Blake Runs Through Regular Season, Playoffs Up Next

Regular Season Summary

History has been made at Blake, as the football team destroyed Blair to secure the first undefeated season in program history.

They started this year off dominating Whitman (their upcoming playoff opponent). This was a good win and put people on notice. Then, they went to Kennedy and on a Saturday forced them to forfeit at halftime after an impressive two quarters. It was after the first couple of games that people started talking because of their impressive 78-0 combined score. 

After a great win over divisional opponent Einstein, Blake had to travel to Sherwood to face what has been their toughest challenge, and after not beating the Warriors for 10 years, they were able to squeak by in OT. Blake then went on a tear, beating Springbrook, Paint Branch, and Watkins Mill. They then ended the season with a win against Blair that solidified the undefeated season and got them ranked in The Washington Post. 

Key Wins

Two key wins for Blake that solidified this season as historic were against Sherwood and Paint Branch. Blake has suffered defeats to Sherwood over the last few years across multiple sports, so when the two schools matched up this season, the expectation for many was for Sherwood to win, especially since they were playing at home. This, however, was not the case, as Blake went on to win 31-28 in a double-overtime thriller. The big win in an emotional contest propelled and boosted the Bengals’ confidence and championship hopes, as they proved they could compete with the top schools in the county. 

The second win that put everyone on notice was Blake’s domination of Paint Branch, with a deciding score of 34-13. Most people who don’t go to Blake picked Paint Branch to win, even the popular news outlet The MoCo Show. They were all proved incorrect, as the Bengals picked apart their rivals on both sides of the ball, certifying this season as one of the best, if not the best, in school history. 

Interview with Coach Marshall

We had a chance to sit down and have a conversation with second-year coach Byron Marshall to unpack the regular season and discuss the upcoming playoffs. 

Q: “What is the key to this team’s success this season?”

A: “The key I will say is everybody is buying into our belief. Another key was everybody being together since January and working hard. Our theme of the year was to earn it and … when they earned everything they earned it together. I think we did a great job starting back in January working in the weight room, the offseason program, and carrying that out through the regular season.”

Q: “So what does Blake have left to prove?”

A: “We have to put a banner up. Every time I walk in that gym I see everyone else’s banner and Football has nothing. So hopefully we can win a regional championship and the state championship.”

Q: “So between coaches and players anyone specific would you like to give a shoutout?”

A: “As the coach I don’t believe that I could give it to one player since this is a team sport. But Zandrew Kamara has stepped up a lot on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. I think he stands out most to me because you see people dominate on the field like Debo [Denis Tebo]. But I can’t call out one particular player because we have such a team mentality.”

Key Players/Awards

At The Blake Beat, we are giving out our own awards for the MVP (Most Valuable Player), OPOY (Offensive Player of the Year), DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year), and our own Blake Beat Award for the most underrated player from this season. 

For MVP, we writers at The Blake Beat have chosen junior Running Back Jeremiah Seaton. Seaton boasted 688 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns. The Bengals had more rushing attempts than passing by over 50, making Seaton the focal point of this offense. 

For OPOY, we have decided on junior Wide Receiver Kai Cooper. The star WR had 31 catches, the most on the team by over 10. He also added 347 yards and 7 touchdowns, becoming a vital part of the offense. 

Our DPOY this season was senior Defensive End, Denis Tebo. He contributed 25 tackles, three sacks, and a team-high 11 tackles for loss, which is the most by six. He is by far one of the best disruptors on the defense, and an immense reason why the defense can be so dominant.  

Future Outlook

Blake starts the playoffs today against Walt Whitman. We beat them in the regular season so hopefully, we will play either Einstein or Suitland in the following round. With this great season, Blake will be able to host the state playoff game, and if they win that they will have the chance to play at Navy Stadium in Annapolis for a state championship. GOOD LUCK BENGALS!