Week 9 Kandler Martin, Stone Bridge

Photo Courtesy of Steven Holland, Holland Sports Images, LLC

As college football recruiters called, texted and emailed this past year, Kandler Martin’s high school football coach made a habit out of telling anyone who would listen: Martin is on the cusp of stardom.

The Virginia high school football season was delayed to spring, preventing Martin from playing in the fall and perhaps making a convincing case for himself on the field during the normal recruiting cycle. Once play started, however, the senior defensive end terrorized opponents. And in this past Saturday’s Virginia 5A championship game, Martin made one last impression.

Martin made nine tackles, four sacks and forced a fumble that he also recovered as Stone Bridge beat Highland Springs, 13-10 in overtime, to win its second state title. For his efforts, Martin was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

While much of the postgame focus was on the sensational game-winning, one-handed touchdown catch by wide receiver Jacob Thomas (last week’s DC Touchdown Club Player of the Week), Thompson kept shaking his head at Martin’s performance.

“I walked away thinking that was one of the best defensive games we’ve ever had here,” Stone Bridge Coach Mickey Thompson said. “He was all over the place. He’s been overshadowed the whole time. He had an unbelievable game.”

Martin’s biggest play was a sack in overtime that forced Highland Springs to settle for a field goal on the initial series of overtime. It was Martin’s 16th sack this season – four short of Jonathan Allen’s single-season school record of 20, though Thompson noted that Martin had only 10 games in this shortened season.

At 6 feet 2 and 250 pounds, Martin has good size for a high school player, but college coaches often are looking for players with bigger frames. He did not have any college football scholarship offers until January, when he quickly accepted an opportunity to play for VMI. Martin’s twin brother, Skylar, is a linebacker who has accepted a scholarship to play for James Madison University.

“Kandler is going to get bigger,” Thompson said. “When you’re talking about a kid with a baby face who doesn’t even shave yet and you’re talking about how big he is going be to be as a 21-year-old, that’s crazy. I kept telling people how good he is going to be, but we couldn’t prove it because of covid.”

Week 8 Jacob Thomas, Stone Bridge

Photo Courtesy of Steven Holland, Holland Sports Images, LLC

The Stone Bridge High School football team has a rich history. Since the Ashburn school opened at the turn of the century, the Bulldogs have played in nine previous state championship game appearances. Five alumni have gone on to play in the NFL.

While the standards are high for one of the most consistent teams in the Washington area, Coach Mikey Thompson said that Jacob Thomas is one of the best ever to put on a Stone Bridge uniform. The junior added to his resume this past Saturday, intercepting two passes and returning both for touchdowns – one 80 yards and the other 54 yards – as the Bulldogs beat William Fleming of Roanoke, 46-13, in a Virginia 5A semifinal game.

For his efforts, Thomas was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

“He’s the best all-around player I’ve ever had,” said Stone Bridge Coach Mickey Thompson, the school’s only football coach since it opened in 2000. “He’s a great quarterback too. He’ll be our quarterback next year. He can play anything.”

For now, Thomas starts at free safety, returns punt (the Bulldogs’ defense forces a lot of those) and gets in at wide receiver on offense when he can. Stone Bridge has throttled most of its opponents, limiting Thomas’ ability to play on offense as Thompson balances preparing his players to play a full game against concerns about running up the score. Stone Bridge (8-0) has outscored opponents 445 to 89 this season; this past weekend’s 33-point win was actually the Bulldogs’ second-closest game this spring.

This season, Thomas has intercepted six passes – returning four for touchdowns. Of his 11 punt returns, four have gone for touchdowns and he averages 34.7 yards per punt return.

On Thomas’ first interception against William Fleming, he came down with ball at his own 20-yard line and was immediately wrapped up by an opponent. “He was going to pitch it,” Thompson said. But Thomas broke free then weaved his way through traffic and into the traffic. On the second interception return, five opponents had a chance to tackle him, but Thomas made each one miss, outracing everyone to the corner of the end zone.

