Player of the Week
A few players had more total yards, and a few others equaled his scoring output, but no one came up with a more clutch performance than Sherwood running back Fernando Smith last week.
In a tense back-and-forth battle with Northwest, Smith carried the Warriors to a 32-24 victory with 150 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. More importantly, he kept his team's slim playoff hopes alive in the 4A North.
"It was just a great game, a tough game," said the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Smith, who rushed for a total of 283 yards and five touchdowns. "But I had my rhythm going, my line was blocking great and the coaches kept calling my number. This was really the best game I've ever had - most yards, most carries and most touchdowns. Everything was perfect."
Almost every one of Smith's 31 carries was crucial because Northwest, a feisty upstart squad loaded with young talent, wouldn't go away. The Jaguars thrived behind quarterback Matty Callahan, who passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns. To counter the effort, Smith had to match Callahan's arm with his legs.
After Callahan gave Northwest a 7-0 lead, Smith answered with a 1-yard touchdown run. Then, after Northwest added a field goal, Smith responded with a 50-yard jaunt. And after Callahan led the Jags on a fourth-quarter scoring drive to reclaim the lead, Smith came on with a vengeance. He effectively put an end to the showdown, reeling off three straight touchdowns to put Northwest in their place.
"I have to give mad credit to my O-line and fullback," Smith said. "Our line can sense a lot and they see a lot of things that aren't obvious to the human eye out there. They could tell [Northwest] was getting tired late in the game. So they came over to our coaches and said, 'Run Fernando, run Fernando, run Fernando.'
"So that's what we did," Smith continued. "We were calling iso off-tackle runs over and over and [Northwest] couldn't stop it. We just punched them in the mouth and wore them down."
Smith pointed to his 55-yard, fourth-quarter score as the key play in the game. Right before the touchdown, Northwest had seized momentum by taking an 18-12 lead with about 10 minutes left in the game. But Smith's spectacular run seemed to inspire his team.
"Our backs were against the wall and I had to make a play," Smith said. "They gave me the ball, I broke three tackles, did a spin move to get by another guy and then just took it to the house. After that we took control."
Indeed they did. Sherwood's defense proceeded to stuff Northwest on back-to-back drives, giving Smith more time to work his magic. The powerful 'back scored twice more, once on a 25-yard run and then on a 24 yarder to break the game open.
"I worked really hard over the summer to get to this point. I really hope I opened some eyes [of recruiters] after this," said Smith, who still does not have any scholarship offers. "But, mainly, I'm just really glad we got the win and still have a shot at the playoffs. Right now, that's all that's on my mind. I want to play five more games."
Top Performers (Offense)
Thomas Stuart, QB, Calvert Hall: 350 yards, 7 TDs; 50 rushing yards
