So we meet again: Suitland and Flowers square off in playoff grudge match

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No other region in Maryland is more hotly contested than the 4A South. The four playoff qualifiers have developed an intense rivalry that starts boiling in early September before erupting in late November. Throughout the season, Wise, Suitland, C.H. Flowers and Eleanor Roosevelt engage in battles not seen since hand-to-hand combat was in vogue. These teams epitomize physical, hard-nosed, drag-'em-through-the-mud pigskin.

On Saturday afternoon, the four contenders meet again. This time, the stakes are raised.

Lock those chin straps tight, put on an extra pair of pads, tape those ankles a few more times. You're going to need it. It's playoff time in PG County, and only two teams will survive the first weekend.

Wise, the No. 1 seed, takes on fourth-seeded Eleanor Roosevelt in Upper Marlboro. But the main course will be held a few miles away in Springdale, where No. 2 seed Flowers (9-1) clashes with No. 3 Suitland (9-1) at 1 p.m.

"All the other stuff before this doesn't really matter anymore," said Flowers coach Mike Mayo. "If you lose now you're going home. We've been here before and we know what it takes."

"The teams understand what's at stake," said Suitland coach Ed Shields. "They know what they need to do. It'll be a hard-fought game. I'm looking forward to it."

So is the rest of Maryland, especially after what happened the last time these two teams squared off. Back on Oct. 10, Suitland came away with a 21-20 victory after a controversial call in overtime. Rams receiver Levern Jacobs appeared to drop quarterback Devonte Lindsey's pass in the end zone, but the officials ruled it a catch. The touchdown tied the game at 20, and the ensuing extra point gave Suitland the win.

There's not a second that goes by where Flowers isn't thinking about that game. That one call in overtime kept them from a perfect regular season and cost them the No. 1 seed.

"When you see something that's not right, it's going to stick in the back of the kids' minds," Mayo said. "How could it not?"

But the Jaguars aren't the only team with a score to settle. Almost one year ago, Flowers and Suitland met at the same time at the same venue with the same stakes. In that first-round playoff game the Jaguars ended the Rams' season with a 29-6 beat down. Suitland has to be thinking revenge, right? Not according to Shields.

"Last year is last year," Shields said. "We've been through so much as a program since then with losing our head coach [Nick Lynch died in a car accident] and all that. This year is what's important. It's not about revenge; it's about taking care of the present."

And in the present Shields and the Rams have to figure out a way to stop Flowers' machine-like Wing-T offense, which is scoring 32 points per game. The Jaguars don't pass - quarterback Thomas Lawrence is good for maybe three throws a game - but they have a quintet of running backs who rush for an average of over 300 yards a game. They've failed to hit the 300 plateau just three times all season. Reggie Woods (who is still nursing an ankle injury) and John Clark lead the attack with close to 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns between them. There's no drop-off, however, when Raymone Wilson and Chris Gregory enter the game.

"One [running back] goes out and another comes in and contributes," Mayo said. "Every game it's someone different. We don't have any true standout individuals. That's the way we like it."

As with any strong running team, the success starts with the offensive line. The Jaguars start five seniors up front, who average 270 pounds. Isaiah Shelton is the anchor at center; he's flanked by Warren Daniels, Darron Black, Calvin Calloway and Phillip Coleman.

"With the offensive line they have, anyone who runs the ball for them concerns me," Shields said. "They get off the ball well, and the backs are very explosive through the holes."

The Jaguars' defense hasn't been as stout as some of their rivals'; they are allowing just under 14 points per game. But last week they held Wise's vaunted attack to 12 points in a confidence-building 14-12 victory over a previously undefeated team. The week before they stopped Roosevelt cold, 22-13. Now, the defense has to respond one more time in their third straight major rivalry game.

"it's been like three weeks of playoffs for us leading up to this game," Mayo said. "It's tough to play a stretch like that and keep the kids up and playing at a high level. … But the kids have a lot of confidence in themselves."

Flowers' defensive leader and catalyst is linebacker Chris "AK" Akinsuyi, the team leader in tackles. On either side of him are Ascene Jaques, Darrien Coulter and Hunter Ferrell. Up front, Flowers relies on Roderick Neither, Charles Rivers, Coleman and a rotation of four others to collapse the pocket and keep blockers off Akinsuyi. And the secondary, which struggled at the beginning of the season, has vastly improved.

"We have a combination of kids who have rotated in and played very well on defense," Mayo said.

But Suitland's defense has played well all season, allowing just six points per game. The Rams have pitched four shutouts and have given up a total of 12 points in each of the last two weeks. In fact, the most points they've surrendered came in the first Flowers game, when the Jaguars scored 20.

The defensive line, led by Aaron Blake, Darius Aarington and Kenny Amaker, has gotten better as the season has worn on. That trend must continue when lining up against Flowers' line.

"The defensive line has worked real hard to get better," Shields said. "We take pride in them. We'll see what they'll be able to do."

It's the linebackers and secondary that make Suitland's defense special. Josh Pennington is a leader at middle linebacker. Antoine Young and Dontrewell Kelley can rush the passer, contain the run and even play pass defense. And the secondary features Division I talent Jeremiah Johnson (Maryland) and three other lockdown defenders in Keith Brown, Jason Johnson and Lorenzo Steele.

Offensively, Suitland is putting up 31 points per game, one less than Flowers. But the Rams have a multi-faceted attack. They're still a run-first team, but quarterback Devonte Lindsey is arguably the best passer in the county. This season Lindsey is completing 60 percent of his passes for close to 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns. His top two targets are Jason Johnson and speedster Levern Jacobs, who could be a matchup problem for Flowers' secondary. Could the Rams potentially lead an aerial assault against Flowers?

"We'll take advantage of what we can," Shields said. "I think each game takes on its own flavor, it's own tone. What's the flavor of this game? That's a good question."

Shields was being cryptic, but it's safe to say Suitland won't deviate too far from their ground game. Flowers has a stacked backfield, but Suitland boasts a three-headed monster brimming with star power. Kelley and Brown are Division I caliber, and Kevin Williams is a bruiser who specializes in busting up defensive lines.

"They have a balanced attack," Mayo said. "They can run it, they can throw it. You can't sit on one thing against Suitland."

Suitland's offensive line isn't as experienced or stout as Flowers', but by no means are they a bunch of pushovers. Terrell Stewart, Hameed Salman, Amaker and Arrington are all potent at the point of attack.

The Rams haven't lost since Week 1, a 14-7 defeat against Wise. Since then they've reeled off nine straight victories by an average margin of 26 points. Flowers, meanwhile, has won four straight since the Suitland debacle, including back-to-back victories over two major rivals.

Both teams have the momentum, both teams have the talent and both teams want this win. Grudge match? It's way beyond that.

"There's going to be some real good football played [on Saturday]," Mayo said. "It's two good teams facing off, and it's a shame one of them has to go home."

Prediction: This is the toughest call of the weekend. With two evenly-matched teams, a key turnover or penalty will be the deciding factor. Flowers has the homefield advantage and they won this same battle last year, but I'll give the nod to Suitland because of their passing game. One big downfield throw could make all the difference. Suitland 16, Flowers 12