Week 3 of the high school football season featured a full slate and several high-profile matchups. Here are five players that turned in exceptional performances in their teams’ wins:
Joshua-Benjamin Dagbe, Junior, Defensive Back, South Lakes
Dagbe was one of the brightest stars in South Lakes’ momentous 34-12 win over Virginia Class 6 power Battlefield on Thursday. The defensive back, who also plays wide receiver for the Seahawks, nabbed an early interception and returned it 48 yards to the house to give Coach Jason Hescock’s team some early momentum. Dagbe then pulled down two touchdown catches on offense and racked up 160 scrimmage yards as South Lakes stunned the Bobcats. Through three games, Dagbe has seven total touchdowns and two interceptions.
Gabe Hudgens, Senior, Wide Receiver, Theodore Roosevelt
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The senior wideout has already started building a strong resume for DCIAA Player of the Year. In a thrilling comeback victory over Digital Pioneers Academy on Friday, Hudgens tallied 172 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the Roughriders stormed back from an early 16-point deficit to earn a 29-28 victory. “I don’t see many teams that can stop him one-on-one,” Coach Chris Harden said of Hudgens. “I think teams are going to have to put two or three guys on Gabe, because Gabe is a monster out there on that field.”
Akeem Jervis, Senior, Quarterback, Largo
Jervis torched Glen Burnie in more ways than one in Largo’s 50-34 win last week. The senior rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown and threw for 123 yards and two more scores as the Lions poured it on against a Glen Burnie team that advanced to the Maryland 4A state quarterfinals last season. Coach Derron Thomas’ run-heavy offense finished with 336 rushing yards.
Aiah Mbayo, Senior, Running Back, Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Mbayo produced a handful of explosive plays to help key Bethesda Chevy-Chase’s 50-36 victory over Blair on Thursday. The senior made the most of his eight carries, running for 152 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He added a third touchdown with a 98-yard kickoff return as the Barons brushed off last week’s gut-wrenching loss to rival Churchill with a huge offensive showing.
PJ Sutherland, Senior, Running Back, Westfield
Sutherland found the end zone three times in the Bulldogs’ 35-28 win over Langley on Friday. His first came in the first half, when he hauled in a deep pass over his shoulder for a 56-yard receiving touchdown to give Westfield a two-score lead. Sutherland’s second touchdown was equally impressive — with his team clinging to a one-score lead deep in the second half, he burst through a horde of Saxon tacklers for a 10-yard touchdown run. His final score, a 23-yard jaunt to the end zone with just minutes left in the fourth quarter, gave the undefeated Bulldogs a nice cushion.
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