By Mark Giannotto
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, September 5, 2009
After a tumultuous offseason marked by two deaths within the program, the Northwest football team hoped the start of the 2009 campaign would be a sanctuary of sorts. Instead, it brought more pain to an emotionally fragile squad.
Six plays into the opening drive of Friday night’s game at Whitman, the Jaguars watched as senior safety Alieu Nyass lay on the ground for almost 20 minutes, unable to straighten his dislocated ankle. Nyass, a two-way player and team leader who plays wide receiver, was taken away in an ambulance to nearby Suburban Hospital.
On the next play, Whitman senior Kevin Cecala scored on a six-yard run, and the Vikings never looking back en route to a 29-16 victory.
After the game, first-year Northwest Coach Mark Maradei revealed Nyass had broken the ankle and will undergo surgery soon. He will miss the rest of the season. During practices this week, the Jaguars also lost starting place kicker Ian Cottrell to a broken leg.
The devastating injuries came just two months after Northwest’s Edwin “Dek” Miller died from a heat stroke during a voluntary conditioning practice in July. Days before that incident, running back Hassan Dixon’s 12-year-old sister, Shiane, died in a car accident in which Dixon was the driver.
“I know they try and suck it up, but deep down inside they’re just kids,” an emotional Maradei said afterward. “They’ve just been through more trauma than I could ever imagine.”
Earlier in the day, Northwest held its annual fall pep rally, and the team’s captains received a standing ovation from the student body when they held up the jersey of Miller.
Maradei couldn’t hold back the tears during pregame warm-ups as he recounted how Dixon had asked to put a sticker commemorating his sister on the front of his helmet, instead of the back like the rest of his team. In addition, every helmet had a sticker in honor of Miller.
But Whitman, well aware of the circumstances, came out firing, executing an onside kick on the opening kickoff and just missed connecting on a flea flicker for the game’s first play from scrimmage.
Cecala finished with 187 yards and three touchdowns, as the Vikings dominated the trenches. Dixon, one of Montgomery County’s top returning running backs, was held to just 62 yards on the ground, much of which came in the second half when the game was well out of reach.
“I feel for those guys, I really do,” said Whitman Coach Jim Kuhn. “But in the end, you’re trying to win the game. Things just came together for us tonight.”
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It can only get better
Dan Greenberg | The Gazette
Sept 1, 2009
In the past six months, the Northwest football team has faced staggering upheaval.
It began when gifted junior linebacker David Katembwe was charged with, and subsequently imprisoned for, a March 26 robbery. A June 30 car crash injured standout rising senior Hassan Dixon and took the life of his 12-year old sister, Shiane. Shortly after that, rising junior Edwin “Dek” Miller collapsed on the field during voluntary conditioning drills and died three days later.
With their nightmarish offseason in the past, the Jaguars can now look forward to a possible dream in-season.
“We’ve had a lot of tragedy since I got here and all I can say is that we have a resilient group of young men,” said first-year head coach Mark Maradei, who helmed Rockville for the past three years. “I’ve been very happy and really amazed at how everyone’s been dealing with everything that’s been dropped in their laps. I can’t imagine being their age and doing what they’re doing. And you know, I believe in these kids.”
His faith is not blind. With the talent and experience they have back, the Jaguars are a legitimate threat to make postseason noise.
It starts in the backfield, with Dixon back for an encore. In his first year with the school after transferring in from Good Counsel, the lightning-fast halfback — he ran on Northwest’s Class 4A state-champion 4×400-meter relay teams during indoor and outdoor track seasons — rushed for 1,026 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also shows outstanding potential at cornerback, where he could start.
“He’s healthy; we scrimmaged Kennedy and he scored three touchdowns,” said Maradei. “He’s dedicated the season to his sister and he is doing everything 100 miles per hour.”
Also lining up behind the line is third-year starting quarterback Jarrhett Butler, who threw for 1,279 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago.
Though his targets are new, the dropoff should be nonexistent. Senior Alieu Nyass looked like a star in the Upper Montgomery Passing League this summer, while Thomas Johnson transfer Tyler Demett also appeared promising. Junior Detrick Hoes, according to Maradei, has “off-the-charts athleticism” and scored 12 touchdowns in his one season on JV, while senior Randy Markush is a capable fill-in for departed University of Maryland freshman Marcus Whitfield at tight end.
Two spots on the offensive line are still up for grabs, though seniors Ali Tolson, Michael Lentz and Matt Andrews are anchors.
Tolson is the only unquestioned starter on the defensive line, but from the second level on, the Jaguars are deep and formidable. Markush will play the defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid, while classmate Chris Bisselle was the team’s leading tackler last fall on the inside.
Lost was projected starting ‘backer Diontae Joppy, who transferred to Seneca Valley, but with strong safety Nyass, Dixon and cornerback Troy Anderson, the cupboard is full on defense.
“I don’t want to tell you we’ll go 14-0 and win the state, because we could come out and fall flat on our faces,” said Maradei. “But I believe we’ll get to the position where we’re fighting for it throughout the season.”
Northwest
Head coach: Mark Maradei, 1st year (4th overall, 17-14)
League: Montgomery 4A West
Last year’s record: 6-5
Last playoff appearance: 2008 (7th)
Last state title: 2004 (1st)
Players to watch: QB Jarrhett Butler, RB Hassan Dixon, WR Alieu Nyass, LB Chris Bisselle
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