Eastern Caps Off Season with First DCSAA Title
Eastern High School Ramblers defeated the Calvin Coolidge Colts, securing a 19-8 victory in the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) Class AA Championship at Howard University’s Greene Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6.
The Ramblers, the top seed of the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletics Association (DCIAA), had been upset by the Coolidge Colts in the semifinals but rebounded in the state playoffs by edging Friendship Collegiate, 14-12 to earn a rematch with the Colts.
Eastern struck first in the title game, converting a Coolidge turnover into a 27-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jeremiah Hubbard to junior wide receiver and cornerback Zion Hubbard.
A second interception was set up by a 15-yard scoring run by senior running back William Simmons Jr. giving Eastern a 13-0 halftime lead. The Colts, known for second-half rallies, opened the third quarter with a 92-yard drive, but the Ramblers’ defense held their own at the goal line.
“We are a bend-but-don’t break defense,” declared Eastern head coach Roman Morris. “I called a timeout and told them that this was the most important stop that they had to make if they wanted this championship. Without question, that was the turning point in the game.”
Eastern extended their lead with another Simmons touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Coolidge responded with a touchdown to cut the deficit to 19-8, which was recovered by an onside kick but the Ramblers stayed strong yet again.
The Eastern defense ended the day recording four interceptions and four sacks to close out the game. The victory delivered the Ramblers its first state championship and marked the first title-game appearance for both programs.
DeMatha Edges Gonzaga for WCAC Title
Tristan Webb of DeMatha High School scored on a 1-yard plunge on a fourth-and-goal with a minute remaining to pull out the 20-13 thrilling win over Gonzaga College High School in the Washington Catholic Athletic Association (WCAC) championship at the Naval Academy.
The Gonzaga Eagles gave the No. 1-ranked Dematha Stags all they could handle as the game was played close to the vest. The Stags (11-0) took the lead, 6-0, before Gonzaga (7-5) would come back to take the 7-6 advantage.
The Stags regained the lead, 13-7, in the third quarter, but the Eagles tied the score, 13-13, in the fourth quarter. Then, Webb made the play that decided the outcome.
It was the 21st straight win for DeMatha, who finished the season ranked No. 2 in the DMV area and No. 14 in the country.
Bell Posts Upset Win Over Digital Pioneers in Class A Title
In what was another major upset, Bell Multicultural School defeated DC Digital Pioneers, 28-20, in the DCIAA Class A Division.
Digital Pioneers (11-2) came into the game ranked Top 20 in the area and riding a 10-game win streak.
Bell (10-3), which was unranked, closes out the season with a 10-game win streak.
Brookland Repeats as DCIAA Middle School Champions
In the DCIAA middle school division, it was the Breeze of Brookland Middle School defeating Johnson Middle School for the second straight year. Johnson has dominated local middle school football for over a decade and is regarded annually as one of the top programs in the country, once ranking as high as No. 1.
But Brookland showed that their 2024 title was not a fluke.
“I think that the team was especially motivated by the challenge,” noted Brookland head coach Osiris Walcott. “Johnson had long been the standard by which we all were measured until we came away with last year’s championship. They had beaten us last year in the regular season, so I think we surprised them in the championship. So, they beat us again, 27-6, in the regular season and people were looking at us as a fluke so we had something to prove.”
Brookland went on to win their second straight championship, this time 12-0.
“I think that we have laid a foundation here for success,” Walcott observed. “We now have former players who go on to play high school and college football. That has been a major plus for our program.”