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Breakdown: DAMASCUS vs SHERWOOD

by MoCoFootball Staff on 10/14/10

Mike Cornejo for MoCoFootball.com

#1 DAMASCUS HORNETS (6-0) vs #2 SHERWOOD WARRIORS (6-0)

Wk	#1 Damascus (6-0)	#2 Sherwood (6-0)
1	WIN 42-0 Magruder^ (3-3)	WIN 38-3 Wootton (0-6)
2	WIN 27-23 Q. Orchard* (5-1)	WIN 38-0 R. Montgomery (0-6)
3	WIN 34-13 Blake (1-5)	WIN 35-19 Paint Branch (3-3)
4	WIN 22-16 Seneca Valley* (5-1)	WIN 38-6 Magruder^ (3-3)
5	WIN 35-14 Springbrook* (5-1)	WIN 17-14 Gaithersburg* (5-1)
6	WIN 49-21 Watkins Mill (3-3)	WIN 41-13 Blair (1-5)
MoCo Elite-8* team ^ common opponent

Passing Leaders:

Damascus: Connor Frazier 1032 yards, 12 TDs

Sherwood: AJ Pignone 916 yards, 8 TDs

Rushing Leaders:

Damascus: Mark O'Hara 426 yards, 5 TDs | Connor Frazier 276 yards, 5 TDs

Sherwood: Dylan Hubbard 486 yards, 9 TDs

HISTORY

These two are some of Maryland's best in the past 10 years. They combine for nine state championship appearances in the last decade. However, the Hornets have been dominant against Sherwood in their last ten meetings.

Past 10 meetings:

2009: Damascus 26 Sherwood 22

2006: Damascus 35 Sherwood 32

2005: Damascus 25 Sherwood 7

2005: Damascus 21 Sherwood 6 (State Finals)

2004: Damascus 41 Sherwood 21

2003: Damascus 17 Sherwood 0

2002: Sherwood 12 Damascus 0

2001: Damascus 16 Sherwood 9

2000: Sherwood 14 Damascus 7

1999: Damascus 35 Sherwood 15

COACHING

Coach Eric Wallich is having his best year at Damascus. He's a proven winner as a head coach at Whitman and even as an assistant at Quince Orchard when the Cougars won States in '07. He's doing a great job keeping the winning tradition in Damascus and their performance so far this year is proof that the program is strong and in good hands. In his arsenal of knowledge includes defensive coordinator Bucky Clipper who coached with the Thomas' and helped guide them to State Championship appearances. Among the assistants include Gregg Frazier- who knows Connor Frazier more than any other soul in Damascus, long time assistant Marty Higgins, Drew Abbamonte, and Bill Burns. All, with the exception of Higgins, are Damascus Alumni.

Coach Marc Thomas is a tough son of a legend and that by itself did not get him the job. Don't let his 'no prior head coaching experience' fool you. He has at least have half a decade's worth of assistant coaching in Damascus alone (where he too was a graduate in 1992; played along side Clipper and Wallich) before hopping around the county and eventually landing as an assistant for Big Al and Coach Pat Cilento in The 'Wood. If there is any other coach outside of Damascus that would know Damascus, it is Coach Thomas. He knows the tradition, he knows the strengths, he knows the crowd, and he knows the atmosphere. He understands what's at stake and will- no matter the circumstance- plays the underdog role this week. The Warriors have played a bunch of softies to start the season and beat them heavily. They stayed undefeated by beating what looked to be a more superior Gaithersburg team in week 5. Team Thomas includes and is not limited to Al Thomas, Chuck Oswald, Mike Anderson, Doug Miller.

Damascus is the state's sturdiest programs having gone to the playoffs a record 12 times in a row. They are a favorite to win it all and that is saying a lot considering the tough MoCo 3A and the 3A West Region.

Sherwood on the other hand is no slouch. New head coach? Yes. Undefeated? Yes. One of the county's best? One of the state's best, absolutely! The Warriors have won at least 10 games in the past five seasons, eight 10-win seasons in the last 12. Don’t doubt Sherwood.

Both teams are tough and disciplined. Hornets defensive coordinator Bucky Clipper- who has coached at Sherwood- says that the football programs in either communities is a big deal. Many players on both teams played youth ball together in their respective youth leagues; the Damascus Cougars for Damascus High, and Olney Boy's Club and White Oak Warriors for Sherwood.

The 2010 version of Damascus vs Sherwood will come down-as is the case for most big games- to whichever team makes the least mistakes and takes advantage of the other.

Game of the Week	Points For	MOCO Rank
Damascus ADVANTAGE	209 pts, 34.8 avg	1^st
Sherwood	207 pts, 34.5 avg	2^nd
	Points Allowed
Damascus	87 pts, 14.5 avg	7^th
Sherwood ADVANTAGE	55 pts, 9.1 avg	2^nd
	Net Points
Damascus	122 pts	5^th
Sherwood ADVANTAGE	152 pts	1^st
	Opponent W/L overall
Damascus ADVANTAGE	33-27 .550%	8^{th TOUGHEST}
Sherwood	32-28 .533%	10^{th TOUGHEST}

DAMASCUS KEYS TO VICTORY

Shut down flats and screens.

Win turnover battle.

Control the clock.

SHERWOOD KEYS TO VICTORY

Disrupt WR routes, Contain Frazier.

Diffuse Damascus and their crowd through big special teams play.

Attack the defense between the tackles.

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Sherwood has been statistically strong this year and have so far taken care of business. Their dominant performance early in the season is a good thing for first-year head coach Marc Thomas and makes a good "we haven't left" confidence boost for the squad.

No other confidence boost is better than competition and Damascus has in its way been lucky to have survived against three Elite-8 MOCO teams. The Hornets are battle tested and has unanimously taken the #1 spot over Sherwood in the past three weeks.

KDOGG predicts: Damascus 23 Sherwood 16.

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