Despite missing at least three key starters, the Potomac School Panthers stayed close and had a chance to win with just seconds remaining.
Led by a hard-playing and physical defense, the host Panthers were ahead of the high-scoring Maret Frogs late in the game until losing the high-school football contest, 12-7, on Saturday (Oct. 19).
Potomac School fell to 4-3.
Maret (6-1) entered the action averaging 39.6 points per tilt in its previous five outings, but was kept in check by the Panthers.
“Hats off to our defense. It’s outstanding and keeps us in games,” Potomac School coach Dan Wolff said.
That defense scored the team’s only touchdown, coming in the first quarter when E.J. Schneeberg intercepted a batted pass by Calvin Dabbiere and returned the ball 89 yards into the end zone. That helped give the Panthers a 7-0 lead after Stefan Harvey’s extra point on the homecoming afternoon.
The Panthers’ offense struggled to move the ball, with negative rushing yards and only 113 total yardage. Leading rusher Lucas Boulter and starting center Sam Kim were injured and did not play, and the offensive line was reshuffled for the game.
Potomac School had two potential fourth-quarter scoring drives, but each ended with turnovers. The second came when quarterback Sean Sutherland’s pass was intercepted in the end zone with 7.2 seconds to play.
Sutherland was 8 of 23 passing for 129 yards. Akim Iscandari had three catches for 55 yards, Nathan Alexander two for 41, Brendan Sutherland two for 20 and Kai Jefferson one for 13. Gus Tierney was the leading rusher with 17 yards.
Maret’s touchdowns came in the second and fourth quarters, the winning score on a 26-yard slant pass by former Potomac School quarterback Camren Boykin with 6:47 to play.
“That was a Division I college-level pass right on the spot, because we had the receiver well-covered,” Wolff said.
Starting defensive back Jake Adamac also missed the game with an injury for Potomac School. Leading the defense for the Panthers with sacks and tackles for losses were Tierney, Schneeberg (two sacks), Jag Gioia (two sacks), Wyatt Overman and Richard Perry. They were overall tackling leaders along with Alexander, Mack Repke, Graham Laforce and Triston Davis.
“Win or lose, we wanted to play a close game with Maret, and we got that,” Wolff said.
