Gladiators Varsity Football Home Page

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This is the varsity football website for Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Md. The coach is Dennis Harris, and his assistants are Travis Hairston, Freddie Davis and Ed Baker.

Varsity football honors its statistical pace-setters

The Gladiators’ varsity football team singled out individual performers for post-season honors at Northwood's fall sports recognition program on Tuesday night (Nov. 10).

Dennis Harris, coach of the varsity team, presented the Coach’s Award to senior co-captain Jimmy Hessler, the team’s starter at quarterback for the past three seasons.

Other honors were as follows: Wide Receiver of the Year, senior Anatoly Moschkin; Running Back of the Year, sophomore Ange Gadji; Defense Back of the Year, sophomore Thomas Miller; Defensive Lineman of the Year, junior Tristan Pomeroy; Offensive Lineman of the Year, junior Martin Onley; Defensive MVP, junior Tristan Pomeroy.

[Photos of all award winners appear in
Susan Shaffer's Smugmug gallery.]

Harris shared a strongly worded recap of the 2009 season, along with his aspirations for the year ahead. His comments follow:

“The 2009 football season was very disappointing for me. We moved up to the Class 3A ranks and fell into the name trap. Once we hear the names, Damascus, Quince Orchard and Clarksburg we think that we are going to lose to those teams. That being said, overall we were 3-7 but we did have some bright spots.

“And they were as follows:

> Jimmy Hessler became the all-time leader passer in terms of yards with 6,359 for his career. He was also the top passer in the county in yards during the regular season.

> We own the top two pass catchers in the county with Anatoly Moschkin and Gary Vaughn.

> Tristan Pomeroy had 12 sacks on the season.

“Going forward into next year some things have to change if we will be successful:

> We can’t let the name on a jersey beat us.

> We have to get some confidence.

> I can’t be the only person thinking that we can win a game. Parents, friends, teachers and you as athletes must stop being negative. For example, if a player only hears from 4-6 pm that they can win, it will be hard for them to win. When practice is over and they get into the car with their parents and they hear ‘you will lose on Friday.’ When they get to school and their friends say ‘you will lose on Friday.’ When their teachers say ‘you will lose on Friday.’ Then they come to practice and when I say ‘we can win,’ they think that I am crazy. We must get some confidence or we will be in the same situation next year!” – posted by jay p. goldman, 8 p.m., 11/11/09
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Game 10: Blair 37, Northwood 20

A season that began in scorching heat of late August ended for the Gladiator gridders in the brutal cold on Friday night, a defeat made even more bitter because it came against the neighborhood rival.

Northwood had high hopes for finishing a mostly downbeat fall football campaign on an up note, but it was host Montgomery Blair HS that took home the positive season-ending vibes in its decisive 37-20 win in the annual Battle of the Boulevard.

With the county’s statistical leaders at both quarterback and wide receiver, Northwood figured to pile up the yardage and scoring for the second consecutive week, and the bundled fans figured the game would be unfolding just that way when Gladiator QB Jimmy Hessler struck for a 28-yard scoring toss to junior Andre Davis just two minutes into the game.

But the 6-0 lead disappeared in a blink and so did the Gladiators’ aspirations. On the ensuring kickoff, Blair’s Andrew Gondor raced 90 yards down the field for one score and five minutes later a teammate scampered 51 yards around left end for another, giving the hosts a 13-6 lead. A 34-yard touchdown pass by Blair’s Alex Egber, who expects to be playing Division I collegiate baseball a year from now, gave his team a 19-6 halftime edge. The Blazers extended the lead to 31-6 with three minutes left in the third quarter and added another Egber scoring toss in the final quarter.

Hessler, who will likely hold all of Northwood’s career passing records for years to come, set up the Gladiators’ second touchdown with a 25-yard connection to Anatoly Moschkin at the one-yard line, from where sophomore Anje Gadji punched the ball across the line. Fittingly, Hessler, the county’s statistical leader at quarterback all fall, connected with Moschkin, his senior classmate who ranks No. 1 in receiving yardage, on a five-yard touchdown toss with 22 seconds left in the game. It marked the fourth straight game in which the speedy Moschkin snared a touchdown pass.

The penalty-marred contest took nearly three hours from start to finish, a virtual marathon for the several hundred frigid Northwood parents, staff and students who shivered in the metal bleachers.

Because the two schools are situated a few blocks apart on University Boulevard and draw students from the same neighborhoods in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, this game always has some extra meaning, even when the sides sports losing records.

Coach Dennis Harris’s Glads finished 2009 with a 3-7 record, the same as Blair. But it’s the red-clad Blazers who went off into the freezing 40-degree air with the smiling faces plus a healthy dose of bragigng rights that ought to last them a year. – posted by jay p. goldman 10:25 p.m. 11/6/09

Game 10 Player Statistics (compiled by parent Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Gadji 15 carries-48 yards (1 TD), Francis 5-42, Hessler 3-31, Davis 1-1. Team total: 24-122.

