Football: Friendly 9, Douglass-PG 6 (OT)

By Eric Gilmore
Content Manager, DigitalSports.com

**Click here for a 5-minute video highlight reel, the game-winning kick and interviews with Friendly's Mauriel Peacock and head coach John Morgan.**

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Friendly first-year head coach John Morgan couldn’t pry seldom-used senior kicker Mauriel Peacock from the Douglass-PG field, where he was wading through a sea of hugs and high-fives. Curiously, just minutes before, few in the Eagle-heavy crowd even knew the 5-foot-9, 220-pounder’s name as some were thumbing through the roster to find big No. 62.

Such is the life of an offensive guard who doubles as a kicker.

Peacock, who had never booted a field goal in a game, kicked a 21-yard game-winner in overtime to give Friendly a come-from-behind 9-6 overtime road victory over previously unbeaten Douglass on Friday afternoon. A slugfest, Peacock’s kick was the deciding difference as the Patriots earned their first landmark league win under Morgan, a former college assistant, by rallying for the second straight week.

After Eagle quarterback Richard Barber was intercepted by Bryson Carr in the first overtime, Peacock, who had shanked several punts, realized his team was depending on his right foot, a rarity in Prince George’s County where kickers are an afterthought.

"I was thinking, 'don’t go way right' — to just keep my head down and follow through,” Peacock said. “Kwasi (Washington) gave me a good hold. The line gave me time and that’s all I needed. I put it in."

Starting from the Douglass 10-yard line in the game’s only overtime, Friendly sophomore quarterback Sherrod Baltimore leaked over the left side from a fourth-yard gain. Navon Hobby was stuffed on the following play and a third-down fade pattern to Alex Blake was incomplete.

Facing fourth and goal from the Eagle 5, Morgan had a decision — chance another Baltimore pass or hinge the game on an inexperienced straight-ahead kicker who had the angle the ball from the right hash, and most importantly, who had never kicked a field goal in a game. Morgan didn’t hesitate.

“Mauriel’s been working on it,” Morgan said. “We haven’t kicked any field goals this year and haven’t done a lot of extra points. It gave us an opportunity — we had nothing to lose. He blessed us with a great field goal.”

Douglass (4-1, 3-1 3A/2A/1A), playing without its best backfield tandem for much of the second half, called its lone timeout in an effort to further make Peacock ponder his fate. During the timeout, teammates tapped the soft-spoken senior’s helmet and offered subtle and not-so-subtle encouragement even despite their coach’s request.

“I told everybody to leave him alone and that he would be all right,” Morgan said. “He kept his head down and did what he’d been practicing. He kicked it through.”

Down 6-0 with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, Friendly (4-1, 3-0 3A/2A/1A) appeared to be wilting under the 72-degree sunny skies. It had little fight through three quarters before thwarting Douglass’ Barber on fourth down at its own 20-yard line early in the fourth.

That’s when Morgan, sensing the Eagles were tired because of having to rely on a platoon of two-way players, forced the tempo with a no-huddle, hurry-up offense. Sparked by several Hobby runs and a Dalonta Hall tiptoeing catch along the left sideline, Friendly pieced together its finest drive of the day.

In the midst of the six-minute drive, Blake morphed a 10-yard pass into a huge gain inside the Douglass 15, only to have a late illegal procedure flag negate the play. Friendly was livid about the phantom call, but wasn’t deterred evidenced by Baltimore finding his tight end, Milton Gilchrist, up the left seam for a 20-yard touchdown with 3:55 left. Hobby couldn’t convert the right counter on the two-point conversion, leaving the score knotted at 6-6.

Douglass returned the ensuing kickoff to the Friendly 30, but Barber was picked off by junior free safety Jordan Haden two plays later. Friendly then had its own opportunity with over a minute remaining, but couldn’t capitalize after Baltimore was sacked on third down.

But the Eagles were the team that most commonly couldn’t seize opportune chances. About to enter the endzone in the first quarter, Massey fumbled at the Friendly 1-yard line. Douglass had eight possessions in Patriot territory, including three within Friendly’s 10-yard line, but only came away with Jesse Robertson’s 2-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter.

“I told them that we had to keep playing,” Morgan said. “Sooner or later, something was going to happen in our favor and as long as we kept them out of the endzone, I knew we would be in good shape.”

Douglass wasn’t helped when senior stalwarts Massey (ankle sprain) and Cook (knee) both suffered first half injuries and the prognosis on either player was undetermined. Massey came in for a few plays during the second half, but didn’t have the same burst or ability to make cuts.

Neutralizing the Eagles’ Wing-T, who had outscored its previous three opponents 114-0, was a priority for Morgan and his staff.

“It feels great,” Morgan said. “They are a great offensive team and do a really good job running the option, so this was wonderful for us.”

Perhaps Peacock, still smiling while heading for the raucous bus back to Friendly, put it more succinctly.

“It’s crazy,” Peacock said.
 
E-mail: egilmore@digitalsports.com