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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS |
Final |
| WISE | 22 |
| BROADNECK | 0 |
Staff Reports
OK3Sports.com
OK3Sports Football: Wise vs Broadneck
First Look: OK3Sports photojournalist Olen Kelley’s raw edit from the high school football game between the Wise Pumas and the Broadneck Bruins at Nav-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD, on Friday, December 01, 2023.
VIEWS FROM THE FIELD
The Broadneck Bruins, marooned on their 1-yard line, rolled the dice with a passing play. It was early in a scoreless Maryland Class 4A championship game Friday night, but the Bruins were looking to generate whatever momentum they could against the feisty front of Wise.
Almost immediately, a pack of Pumas flooded the backfield, hungry for a rare defensive feat: a safety. A group of them, led by senior Damilola Olanlokun, pounced on the Broadneck quarterback and sent him to the blue-and-gold end zone turf of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis — a highlight of a 21-0 Wise victory.
The Pumas danced off the field in celebration, making way for the special teams unit. Yes, Wise led by just two points, and plenty of football remained. But it was clear nobody was going to get past this defense.
The group finished the night with a safety, three interceptions, and the shutout as the No. 5 Pumas handled No. 10 Broadneck to win their sixth state title and first since 2019.
“All about defense,” junior linebacker DeCarlos Young said. “From the defensive backs to the line, we stepped up and made some plays. Just dominated the game.”
Friday’s victory ended a season that started with an uncharacteristic amount of uncertainty for the Prince George’s County superpower. The Pumas lost their season opener, 34-14, to Virginia power Maury, their worst loss since November 2018. Shortly before their second game, the program was told that transfer quarterback Khalil Wilkins would be ineligible this fall.
“It’s been a long year,” Coach DaLawn Parrish said. “We weathered a lot of different storms. But we became a functional, strong, disciplined team. And the finish? It’s outstanding.”
The Pumas rounded into form during hard practices and mostly lopsided wins. Outside of tough regular season contests against Eleanor Roosevelt and C.H. Flowers, they won seven of their nine county games by a combined score of 415-0.
“We make it about the little things, about the day-to-day,” Parrish said. “How do we perfect what we’re doing? That’s the focus for everybody. We want to be the best we can be in any given moment, no matter who we’re facing. You have to buy into that.”
Broadneck — which often plays a similar, dominant role in Anne Arundel County — arrived in Annapolis riding a postseason high. After upsetting Northwest in the quarterfinals and throttling Churchill last weekend’s semifinal, the Bruins hoped the momentum would carry them to the first state title in program history.
But Wise was a step ahead, matching and surpassing Broadneck’s physicality. A first-quarter safety got the ball rolling for the Pumas, and Young, who also plays running back, added two touchdowns to give his team a comfortable 15-0 lead at the half.
“We knew some people might doubt us, saying we’re not like the old Wise,” Young said. “We kept a state championship on our mind and trusted the process.”
Broadneck’s best opportunity to get into the game came early in the third quarter when the Bruins blocked a punt and took over 20 yards from the end zone. But the Pumas’ defense held them to a 26-yard field goal try. It was missed, and Wise capitalized with a 14-play, six-minute scoring drive to put three touchdowns between themselves and another helpless opponent.