Now, Thomas is chasing his second state championship in two months. In February, as a guard on the Stone Bridge boys basketball team, he scored a team-high 28 points in the Virginia 5A championship game as the Bulldogs claimed their first-ever state championship in that sport.

“He’s got that gift where he can make plays on his own,” Thompson said. “He can make something out of nothing. Anytime he touches the ball and has any space, he’s a threat. At 6 feet and 190 pounds, he’s pretty shifty and strong enough to run through somebody.”

One other player receiving Player of the Week consideration was South County wide receiver Brock Spalding, who caught two touchdown passes, including the game-winning 16-yarder with less than two minutes remaining as the Stallions rallied to beat James Madison, 29-22, in a Virginia 6A semifinal.

Week 7 Kye Holmes, Gonzaga

Kye Holmes has excelled on and off the football field throughout his career at Gonzaga and he made one last memory in his final high school game.

Holmes, who has accepted a scholarship to play football at James Madison University, made seven tackles and had a key interception as Gonzaga rallied for a thrilling 16-13 victory over St. John’s as the Eagles finished their spring season undefeated.

“He’s just a strong student-athlete,” Gonzaga Coach Randy Trivers said. “He’s an excellent leader in our program.”

Holmes is a three-time all-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference honoree and a team captain. In addition to leading the Eagles’ stout defense – they allowed just five offensive touchdowns in five games this spring – Holmes also has excelled on special teams, with a pair of blocked kicks this year.

Gonzaga trailed St. John’s, 7-0, late in the third quarter when Holmes made a diving interception near midfield, giving the Eagles excellent field position that they took advantage of and drove for their first points of the game.

“He really is an impact player whenever he gets opportunities on the field,” Trivers said.

Others receiving Player of the Week consideration were:

ANNE ARUNDEL

Broadneck quarterback Josh Ehrlich completed 15 of 26 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 16 times for 81 yards and a touchdown as the Bruins beat Annapolis, 36-8, to finish their season undefeated

HOWARD
River Hill running back and linebacker Zach Igwebe rushed 22 times for 129 yards and a touchdown and intercepted a pass on defense as the Hawks registered their fourth shutout in five games with a 23-0 win over Marriott Ridge.

Centennial quarterback Sam Bussink threw three touchdown passes, including two to Brendan Hlibok in the final 30 seconds of regulation as Centennial rallied to beat Long Reach, 20-14.

LOUDOUN

Stone Bridge quarterback Billy Wiles completed 12 of 19 passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Briar Woods, 49-7, in the Virginia 5A Region C championship game.

Independence quarterback Brian Courtney, who earlier in the week committed to play for Florida State, rushed 42 times for 218 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers beat Goochland, 27-17, in the Virginia 3A Region B championship game.

MONTGOMERY

Sherwood wide receiver Jalen Clyatt caught three touchdown passes as the Warriors beat Paint Branch, 29-0.

NORTHERN REGION

South County wide receiver Brock Spalding caught seven passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns as the Stallions beat Robinson, 34-27, in the Virginia 6A Region C championship game.

Week 6 Charlie Miska, South County

In his first two years of high school, Charlie Miska played quarterback, starting on South County’s freshman team and then its junior varsity. In 2019, as he moved up to the varsity where a senior was entrenched as the starter, the Stallions moved Miska to running back.

Although Miska was injured late in the season and did not participate in the playoffs as South County won the Virginia 6A championship, he still earned all-Patriot District honors and eventually accepted a football scholarship offer to play for the University of Virginia. And with the Stallions playing nearly an all-district schedule this spring, that is what opponents remember, even as Miska has returned to playing quarterback.

“Most people when they prepare for Charlie, they probably look at him as a running quarterback and not a quarterback, but he can throw the ball as well as anybody out there,” South County Coach Tynan Rolander said. “His best asset is his ability to throw the ball. His ability to run just keeps people honest.”

That was the case again this past weekend. Miska completed 18 of 28 passes for five touchdowns and rushed 19 times for 66 yards and two more scores as the Stallions beat West Springfield, 47-24, in the Virginia 6A first-round playoff game.

