High school football notebook: Maryland commit Jordan Houston savors final game with Flint Hill

“It’s bittersweet because we made history, but also, it’s my last game playing with my friends at Flint Hill,” Houston said. “We came in here trying to make this program better, and as you can see, we’re one of the best schools in the state now.”

Houston only played two games his sophomore year because of a broken fibula. When he was finally healthy, he was a man on a mission, leading the team to two state titles and finishing his career with 5,425 rushing yards. That coaches sit Houston after the first half or even after a quarter because the Huskies have large leads early in the game makes it even more impressive. Houston said the championship game was the first time this season he played an entire game.

“My coaches play it safe,” Houston said. “He doesn’t want me to get hurt and [wants me to stay] fresh, and I think that’s smart by him.”

Houston’s ability to juke past defenders and race down the sideline has been a signature image for the Huskies. It was once again, for the final time, on display in the championship game.

He scored on a 19-yard counter run after he made defenders look like they were on roller skates. He burst for another 55-yard dash where he escaped a tackle and sprinted along the sideline. As Benedictine players walked off the field, even they admired Houston’s footwork.

Now, the Maryland commit said he will now focus on playing in the next level.

“It’s strictly business now. It’s all business,” he said. “I’ll be training every day trying to get ready for college.”

-David J. Kim

Woodgrove gets another shot at a region championship

On Friday, Woodgrove will play in a regional final for the fourth time in the nine seasons since the Purcelville, Va., school opened in 2010. It’s an impressive track record, one that is dreamed of by plenty of schools that have been around much longer.

But for the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Wolverine teams, the regional final is where things ended. All three of those teams lost that third playoff game, deflating finishes to electrifying runs.

This year, Woodgrove gets another shot. After a first-round bye, the Wolverines punched their ticket with a 28-21 win over Loudoun County on Saturday.

The Wolverines were up 22-0 at one point, but Loudoun County’s pass-happy offense allowed them to get some quick scores and climb back in the game.

“It’s two different teams: we run the ball and they throw,” Woodgrove Coach Mike Skinner said. “They just kept coming back.”

A key stop late in the fourth quarter allowed the Wolverines to hold on for a victory. Quarterback Graham Walker carried the load on offense, rushing the ball 38 times and totaling three touchdowns on the ground.

“As he goes, we go,” Skinner said of his senior quarterback. “It’s not real fancy sometimes; he’s usually running a couple of guys over.”

As the 4C region’s top seed, the Wolverines will host Sherando next round. The schools have played only once, a 2015 playoff game that Woodgrove won, 35-21.

-Michael Errigo

Paint Branch’s championship aspirations end

Coach Michael Nesmith walked into Paint Branch’s locker room after his team’s 21-20 loss to Mervo on Friday night to find most of his players and team managers in tears.

This year’s Paint Branch team aspired to win a Maryland 4A championship with 15 starters returning from the previous season. Many of those starters played on varsity for three years, developing bonds and hopes of winning together. But Paint Branch’s season ended in the Maryland 4A North final for the second consecutive season.

“It’s really difficult for them,” Nesmith said. “It was just shock and devastation.”

Near the end Friday’s game, Paint Branch (11-2) had only 10 men on the field, so Nesmith used a timeout. The Panthers ran out of timeouts late in the game, so they couldn’t stop the clock on Mervo’s final drive. They received the ball with roughly 45 seconds remaining but couldn’t move into field goal range.

Nesmith has turned Paint Branch into a consistent playoff team. The Panthers will graduate a large senior class, but they’ll return their starting running back, Samuel Doku.

“A lot of them will have opportunities at the next level,” Nesmith said. “But it’s sad to see such a good group go and not achieve their ultimate goal.”

-Kyle Melnick

Wise maintains composure in heated game

In capturing their fourth straight Maryland 4A regional title and eighth overall, Wise proved again it is unfazed by outside pressure. The 22-12 win over the previously undefeated C.H. Flowers on Friday was heated from the outset, with players from both teams jawing at each other at midfield before the start of the game.

High school football roundup: Wise surges past Flowers and into 4A semifinals

Tensions culminated in the third quarter with an on-field skirmish after the whistle following back-to-back touchdowns by Wise. Officials separated the teams and two Flowers players were assessed personal fouls — one getting ejected from the game. Flowers Coach Dameon Powell and Wise Coach DaLawn Parrish pulled their respective teams aside to admonish them and remind them of the task at hand.

Parrish said that the restraint and unity the Pumas showed afterward was important to their overall success.

“When emotions flare you just have to keep it cool,” Parrish said. “To see my young men fly around, fight, and pull each other back — that was a beautiful thing to see.”

The Pumas defense limited the Jaguars’ momentum throughout the game. Senior defensive end Nigel Johnson’s interception in the opening minutes of the third quarter led to a Wise touchdown several plays later. Since falling to Calvert Hall in the second game of the season, Wise has allowed 13 or fewer points each week and has four shutouts.

“On the sideline we talked about being able to face adversity, [and] our kids are built for this,” Parrish said. “We’ve seen prime time before, we’ve been down, we’ve been up.”

-Madeline Rundlett

Read more All-Met football coverage:

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She ditched cheerleading to join the football team — and then scored a record-setting touchdown

Oakdale upsets No. 4 Damascus, ends Swarmin’ Hornets 53-game winning streak

Steve Crounse coached two sons to state title games. Is a third on the way?