Eagles, in 'Must-Win' Situation, Soared High

Seneca Valley players weren't sugarcoating their game Friday against Damascus.

"They knew it was a must-win game," Eagles Coach Fred Kim said.

It might have been a lot to ask of the Eagles, especially against a program that has been to 11 consecutive postseasons, a Maryland record. After starting the season with two consecutive losses for the first time in 30 years, Seneca seems to be back to familiar ground. Friday's 16-15 overtime victory against the Hornets not only brought the Eagles back into the hunt for their 19th playoff appearance since 1990 but also showed that they haven't fallen off as far as some might have thought.

In a very tough Maryland 3A West Region, which also includes Quince Orchard, Linganore, Damascus, Clarksburg and Tuscarora, the Eagles knew they could ill afford to fall to 1-3 and keep postseason hopes alive.

"We kept emphasizing that the season's not over when we were 0-2," Kim said, "that we weren't blown out in those games, so we knew we weren't far from being 4-0."

Seneca's biggest improvement the past two weeks has been on offense, after managing just 15 total points in losses to Clarksburg and Churchill. Leading that charge has been junior quarterback (and first-year starter) Max Nicholson. He completed 16 of 28 passes for 175 yards, both career highs, against Damascus and threw the tying touchdown, a 27-yard toss to Trey Cunningham, in the fourth quarter. . . .

Rockville, which has shown signs of improvement over the past three years, including its second postseason appearance in 2007, is 4-0, after a 21-8 victory Saturday at Crossland.

The Rams entered the season with one of the county's top running backs in junior Crusoe Gongbay, who rushed for more than 1,400 yards last year. What they didn't know, however, was that Gongbay has a nice running mate in junior Nate Nolasco.

Gongbay missed Rockville's 34-14 victory over Northwood on Sept. 17 with an ankle injury. The 5-foot-7, 145-pound Nolasco stepped in and rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown. Gongbay still wasn't 100 percent by last week's game against Crossland, so he and Nolasco shared the duties, each rushing for a score in the victory.

Rockville has had only two winning seasons since 1993.

"These kids know they can win and hang with anyone," Rockville Coach Kevin Bernot said. "They don't know anything about that stigma that a lot of people in Montgomery County have about Rockville" High football. . . .

Einstein, meanwhile, might be the biggest surprise at 3-1. Although the Titans have made strides toward respectability since Mike Bonavia took over the program in 2006 (winning just five games from 2000 to '05), they appeared to have peaked last year when they went 5-5 and then watched Malcolm Crockett, the county's leading rusher last season, transfer to Friendship Collegiate in the District.

But the Titans didn't lament the loss of their best player. Instead, they thrust sophomore Keith Gaye into the backfield, and he has responded by rushing for 534 yards and six touchdowns, including 174 yards and two scores in Friday's 29-0 victory over Poolesville.

Quarterback Rests

Landon quarterback Sam McDonough sat out the Bears' 31-7 victory over Riverdale Baptist on Friday because of a pulled thigh muscle, but Bears Coach Rob Bordley said McDonough is doing well and will be ready when Landon hosts Episcopal on Oct. 9. That game will probably decide the Interstate Athletic Conference title. Landon is the defending IAC champ.

"We just decided to play it safe," Bordley reported in an e-mail. "He could have played and would have played if we had been against a league opponent."

Junior Paul Adkins completed 6 of 12 passes for 56 yards in McDonough's absence as Landon's rushing game took over. Senior Joe Paoletta rushed 13 times for 111 yards and one touchdown, and senior Andrew Wills gained 74 yards and scored one touchdown on 12 carries. The defense has also been a large part of the Bears' 3-0 start, having allowed just 13 points in three games. Landon plays at McDonogh of Baltimore on Saturday.