After an uncharacteristic 3-7 file, in 2021, and an inconsistent begin this season, Hunter had heard loads of chatter about how the Knights had fallen off and that the highway to a D.C. state championship not went via the Northeast program.
However Hunter and the Seashore Boyz, as they’re affectionately identified due to how sandy their previous apply discipline was, saved their heads down and let the work converse for them.
The end result got here Saturday at Howard College’s Greene Stadium, as Friendship clinched a fifth DCSAA title.
“Earlier than the sport I informed the fellows, ‘We did the opposite faculties a favor and allow them to maintain our trophy for a 12 months, however now it’s time to convey it again residence to Minnesota Avenue the place it belongs,’ ” Hunter mentioned. “Right this moment, our guys did that.”
With solely two of its 9 wins being determined by greater than two scores, Friendship Collegiate (9-4) entered the DCSAA ultimate ready for a battle.
And Theodore Roosevelt (11-2) gave it simply that.
Turkey Bowl MVP Khalil Wilkins opened the sport by finishing 9 of his first 11 passes, because the RoughRiders jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a toss from Wilkins to Riley Jackson.
Friendship Collegiate quarterback Jaylen Croskey responded with two landing passes to Keyon Webb-Starkey — one late within the second quarter and one other halfway via the third — to present his crew its first lead at 13-7.
“Everyone thinks they’re some canines and constructed for battle,” Croskey mentioned. “However video games like this are the place you actually show that you simply acquired it in you.”
Roosevelt retook the result in open the fourth on a 16-year run by Watkins, who spun his method into the top zone and completed with 58 yards on the bottom and 186 via the air.
However with 6:31 remaining, FCA’s go-to guys got here via once more. Croskey discovered Webb-Starkey from 4 yards out for the game-winning rating, their third TD connection of the night.
“I feel that to go from the place we have been final 12 months, to successful a [championship] proper now simply exhibits how nice of a coach Coach Hunter is,” Croskey mentioned. “When issues have been powerful and we have been actually doubting ourselves, Coach simply saved telling us to maintain working and that if we stayed collectively, we’d be superb. Now we’re champs, so yeah let all people know that the Seashore Boyz are again.”