[Larks]

Schooled, Fooled and Fueled
Douglass Rallies Despite Late Arrival After SAT, Forestville Trickery

By Ryan Mink
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, October 15, 2006; E11

Douglass wasn't in game mood when the team bus arrived at Forestville High 10 minutes before kickoff yesterday. The SATs took longer than expected, and the Eagles were trying to refocus on football.

But once backup quarterback David Samuel returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Eagles were ready. When Forestville responded on its first snap from scrimmage with a trick play, the Eagles were angry.

Less than a minute into the game, No. 20 Douglass had all the fire it needed for a 36-18 win.

"It was like, 'Wow, we're in a ballgame,' " Douglass Coach J.C. Pinkney said. "I hadn't quite seen anything like that."

After the 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Forestville's sideline was stunned. But following a touchback, the Knights came to the line and quarterback Kevin Dickerson took a casual snap that went around the center's leg, not in between. As none of his blockers moved, Dickerson stood up seemingly confused and started walking nonchalantly to the sidelines while holding up the ball, yelling he had a kicking ball, not a regular game ball. Douglass's defense took the bait.

As soon as Forestville Coach Charles Harley subtly pointed up the field, Dickerson took off.

"Once I got to the opening I realized there was no one around me," Dickerson said. "In my mind I was like, 'You've got to be joking. I can't believe this is actually working' because right before the play started I said, 'I'm really not feeling this play.' "

Pinkney protested, but Harley had run it by the referees before the game to make sure it was legal.

"I had a feeling he had something up his sleeve, but not in my wildest would I think of something like that," Pinkney said.

The play didn't come from Harley but instead from one of his former players, current Penn State tackle Antonio Logan-El. Logan-El called Harley in the early hours Friday night with news that Penn State was going to use the trick play against Michigan last night and that Forestville should be the guinea pig. So as Douglass's players were still taking the SATs, Forestville (3-3) practiced the play before the game.

It couldn't have worked any better, except for one thing: The trickery made the Eagles (5-1) want to win that much more.

"How are you going to score on a trick play?" Douglass running back Jerrell Wedge said. "It angered me so much I wanted to hurt someone out there."

Wedge went on to rush for 236 yards, including 202 in the first half, and three touchdowns to lead a dominant rushing attack.

No. 20 Douglass 36, Forestville 18 Turnover Prone: The Eagles had to overcome two fumbles and an interception in the first half. They turned to the sure-handed Jerrell Wedge on a key final drive of the half to gain a 23-12 halftime lead on his four-yard touchdown plunge. Long Gains: Forestville thrived on the big play, scoring on the 80-yard trick play, a 74-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Dickerson to Devonte Campbell and a 45-yard pass from Dickerson to Christopher Wormley.