Northwestern High School is 4-0 after a breakthrough, 19-14 victory against defending 4A South Region champion Charles H. Flowers on Friday night. Northwestern has a strong chance to qualify for one of the 4A South Region’s four playoff spots this season for the first time since 2003.

The Wildcats (4-0, 3-0 4A League), behind the playmaking of Darius Victor, John Johnson and Jovantae Seard, the blocking of Victor Tamba and Darnell Green and some Flowers miscues, took a commanding 19-0 lead into halftime.

Victor, who has an offer from the University of Buffalo and has drawn interest from Temple and Connecticut among others, set up and scored the first touchdown of the game. He intercepted a deflected pass with 8 minutes, 39 seconds left in the first quarter and then on the next play, the 5-foot-8, 210-pound senior ran 22 yards up the middle to give the Wildcats a 6-0 advantage.

“We just came out with fire,” said Victor, who rushed for 219 yards. “I guess the home-field advantage, the turf, the lights just motivated us. If we can play to our abilities, we can make things happen. It was a scare at the end but we held on and got the win.”

Wise dominates again: Here’s how dominant the first half of Saturday night’s 51-14 victory was for Henry A. Wise High School’s football team. And, conversely, how deflating it was for Bowie.

On the second play from scrimmage, Bowie senior running back Nathan Wilson sprinted through Wise’s defense for a 73-yard touchdown run. He electrified the Bowie supporters in a standing-room only crowd and was the first player to score against Wise in three-plus games this season.

Wilson ended up finishing the half with 27 yards rushing.

Apparently, Wise’s defense didn’t take too kindly to being scored upon.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s counterpart in the Pumas’ backfield — senior Chase Powell — scored a whopping six touchdowns and gained 211 yards on 19 carries in the blowout victory.

Largo earns tough win: The Largo and Forestville high school football teams combined for 32 points in the fourth quarter, but in the end it was the Lions who scored most when it counted, as they earned a 34-20 victory on their home field Friday night.

Largo senior Dimonte Cosbert (108 rushing yards) had touchdown runs of 24 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter as Largo broke a 20-20 tie in the final 10 minutes of the game. In the process, the Lions’ offensive line wore down the Forestville defensive front.

“I’m actually glad this game turned out the way it did,” Largo coach David Fant said. “We have been pressing them to always play hard regardless of how the game’s going. This was a battle back and forth and really a testament to their mental toughness.”

Douglass bounces back: Potomac High School senior quarterback Antonio Washington was only sacked once by county 3A/2A/1A rival Frederick Douglass on Saturday afternoon. But the fans who watched the football game at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex saw the Eagles’ defense dominate the Wolverines nevertheless.

And the Douglass offense was just as good in a 42-0 rout of Potomac.

“I told our guys last week after [a 39-14 loss] Gwynn Park, good programs don’t stay down,” Douglass coach J. C. Pinkney said. “[Gwynn Park] came out last week and whipped us. That was our challenge this week, so you rebound and get it going.”

dfeldman@gazette.net

Nick Cammarota, James Peters and Terron Hampton contributed.

Top 10 poll

(Team, record, points in poll voted on by The Gazette's eight sports writers)

1. DeMatha Stags, 4-0, 80

Last: def. Dunbar, 34-0; Next: at O'Connell

2. Wise Pumas, 4-0, 72

Last: def. Bowie, 51-14; Next: vs. Northwestern

3. Suitland Rams, 4-0, 64

Last: def. Laurel, 41-6; Next: at Flowers

4. Northwestern Wildcats, 4-0, 56

Last: def. Flowers, 19-14; Next: at Wise

5. Gwynn Park Yellow Jackets, 3-1, 45

Last: def. Crossland, 40-0; Next: at McKinley Tech

6. Flowers Jaguars, 3-1, 38

Last: lost to Northwestern, 19-14; Next: vs. Suitland

7. Douglass Eagles, 3-1, 37

Last: def. Potomac, 42-0; Next: at Fairmont Heights

8. Eleanor Roosevelt Raiders, 3-1, 23

Last: def. Oxon Hill, 40-12; Next: at Parkdale

9. DuVal Tigers, 3-1, 14

Last: def. Bladensburg, 12-10; Next: vs. Bowie

10. Bishop McNamara Mustangs, 2-2, 6

Last: lost to St. John's, 31-29; Next: vs. Gonzaga

Also receiving votes: Friendly Patriots 3; Largo Lions 2.

Best bets

No. 4 Northwestern at No. 2 Wise

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

What to know: Wise (4-0) has beaten Northwestern (4-0) in all five of their matchups, winning the last three by a combined 113-0 margin. After beating Flowers last week, Northwestern is attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003, but PGCPS Athletic Director Earl Hawkins said the county is awaiting a report on whether Northwestern must forfeit wins for using an ineligible player. Northwestern features physical running back Darius Victor, but linebacker D’Angelo Niler and the Wise defense have been dominant.

No. 3 Suitland at No. 6 C.H. Flowers

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

What to know: Suitland (4-0) has beaten Flowers (3-1) in the regular season each of the last three years, but Flowers also has eliminated Suitland from the playoffs all three seasons. The average margin in the six games was 6.3 points, three were decided by a touchdown, and two more were decided by one point. Suitland receiver/defensive back Taivon Jacobs, who’s committed to Ohio State, and Flowers receiver/defensive back Keith Payne could make a compelling matchup on both sides of the ball in Suitland’s first true test of the season.