Receiving: Moschkin 4 receptions-73 yards (1 TD), Pomeroy 3-60, Crye 5-53, Davis 1-28 (1TD), O'Rourke 1-16, Vaughn 2-8, Francis 1-7. Team total: 17-

245.

Passing: Hessler 17 completions-41 attempts, 245 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT.

Punting: none

Penalties: NHS 6 for 60 yards; MBHS 5 for 55 yards

Fumbles/lost: NHS 2/0; MBHS 5/3

First Downs: NHS 16, MBHS 8

Defense: Tackles: Miller 5, Davis 4.5, Sapp 4.5, Harrison 3.5, Pomeroy 3, Williams 2, Leach 1, Perry 1, Moyer 1, Gadji 1.

Tell us what you like about this team's web page or think could be improved. Feedback to editor Jay P. Goldman (jgoldman@aasa.org)

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Game 9: Northwood 44, Kennedy 8

Senior Jimmy Hessler delivered a top-flight aerial show in his final home game, firing five touchdown passes to five different targets in just the first 24 minutes of Northwood's 44-8 blistering of visiting John F. Kennedy HS on Friday night (Oct. 30).

Hessler, who hopes to become a pilot as part of his collegiate studies, solidified his stake as Northwood's finest athlete of the new century with the sort of performance he had expected more regularly in his final year on the gridiron. It hasn't exactly worked out that way, but he saved his best for Senior Night when the home team honored the 19 seniors on Coach Dennis Harris's varsity roster.

A southpaw thrower, the three-sport athlete (he co-captains the baseball team and races freestyle on the winter swimming/diving team) picked away at the Cavaliers' porous defense at will under the arc lights of Kaplan Stadium. All of the game's scoring took place in the first two quarters.

The longest Gladiator strike was an 85-yard touchdown bomb from the QB to junior wide receiver Gary Vaughn with 11:15 to go in the second quarter, putting their side ahead 30-8.

Entering this weekend's play, Kennedy's defense had yielded a whopping 245 points in eight games, second only to Richard Montgomery HS among the 25 public high schools in Montgomery County.

The Gladiator defense allowed the Cavaliers to score on the second play of their opening posession of the game and to stake out a short-lived 8-6 lead. The Northwood defenders, led by Tristan Pomeroy's five tackles, stiffened the rest of the way. The victors recovered three Kennedy fumbles and recorded three quarterback sacks.

Hessler almost certainly will remain atop the statistical leaderboard compiled weekly by the Silver Spring Gazette. Before this weekend, he had amassed 1,456 passing yards on 106 completions in 204 attempts. Best of all, Hessler avoided another interception to add to his county-high 20 pickoffs. His two primary receivers, senior Anatoly Moschkin and junior Gary Vaughn, ranked 1-2 in terms of yardage. Moschkin carried an amazing 21.4 yards per reception on 28 catches.

With its second victory in the past three weeks, Northwood improved its overall record to 3-6, 2-5 in division play, while Kennedy fell to 2-7 overall, 2-5 in the division.

The Glads will close out the 2009 campaign in a game for neighborhood bragging rights, squaring off at Montgomery Blair at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 6. -- posted by jay p. goldman, 11:28 p.m., 10/30/09

Game 9 Player Statistics (compiled by parent Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Gadji 13 carries-71 yards (1 TD), Pierre-Antoine 2-6. Team rushing: 15-77

Receiving: Vaughn 5 receptions-119 yards (1 TD), Crye 2-60 (1 TD), Moschkin 4-40 (1 TD), Pomeroy 2-37 (1TD), Davis 1-6 (1TD), Hirsch 3-5. Team receiving: 17-247

Passing: Hessler 17 completions-25 attempts, 267 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT

Punting: none

Penalties: NHS 6 for 60 yards. Kennedy 8 for 46 yards

Fumbles/lost: NHS 0/0. Kennedy 4/4

First Downs: NHS 10, Kennedy 9

Defense: Tackles: Pomeroy 5 (1.5 sacks), Davis 4 (1 fumble caused, 1 sack), Moyer 4 (1 sack), Perry 4, Merdith 3.5 (1 fumble caused and 1 fumble recovery), Pierre-Antoine 3 (1 fumble recovery), Miller 2.5, Williams 2.5, Harrison 2.5, Leach 2.5, Moschkin 2, Sapp 2, Sharpe 2, Onley 2, Putschi 1.5 (0.5 sack), Finley 1.5, Cato 0.5, Gadji 0.5

Tell us what you think of this team's web page and what could be improved. Feedback to editor Jay P. Goldman (jgoldman@aasa.org)
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Game 8: Damascus 41, Northwood 6

Even though the Gladiators carry some of the county's best offensive performers in their own starting lineup, they were not enough to stop the stalwart Damascus HS varsity gridders on Friday night (Oct. 23).