CJ Williams, RB, Calvert Hall: over 100 yards, 3 TDs
Trevor Williams, WR, Calvert Hall: 8 receptions, over 100 yards, 3 TDs
Joel Jorgensen, QB, McDonogh: 350 yards, 5 TDs
Jabari Weems, WR, McDonogh: over 100 yards, TD
Wes Brown, RB, Good Counsel: 211 yards, 3 TDs
Ryan Yamada, QB, Good Counsel: 101 yards, 2 TDs
Devon Paye, RB, Hammond: 230 yards, 4 TDs
Dionte Jones, RB, Hammond: 112 total yards, 2 TDs
Aaron Wells, RB, River Hill: 118 yards, TD
Tyler Young, WR, Arundel: 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD
Cooper Hibbs, QB, Arundel: 149 yards, 3 TDs
Jack Gordon, QB, Arundel: 112 yards, 2 TDs
Matt Davis, RB, Arundel: 100 yards
Phillip Butler, RB, North Hagerstown: 210 yards, 2 TDs
Joey Conrad, QB, Brunswick: 286 yards, 2 TDs
Ahmere Ware, RB, South Hagerstown: 104 yards, 2 TDs
Brandon Ness, QB, South Hagerstown: 112 yards, TD
Garrett Clay, RB, Fort Hill: 289 yards, 4 TDs
Cyrus Jones, ATH, Gilman: over 100 total yards, 4 TDs
Shane Cockerille, QB, Gilman: 310 yards, 2 TDs
Marcus Alston, TE, Mount St. Joseph: 100 total yards, 2 TDs
Ryan Umpleby, WR, Fallston: over 150 total yards, 3 TDs
John Hetterman, QB, Fallston: over 150 yards, 3 TDs
Eric Latham, RB, Perry Hall: 183 yards, 3 TDs
Priestly Shuler, RB, Poly: 104 yards, TD
DeAndre Lane, RB, Catonsville: about 200 total yards, 3 TDs
Steffen Wilkens, QB, City: over 100 total yards, 4 TDs
Zach Welch, RB, Middletown: 182 yards, 4 TDs
Forrest Parker, RB, Walkersville: 127 yards, 2 TDs
Brady Policelli, QB, Walkersville: 136 yards, TD
Jake Miller, WR, Walkersville: 4 receptions, 103 yards, TD; 47 rushing yards, TD
William Copeland, ATH, Frederick: about 200 total yards, 3 TDs
Matt Hynes, QB, Frederick: 169 yards, TD
Raykwon Gray, RB, Urbana: 169 yards, 2 TDs
Nick Peifer, QB, St. John's: 281 yards, 3 TDs; 51 rushing yards, TD
Grier Wilson, WR, St. John's: 10 receptions, 142 yards, 2 TDs
Tyler Beatty, QB, Sherwood: 121 yards
Fernando Smith, RB, Sherwood: 283 yards, 5 TDs
James Jones-Williams, RB, Seneca Valley: 161 yards, TD
Rachid Ibrahm, RB, Avalon: 151 yards, 4 TDs
Diondre Anderson, RB, B-CC: 139 yards, TD
Cory Applequist, RB, B-CC: 101 yards, 2 TDs
Curtis Kamara, RB, Churchill: 137 yards, 2 TDs
Lansana Keita, ATH, Churchill: 116 rushing yards, TD; 84 passing yards
Steve Burchett, QB, Richard Montgomery: 100 total yards, 2 TDs
Kevin Enu, RB, Rockville 125 yards, TD
Val Djidotor, RB, Whitman :104 yards, 2 TDs
Mike Flack, ATH, Whitman: 166 total yards, TD
Matty Callahan, QB, Northwest: 247 yards, TD
Chris Papadopoulos, QB, Wootton: 202 yards; 96 rushing yards, TD
Julian Carr, QB, Blake: 136 yards, TD
David Smith, QB, Paint Branch: 115 yards, 2 TDs
Eddie Cooke, QB, Damascus: 112 yards, TD
Mark Green, RB, Quince Orchard: 102 yards, TD
Darren Cromwell, RB, Annapolis: 102 yards, TD
Paul Russell, QB, Annapolis: 174 yards, TD
Blake Russell, WR, Northeast-AA: 9 receptions, 122 yards
Eric Grantland, QB, Northeast-AA: 248 yards
Calvinaugh Jones, RB, Meade: 175 yards, 3 TDs
Daivon Nixon, QB, Meade: 150 yards, 2 TDs
Austin Stein, QB, Severna Park: 280 yards, 2 TDs
Kevin Cook, WR, Severna Park: 7 receptions, 133 yards
Eamonn Vain-Callahan, RB, Severn: 135 yards, 2 TDs
Connor Cox, QB, South River: 293 yards, 6 TDs
