DC Touchdown Club Players of the Week

After four years with the same starting quarterback, DeMatha High football coach Bill McGregor knew that there would be an adjustment this season. Week by week, though, junior Tristan Sabb has grown into the position. And when the Stags needed him most, Sabb was at his best.

Sabb completed 14 of 18 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for the game-winning one-yard touchdown with 1 minute 1 second remaining as DeMatha beat rival Gonzaga, 20-13, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game this past Sunday.

Sabb was a perfect 8 of 8 for 100 yards and one touchdown in the second half as DeMatha claimed its second consecutive WCAC championship.

For his efforts, Sabb was named the Military Bowl Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

“He’s had a pretty good year, made first-team All-WCAC,” McGregor said. “What makes him so dangerous is he’s a dual-threat guy, he can run or throw, which is very important.”
Sabb opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Josh Parker midway through the second quarter. His 19-yard touchdown pass to Lavar Keys put the Stags back in front, 13-7, midway through the third quarter.

It was tied 13-13 when DeMatha drove toward the winning score. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 1, McGregor took into account that a high snap had spoiled DeMatha’s first point-after attempts and a long field goal attempt later in the game was blocked. So the Stags lined up to go for it and Sabb burrowed his way to get the ball across the goal line for his ninth rushing touchdown of the season.

“Anybody coming in this year, it was brand new with Denzel [Gardner] being a four-year starter,” McGregor said. “So it was a matter of reps, reps and more reps. Tristan got better each week. He was more dynamic, more comfortable in the offense and playing better. What makes him so valuable is his feet. He can bail himself out of trouble. And we have two really good wide receivers in Lavar and Josh. They could not have played any better than they both did.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Honor Roll:

ANNE ARUNDEL
Old Mill WR/LB Travon Pinkney caught a touchdown pass and on defense made 15 tackles with one sack as the Patriots beat Urbana, 36-0, in a Maryland 4A/3A quarterfinal game.

DC
Digital Pioneers QB Fred Mcroy completed 10 of 14 passes for 136 yards and scrambled for the game-winning 13-yard touchdown with eight seconds remaining as the Pythons beat St. Albans, 14-7, in a DCSAA Class A semifinal.

FREDERICK
Oakdale QB Alex Rodriguez, a Navy recruit, completed 10 of 14 passes for 104 yards and rushed 15 times for 66 yards and three touchdowns and a two-point conversion as the Bears beat previously undefeated South River, 28-22, in a Maryland 3A quarterfinal game.

HOWARD
Glenelg RB/LB Russell McIntyre rushed 20 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns and on defense made four tackles as the Gladiators beat Howard, 17-0, in a Maryland 2A quarterfinal game.

LOUDOUN
Loudoun Valley WR/DB Mack Gaffney caught four passes for 74 yards and one touchdown and on defense made six tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown as the Vikings beat Woodgrove, 31-21, in a Virginia 5A second-round game.

MONTGOMERY
Churchill QB Hunter Humphries completed 10 of 13 passes for 171 yards and four touchdowns and rushed four times for 32 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Blair, 42-7, in a Maryland 4A quarterfinal game.

NORTHERN REGION
Lake Braddock QB Ty Jackson, a Norfolk State recruit, completed 10 of 14 passes for 129 yards and rushed 22 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns as the Bruins beat South County, 33-24, in a Virginia 6A second-round game.

PRINCE GEORGE’S
Wise RB Kam Parker rushed 17 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns and caught two passes for 46 yards as the Pumas beat Glen Burnie, 46-20, in a Maryland 4A quarterfinal.

PRINCE WILLIAM
Woodbridge QB Caleb Tucker completed 15 of 25 passes for 341 yards and five touchdowns as the Vikings edged Colonial Forge, 35-34, in a Virginia 6A second-round game.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND
Patuxent QB Brayden Watson completed 14 of 17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for another score and made all six of his extra-point kicks as the Panthers beat Allegany, 42-0, in a Maryland 1A quarterfinal game.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week honor roll:

• Ohio RB Sieh Bangura (DeMatha) rushed 27 times for a career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns as the Bobcats beat Massachusetts, 42-14.
• Rhode Island RB Antwain Littleton Jr. (St. John’s) rushed 19 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 22 yards as the Rams beat Hampton, 38-10.
• Howard RB Anthony Reagan Jr. rushed 16 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 49 yards and another score as the Bison beat Norfolk State, 44-15.
• Albany QB Jack Shields (Centreville) completed 18 of 25 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns as the Great Danes beat Monmouth, 31-24.
• Notre Dame S Jalen Stroman (Patriot) made a career-high eight tackles and returned his first career interception 44 yards for a touchdown as the Fighting Irish beat Syracuse, 70-7.
• Frostburg State DL Christian Taylor (St. John’s) made eight tackles with four sacks and forced a fumble as the Bobcats won their first-ever NCAA Division II playoff game, beating Johnson C. Smith, 21-7.
• James Madison S Jacob Thomas (Stone Bridge) made eight tackles as the Dukes beat Washington State, 24-20.
• Stony Brook WR Dez Williams (St. Mary’s Ryken) caught a season-high 10 passes for 117 yards as the Seawolves beat Bryant, 35-28.