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For DuVal High School quarterback Jesse Henderson, the goal for Friday's visit to Bladensburg was simple: Don't lose the ball. The senior had thrown an interception or lost a fumble in each of the Tigers first four games and was determined to reverse the trend.

"I just kept saying all day, ‘no turnovers, no turnovers," Henderson said. "I guess it worked."

Henderson led DuVal to a 49-22 victory with 272 yards of total offense and no turnovers. The signal caller completed a season high 10 of 12 passes for 193 yards and ran for 79 yards on six carries as the Tigers improved to 3-2.

"We opened up the offense and didn't hold them back," said DuVal coach Dameon Powell. "Everything was just clicking on offense."

DuVal took an early lead with three straight passing touchdowns in the first half. Senior receiver Phillip Green caught touchdowns of 45 and 4 yards and running back Ibriham Kamara hauled in a 35-yard touchdown catch from Henderson. Mark Dixon added a 12-yard touchdown run with two minutes left in the second quarter to give DuVal a commanding 29-8 lead.

"We found our connection," Green said. "That's just something that comes from throwing back and forth since we were kids. It's all coming together."

After the half, Henderson found Green again for a two-yard touchdown pass to make it a 36-8 DuVal advantage. Green finished with six catches for 115 yards and three touchdowns.

"I don't think I did a good job preparing my team for the game," said Bladensburg coach Derek Tyler, whose team dropped to 3-2. "We needed to come out and match their intensity and we didn't."

In the fourth quarter, Bladensburg senior quarterback Gerald Samuels threw touchdown passes to Erich Bailey and Paul Momoh. Samuels completed 3 of 10 passes for 125 yards. Senior running back Cornell Wade led Bladensburg with 51 yards on 11 carries. Wade and Anthony Lindsay each had five tackles to lead the Mustangs' defense.

The win was a significant one for DuVal, as it drew the Tigers even with Bladensburg in the County 4A League standings. Both teams are 3-2 and are tied for fourth place in the league behind Eleanor Roosevelt, Suitland and Charles H. Flowers, all of which are 5-0. The top four teams in the league qualify for the 4A South Region playoffs.