Damascus "Holds" On
By: Jacob Bogage
DAMASCUS, MD - It was undoubtedly the 2010 season's most anticipated game. The No.2 Sherwood Warriors (6-1) traveled to the up county to take on the No.1 Damascus Hornets. The two sides did not disappoint. "The Nest" was packed with capacity crowds to witness a game that was certainly much closer than scores indicate and came down to the last play. In the end, though, Damascus was able to get the best of Sherwood, 27-20.
With 2.3 seconds remaining the Warriors had the ball at their own 34-yard-line. Senior quarterback A.J. Pignone took the snap from the shotgun, scrambled to give his receivers time to run the 66-yards downfield and heaved the ball up to senior Steve Valois who stood in a pocket of space at the Hornet two-yard-line. Valois jumped for the ball, got two hands on it and twisted in mid air for the goal line, but the ball was knocked out of his hands by two converging Hornet defensive backs as the ball fell harmlessly to the turf, finally coming to a rest inside the checker-painted endzone.
Just a drive earlier, Sherwood was close to tying the score again. Facing fourth-and-three at the Damascus 19-yard-line, Pignone rolled right and lofted a pass to senior Jamal Merritt, standing inside the Hornet five-yard-line. However the Damascus secondary was intent on not letting Merritt catch this pass in particular. Merritt was grabbed by Hornet defender with two hands and pushed to the ground. The Sherwood sideline exploded wanting a holding or pass interference call; a call that would not come. Damascus took over and went three-and-out, but left the Warriors two shots to for the endzone; both to no avail.
"I told the kids at the end of the game I couldn't be more proud of them. This is as proud I've ever been of them the whole year," said Sherwood head coach Marc Thomas. "They fought hard. This [Damascus] team is probably going to 14-0. I can't imagine them not [going 14-0]. But I told them if we can play like this every week, we have a good chance of going to the State Championship."
Sherwood opened the evening's scoring after taking advantage of a Damascus turnover. After forcing the Warriors to turn the ball over on downs, on the Hornet offense's first play from scrimmage, senior Tyler Patton coughed the ball up while fighting for extra yards. Four plays later the Warriors led the game 7-0 after Alex Cole took a pitch left and run untouched into the endzone from two yards out.
However on the ensuing Damascus possession, the Hornets drove 76-yards, a drive that took over four minutes, and was capped off when senior quarterback Connor Frazier connected with sophomore Zach Bradshaw for a 12-yard score.
Frazier was indisputably tonight's "player of the game." He completed 14 passes of 17 attempts, finishing with 126-yard though the air and another 134-yards rushing, including 46-yards in the fourth quarter during a Hornet drive that chewed six minutes of clock and was capped off with senior Malcom Pugh's one-yard touchdown run.
"Connor has a heck of a motor on him," said Damascus head coach Eric Wallich. "He had some confidence tonight and he felt good. A lot of guys made great plays tonight; he certainly made more than his share."
Not only did Frazier draw high praise from his own coach, but Marc Thomas also complemented his abilities. "The problem tonight was the kid on the other side is unbelievable," he said. "[Frazier] damn well might be the best player in the county. He basically beat Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley and Sherwood himself.
Next up the Hornets travel to Northwood to take on the lowly Gladiators while the Warrior trek cross-county to Potomac to visit the Churchill Bulldogs.
