Gravy Bowl preview: Bell, Eastern eager to settle a score in rematch

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/gravy-bowl-preview-bell-eastern-eager-to-settle-a-score-in-rematch/2015/11/23/39c3baea-91fd-11e5-b5e4-279b4501e8a6_story.html

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Eastern football Coach Jason Strickland doesn’t necessarily buy into the conspiracy theories his players and their parents have floated out there since the Ramblers’ dramatic 28-26 loss to Bell on Oct. 16. He can admit legitimate security concerns existed when two students ran across the field in the final minute of the fourth quarter, forcing the officials to temporarily halt play and grant Bell’s offense a timeout it didn’t have before the Griffins scored the game-winning touchdown on the final snap.

However, the chatter does add an extra layer of intrigue to Tuesday’s Gravy Bowl at Eastern, when these two D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association Stripes Division rivals meet in a rematch that will provide some closure for those on both sides of the debate.

“There were a lot of what ifs, but they were the better team that night,” Strickland said. “It’s just kids being kids, pulling off a little prank. But my kids felt like that was very influential.”

Bell (10-0) and Eastern (8-4) have emerged as the best teams in the Stripes division since the DCIAA separated football into two tiers three years ago, but neither appreciates the distinction of being considered the best of the rest among the District’s public schools. The winner Tuesday will advance to the DCSAA Class A final and face Sidwell Friends Saturday. (The DCIAA confirmed Monday that Ballou forfeited its Week 1 win over Bell for using an ineligible player, resulting in Bell’s unblemished record this fall.)

Each team features a star player that started since freshman year and helped alter the football culture at their respective schools.

[Wilson reaches the Turkey Bowl with dramatic win over Ballou]

Bell senior quarterback/running back Charles, Brooks has produced back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons and almost single-handedly boosted the Griffins to new records in wins the past two years. Sending him out with a title, especially since Eastern beat Bell in the 2014 Gravy Bowl, has become a priority.

“He’s absolutely been a stud and a leader for our program, and I wouldn’t want it any other way than being able to see him walk off as a champion,” Bell Coach Desmond Alexander said. “They’re excited we’re going to the championship, but it’s extra motivation that we get a chance to avenge our loss last year.”

Eastern quarterback Jarome Johnson is perhaps the only player from the Stripes Division up to the task of dueling Brooks after throwing for more than 1,600 yards and rushing for more than 1,200 yards during his junior season. Johnson said his success this fall has come with better awareness of when to get rid of the ball and when to take off and run, rather than staying in the pocket too long.

He and Brooks traded highlight-reel plays in October, combining for 716 yards and eight touchdowns in this year’s regular-season game.

Brooks rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another 180 yards, including the game-winning score as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Johnson, who accounted for 346 total yards that night, had given Eastern the lead late in the fourth quarter by scoring the last of his four touchdowns, capping off a second-half comeback that eventually gave way to controversy.

Only one can be crowned champion Tuesday night.

“We both been working hard. They’re a good team. The game’s been close and tough every time time we’ve played,” Johnson said. “We’ve been looking forward to playing again.”