Even before he had a driver’s license, Joshua-Benjamin Dagbe was a leader on the high school football field.
“He couldn’t drive a car,” South Lakes Coach Jason Hescock said jokingly, “but he could drive a team.”
Indeed, Dagbe has proven wise far beyond his years – and he’s still only 16 years old. A three-sport athlete and now a junior at South Lakes, Dagbe is in his second season as a football team captain. In basketball, he plays guard and also is a team captain. He runs track in the spring.
Now, though, it is football season and Dagbe is making an impact all over the field. He plays wide receiver on offense, cornerback on defense and is the Seahawks’ kick returner. This past week, Dagbe caught nine passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception 48 yards for another score as undefeated South Lakes beat Battlefield, 34-12.
For his efforts, Dagbe was named the Military Bowl Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.
“He’s definitely opening up some eyes right now,” Hescock said.
Dagbe played on the freshman team in ninth grade, though his season was cut short by a broken collarbone. It was during a practice last preseason when Dagbe – then a sophomore yet to play in a varsity game – caught the coach’s attention.
“There was something about our tempo that he didn’t like and he’s saying to the other players, ‘You can’t do that at the level we play football!’ ” Hescock said. “We didn’t even have captains picked out yet and he’s teaching the other players. I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ It was like having another coach on the field.”
Needless to say, Dagbe was selected as a captain last season and again this year.
“We believe in a player-led team and he has no problem letting people know if they aren’t meeting our standard,” Hescock said. “He doesn’t get caught up in all the nonsense. He’s very business-like on the field.”
Against Battlefield, Dagbe’s interception return for a touchdown – his second in two weeks – came in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he had touchdown catches of 46 and 42 yards. Whether Dagbe is better on offense or defense is tough to measure, Hescock said.
“That’s like trying to pick your favorite child,” he said. “We’re so dangerous and have so many guys we can get the ball to on offense. He’s valuable on offense but we have so many weapons. On defense, we don’t have many corners who can just go shut down the opponent’s best kid every week.”
This week’s DC Touchdown Club Honor Roll:
ANNE ARUNDEL
Crofton RB/OLB Dominic Jackson rushed 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns, caught two passes for 54 yards, scored two two-point conversions and on defense made five tackles as the Cardinals beat Old Mill, 16-15.
DC
McKinley Tech RB/DB Jayden West rushed four times for 23 yards, caught nine passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for three two-point conversions and on defense made 12 tackles with one tackle for loss as the Trainers lost to Bishop Ireton, 40-30.
FREDERICK
Walkersville RB Taylor Patten rushed 23 times for 263 yards and four touchdowns as the Lions beat South Carroll, 50-18.
HOWARD
Mount Hebron RB Cam Douglas rushed 12 times for 139 and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings beat Centennial, 34-6.
LOUDOUN
Independence RB/OLB Jeremiah Yao rushed 16 times for 215 yards and five touchdowns and made five tackles on defense as the Tigers beat Briar Woods, 43-20. Yao was filling in for last week’s Touchdown Club Player of the Week Robert Kellen, who sustained a serious knee injury earlier in the game.
MONTGOMERY
Sherwood LB London Hardy made seven tackles, intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble as the Warriors beat Seneca Valley, 21-6.
PRINCE GEORGE’S
Wise RB Les Williams rushed 11 times for 116 yards and four touchdowns and caught two passes for 30 yards as the Pumas beat Laurel, 53-6.
PRINCE WILLIAM
Patriot K Parker Kim made a 31-yard field goal with one second left to lift the Pioneers to a 38-35 win over Mountain View.
PRIVATE
Spalding QB Brian Snowden completed 16 of 21 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns and rushed five times for 20 yards and three touchdowns as the Cavaliers beat Good Counsel, 45-21.
SOUTHERN MARYLAND
Calvert WR/SS Tristan Thomas caught five passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and on defense made 11 tackles for with one tackle for loss and broke up a pass as the Cavaliers beat McDonough, 35-15.
STAFFORD
Colonial Forge LB Mason Cachola made 9 ½ tackles with one sack, forced a fumble and blocked a potential game-winning 27-yard field goal in the final minute as the Eagles beat Gainesville, 14-13.
WCAC
Gonzaga LB Jago Woodards, an Army recruit, made seven tackles, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble as the Eagles shut out Eastern, 18-0.
This week’s DC Touchdown Club College Player of the Week Honor Roll:
- Tennessee LB Amare Campbell (Unity Reed) made eight tackles with one tackle for loss and broke up two passes as the Volunteers beat Georgia Tech, 45-24.
- Gallaudet QB Jayden DeFalco completed 19 of 37 passes for a career-high 296 yards and three touchdowns as the Bison lost to Anderson University, 49-28. It was the most passing yards by a Gallaudet player in 19 years.
- Tennessee Tech WR Tre Holloway (H.D. Woodson) caught six passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown as the Golden Eagles beat Samford, 45-19.
- Lafayette DB Dhonte Jackson (DeMatha Catholic) made a game-high 11 tackles with one tackle for loss and broke up a pass as the Leopards beat Marist, 13-9.
- Shepherd WR Carrington Nickens-Yzer (Centreville) caught 10 passes for 136 yards as the Rams beat Gannon, 45-28.
- Boston College WR Dawson Pough (Tuscarora, Va.) caught four passes for 106 yards and one touchdown as the Eagles beat Rutgers, 28-21.
- Penn State LB Tony Rojas (Fairfax) made seven tackles and intercepted a pass as the Nittany Lions beat Temple, 27-9.
- Maryland QB Malik Washington (Spalding) completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns as the Terrapins beat U-Conn, 38-14.
ABOUT THE MILITARY BOWL FOUNDATION
The Military Bowl Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates premier events in the National Capital Region to benefit our nation’s service members. Originally formed to create the region’s first-ever college football postseason bowl game, the Foundation now not only runs the Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl but additionally operates the DC Touchdown Club and Patriot Point, a retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Foundation hosts engaging events throughout the year to raise money and awareness for military service members, directly impacting those who give so much of themselves for the country.
ABOUT THE DC TOUCHDOWN CLUB
The DC Touchdown Club honors the best in Washington Metro football, with year-round events highlighted by an annual awards dinner. Operated by the Military Bowl Foundation, the Touchdown Club promotes the game of football, hosts entertaining social events and generates a significant philanthropic impact for Patriot Point. To learn more about the Touchdown Club, visit dctouchdownclub.com, or follow the Touchdown Club on Twitter and Instagram @DCTouchdown Club and like the Touchdown Club on Facebook.