Dynamic backfield combination has Damascus back in the state semifinals; Einstein makes a coaching change

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/dynamic-backfield-combination-has-damascus-back-in-the-state-semifinals-einstein-makes-a-coaching-change/2015/11/23/f9ce7cca-919f-11e5-b5e4-279b4501e8a6_story.html

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Damascus senior Jake Funk takes on defenders head-on, sometimes running right through them. His emerging backfield mate, Markus Vinson, thrives in open space, making tacklers miss before speeding by them.

From the sidelines and stands, it’s easy to differentiate between the two.

But from the trenches, not so, Jake Bradshaw said. The senior and his fellow linemen are too busy burying their heads into the defensive linemen to pay attention to which Swarmin’ Hornets runner is holding the football.

“Honest to God we might have no any idea who’s running the ball. We don’t figure it out until they’re in the end zone,” Bradshaw said.

The Damascus backfield showed yet again what it could do in Friday’s 45-3 win over Seneca Valley (10-2) in the Maryland 3A West region final. Funk and Vinson combined for six touchdowns as the No. 1 Swarmin’ Hornets (12-0) reserved a spot in the state semifinal against Reservoir (9-3).

“They’ll just go so fast into the end zone, I’ll just turn around with complete amazement,” Bradshaw said.

No. 19 Seneca Valley played most of the game without two-way threat Adrian Platt, who pulled a hamstring in warmups. When Platt left the game in the first half, Damascus took advantage, adjusting its offensive schemes as it no longer had to worry about the speedy junior breaking through to the backfield.

Working out of the wing-T formation — with sophomore Ben Lokos as the lead blocker — Damascus built an early lead and had the clock running by the third quarter. Vinson ran for two touchdowns, including a 56-yarder. Funk finished with four touchdowns, giving him 45 total this season and 91 in his career, ranking second all-time in both categories. Old Mill’s Rob Chesson holds the state’s single-season record (49) while Dunbar’s Tavon Austin (123) has the career mark, according to MDPrepFootball.com.

After coming up short in the 2014 championship game, Damascus is a win away from returning to M&T Bank Stadium, and two away from its first state title since 2007.

“Coming into this year I felt like our team wasn’t going to be as skilled and as deep, but at this point I feel we have the confidence, and my gut feeling is this is our year,” Bradshaw said.

Einstein has parted ways with Neal Owens after a two-year coaching stint and is searching for a replacement, according to Athletic Director Patrick Belott.

“We wanted to go in a new direction,” Belott said. “He was a good guy, he did a good job for two years but we saw an opportunity to make a change and decided it was the right time.”

Owens compiled a 3-17 record with the Kensington school and went 1-9 this past season.

“Mutual decision,” Owens wrote in a text message. “They wanted more progress, I need to be a better dad.”

Owens took over for Jermaine Howell, who stepped down after leading the Titans to a 4-5 season in 2013. Howell was a coach on Einstein’s junior varsity team this past season, Belott said.

Owens coached Richard Montgomery from 2010-12, posting an 11-19 record in three seasons with the Rockets.