Titans come up just short once again
State run ends in semis for second straight season
OXON HILL — For the second straight season, New Town fell one game short of the state title game.
The Titans lost 16-6 to host Potomac in the Class 2A state semifinals on Friday night. The loss comes a year after the team lost to Glenelg in the state semis.
Potomac (12-1) was led by senior quarterback Dominique Anthony, who ran for two touchdowns, and a stout defense, which allowed only 66 yards of offense to New Town in the second half.
The No. 5-seeded Wolverines will play the winner of the MiddletownElkton semifinal game in the state title game Dec. 7 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
New Town, which upset top-seeded Douglass (P.G.) last week, opened the game at Potomac with a 14-play drive. The Titans, led by running back Zavion Woodard and quarterback Brian Williams, drove 74 yards before getting stopped on third down and settling for a 34-yard field goal by senior Samuel Okezie-Imo.
After the Titans defense forced a three-and-out on Potomac’s first drive, Williams drove the offense downfield again and Okezie-Imo put New Town up 6-0 with a 38-yard field goal.
Anthony then put the Wolverines ahead 7-6 early in the second quarter with an 11-yard run. Anthony, an Old Dominion commit, scrambled on thirdand-10 and barreled into the end zone for the Wolverines’ first score.
The Wolverines defense kept the momentum with a takeaway on New Town’s next drive when linebacker Gregory Washington picked off Williams around midfield to set up the Wolverines’ offense. However, New Town’s defense responded and forced a turnover on downs. Potomac faced a fourth-and-1 on New Town’s19-yard line, but the Titans pressured Anthony and his throw was off the mark.
After Potomac went into halftime up 7-6, the Wolverines were stalled just outside the red zone and sophomore kicker Xavier Gwinn missed a 38-yard field goal. Potomac head coach Ronnie Crump kept trust in his kicker on the Wolverines’ next drive, though, and Gwinn squeaked a 38-yard field goal right over the crossbar to put Potomac up 10-6 early in the fourth quarter.
Anthony then put the Wolverines up two scores later in the quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run. The score was set up by a 33-yard pass-and-catch from Anthony to University of Maryland commit Cory Dyches.
Potomac held New Towne to 66 yards of offense in the second half. The Wolverines forced two New Town punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble in the half. Dyches recovered a fumble with about a minute left to seal the win.