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Saturday afternoon when the two teams played against one another, the first half unfolded exactly the way one might have expected: Forestville got two touchdown passes from Antonio Belt, an interception return for a touchdown by Ricardo Smith and led 24-6 at halftime.
But Fairmont Heights would rule the second half. Or more accurately, it was show time for Hornets' running back Charles Harris.
Harris ran for three touchdowns in the final two periods, and he also added two-point conversions after all three of his scores as Fairmont Heights (2-7) earned a 30-24 victory.
Harris finished with 35 carries for 283 yards and also had six kickoff returns for 102 yards and completed a pass for 55 yards.
Forestville (4-4) had its three-game winning streak snapped and may have taken a hit to its playoff hopes. The Knights began the weekend holding the third of four spots in the 1A South Region playoff standings.
"We made some mistakes in the first half and they took advantage of it," said Fairmont Heights assistant coach George Wake, one of several former assistants who returned to the program when veteran coach Ralph Paden took over two games into the season. "In the second half, we didn't turn the ball over, the line started blocking. And we did a better job against Belt in the second half."
Belt tossed two touchdown passes of 47 and 50 yards to Antonio Wood in the first half, but Harris, Derrick Williamson and Jerome Williams each had interceptions for Fairmont Heights in the second half. Christian Bryant led the Fairmont Heights defense with 12 tackles, and Rico Bobo added nine tackles.
The Hornets were forced to forfeit their season-opening victory against Eastern (D.C.) and coach Derek Deane was suspended because the team used two ineligible players. Paden, who coached Fairmont Heights for 29 years before retiring after the 2003 season, came back to guide the program for the reminder of the season and brought his former coaching staff with him.
"We like to think us old guys can find a way to get the kids to play to the end," said Wake, who also is the longtime boys' basketball coach at Fairmont Heights. "It's easy to say it's a tough season and we're losing, but the kids bought into the fact that you play hard every down and play to the end and you see what happens."
DeMatha 44, Carroll 0
DeMatha (9-0) rolled to its second win without the services of senior running back Marcus Coker, who has been sidelined for two weeks with a groin pull.
Coach Bill McGregor said Coker was dressed for action Saturday, and could have played if needed.
"He was ready to go, but the field was wet and he's a little banged up, so we decided to play it safe," McGregor said. "He'll definitely go next week."
Coker is the county's leading rusher this season with 1,289 yards and 17 touchdowns. In his place, senior tailback Michael Meriwether rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Senior quarterback Daniel Tapscott connected with senior Kyrrel Latimer on a 47-yard touchdown pass, and DeMatha defensive back Darrian Harris returned a second-quarter interception 51 yards for a touchdown.
The Stags led 37-0 at halftime, and Patrick Harbeson closed the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
McNamara 34, Paul VI 7
The Mustangs (8-1, 5-1) clinched a berth in the Washington Catholic Athletic Association playoffs with an emphatic win over Paul IV (1-8, 0-6). Quarterback James Joseph continued his prolific season by completing 14 of 21 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first time this season that Joseph has eclipsed the 300-yard mark in a game.
A 51-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jackson put McNamara ahead early. Brandon Coleman and Devin Bassett Jr. then caught 37- and 15-yard scores, respectively, and a 68-yard fumble return by Ean Garnes put McNamara ahead 28-0 at halftime.
Coleman, who finished the game with four receptions for 116 yards, caught a 46-yard pass from Joseph in the third quarter to cap McNamara's scoring.
DuVal 30, High Point 0
DuVal improved to 5-4, cruising to an easy victory against winless High Point in County 4A League play. Mark Dixon ran for 110 yards while quarterback Nelson Alston served as a dangerous dual threat, rushing for 70 yards to go with his 86 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
After being held scoreless in the first quarter, DuVal used a 2-yard rush by Raphael Mbachu and a 53-yard touchdown catch by Khari Pleasant to go into halftime with a 14-0 lead. Derrick Barnett's touchdown on a fumble recovery and Chris Sharper's 17-yard scoring reception added to the DuVal lead in the second half.
"We started off slow, but they still came through with the victory," said DuVal coach Dameon Powell, whose team is no longer in playoff contention. "I just want to finish strong on a winning note. A few tipped balls go our way and we could've been 8-2 or 9-1."
Oxon Hill 36, Bladensburg 30
Oxon Hill receiver Vincent Walker caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, as the Clippers improved to 3-6 and Bladensburg dropped to 2-7.