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Quarterback/receiver Devonta Tabannah strained knee ligaments during the opening kickoff of the Wolverines' 20-2 victory against Central on Oct. 17. He did not play against Crossland and is doubtful for Saturday's game against undefeated Gwynn Park.

"We had hoped to keep his injury quiet, but, you know, word gets out," Potomac coach Chris Davidson said before the game.

Tabannah was a Gazette-Star All-County First Team selection last season with 31 receptions for 603 yards and nine touchdowns. He has split time between quarterback and receiver this year. Potomac improved to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the County 3A/2A/1A League with its 53-0 win against Crossland. The Wolverines likely only need to win one of their remaining two games to clinch a No. 3 seed in the playoffs. They close out the regular season Nov. 7 against Surrattsville (2-6).

Also missing from Saturday's game was receiver/defensive back D'Mitrius Ballard, who was competing in the 2009 National Police Athletic League championships boxing tournament in San Antonio.

Ballard, who has hopes of making the 2012 Olympic boxing team, won the 165-pound junior championship with a 6-1 decision over Desmond Nicholson.

Ballard should be back for Potomac's game Saturday against Gwynn Park (8-0, 7-0). Davidson said if he had a choice, he would probably hold Tabannah out so that he will be healthy for the playoffs.

"I just haven't told him yet," Davidson said.

Barber to return

Frederick Douglass quarterback Richard Barber did not enter the game until late in the fourth quarter in the Eagles' 22-20 loss to Forestville on Saturday.

The senior missed his second consecutive start after suffering a sprained foot in the fourth quarter of the Eagles' Oct. 10 victory against Potomac. Barber did not play at all in a 35-14 loss to Gwynn Park on Oct. 19. As a late substitution for Taitor Reynolds against Forestville, Barber ran for 18 yards and tossed an incomplete pass.

After a muddy, rain-soaked game, Barber's bad mood could be seen all over his face.

But Eagles' coach J.C. Pinkney did have welcome news:

"Richard will be our No. 1 quarterback from this point out," Pinkney said.

Barber has thrown for 780 yards and 13 touchdowns and also has run for seven scores this season.

A linebacker's redemption

St. Vincent Pallotti linebacker Cory Anna said coming up with big defensive plays in Friday's 15-7 victory over Baltimore Lutheran wasn't so much about being the hero. It was about redemption.

"I had kind of screwed up the week before and the coaches let me know that I needed to step it up," said Anna, a senior.

Pressed for details of what he did wrong in the Panthers' 42-35 victory over Friends, Anna wasn't going to dwell on the past.

"Ah, I just messed up."

Whatever was wrong was fixed by the second half of Friday's game. Anna was one of two players who increased the 13-7 lead to the final margin of 15-7 with a safety at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Anna had sacks on back-to-back plays that virtually ended the Saints' hope for a touchdown and two-point conversion that would have forced overtime. Baltimore Lutheran did have one final drive, and it appeared Anna would get his fourth sack of the game, but quarterback Aaron Ames fell forward and reached the line of scrimmage.

Doing it with ‘D'

Following his team's gritty 14-6 win at Northwestern on Saturday, DuVal coach Dameon Powell felt no qualms about heaping praise on his defensive unit by quoting one of football's age-old adages.

"You know what they say – defense wins championships," Powell said. "They stuck it in there, held the game for us and gave us an opportunity to score."

After conceding a first-quarter touchdown, the Tigers kept Northwestern off the board the rest of the game. Strong defensive pressure on Wildcats' quarterback Guillermo Herrera caused a fumble that gave DuVal's offense the ball at Northwestern's 12-yard line, setting up the Tigers' second touchdown.

Herrera and backup quarterback Diamond Hansford went a combined 3 of 11 for 16 yards and an interception. Aside from two big plays – a 62-yard scramble by Herrera and a 37-yard gain on a fake punt by Derek Amenyendor – Northwestern only accumulated 84 yards of total offense against the stout Tigers' defense.

"There were certain areas where we did not execute," said Northwestern coach Bryan Pierre. "But that is not to take anything away from what they did. I thought their coaches put together a great game plan today."

Receiver/quarterback/coach

Forestville Military Academy senior Antonio Belt has left his mark with his coaches and teammates this season.

After suffering a knee injury in the second week of the season and missing some time, Belt returned and has split time between wide receiver and quarterback. But more than his play on the field, Belt – nicknamed "Black" by his coaches and teammates – has been a leader when it has mattered most.

"I'm really tough on myself and my teammates," Belt said. "Not just on the field but off the field. In school if they are not doing well, I tell them get in the books. I tell them to get out of the hallways when I see them. On the field, I'm even tougher. I tell them if they want to win states, they have to continue to play hard. Sometimes the coaches joke with me and call me ‘Coach Black.'"