By Todd Bradley, DCSportsFan.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
It wasn't the offensive onslaught Coolidge displayed last weekend, but Friday night's victory over Friendship Collegiate (1-1) proved the Colts aren't a one-hit wonder.
Led by senior quarterback and Louisville commit Emmanuel Yeager and a vastly improved defense, Coolidge (2-0) rallied to beat Friendship Collegiate 20-18 on a wet night in Northwest Washington. Yeager ran for two touchdowns, including a 20-yard, game-winning touchdown with 6:01 in the fourth quarter.
"Emmanuel Yeager is a unique individual," Coolidge Coach Jason Lane said. "He's a quarterback in a linebacker's body with a prizefighter's attitude."
Yeager, however, didn't have to beat Friendship Collegiate alone. The defense and special teams stepped up. Martize Barr returned a punt 51 yards for Coolidge's second touchdown as time expired in the first half while the defense played tough for the majority of the night.
With the exception of the third quarter, where Collegiate scored all three of its touchdowns, the Colts contained the Knights offensively. Coolidge was able to stop the run and get to the quarterback on passing downs. Dejon Wilson led the way with six tackles and two sacks.
"We had to bring the 'D' today," said Wilson, who is also a basketball player. "We slipped up in the first game and let [Gonzaga] score 34 points, but we learned from our mistakes."
Wilson transferred to Coolidge for his sophomore season after his coaches from Cesar Chavez were not retained. He is one of many young athletes on the Coolidge roster this season.
"We have a lot of young guys on the defensive side of the ball," Lane said. "As we move on from week to week, it's a constant process of getting the kids up. From the Gonzaga game last week to this week, we've been getting better and better. Kids start to mature as they play more games and get more experience, so I think this game helped by getting the butterflies and the jitters out. We still have a lot of kinks to work out."
The third quarter was a perfect example of what Lane was talking about. Trailing 13-0, Friendship Collegiate quarterback Chris Griggs hit Anthony Elliot on a 42-yard touchdown pass to get the Knights on the board. Less than four minutes later, former Coolidge player and current Collegiate running back Stephon Chew ran the ball in from eight yards out to bring the Knights within one point. On the ensuing kickoff, the Colts fumbled the ball and Collegiate recovered, which led to a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Griggs.
With Collegiate leading 18-12, Coolidge marched back down the field and Yeager eventually ran the ball in with just over six minutes to play. The Knights had one last chance to score, but Derrell Person (Syracuse) picked off Griggs on the two-yard line to secure the victory for the Colts.
Coolidge will host a McKinley Tech team next weekend that has been outscored 91-0 in their first two games. Friendship Collegiate, who came into the game ranked in the top 20 in the area, will face Good Counsel (1-0). The Falcons handed Dunbar (D.C.) their third-straight loss Friday night, defeating the Crimson Tide 42-12.