Kyle Martin (above) had plenty to smile about on Friday night. His two sacks helped the Hawks take down Wilde Lake, 16-0. (Handout)
By: Gabe Kamins, Co-Editor-in-Chief
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. On Friday, the Hawks (1-0) were able to get some revenge of their own in the mid-30 degree weather. They defeated the Wilde Lake Wildecats (1-1) in dominant fashion, holding Wilde Lake’s offense to just 25 yards and scoring three times en route to a 16-0 victory.
17 months ago, the 8-seed Wilde Lake team shocked a 1-seed River Hill squad that had state championship aspirations in the first round of the playoffs. Then came the pandemic, and the returning River Hill players were left with a bitter taste in their mouths for a full year and a half. So when it was announced that Wilde Lake would be one of the Hawks’ opponents in the short five-game season, they knew they had to get payback. “Last season, we were expected to beat this team,” explained senior lineman Gurdeep Barring. “However, our overconfidence and constant mistakes led to our eventual downfall. Nonetheless, our team fixed those errors and executed our plays without hesitation [on Friday], leading us to a shutout win.” Gurdeep, who plays center for the Hawks, helped pave the way – quite literally – for a 312-yard rushing performance by the team. While the line was doing their job, it was the legs of senior Michael Crisitello (122 yards), senior Zach Igwebe (100 yards and a touchdown), and junior Myles McDuffie (85 yards and a touchdown) that wore out the aggressive Wilde Lake defense. Although there weren’t many big plays – McDuffie’s 17-yard scamper for a score was the longest of the night for River Hill – the Hawks were able to consistently pound 4-7 yard rushes and eat away at the clock for the entire night.
But, of course, it hardly matters how successful an offense is if the defense doesn’t give up any points. Despite facing a dangerous offensive attack led by Alderson Broaddus commit Amari Hutson, River Hill’s defense had one of its most dominant performances in program history. The team notched six sacks, including two each from senior Kyle Martin and junior Daniel Fahmy, as well as a fumble recovery. The defense was flying all over the field, whether it came from pressure generated from junior Karl Birzak or sophomore Tyler Windsor, or from pass-breakups from senior Christian Myers. The entire defense came to play with revenge on their mind, and they delivered big time.
As is usually the case after the first game of the season, there is plenty to work on moving forward. There were two fumbles by the Hawks that they were thankfully able to recover, and there were a handful of personal fouls that need to be cleaned up before next week. And despite a nice completion from senior quarterback Dylan Burnett to Zach Igwebe, there is still room for improvement in the passing game. Still, however, the positives significantly outweighed the negatives in the first game for River Hill.
After Wilde Lake disposed of the Hawks’ boys soccer team, girls soccer team, and football team in the playoffs in 2019, River Hill has taken down Wilde Lake in the three aforementioned sports this season, as well as volleyball. The JV football team also picked up their first win of the season against the Wildecats, winning 28-0.
Around the county, the Hawks’ next opponent, Hammond (0-2), fell to Atholton, 10-8. Marriotts Ridge (1-0) defeated Centennial (0-2), 35-0. Oakland Mills (1-0) scored a last-minute touchdown to take down Mt. Hebron (1-1), 18-14. And Long Reach (1-0) outlasted Reservoir (0-2), 13-7.
Despite a shortened season, there is still plenty to play for in 2021. “[Achieving] an undefeated season will truly define the legacy of the seniors, as well as the future that this program holds,” noted Gurdeep Barring. Speaking of the seniors, the Hawks’ legendary senior class will be celebrated next Friday on Senior Night as Eric Grinwis and the Hammond Golden Bears come to Clarksville, looking to play spoiler and earn their first victory of the season. See you there.