Sept. 4: Brosnan Dukes, Dunbar

photo by zeb brooks

Brosnan Dukes doesn’t say much. The senior quarterback, though, has come a long way from when he debuted on the Dunbar High varsity football team – when he was a 5-foot-9, maybe 135-pound sophomore.

As one of the Crimson Tide’s most dedicated players in the weight room, Dukes has earned the respect of his teammates. And while he usually lets his play do the talking, Coach Maurice Vaughn said there is no question that his teammates look up to Vaughn.

In the season opener this past weekend, Vaughn often could be found in the end zone. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 139 yards and four more scores, leading Dunbar to a 43-20 win over Carroll in a meeting of teams with DCSAA Class AA state championship ambitions. For his efforts, Dukes was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

“Going into this year, we knew we needed him to lead more,” Vaughn said. “His first two years on the varsity, getting him to say anything was hard. He’s a kid who leads by example – one of our toughest kids and hardest workers. The kids rally around him.”

Dukes played on the junior varsity as a freshman and moved into a backup role on the varsity as a sophomore. A growth spurt prior to his junior year provided a few more inches and now the 6-foot, 193-pound senior is poised for a strong senior season.

“He throws the ball pretty well, but his best attribute is making the right decision in our offense,” Vaughn said, explaining that Dukes often has several options on each play. “When he’s making those right decisions, we’re a hard team to beat offensively.

“I’m one of those guys that I don’t get too high or too low with each game, but for us, a public school working to get the program back to the level that Coach [Craig] Jefferies had it back in the day, it’s a big win for us. Brosnan had an outstanding game – I need one of those from him every week for nine more weeks.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Player of the Week High School Football Player of the Week Honor Roll:

LOUDOUN
Lightridge QB Brady White completed 17 consecutive passes and finished 18 of 19 for 264 yards and three touchdowns in his first varsity start as the Lightning beat Freedom-South Riding, 39-0.

NORTHERN REGION
John Lewis WR-DB Joel Smith rushed five times for 69 yards and one touchdown, caught three passes for 68 yards and one touchdown and intercepted two passes, returning one 42 yards for a touchdown, as the Lancers beat Park View, 20-0.

PRINCE WILLIAM
Patriot RB Jackson McCarter, a Villanova recruit, rushed 21 times for 218 yards and five touchdowns as the Pioneers beat Westfield, 41-24.

PRIVATE
St. Albans QB Brett Paukstis completed 26 of 38 passes for 448 yards and four touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat St. Paul’s, 36-21.

WCAC
Gonzaga DE Tyson Harley made seven tackles with four tackles for loss and three sacks as the Eagles beat Springfield (Ohio), 14-6.