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September 12, 2009
DeMatha running back Marcus Coker did his best Barry Sanders impression on a cool, rainy Saturday afternoon at Gilman High. Early in the game, Coker broke the Gilman defense with his bruising power before pounding them into submission in the second half. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound, Iowa-bound runner carried the ball 24 times for 392 yards and five touchdowns, leading No. 1 DeMatha (2-0) to a 56-35 victory over No. 5 Gilman (2-1). "The whole team wore them down," Coker said. "We were just banging them out, giving it all on every play." Coker fell just short of the Maryland single-game rushing record of 446 yards, which was set by Hancock running back Sam Hess in 1998. "I've been coaching at DeMatha for 28 years, and I've never seen a 'back do this," said Stags coach Bill McGregor. "It was a great effort. Marcus fits in the mold of some of the great tailbacks we've had in the past." Like a car in need of oil, Coker's day began with fits and spurts. He grinded for yards on DeMatha's first drive, eventually plowing into the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run to give the Stags a 7-0 lead. Gilman, behind dynamic quarterback Darius Jennings -- who accounted for five touchdowns and 341 yards of total offense -- responded with two touchdowns to go up 14-7. But that's when Coker summoned his inner Sanders. Just as the Greyhounds gained momentum, Coker sucked it away with a crowd-silencing 80-yard touchdown rumble down the sideline. "I just kept my feet moving," Coker said. "It was a motivational boost for our team. But I give all the credit to the offensive line; they did great. And the wide receivers did a great job blocking downfield." Stags left tackle Arie Kouandjio and guard Shane Johnson pushed the defense back like they were lightweight tackling dummies. In the second half, Coker rallied for runs of 22, 25, 45, 62 and 77 yards. Many of the runs were simple off-tackle plays where Coker ran through gaping holes, untouched. Once he got into the secondary, the Gilman defense went after him with weak alligator-arm tackles. Coker broke through them like a marathon runner through tickertape. "We couldn't tackle their 'backs," said Gilman coach Biff Poggi. "These guys were very physical. They lined up and smacked us in the face." Overshadowed in the offensive onslaught was Coker's backup, Mike Meriwether. The junior ripped off two 20-plus yard touchdown runs in the second half on his way to a 12-carry, 155-yard day. "All week Marcus and I were talking about how many yards we would get," Meriwether said. "He said he was going to get 200, and I can't let him beat me so I said I would get 200, too. Our coach always tells us to play big in big games, and that's what we did. Our whole team did." Jennings certainly made his share of big plays for Gilman. He almost single-handedly willed the Greyhounds back into the game. After DeMatha went up 7-0, Jennings answered by guiding a 14-play, 82-yard drive to tie the game. Jennings ran the ball six times on the drive and completed all three of his passes, including a beautifully thrown 18-yard touchdown pass to receiver Linn Worthington, who made a diving catch in the end zone. Later in the second quarter, Jennings orchestrated a 15-play, 80-yard drive capped off by an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bryan Willis for the go-ahead score. "Jennings is just a great football player," McGregor said. "Any time he touches the ball he can score. He's a playmaker." Coker came back with his 80-yard scamper to tie, but thanks to Jennings Gilman was in good position going into halftime tied at 14. It didn't last. On the opening drive in the third quarter, DeMatha quarterback Daniel Tapscott (7-for-9, 112 yards) found receiver Mike Coley (four catches, 91 yards) on a slant over the middle. Coley snagged the throw, ran through a tackle and dashed downfield for a 59-yard touchdown catch. "The first series in the second half was critical," Poggi said. "We thought if we could come out and get a touchdown we'd have a shot. But what I hoped would happen for us happened for them." The Stags officially had the momentum. DeMatha forced a rare Gilman punt on the next possession and then watched Coker and Meriwether take over the game. Meriwether's 20-yard touchdown run put DeMatha up 28-14 with 3:42 left in the third quarter. The Greyhounds pawed back when Jennings hit speedster Cyrus Jones for an 80-yard touchdown pass. But DeMatha refused to lose their cool. The Stags simply handed the ball to their workhorse, Coker, who delivered a 77-yard touchdown run to make it a two-score game. A few minutes later, after a Gilman three and out, Coker plowed up the middle for his fourth touchdown. Jennings made a last-gasp effort to keep Gilman close with two more touchdown runs, but every time he made a play his defense allowed one in return. "We didn't do a great job coaching defensively," Poggi said. "We've given up 92 points the last two games. So our defensive coaches are going to have to do a lot better job." McGregor was also concerned about his defense, which couldn't contain Gilman's spread-option attack. Fortunately for DeMatha, their offense more than made up for the defense's shortcomings. "Defensively we have a lot of work to do," McGregor said. "But we did a great job on offense -- we scored pretty much every time we had the ball in the second half -- and the special teams was good. It was a good effort." With the win, DeMatha avenged their loss to Gilman last season, when the Greyhounds handed the Stags a 21-14 loss on their home turf. "That was our motivation all week," Coker said. "Every day we talked about it. We wanted to beat them pretty bad." DeMatha hosts Friendship Collegiate Academy in their home opener next Friday. Gilman, meanwhile, continues their rigorous schedule with a prime-time game on Thursday night against No. 2 Good Counsel.
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