In seven games so far this season, Miska has passed for 1,593 yards and 19 touchdowns with just two interceptions, and rushed for 648 yards and 11 touchdowns as the Stallions take a 7-0 record into this week’s playoff game against Robinson.

“Charlie has been the whole reason we’ve been as successful as we’ve been offensively,” Rolander said. “He’s 6 feet and 210 pounds of muscle. He’s strong as can be. He runs really well and most teams already know he can run the ball. Looking at him, you wouldn’t think he would be a great throwing quarterback. But as the year has gone on, he’s become a really well-rounded quarterback.”

Others considered for this week’s Player of the Week award were:

ANNE ARUNDEL

Broadneck running back Davon White rushed 14 times for 76 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 40 yards and two touchdowns as the Bruins beat Arundel, 50-20, to improve to 3-0 this season.

FREDERICK

Linganore wide receiver Zach Keisling caught four passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns as the Lancers beat Urbana, 21-18.

HOWARD

Glenelg quarterback Bisi Owens passed for 145 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns as the Gladiators beat Howard, 26-21.

LOUDOUN

Tuscarora running back Bryce Duke rushed 20 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns as Tuscarora beat Handley, 54-0, in a Virginia Region 4C semifinal game.

MONTGOMERY

Churchill wide receiver Mitchell Dove caught touchdown passes of 70 and 30 yards and returned a kickoff 75 yards for another score as the Bulldogs opened their season with a 44-7 win over Whitman.

WCAC

St. John’s running back Jamar Curtis rushed 17 times for 197 yards and two touchdowns as the Cadets beat Good Counsel, 27-20.

Week 5 Ethan Facey, Arundel

Arundel free safety Ethan Facey is doing his best to make up for lost time.

With Anne Arundel County schools playing a four-game football season this spring, the senior has made sure to be around the ball as much as possible. In Arundel’s game this past week, Facey intercepted two passes and returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown as the Wildcats beat Annapolis, 24-8.

Facey also made eight tackles, broke up three other passes and recovered an onside kick. For his efforts, Facey was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week 

“He’s also our long snapper and kick returner,” Arundel Coach Jack Walsh said. “But nobody kicks to him because he’s had a lot of success. 

Facey, who is 5 feet 10 and 170 pounds, hopes to play in college.

“He’s one of those kids who needed his senior year to get some looks,” Walsh said. “Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. Our season just started two weeks ago and we’re going into our third game now. He’s trying to make the most out of his last few high school games.”

Other players receiving Player of the Week consideration were:

FREDERICK

Middletown quarterback Gage Queen threw two touchdown passes and rushed for two more scores as the Knights beat Urbana, 26-6.

HOWARD

Howard wide receiver and running back Curtis Eley, who was the Week 4 Player of the Week, rushed for three touchdowns in the first half as the Lions beat Hammond, 32-13.

NORTHERN REGION

Marshall quarterback Patrick Margiotta completed 9 of 15 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 110 yards as the Statesmen beat Justice, 21-14, to claim the National District title.

PRINCE WILLIAM

Battlefield running back Matt Binkowski, a James Madison recruit, rushed 31 times for 205 yards and three touchdowns as the Bobcats beat Patriot, 35-12, to secure a playoff berth.

Week 4 Curtis Eley, Howard

Howard High Coach Ross Hannon had a simple goal this season: Get the ball in Curtis Eley’s hands more often. So when Eley, who plays all over the field for Howard including as the team’s punt returner, let a few punts bounce and did not return them in the Lions’ first game this season, Hannon got after him.

“I challenged him that he has to want that ball,” Hannon said.

After Eley returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown this past Friday night, he returned to the sideline with a question for his coach: “Was that ‘want’ enough?” Eley said.

“That wasn’t bad,” Hannon said. “When he sees a gap, he hits it.”

Eley, a senior who lines up at wide receiver and running back on offense and free safety on defense, also rushed 10 times for 63 yards, caught an 18-yard pass and on defense made six tackles and broke up two passes as Howard beat Long Reach, 28-7. For his efforts, Eley was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

“We’ve had some really good players over the year, but he might just be the most explosive one with his vision,” Hannon said. “I’m excited that we’re playing this year, otherwise nobody would know about him. His ball skills are great, instincts are great and for a guy that looks lean, he’s awfully strong.”

