Montgomery County football notebook: Northwood gets revenge; Rockville revamps offense
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Version 0 of 1. Northwood’s players had been waiting for the Einstein matchup since the schedule came out. Not just because it was a rivalry game — the schools are separated by three miles — but because it was a chance to go against some familiar faces; quarterback Jason Clingman, receiver Christian Greaves (who has been out with an injury) and assistant coach Bryon Marshall all left the Gladiators for the Titans after the 2014 season. Northwood senior captain Craig Cissel said he tried to stop his teammates from looking ahead to the Einstein game, but not even he could resist. “It was on the back of my mind and in the front of everybody else’s,” Cissel said. “They were like, ‘Week 5, we’re gonna get them.’ ” The Gladiators did exactly that in their 30-6 victory over the Titans on Thursday in Kensington. Northwood quarterback Samuel Pyne ran for 92 yards and two touchdowns, leading a ground game that accumulated 229 yards and four touchdowns. The defense had its best game of the season, holding the Titans scoreless in the second half and forcing three interceptions. “As every week progressed we were getting more comfortable with our plays and our assignments,” said Cissel, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound lineman. “It was kind of a perfect storm of us getting everything down and having something to play for.” Northwood (1-4) has had a rocky start with a new quarterback, a new coach, Joe Allen, and a new offensive system. But the players have been getting more comfortable in their new roles, Cissel said, and that showed in their first victory of the season. “It gives us something to build off of, it gets the monkey off of our back,” Cissel said. “It gives us something we can look at and say, ‘Hey, we’re a really good team. Why don’t we go out there every Friday and show the world what we actually are.’” This isn’t the Rockville of yesteryear, and if that wasn’t clear after the first four games, the team made it clear on Saturday. Playing in rainy and windy conditions, the usually high-octane Rams had to turn to their run game against Blake. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. Backed by 140 rushing yards from Chris Wallace and a stout defensive effort, Rockville (2-3) held on for an 8-6 victory at Paint Branch in Burtonsville. “It’s definitely a turnaround considering we just lost three games in a row,” senior linebacker Erik Blautzik said. “It’s definitely a momentum changer.” The Rams graduated quarterback Chuck Reese and return only one offensive starter from a 7-3 team that averaged 37 points. They also lost their offensive coordinator, Jason Lomax, now the head coach at Springbrook. “We definitely did have a major setback on offense, so it’s been kind of hard to fill in those shoes with some of those young guys,” Blautzik said. This year’s team has had to find different ways to win, and against the Bengals that meant having a more balanced offense and leaning on its defense. The Rams recorded a safety in the first half and had several big stops in the second half, clinching the game with an interception from Mickey Van Gieson. Despite the roster turnover, Rockville is in position to grab a playoff spot in the wide-open 3A South region. “We’re honestly just focusing on game to game situations,” Blautzik said. “It’s a new season every game. That’s what we believe.” |