Friday Night Lights: DMV football games to watch 10/20-10/23
WASHINGTON - Here are the top football games to watch across the D.C. region this weekend: 10/20-10/23.
No.23 St.John’s at No.4 DeMatha
The (4-3) St. John’s Cadets travel to Hyattsville for a WCAC clash of epic proportions with the (6-1) DeMatha Stags.
The no.4 ranked Stags are coming off of a heartbreaking overtime defeat at the hands of no.2 Good Counsel, but despite the loss, there were plenty of bright spots for the blue, white and red.
Running back Bud Coombs and the DeMatha offensive line continued to showcase their ability to take over games, defensive tackle Emmett Laws is performing like a defensive player of the year and quarterback Denzel Gardner is among the most dynamic student athletes in the conference.
This week, the Stags will need to curtail a Cadets team looking to continue the process of righting their proverbial ship. St. John’s, the back-to-back defending WCAC champs, got over the .500 mark last week by defeating an impressive Bishop McNamara team, 23-14, with the defense accounting for two of their scores.
Oregon commit, running back Da’Juan Riggs is deserving of ‘high school Heisman’ consideration, as he continues to get it done rushing, receiving and at times, passing the ball—but if St. John’s is to score enough points to hand DeMatha their second consecutive defeat, they’ll likely need a big game from their highly capable quarterback, Isaiah French.
Will Montay Weedon, Shamar McIntosh and the St. John’s defense be able to slow DeMatha’s ground and pound attack or will the Stags run wild and send the Cadets back to the .500 mark? Highlights of this primetime match-up, Sunday at 11:30p on In the Sports.
No.1 Quince Orchard at No.21 Northwest
Arguably the biggest rivalry in Montgomery County is set to write its’ latest chapter as (7-0) Quince Orchard ventures into the ‘Black Hole’ to do battle with arch nemesis, (6-1) Northwest, Friday night.
As ballyhooed as this match-up is, it’s been one-sided as of late with the Cougars capturing eight of the last nine contests. In fact, the Jags haven’t knocked off Quince Orchard at home since 2006, i.e., prior to some of Friday’s combatants being born.
That is the beauty of rivalries though, with two schools separated by just four miles, and many of their respective student-athletes growing up as teammates, the emotional intensity of the game allows for traditional expectations to be thrown out of the window. In 2019, the vaunted Cougars were clawed by an upstart Jags squad in the Maryland 4A state semifinal.
All history aside, the QO x NW battle was far more attractive two weeks ago. Last Thursday’s 15-7 loss to Churchill calls into question whether the Jags offense has enough to move the ball on Jaylen Harvey, Xavier Gilliam and company. All-purpose athlete, Tony Berry is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, but coach Bucky Clipper and crew will need to develop additional options to score on a Quince Orchard defense that has allowed a total of 29 points all season.
Per the Cougars, yes, Iverson Howard is a problem for defenders, but it’s the play of quarterback Nino Marzullo, Tavahri Graves and the rest of the Cougars play makers that may allow this iteration of the Cougars to be the most complete team of their current 3-year run.
Can Northwest ride the wave of the moment to a shocking upset of the DMV’s top-ranked team or will the Cougars continue their dominant stretch, leaving Northwest as their 38th consecutive victory? Highlights, Sunday night at 11:30 on In The Sports.
No.20 South Lakes at No.9 Madison
South Lakes is undefeated and the DMV is beginning to take notice. The Seahawks were 4-6 last season, which included two losses to Madison, 34-6 in the regular season and 48-0 in the playoffs. However, this season’s South Lakes may not be your big brother’s Seahawks. In 7 games, South Lakes has allowed a total of 52 points, while their offense has scored at least 35 in each performance, including topping the 50-point mark on 3 occasions.
As deserving of praise as South Lakes’ 7-0 start may be though, it should be noted that only one of their opponents, Herndon, has a winning record (6-2). The combined tally of the Seahawks foes is 16-35.
Cue: Madison.
The (7-0) Warhawks are doing what the Warhawks do. JMHS has already registered victories over NoVa blue bloods, Westfield, South County, Lake Braddock and Stone Bridge. For a Madison team, who despite their success -- which includes back-to-back state championship appearances -- never seems to garner the respect it deserves, bursting South Lakes’ undefeated bubble, could be the first layer of icing on the 2023 cake the Warhawks are preparing.
Can South Lakes prove they are the real deal by flying into Vienna and clipping the Warhawks wings or will Madison steamroll the upstart Seahawks en route to another state championship run? Find out Sunday night at 11:30p on In The Sports.