Eley returned three kickoffs for touchdowns during the 2019 season and had a 68-yard touchdown catch in Howard’s previous game this spring. Long touchdowns run in the family; his older brother is former West Virginia University standout and NFL player Tavon Austin, who holds Maryland high school records for career points, touchdowns, total offensive yards and rushing yards.

Others receiving Player of the Week consideration were:

ANNE ARUNDEL
Severna Park running back Colin Shadowens rushed for 91 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Falcons beat North County, 27-6.

FREDERICK
Brunswick running back Wylan Harich rushed 18 times for 178 yards and three touchdowns as the Railroaders beat Catoctin, 28-6.

LOUDOUN
Loudoun Valley kicker Henry McClellan made a 37-yard field goal in the final minute to lift Loudoun Valley to a 10-8 win over Avalon, the Vikings’ first win of the season.

NORTHERN REGION
Wakefield linebacker Michael Guruli recovered a fumble in the end zone for one touchdown and forced a fumble that he recovered and returned 31 yards for a score as the Warriors beat Justice, 33-6.

PRINCE WILLIAM
Gar-Field quarterback Bishop Fitzgerald had a 39-yard touchdown run and threw the decisive 97-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarterback as the Indians beat Freedom-Woodbridge, 14-9, to win the Cardinal District title, their first district title since 1994.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND
Huntingtown quarterback Noah Kuntz rushed for three touchdowns as the Hurricanes beat Patuxent, 20-7.

WCAC
Gonzaga running back Jaylen Laudermilk rushed 25 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles edged St. Mary’s Ryken, 12-9 in overtime.

Week 3 Brian Courtney, Independence

As the starting quarterback and star player on the Independence High football team, it would be understandable if Brian Courtney did not play defense to avoid the risk of injury. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior, though, is not your average player.

So while he accounted for seven touchdowns on offense this past week – throwing four touchdown passes and running for three more scores – it can be debated whether his impact was greater on defense. Playing defensive end, Courtney had four sacks – including three where he stripped the ball and recovered it – as Independence beat Strasburg, 63-44.

Courtney finished 9 of 11 passing for 150 yards with the four touchdowns. He rushed 14 times for 201 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he finished with seven solo tackles and two more tackles for loss. For his efforts, Courtney was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

“I know that sounds like video game numbers,” Independence Coach R.J. Windows said. “He’s our best football player. A unique kid. Very humble, very quiet. He just gets the job done. This kid is just special.”

Windows said that he hesitated to play Courtney on both sides of the ball last year, inserting Courtney on defense only when the Ashburn school made the playoffs. Windows noted that recruiting interest has sparked recently, with several perennial Top 25 teams expressing interest.

“The big ones have been calling this week,” Windows said. “It’s safe to say they are flowing in.”

Others receiving Player of the Week consideration were:

FREDERICK

Linganore TE-DE Cole Mitchell made 12 tackles (five for loss) with three blocked passes and two sacks as the Lancers opened their season with a 29-19 win over Middletown. Mitchell also caught four passes for 64 yards.

HOWARD

Oakland Mills quarterback Antoine Holmes rushed 26 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning two-yard score in the final minute as the Scorpions beat Mount Hebron, 18-14. Holmes, who played running back last season, completed 5 of 8 passes for 81 yards.

NORTHERN REGION

South County quarterback Charlie Miska, a Virginia recruit, rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another score as the Stallions beat Robinson, 37-20.

PRINCE WILLIAM

Freedom-Woodbridge RB Julian Edwards rushed 20 times for 216 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles beat Potomac (Va.), 54-0.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND

Patuxent QB Adam Commodore completed 6 of 7 passes for 158 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers beat Chopticon, 48-13.

WCAC

St. John’s RB Jamar Curtis carried 21 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 67 yards as the Cadets beat St. Mary’s Ryken, 35-20.

