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Potomac High School's football season officially came to an end Monday when the Charles County Public Schools ruled that the Westlake High football team had to forfeit only two games for using an ineligible player.

Had Westlake been forced to forfeit more games, Potomac would have moved on to the 3A South Region title game despite its 30-12 playoff loss to Westlake on Friday night.

Although Potomac coach Chris Davidson said he is disappointed to see the season come to an end, he did get one more practice with his players on Monday, before the Charles County Schools decision was announced. That allowed him to work on some of the things the Wolverines might do next season, he said.

"I am kind of selfish, because I just want to keep working with these guys," Davidson said. "We had a nice two-hour practice and got the chance to implement some of the things that we want to run next year. We had a solid season, and it's a good stepping stone. We wanted to send the seniors out by making the playoffs, and we did that."

The Wolverines (6-5) can now move forward and look to replace several of those seniors.

The biggest need for Potomac is at quarterback, where both players who took snaps this season are graduating. Devonta Tabannah started the season at quarterback, but Sharmarte Banks also played there to give Tabannah the chance to play receiver, where Tabannah excelled last year. Banks took over at quarterback when Tabannah was injured during an Oct. 17 game against Central High School and finished the season with 493 passing yards and five touchdowns. Tabannah threw for 639 yards and ran for 323 more.

Whoever the next Potomac quarterback is, he will have plenty of weapons.

Running back and return specialist Ronald Darby is poised to anchor the backfield for the next two seasons. The sophomore finished the season with 962 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns. He scored on a 90-yard touchdown pass and a 1-yard run last week against Westlake.

Darby will focus more on the running back position next season, but will still return kicks and punts and may play more on defense.

"Anything that helps the team out, I am going to do," Darby said. "I think we had a real successful season, but we lost some close games, so I think we were better than our record shows. Next year we are going to make it farther."

Darby should find some easy rushing yards because all five of the Wolverines' offensive linemen — Kendall Evans, Alonzo Chambers, Gerald Waddell, Aaron Coles and Zach Clark — are slated to return next fall.

Davidson said the linemen form a cohesive unit.

"The key is getting guys that enjoy playing with each other," he said. "Those guys are going to be fantastic, and they are already talking about getting into the weight room."

Defensively, the Wolverines need to replace Terrell McGowan, who has led Potomac in tackles the past two seasons. Davidson said he looks for sophomore Joshua Thorne to step into that role next season.

Despite the changes that need to be made next season, Davidson and the Wolverines have plenty to be excited about for 2010 and beyond.

"On the way home from the Westlake game, the players were telling us when the weight room was going to be open," Davidson said. "And that's big, because that [mentality] is something we haven't always had."

E-mail Joshua Hudson at jhudson@gazette.net.