There were times this season when Douglass Coach J.C. Pinkney wondered which version of his Eagles would take the field. Would the Eagles, with plenty of talent but relying on a host of younger players, play with confidence and poise? Or would they play like inexperienced underclassmen and have trouble with the most basic of tasks?
Pinkney saw the latter as recently as Douglass' final regular season game. Needing a victory to make the playoffs, the Eagles struggled with fundamentals. Even the center snap was an adventure for quarterback Davon Gray.
Douglass quarterback Davon Gray faces a stiff test in undefeated Lackey in tomorrow's 3A semifinal matchup.
(Toni L. Sandys -- The Washington Post)
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"We couldn't get a good gauge on our guys because we were so inconsistent," Pinkney said.
But as Douglass prepares for tomorrow's Maryland 3A semifinal at undefeated Lackey, Pinkney thinks he knows exactly what he is going to get: a group of players focused on their goal with a firm belief in their abilities.
"Our team finally turned the corner" in the second half of the regular season finale against Friendly, Pinkney said. "All those underclassmen and guys who didn't start last year, they didn't screw up. The way they're playing, I don't have to worry about whether my guys are going to show up or not. I just have to worry about whether we're going to execute."
Douglass (10-2) had that confidence in Saturday's 35-0 rout of Gwynn Park, coming just three weeks after a 28-6 setback to those same Yellow Jackets.
The differences in the games were simple. Field position advantage changed drastically. Douglass avoided turnovers and capitalized on an interception and a fumble in the opening minutes.
With an early, 14-0 lead, the Eagles were in control and they never backed off.
"They just wanted it more than we wanted it," said Gwynn Park Coach Danny Hayes, who benched three key senior starters for sneaking out of practice early during the week. "You could see it. They were really focused and ready to play. If they played like they played yesterday, there is no way anyone can stop them from winning the state championship."
The Eagles have a pair of standouts in senior linemen Thomas Claggett and Patrick Mimms, but the team's skill players are almost all non-seniors. And, for a few moments, it seemed that the Eagles might not even make the playoffs. They needed help the final weekend of the regular season and got it when Long Reach defeated Mount Hebron, putting Douglass in position to make the playoffs with a victory over Friendly -- something that seemed unlikely when the Eagles trailed, 15-14, midway through the fourth quarter.
Gray, who backed up All-Met Quinton Brown last season, baffled his coaches by fumbling the center snap four times. The Eagles, though, managed to rally for a 30-15 victory and then beat River Hill, 36-26, in the Maryland 3A East Region semifinals two weeks ago.
"It's not like we don't work on stuff like" snaps, Pinkney said. "It's not a problem during practice. It's only a problem during games. . . . Davon had big shoes to fill. A lot of people think our offense is very simple. It's just the opposite. A lot of our success is predicated on that kid because of the option. He has a lot going on and he gets nervous. He's ready now. He's playing with confidence."
Mimms said that part of the Eagles' rising confidence can be attributed to the help of Surrattsville Coach Tom Green, who for the past two weeks has been the Douglass scout team quarterback. Trying to defend against Green, Mimms said, makes things seem easy when the Eagles play against a high school quarterback.
"Coach Green, he can throw the ball 60 yards or so and simulate any quarterback," said Pinkney, who normally plays the role of scout team quarterback. "It's a real accurate look for our guys. I can throw it 45 yards and I'm pretty accurate, but Coach Green was a quarterback."
Green will get plenty of work in practice this week because Lackey has been relying on the pass with All-Met running back Morgan Green bothered by a pulled hamstring. If Douglass beats Lackey, Green could get even more throwing the following week if Douglass plays pass-happy Northwest in the state final.
"If coaches ask for assistance, we all would help each other," Green said. "I told [Pinkney] if I ever make the playoffs, he's going to repay the favor. I don't know if it's going to be scout team quarterback, but it will be somewhere."
