Video: Host B.J. Koubaroulis runs through the top plays from high school football games in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
South County lost its first three games last season before reeling off 11 consecutive victories and reaching the Virginia AAA Division 5 final.
The Stallions are not following the exact same path this season, but they do seem to be positioning themselves for another playoff berth even though they dropped five of their first six games.
Donta Wilkins said he’s worked hard for his opportunities and won’t let any pass him by. He will play football at the University of Virginia.
South County (3-5) has beaten Lee and West Springfield by decisive margins the past two weeks and concludes the regular season against Annandale (1-7) and W.T. Woodson (2-6).
The losses were to Hayfield (5-3), Oakton (6-2), West Potomac (6-2), Robinson (4-4) and Lake Braddock (6-2).
“We were beat up a little bit early so we played a lot of different kids which later in the season has helped us immensely,” said South County Coach Gerry Pannoni, whose team has scored at least 21 points in each game. “We can do a bunch of different things than we thought we could do.”
One is use a power running game. Out of necessity, Pannoni used defensive linemen Anthony Johnson, a junior, and Danny Lavin, a senior, in the backfield, to complement the Stallions’ option and misdirection game.
Pannoni considers junior quarterback David Symmes perhaps the most dynamic offensive player in the district. He is likely to finish the season with more than 1,000 yards both rushing and passing.
The 6-foot-3 Symmes, bound for West Point to play lacrosse, has grown about five inches since the start of his sophomore season. He had 214 offensive yards Friday in a 48-14 win over West Springfield.
The Stallions intercepted three passes in that game, two by senior Marlon Dubuisson. Junior Levaughn Davis rushed 23 times for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
South County has been playing Vanderbilt recruit Oren Burks mostly at inside linebacker, enabling him to make more tackles all over the field. Senior Aaron Jackson has scored a team-high 10 touchdowns, eight on catches.
“Right now they believe they can beat anybody [in the region] in Division 5,” Pannoni said. “The kids were talking about that Saturday morning in the weight room. They said, ‘Coach, we want to practice Thanksgiving morning.’ ”
West Potomac junior Demornay Pierson-El rushed for a season-high 309 yards in a 26-13 win over W.T. Woodson, with four touchdowns. No. 6 Westfield had kept him out of the end zone the previous week, the only team to do so this season.
T.C. Williams (3-5) scored two defensive touchdowns in its 52-7 win over Annandale, with junior Rashawn Jackson returning an interception 60 yards for a score and senior Tim Garvin scoring off a fumble recovery. Senior Dealo Robertson carried 22 times for 175 yards and Alec Grosser threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
It was the Titans’ second consecutive win, but even with victories against Lee and West Potomac the next two weeks, they almost certainly will miss the Division 6 playoffs for the 22nd consecutive season.
Stonewall Jackson’s 36-point half
No. 16 Stonewall Jackson trailed at halftime for the first time this season at Osbourn on Friday before erupting for 36 second-half points in a 46-28 win. The Raiders were down 21-10 to start the second half.
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