Next-man-up approach still working for QA's

It was just another weekend for Queen Anne’s County High’s football team.

It was another game tainted by injury. Wait, make that injuries.

And yet despite losing two defensive starters and their starting quarterback, the Lions again found a way to log another victory last Friday, stretching their win streak to three with a convincing 43-6 rout of North Caroline.

“Hats off to our defensive coordinator, coach Jude Mandes,” Queen Anne’s head coach Brian Mooney said after the Lions registered their most lopsided victory of the season while holding North Caroline to a season-low six points. “He does a great job of mixing up his coverages and the looks that he gives defenses. He’s been really dialed in with his blitz packages as of late. He’s continuing to grow just like our defense.”

Also continuing to grow is the Lions’ injury list.

On the first play of the game Friday, starting defensive end Conlan Nagle got rolled up on, suffering a leg injury. Amari Baynard stepped in for Nagle.

All-Bayside Conference starting safety Carter Dickey injured his arm during the second defensive series. Sophomore Alex McDonald went in for Dickey and got his first playing time of the year, and “played really well,” Mooney said.

The defense got another outstanding effort from inside linebacker Parker Whiteford (10 tackles).

“They moved the ball on us pretty good that first drive, but he’s just an alpha,” Mooney said of Whiteford. “He’s just a man-child. I don’t know what else to say about the kid. It’s an awesome treat to have. Him and coach Jude have a great unison and between the two of them, he’s kind of like another Jude out on the field.”

Mooney also praised the play of junior cornerback Wyatt Wilhoit, who finished with six tackles, including a sack, and a forced fumble.

“Kind of getting his first varsity experience, he had a great night,” Mooney said of Wilhoit. “Had a forced fumble inside the 20 on one of their first drives, and then I think he had the game-changing play. Right before halftime they were driving (to Queen Anne’s 30) and he came off the edge on one of coach’s blitzes and just cracked the quarterback for about a 10-yard loss. It just kind of changed the whole momentum of the game I felt.”

Queen Anne’s then lost starting quarterback Carter Hercher, who got hurt while attempting a pass in the third quarter.

Before getting injured, Hercher had completed 6 of 7 passes for 104 yards, and carried three times for 11 yards.

The Lions didn’t stall though, moving sophomore Ja’Dereon Thompson behind center in the wildcat formation. Thompson finished the game with touchdown runs of 25 and 40 yards as part of a six-carry, 92-yard rushing effort, and caught two passes for 62 yards.

“We call it the flashback with Ja’Dereon, and we’ve been practicing that just in case something like that happened,” Mooney said. “And he went in and we didn’t miss a beat.”

Senior running back John Connolly also didn’t miss a beat, as he carried 16 times for 190 yards, with touchdown runs of 1, 10 and 11 yards.

“We’ve been really working on his technique, some of his footwork stuff in the week leading up, and he just hit it on a tee,” Mooney said of Connolly. “He was cutting really well behind the guards on power and finding that groove. He was averaging 11 yards a carry. We’re going to ride our guy.”

Queen Anne’s hosts Kent County (1-4) for homecoming on Saturday at noon.

NO PANICDespite Friday’s 38-0 loss at defending Class 2A state champion Stephen Decatur, Easton head coach Matt Griffith doesn’t see his team unraveling.

“Obviously it was not what we expected,” Griffith said after the Warriors slipped to 4-1. “We expected to give them a game at least. We did early.”

The Seahawks (5-0) were up 7-0, scored early in the second quarter, then erupted for three more touchdowns in the final 5:02 before halftime.

“There was a tipped ball that goes off a receiver’s hands, and we had some debacles up front driving,” Griffith said. “Again, good football team. They’ve got some great athletes. We just didn’t execute our part. If we want a chance to redeem ourselves we have to play really good and redeem ourselves against them maybe in the postseason.”

Easton was held to 12 rushing yards on 11 attempts, and senior quarterback Mikey O’Connor completed 7 of 20 passes or a season-low 27 yards.

“We didn’t respond in a big game, big atmosphere,” Griffith said. “And while Decatur’s a very good football team we did not play our best football. And this game does not dictate the season. You get to dictate the rest of the season and that starts (last) Saturday morning.

Easton hosts Parkside (2-3) on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

BUCS STOPPEDThe surprise from last weekend may have been Wicomico’s 21-14 upset of Kent Island on Saturday in Stevensville. Bucs quarterback Gavan Henry completed 10 of 25 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown to Jackson Towers, and running back Jaxson Hess finished with 12 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown.