The Osbourn Eagles are changing their nature. The Prince William County program, an afterthought in that part of Virginia for the past decade, wrapped up its regular season with a 42-6 win over Osbourn Park on Nov. 1. That capped a 7-3 campaign that earned Osbourn a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2011.
“The coaches remind us every day in practice: This is a team that was just recently 3-7,” quarterback Jakari Lewis said, referring to the 2019 season. “So everyone is excited about the playoffs and what we’re building.”
Nobody personifies the changes happening at Osbourn better than Lewis, because at the center of the program’s success is a change he made a few months ago. Coach Cortez Whiting knew his team was bringing back a fair amount of talent from the spring’s 3-2 season, but he also knew the Eagles didn’t have a quarterback. So he approached Lewis, a star running back, about switching positions for his senior season.
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Lewis had played some quarterback as a freshman on the junior varsity squad, but he assumed those days were behind him. He was surprised by the request but accepted it nonetheless. He knew he could still run from under center, but throwing the ball made him nervous. He still remembers his first varsity completion, a short hitch route, and how good it felt.
The Eagles never turned into a team with an aerial attack, but Lewis continued to make plays from his new position. He finished the regular season as one of the best rushers in the county, gaining 1,437 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns on the ground. He added three passing scores to make him a certified dual threat.
“It’s a lot different running the ball at quarterback,” Lewis said. “At running back, your vision is way better. You can see the holes open up. At quarterback, you have to be a little bit more patient.”
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As Lewis and his team know, patience can be the key to success. Sometimes good things take time.
— Michael Errigo
Postseason is the new norm for Einstein
Everything about the Maryland playoffs seemed new to Einstein in 2019. The Titans, led by their first-year coach, hosted a playoff game for the first time in roughly four decades and beat Blair for the program’s first postseason win.
When Einstein returned to the playoffs this year, players and coaches were more composed, knowing what to expect. The Titans beat High Point, 48-0, in Kensington on Friday in the first round of the 4A playoffs.
“A lot of people were kind of shocked to see us be successful in 2019,” Coach Sean Loftus said. “Now us kind of having some success wasn’t a shock to people, but kind of an understanding we are a good team, we are a good program.”
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Between 2001 and 2015, Einstein finished with a winning record once, in 2012. That season, when the Montgomery County program went 6-4, it had Loftus playing quarterback.
While the Titans (7-3) lost three of their first four games this fall, they’ve won each of their past six by at least 25 points. On Friday, Einstein will visit Paint Branch, which the Titans last beat in 2016.
“We understood that even if we’re sitting at 1-3, if we win out, then we’re in a position that we want to be in,” Loftus said, “which is where we are right now.”
— Kyle Melnick
HALFTIME
Players of the week
RB Jordan Harris, Archbishop Spalding. The senior rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries as the Cavaliers completed an undefeated regular season with a 41-0 rout of Mount Saint Joseph.
LB Corey O’Connor, Lake Braddock. The junior grabbed an early interception for a Lake Braddock defense that shined Friday. In a 20-6 win over rival South County, the Bruins held the Stallions to single digits for the first time since 2018.
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WR Trashaun Timmons, South River. The junior rushed for the game-winning touchdown with 41 seconds remaining in the Seahawks’ 7-6 win over Great Mills.
QB Jayden Sauray, Wise. The senior completed all five of his passes — four of which went for touchdowns — as the Pumas dismantled Northwestern, 77-0.
Games to watch this week
Laurel at Blair, 6:30 p.m. Friday
West Springfield at South County, 7 p.m. Friday
H.D. Woodson at Dunbar, 11 a.m. Saturday
Gonzaga at St. John’s, 1 p.m. Saturday
Raising the profile of one of the nation’s top leagues
Jeff Sherman parlayed his experience in sports management into a job that’s intriguing for its potential — commissioner of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, one of the country’s top high school sports leagues.
Sherman, who took over Nov. 1, brings an unusual background as a reserve sergeant in the Air Force who spent a tour in Iraq as part of a quick-response team. He has run camps and other activities as part of Overtime Athletics.
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In general, the WCAC produces some of the country’s best teams in football, basketball, lacrosse and other sports, but it has often lacked the administrative clout of, for instance, the state-sanctioned governing bodies in Virginia and Maryland. One of Sherman’s plans for his new role is to expand the conference’s footprint, an idea that appeals to several of the league’s football coaches.
More consistent social media engagement might mean a broader reach for moments such as Gonzaga’s Hail Mary in 2018 and the exploits of former St. John’s basketball star Azzi Fudd.
“This league is already very prestigious and has a great legacy,” Sherman said. “I want to help move that forward, continue doing the great things that we already do and involve more of the things that can help move this league even further.”
— Jake Lourim
D.C. playoff preview
With the playoffs getting underway in the District, here are three underdogs who could make a run.
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KIPP (6-2): After beating Richard Wright, 58-12, on Friday to win their fourth public charter championship in eight years, the Panthers are hoping this is the year they finally break through and capture their first D.C. State Athletic Association title. Spearheaded by running backs Antonio Fleming and Ramonte Haigler, affectionately known as “Boom” and “Bow,” KIPP’s explosive ground game could pose problems for its opponents, starting with Sidwell Friends on Saturday.
H.D. Woodson (5-4): The Warriors are dangerous because of their old-school style and stout fronts on both sides of the ball. After running the public school football scene for years, they head into the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs as the No. 3 seed. While the path to a Turkey Bowl championship is rugged, Woodson is confident after it pushed Theodore Roosevelt and Dunbar this season, losing to each of the higher-seeded teams by a single touchdown.
Coolidge (5-3): Despite opening the season with consecutive coronavirus-related cancellations followed by three straight losses, the Colts have steadied the ship and head into the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Stripes division after finishing in a three-way tie with Anacostia and Bell. Should Coolidge win its second consecutive Gravy Bowl, the Colts would be eligible for promotion to the Stars division.
— Tramel Raggs
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