Normally it's the skill players who reap the glory and get all the headlines and accolades, but when a team rushes for almost 450 yards and scores six touchdowns, the offensive line probably deserves some credit. Which is why this week's Player of the Week award goes to the entire Gilman offensive line.
The Greyhounds were pitted against Virginia's Oscar Smith High, which is usually a nationally-ranked contender. But Gilman had their way with them thanks to an opportunistic defense, several athletic playmakers and, of course, those big uglies up front.
"I'm really proud of what our line was able to do," said Gilman's left guard, Brian Gaia, who is committed to Penn State. "Besides me and Chibuzo [Ukandu], the rest of our line was a little smaller or about the same size as Oscar Smith's [defensive line]. But I wasn't worried. I worked all summer with these guys, so I knew we'd be ready."
So just who were "these guys" that Gaia referred to? Besides the 6-foot-4, 295-pound left guard, there's sophomore Chibuzo Ukandu (6-3, 255), junior Ned Emala (5-11, 225), senior Connor Webb (6-3, 225), senior Brandon Smith (5-10, 195) and a pair of tight ends in junior Henry Poggi (6-4, 255) and junior Micah Kiser (6-2, 215).
"I really think all the linemen work well together," Emala said. "We work hard in practice and we play as one unit. That's probably the main reason we have success."
On Friday against Oscar Smith, the primary beneficiaries of that line were athlete Cyrus Jones and quarterback Shane Cockerille. Jones rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns, while Cockerille added 247 yards and three more scores. Whether they took the ball between the tackles or broke to the outside, both Cockerille and Jones had plenty of room to run.
"The line was huge for us," Cockerille said. "They were pumped all week for Oscar Smith, and they came up big. They all executed their blocks and opened up huge lanes for us to run through."
Gilman took control almost immediately, scoring on each of their first three possessions. The Greyhounds' opening drive ended with a 41-yard Cockerille touchdown, the next a 10-yard Jones score and the final a 14-yard Jones reception where he got great downfield blocking.
"We knew we had to be physical and set the tone early," Gaia said. "And that's just what we did. The whole game we out-physicaled [Oscar Smith] and wore them down.
"Running the ball is what we do," he continued. "We expect to run the ball down people's throats."
The Greyhounds' line has been superb in each of their first two games (they helped Gilman defeat Maryland Christian, 69-8, two weeks ago), but their mettle will be tested this week. Gilman takes on the No. 1 team in Maryland, Good Counsel, which is fresh off a victory over Florida powerhouse Manatee. Good Counsel boasts a stellar defensive line led by Division-I ends Ryan Watson and Roderick Chungong (Georgia Tech).
"It's going to be a battle," Emala said. "But we'll be ready."
Top Performers (Offense):
Stefon Diggs, WR, Good Counsel: 6 receptions,132 yards, 2 TDs
Brendan Marshall, QB, Good Counsel: 234 yards, 3 TDs
Cyrus Jones, ATH, Gilman: over 200 total yards, 4 TDs
DJ Foster, RB, Dulaney: about 100 total yards, 3 TDs
Joel Jorgensen, QB, McDonogh: over 100 yards, TD
Mike DeBaugh, QB, Perry Hall: 163 yards, TD
Dale Harris, RB, St. Paul's: 102 yards
London Fitzhugh, WR, St. Paul's: 8 receptions, 102 yards
Travez Lee, QB, Patuxent: 165 total yards, TD
DJ Smith,RB, Spalding: 110 yards, TD
Paul Harris, WR, Douglass-PG: 100 total yards, TD
*Note: It is possible, with hundreds and hundreds of names flying across the wire, that some offensive standout was overlooked. Also, defensive statistics are not included since a) some teams do not keep them and b) they aren't always reliable.