No. 11 Wise focused on bringing down Victor, No. 17 Northwestern

Game to watch: No. 17 Northwestern (4-0) at No. 11 Wise (4-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

Northwestern senior running back Darius Victor has yet to rush for fewer than 135 yards in a game this season, and so, according to Wise Coach DaLawn Parrish, the primary objective for his team Saturday against the Wildcats is fairly obvious.

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Darius Victor leads a strong Northwestern team Saturday against Prince George’s County 4A rival Wise.

“We’re going to try to do what other people haven’t done,” said Parrish, “and that’s tackle him.”

Parrish acknowledged that task is easier stated than accomplished, especially owing to Victor’s unusually stocky build. At 5-foot-8 and 212 pounds, he assumes the likeness of a cannonball on the field. Victor – who has recorded 685 rushing yards this fall, fourth-most in the D.C. area – uses incomparable force to often bludgeon through a crowd of tacklers, or at least push it back a few extra yards.

Parrish pointed out that Victor carries more mass than the average high school linebacker, which the coach said weighs between 170-210 pounds. None of Wise’s three starting linebackers – seniors D’Angelo Niler, Franklin Porter and Benjamin Robinson – weigh more than 205 pounds.

“So [Victor] is running at kids with the speed he has, and he’s built like a dadgum offensive guard,” Parrish said. “That’s a little bit different. . . . The difference is we’re bigger than a lot of the teams he’s faced. So strength will meet strength, and we’ll see who can win.”

Indeed, Northwestern Coach Bryan Pierre described Wise as “bigger physically, size-wise, than any other team in” Prince George’s County. That attribute has helped the Pumas limit opponents to just 14 points total through their first four games.

But the Wildcats’ defense has been solid in its own right. Northwestern upset then-No. 7 C.H. Flowers, 19-14, in part due to a defense that frequently made critical stops and forced three turnovers. It didn’t hurt that Victor tallied 222 yards on a season-high 26 carries.

The Wildcats received good news Thursday morning when right offensive guard Victor Tamba (6-foot-5, 325 pounds) received medical clearance to play after having his injured left shoulder examined. Tamba is expected to start Saturday, and that only will aid Victor’s efforts.

Victor “is probably the best back we’re going to face this year,” Parrish said. “We’re going to gang-tackle him. We’re going to do what we always do, and that’s stay stout against the run.”

Around Prince George’s

After four straight Prince George’s 3A/2A/1A games to start the season, Gwynn Park (3-1) plays its first nonleague contest of the season, traveling to the District for a meeting with McKinley (1-4) on Friday night. The next three teams on the Yellow Jackets’ schedule have combined for two wins. ...

The lone matchup between Prince George’s 3A/2A/1A teams with winning records has Forestville (3-1, 1-1) hosting Crossland (3-1, 1-1) on Saturday. Both squads started the season with three wins before losing last week. Forestville junior Marcel Joly — the league’s leading rusher — has increased his rushing output in each of the first four games, including a season-high 143 yards on 28 carries last week against Largo.

Around Southern Maryland

When Huntingtown travels west across Southern Maryland on Friday to take on North Point, the Hurricanes might sense a feeling of déjà vu.