecting with Watson for a 21-yard touchdown to extend Northwest’s lead to 43-29. “We were relying on [the defense] and they definitely stepped up in the second half to help us out,” Pierce said. Paint Branch quarterback Gaston Cooper completed 15 of 33 passes for 280 yards. The senior struggled in the first half, starting the game with seven consecutive incomplete passes before settling into a rhythm in the second quarter. Johnny Littlejohn caught two long touchdown passes and ran for a 93-yard firstquarter touchdown to finish with 180 yards from scrimmage. Javan Grafton added 160 receiving yards on five receptions. Northwest has not won a state title since 2004. “We just got to execute the next [game]. We’re so close. It’s just so motivating,” Watson said. egoldwein@gazette.net