Lavon Chaney, RB, South River: about 200 total yards, 3 TDs
Tavon Spears, ATH, North County: 184 total yards, 3 TDs
Robert Chesson, RB, Old Mill: 228 yards, 2 TDs
Ben Goodrich, QB, Kent Island: 176 yards, TD
Kyle Boone, RB, Kent Island: 114 yards
Brian Louck, QB, Spalding: over 100 yards, 3 TDs
Nate Lewnes, RB, St. Mary's: 121 yards, 2 TDs
Spencer Coyle, QB, St. Mary's: 245 yards, TD
Matt Wallace, WR, St. Mary's: 8 receptions, 134 yards
Montell Martin, RB, John Carroll: 182 total yards, 3 TDs
Josh McPhearson, RB, AACS: 160 total yards, 3 TDs
Chris Chick, QB, AACS: 167 yards, 3 TDs
Alpha Jalloh, ATH, AACS: 117 total yards, 2 TDs
Romie Cheese, ATH, Westminster: 224 total yards, 4 TDs
Justin Sommerville, ATH, Westminster: 130 total yards, 2 TDs
Nick Schaffer, RB, Century: 164 yards
Brad MacFee, QB, Century: 122 yards, 2 TDs
Terin Kelsey, QB, North Carroll: 129 yards, 2 TDs
Noel Spencer, RB, Edgewood: 118 yards, 2 TDs
Mason Parker, RB, Edgewood: 102 yards, TD
Austin Nierwinski, QB, Harford Tech: over 200 yards, 4 TDs
Christian Carpenter, WR, Aberdeen: 6 receptions, 100 yards, 3 TDs
Kenny Faulcon, QB, Aberdeen: 200 yards, 3 TDs
Montell Martin, RB, John Carroll: over 100 yards, 3 TDs
Ryan Morgan, RB, Allegany: 145 yards, 2 TDs
Matt Zelechowski, RB, Curley: 120 yards, TD
Darius Victor, RB, Northwestern-PG: 173 yards, 4 TDs
Tre Lee, QB, Patuxent: 154 total yards, TD
Troy Brown, RB, Westlake: 109 yards, TD
Luke Depasquale, QB, Patterson Mill: 203 yards, 4 TDs
Deonte Alston, ATH, Patterson Mill: 177 total yards, 3 TDs
Devinn Fisher, ATH, Patterson Mill: 118 total yards
Brandon Cherry, RB, Boys' Latin: 308 yards, 2 TDs
Myles Allen, RB, Landon: 170 yards, 3 TDs
Kevin Jones, RB, Bullis: 160 yards, TD; receiving TD
Karron Hickman, RB, Centennial: 155 yards, 2 TDs
CJ Taylor, RB, North Caroline: 128 yards, TD
Troy Taylor, RB, Snow Hill: 217 yards, 2 TDs
Cory Berry, RB, Easton: 102 yards
Jaelon Moaney, QB, Easton: 114 yards, TD
Dontea Ayres, RB, Wicomico: over 100 yards, 2 TDs
Dominic Bryan, RB, Georgetown Prep: over 100 yards, 2 TDs
Luah Talo, QB, Dundalk: 110 yarsd, TD
Trevon Reid, ATH, Dundalk: 249 total yards
EJ Montgomery, QB, Reservoir: 182 passing yards, TD; 71 rushing yards
Tavon Young, WR, Potomac: 102 total yards, 4 TDs
Antonio Washington, QB, Potomac: 163 yards, 4 TDs
Adam Coles, RB, Potomac: 125 yards, 2 TDs
Jonathan Holland, QB, Flowers: 169 yards, 2 TDs
Keith Payne, WR, Flowers: 2 receptions, 130 yards, TD
Dequan Boatwright, QB, Bladensburg: about 300 total yards, 2 TDs
Shamik Perry, RB, DuVal: 150 yards, TD
Jarvis McClam, QB, Laurel: 141 yards
Shawn Petty, QB, Roosevelt: 150 yards, 3 TDs
Tamlin Antoine, WR, Roosevelt: 2 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TDs
Anthony Squire, RB, Suitland: 237 yards, TD
Nyema Washington, QB, Suitland: 137 yards, TD; 2 rushing TDs
Shaquile Guyton-Jackson, RB, Surrattsville: 2 TDs
Josef Hinnant, RB, Douglass-PG: 153 yards, TD; 87-yard kick return TD
Emmanuel Smith, RB, Douglass-PG: 100 yards, TD
Dewayne Staten, RB, Gwynn Park: 143 yards, TD
Dequan Dukes, ATH, Parkville: over 100 total yards, TD
Brady George, QB, Broadneck: 148 yards, 3 TDs
Corey Contee, QB, Southern-AA: 129 yards, TD
Rehvon Bryan, RB, Southern-AA: 122 yards