Fetters Helps Trojans Advance
By: Jim Dresbach
GAITHERSBURG - Gaithersburg Trojan quarterback and defensive back Zack Fetters turned the tables on a group of sportswriters Friday evening after his team's first round, 4A playoff contest at Harvill Stadium.
"Did you have fun watching that?" the Trojan senior asked reporters.
"Fun" for Fetters equated to throwing two opening-half touchdown passes, running for another score and intercepting two Whitman Viking passes during GHS' 28-0 playoff victory.
The Trojan offense thrived on long-yardage situations. On the first possession of the playoff contest, Fetters connected with Simba Gwashavamhu for a 58-yard touchdown on a third down and long pass play, and in the opening minute of the second quarter, a fourth down screen pass to GHS running back Khare Cross evolved into a 30-yard scamper to the endzone.
"We've got play makers, and that's the kind of game we can play with them," Fetters said of the Trojan's big-play potential. "Simba and Khare are the two who scored those touchdowns; they broke tackles on those (plays). I just put the football in their hands; they do the rest."
After being spotted a 14-0 halftime lead, the Trojan defense, led by hard-hitting middle linebacker James Waddy, Fetters and Dan Shields, who had a hand in three quarterback sacks, used a bend-and-don't-break defensive mindset as Whitman quarterback Henry Kuhn threw for over 270 yards but produced no points.
"We've been looking for a shutout since week one," said Waddy. "Our defense came out and played great. We've been waiting for this since week one."
Other Gaithersburg defensive standouts included D.J. Johnson, who recovered a Whitman fumble, and Solomon Vault who hauled down a third GHS interception. Sylvestor Oni's fourth quarter fumble recovery clinched the shutout for the Trojans.
Gaithersburg tacked on a pair of third quarter rushing scores from Cross and Fetters. The Fetters scored came on a fourth down and goal to go scramble from the Whitman 12-yard line.
"It starts with the kid we got back there at quarterback. He's dynamic; he can do a lot things," Trojan coach Kreg Kephart said of Fetters. "He runs really well. We haven't been able to unleash him lately, and the further we get in the playoffs, the more hesitant I am to do that."
The Gaithersburg victory sets up a 7 p.m. rematch against the Sherwood Warriors (10-1) next Friday at Sherwood. On October 1, the Warriors edged Gaithersburg 17-14 for the Trojan's lone 2010 loss.
"This (rematch versus Sherwood) is certainly one we've been looking forward to ever since they got us that last time," said Kephart. "They're a great team. They are, at this point in time until they're dethroned, the supreme power in Montgomery County 4A. If we're going to take that from them, we have to come next Friday and play better than we did the first time. We'll see how much we've improved and how much they've improved."
Fetters' two interceptions gives the Trojan captain 10 picks for the season. Offensively for Whitman, receiver Michael Flack led the Vikings with nine catches for 104 yards.