Week 2 Kameron Hawkins, Calvert

As the Calvert High football team began a pregame ceremony to honor its seniors, Coach Rick Sneade and standout running back Kameron Hawkins were chatting in the school’s weight room. While Hawkins was one of the players being recognized as a member of the class of 2021, he preferred to avoid the spotlight and remained behind for a few extra moments.

“He has a very good football IQ, so I asked him what we should run for our first play,” Sneade said, noting that Hawkins led the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference in rushing in 2019. “He has a goal of rushing for 1,000 yards in five games. But he said, ‘They’re going to expect us to run the ball the first play so if we call waggle [pass to the tight end] it’s going to be open all day. That speaks to the way he is. He’s a great teammate.”

That pass was complete for 20 yards, but soon enough the 6-foot, 230-pound Hawkins was rumbling downfield. He rushed 25 times for 295 yards and four touchdowns as the Cavaliers beat Chopticon, 36-0, in the season opener for both teams.

“He’s got a huge lower half, great legs,” Sneade said. “We’re hoping this season is good enough for him to latch on [to play in college]. This is a tough year for a guy like him.”

Calvert wore its gold jerseys and blue pants against Chopticon – a throwback combination to its 2000 team that won the school’s only football state championship. Sneade was an assistant coach on that team, while Hawkins’ father, Chris Johnson, played defensive end.

Sneade hoped to honor the 20th anniversary of that championship during the 2020 season, but that was delayed with the season rescheduled to this spring.

“That team was the first that donned the gold jerseys and blue pants,” Sneade said. “Maybe we’ll wear that combination all year.”

Others receiving Player of the Week consideration were:

FREDERICK COUNTY

Middletown QB Gage Queen rushed for three touchdowns and threw for a fourth score as the Knights beat Brunswick, 37-0.

HOWARD COUNTY

Wilde lake kicker Grant Gladden, suiting up for his first-ever football game, made his third field goal of the game, an 18-yarder in the closing seconds, as the Wildecats opened their season with a 9-6 win over Hammond.

NORTHERN REGION

McLean running back and linebacker Ryan Jessar rushed for 132 yards and made 10 tackles on defense as the Highlanders beat rival Langley, 16-7, to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2010.

PRINCE WILLIAM

Gar-Field quarterback Bishop Fitzgerald rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns as the Indians beat Colgan, 59-12.

WCAC

Gonzaga linebacker Kadari Machen made six tackles, three tackles for loss, had a sack, recovered a fumble and blocked a field goal as the Eagles rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to beat rival DeMatha, 24-17, in both teams’ season opener.

Week 1 Bryce Duke, Tuscarora

Bryce Duke rushed for more than 200 yards and scored two touchdowns in Tuscarora’s season-opening win as the Huskies played their first football game in 14 months. Turned out he was shaking off the rust and just getting started.

This past Friday, Duke carried 21 times for 284 yards and five touchdowns and caught two passes – both touchdowns – as the Huskies beat Independence, 70-27. The seven touchdowns were a single-game school record, quite an accomplishment at a school that has racked up points and victories in recent years.

“You see that he is 6-foot and 200 pounds and you think power back right away,” Tuscarora Coach Brandon Wheelbarger said. “But he has laser 4.5 speed and there’s deception: He wears people down and then he’s gone.”

Duke, who played on the Tuscarora junior varsity as an eighth grader and has been on the varsity since his freshman year at the Leesburg school, is garnering attention from colleges. He already holds scholarship offers from Duke, Rutgers and Cincinnati. Navy, Army and Air Force, as well schools in the Ivy League also have offered.

“The academies’ interest shows his personality and commitment, who he is as a person,” Wheelbarger said. “And the Ivy’s interest show where he is as a student. He’s a high character kid.”

Tuscarora has five regular season games scheduled, with an opening for a sixth, and is hoping for another playoff run. Getting back on the field has been a treat, Wheelbarger said, as has playing in front of fans. Attendance is currently capped at 250 people.

“Just trying to get back to some sort of normalcy,” Wheelbarger said. “These first couple days of practice were high stress. We had to go through mitigation and teaching the kids how to do everything and how to be safe. It’s been really fun since.”