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FORT WASHINGTON – Running back Maceo Barbosa, Jr.’s game-winning 10-yard touchdown run and senior Carlos Daye’s last-second sack on fourth down in overtime helped Frederick Douglass pull off the upset victory over previously undefeated Friendly, 36-30.
The victory was huge for Douglass (1-2), who was coming off a shutout loss against Riverdale Baptist, 41-0 and losing its starting quarterback, junior Ja’juan Payton-Glover, due to injury.
“That is unfamiliar territory for us, to lose two games in a row and it has been tough for our kids. It has been a hard two weeks because we got blown out two weeks in a row,” Douglass Head Coach Julius Pinkney said. “So it took a lot for them to get up and defeat an undefeated football team.”
Both teams exploded out of the gate early, with Douglass’ Barbosa, Jr. scoring on a 40-yard touchdown run and Friendly quarterback Anthony Blackwell hitting receiver Parrish Goode for a 46-yard touchdown.
Douglass senior Kollin Smith, who normally plays wide receiver, was called upon to play quarterback the majority of the game and did not disappoint. Smith threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Woods before halftime, pushing the Eagles ahead, 22-7.
“He was our backup quarterback last year. He played quarterback on JV his freshman year so he knew our system,” Pinkney said. “He’s our most dangerous guy, the fastest kid on the field, so it was an easy transition for us.”
Friendly struggled in the first half dealing with the changes made by Douglass’ offense and blitzing on defense that led to sacks. Defensive tackle and team captain Domonique Ward did not play due to a sprain ankle, according to Head Coach Vaughn Smith. However, adjustments made to the defensive line to keep Smith off the field helped kick-start the Patriots comeback in the third quarter.
“They jumped on us real quick,” Smith said. “They mixed their defense up and we had to go in at halftime to make adjustments. When you are playing catch-up, it is tough.”
For the third game in a row, Friendly stayed with Blackwell as its starting quarterback and placed senior Kendall Mcclendon in short yardage situations. Mcclendon started the comeback with a 2-yard touchdown run.
Blackwell ran the no-huddle offense quickly and effectively, catching Douglass on three offside/encroachment penalties in the second half. However, his connection with wide receiver Demetri Johnson led to two passing touchdowns, combining for 58 yards and paying dividends for the Patriots’ comeback.
“I know who the playmakers are on this team and [Johnson] is one of those playmakers,” Blackwell said. “I know that if I throw it up any way, he is going to go get it.”
Late in the fourth quarter, Blackwell connected with the senior wide receiver for a 33-yard game-tying touchdown pass after Johnson tipped the overthrown pass towards his body before diving to complete the catch.
“It’s on my quarterback. I just had to be determined enough to catch the ball,” Johnson said. “Anything that goes up, I look at that ball like it’s a paycheck. I’m not going to waste my money.”
In overtime, Douglass did not hesitate to go for the knockout blow as Barbosa, Jr. ran straight to the endzone untouched for his second touchdown of the game. As Friendly took possession, Douglass’s defense, who had eight total sacks in the game, was quick to pounce, not letting the Patriots pass the 7-yard line. Daye’s sack on fourth down then sealed the game for Eagles.
For Pinkney, who was recently inducted into the Maryland High School Hall of Fame, the victory was one of the most spectacular first victories to a season he has been a part of since starting with Douglass in 1998. The goal is to use the momentum gained by the win against their county rivals, Gwynn Park, on Sept. 24.
“That’s always a tough game for us because it is a rivalry [game],” Pinkney said. “They are right up the street. It’s going to be a sold out deal so that means we got to take care of business.”