Though Northwood was coming off its second triumph of the fall, the Gladiators were outnumbered and outmuscled by one of the region's perennial titans of the football field. Northwood fell to 2-6 overall, 1-5 in Class 3A. The Swarming Hornets, fighting for their playoff life, improved to 6-2 overall.

Damascus knows how to generate one intimidating environment like few others. This is the Trojans' Homecoming Weekend, and the whole town seemed to turn out for the pre-game parade on Friday afternoon with many of them also packing the stands in wet weather.

Coach Dennis Harris's Glads countered on the field with the quarterback still ranked No. 1 in total yardage in Montgomery County in senior southpaw Jimmy Hessler, who connected on 13 of 28 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown, but he was intercepted twice by the Swarming Hornets.

The Northwood defense played solidly at various times, but Damascus's big bodies on both lines and horses on the offensive end were just too much. The hosts grabbed a 15-0 lead at intermission after being held without a point in the opening quarter.

Heading into the weekend, Northwood boasted the county's No. 1 and No. 2 wide receivers, according to the Gazette newspaper, in senior Anatoly Moschkin and junior Gary Vaughn. The former hauled in three passes for 92 yards against Damascus, including a 42-yard touchdown toss near the start of the fourth quarter with the hosts ahead 35-0. Vaughn managed three hauls for just 17 yards.

Both teams compete in the West Region's 3A Division, Damascus has moved down from 4A and Northwood having moved up from 2A this fall because of student enrollment changes.

Northwood returns home for one more contest before its much-awaited, season-ending bout with Montgomery Blair for neighborhood boasting rights. -- posted by jay p. goldman, 12:30 a.m. 10/24/09

Game 8 Player Statistics (compiled by parent Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Gadji 15 carries-43 yards, Hessler 4-30, Vaughn 1 for -6. Team total: 20-67

Receiving: Moschkin 3 receptions-92 yards, Davis 2-34, Vaughn 3-17, Crye 1-9, Pomeroy 1-8, Francis 2-6, Gadji 1-3. Team total: 13-169 yards

Passing: Hessler 13 completions-28 attempts, 169 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Punting: 6 punts / 47 yard average

Penalties: Northwood 5 for 42 yards; Damascus 4 for 20 yards

Fumbles/lost: Northwood 2/2, Damascus 2/2

First Downs: NHS 9, D 10

DEFENSE: Tackles: Miller 7, Moschkin 4, Pomeroy 4, Davis 4 (1 fumble recovery), Sapp 3, Moyer 2, Sharpe 2, Rodriguez 2, Gadji 1.5 (1 fumble caused), Kilo 1, Taitano 1, Williams 1, Harrison 1, Gonzalez 1, Leach 1, Wilson 1, Merdith 1, Finley 0.5, Group tackles ??
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Game 7: Northwood 14, Wheaton 0

In a season of disappointment, the Northwood varsity football team basked in victory on the dreariest of nights Friday (Oct. 16), grounding out a muddy 14-0 win over Wheaton HS on Homecoming Weekend 2009.

And no Northwood gridder shone more brightly in the pouring rain and the chill of temperatures in the low 40s than senior Anatoly Moschkin. The two-sport star (he's the dynamic leadoff batter and shortstop for the baseball team) caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from classmate Jimmy Hessler for his team's first score. That touchdown came a few minutes into the 3rd quarter and shortly after Moschkin was crowned Homecoming King on the field at halftime by vote of his peers.

Northwood's scoring drive that opened the second half started on its own 38-yard line and included a 28-yard pass to Moschkin, Ange Gadji's runs of 38 and 18 yards. Tristan Pomeroy ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.

The Gladiators put the game out of reach later in the same quarter when Hessler guided his side down the field following an interception by Pomeroy. A 34-yard completion from Hessler to Andre Davis set up a the QB's one-yard plunge for the score and a 14-0 lead.

The visiting Knights, who fell to 2-5 overall, had a 60-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter nullified by a clipping penalty in the sloppily played affair.

The Gladiators' second win of the '09 season certainly was elusive after the team dropped five straight contests since tasting victory in Week 1.

Hessler, a Northwood co-captain, entered the weekend as the leading signal-caller in the Gazette rankings of county QBs based on his passing yardage (1,131 yards). His two wide receivers, junior Gary Vaughn and Moschkin, were listed first and fourth, respectively, on the newspaper's season leaderboard in terms of yardage gained. For Moschkin, who entered with an average of 20.8 yards per catch, the touchdown reception was his first.

