Devils win, but lose out on playoffs

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo brian lewis⁄the gazette Springbrook’s Adou Kouadio (left) gets hit from behind by Watkins Mill’s Josh Pleasant (2) and Theo Clunis (3). The Blue Devils won, 18-13, to finish 7-3, but missed out on a 4A North Region playoff berth.

Late in the Blue Devils’ 18-13, come-from-behind victory at Watkins Mill Friday night, Kouadio broke left before being met by two Wolverines. But he simply wouldn’t go down, fighting for several seconds before busting loose down the left sideline. He was pursued again and caught by two more defenders. But no matter — he kept his feet inbounds and broke more tackles. Finally he was brought down at the 16 yard-line after a seemingly impossible 50-yard run.

He didn’t score (he’d produce the game-winning touchdown two plays later), but the dogged determination personified his and the team’s never-give-up style. The Blue Devils (7-3 overall, 4-2 in the county’s 4A East Division) won several of their seven games in dramatic fashion this season, and despite just narrowly missing the playoffs, that play typified an entire season.

‘‘That’s the best run I’ve ever seen,” said Springbrook coach Rob Wendel. ‘‘It is a little symbolic. Our kids have not quit all year, even in the first game of year where we were down big to Sherwood. They played with heart every game.”

And no one played with more heart than Kouadio, the team’s leader who capped off a spectacular season with one of his best performances. On 27 carries, he picked up 175 yards, bringing his season total to 1,270 yards (third in the county) and 12 touchdowns on 224 carries.

On what turned out to be the last carry of his high-school career, a 13-yard touchdown with 6 minutes, 54 seconds left to play, Kouadio darted through the hole and leaped through a tackle at the end zone to put the Blue Devils up for good. It was his third straight carry after the Wolverines (3-7, 2-4 in the 4A East) had taken the lead two minutes earlier.

And it left him spent. On his way back to the huddle for the two-point conversion attempt, he collapsed on the field and laid there for several minutes, a combination of tired and injured. But after all the work he put in this season, which included a team-high 16 touchdowns total, he deserved the rest.

‘‘The body works in mysterious ways,” said Kouadio, who also led the team with three interceptions. ‘‘I was pretty tired — my knee was banged up. But the whole team’s giving that extra effort, so I had to too. I could see how guys were just laying out to block, so I had to match that effort just running hard and playing like the rest of the guys.”

The Wolverines pushed the Blue Devils to the limit, forcing them to come from behind twice and also mounting a last-ditch drive that stopped short just inside the red zone to seal the deal. Junior quarterback Alex Goodrich found senior wideout Theo Clunis twice for touchdowns, opening the scoring with a 12-yarder on the team’s first drive of the game and adding a beautiful 18-yard strike in the corner of the end zone to put Watkins Mill up 13-12 with 8:15 to go in the game.

Goodrich rallied the Wolverines after Kouadio’s second touchdown run with his arm and legs, moving the offense to Springbrook’s 17-yard line. But defensive lineman Uchenna Ahaghotu and linebacker Brent Jones combined to force and recover a Goodrich fumble, effectively ending Watkins Mill’s chances.

The win put Springbrook in position to make the 4A North playoffs, but Parkville of Baltimore County defeated Towson, 14-10, to knock the Blue Devils out of contention. Nevertheless, it was a good year for Springbrook, which had a knack for winning close games all season, thanks in large part to their sophomore quarterback, Phoenix Butler-Poole. The first-year starter threw a long fourth-quarter scoring pass to Kouadio in the Blue Devils’ 6-0 victory a week prior against Richard Montgomery, and also led the team to the comeback of the season, overcoming a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Paint Branch, 34-31.

Springbrook will lose Kouadio and leading-receiver Nick Oates, but should be in good shape headed into next season, led by their young signal caller.

‘‘He’s such a cool customer — it’s ridiculous,” said Wendel of Butler-Poole. ‘‘That’s what’s amazed me about him, and it really helped us all year. He doesn’t get fazed by things, which for a sophomore quarterback, to not get rattled is remarkable. I sat him down before the Sherwood game [his first start] and said ‘We’re not expecting you do go out there and be Superman. Maybe when you’re a senior.’”