Northwood will likely have its hands full next Friday, traveling to Damascus HS, long one of the area's powerhouse teams. Damascus (5-2) knocked off previously unbeaten Sherwood, 26-22, on Friday night. -- posted by jay p. goldman, 11:20 p.m., 10/16/09

Game 7 Player Statistics (compiled by parent Jim Hessler)

Rushing: Gadji 20 carries-86 yards; Finley 1-6; Moyer 1-4, Vaughn 1-3, Hessler 1-1 with TD. Team total: 24-100.

Receiving: Moschkin 5 receptions-104 yards with TD, Davis 2-45, Francis 2-6, Vaughn 1-2. Team total: 11-156.

Passing: Hessler 11 completions-16 attempts, 156 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs.

Punting: 1-37 yards.

Penalties: Northwood 2 for 15 yards. Wheaton 4 for 30 yards.

Fumbles/lost: Northwood 2/1, Wheaton 3/1

First Downs: Northwood 10, Wheaton 10

Defense: Tackles: Merdith 6 (1 sack), Davis 4.5, Carter 4, Miller 3.5, Perry 3, Moyer 2.5, Moschkin 2, Harrison 2, Finley 2, Leach 1.5 (1 sack), Pomeroy 1 (1 INT, 1 fumble recovery), Kash 1, Williams 1. Group tackles: a lot

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Game 6: Einstein 14, Northwood 6

After being forced to face undefeated teams in three of their last four encounters, Northwood's varsity gridders carried high hopes into battle against mere mortal Einstein HS on Friday (Oct. 9).

And while the teams were evenly matched in most respects, the host Titans took the scoreboard honor, snatching a 14-6 win that was settled on a controversial play in the game's waning minutes with the Gladiators on the verge of scoring the go-ahead touchdown.

In the end, six turnovers by Northwood sent them to their fifth successive defeat after an opening-season victory. Three of those losses came in contests against teams that were undefeated at the time (and still were heading into this weekend) -- Clarksburg, Quince Orchard and Rockille.

Against Einstein, the Gladiators took a 2nd-quarter lead on junior Tristan Pomeroy's 41-yard return of a blocked punt. His team carried that lead into the 4th quarter when Einstein bumped ahead 7-6 on a 26-yard pass play.

On the ensuing drive, Northwood's senior co-captain Jimmy Hessler, the county's statistical leader at quarterback, engineered his teammates from their own 35-yard line on a march down the field toward a go-ahead score.

With less than two minutes remaining in the contest, Hessler appeared to complete a 20-yard pass to his leading pass-catcher, junior Gary Vaughn, but the game officials ruled the receiver fumbled the ball before he was brought down on the 2-yard line (though later video review of the play seemed to suggest a completed pass). An Einstein player alertly retrieved the ball and raced 98 yards for a stunning touchdown that left the visiting Gladiators furious over the late-game call.

Northwood sophomore Ange Gadji had a fine showing with 100 yards rushing on 18 carries. However, several offensive drives by his mates into the Einstein end were cut short by fumbles and interceptions, a season-long bugaboo that continues to plague the Northwood gridders.

Einstein improved its record to 4-2 overall, 2-2 in the county's 3A Division. The Gladiators (1-5, 1-4) expect a big bounceback next Friday evening in their Homecoming game versus Wheaton HS. -- posted by jay p. goldman, 9:45 a.m., 10/10/09

Game 6 Player Statistics (compiled by parent Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Gadji 18 carries-100 yards; Francis 3-10; Hessler 1-13. Team total: 22-123.

Receiving: Vaughn 7 receptions-76 yards; Moschkin 3-41; Francis 2-6; Davis 1-4. Team total: 13-127.

Passing: Hessler 13 completions-28 attempts, 127 yards, 3 INTs.

Punting: 2 punts for 67 yards (33.5 yard avg.).

Penalties: Northwood 4-35 yards; Einstein 7-45 yards)

Fumbles lost: Northwood 3, Einstein 0

First Downs: Northwood 13, Einstein 10

Defense: Tackles: Pomeroy 7 (3 sacks, recovery of blocked punt), Merdith 5, Moschkin 4.5, Davis 4, Williams 3.5 (1 sack), Moyer 3 (1 INT), Harrison 3,

Perry 3, Miller 2, Sapp 1.5, Gadji 1, Calder 1, Onley 1, Putschi 1

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Game 5: Quince Orchard 42, Northwood 12

Playing their most inspired ball of the fall, the Northwood gridders sent a shiver up the collective spine of juggernaut Quince Orchard HS on Friday night. Unfortunately, the chill only lasted one half, dissipating in the on-off drizzle after intermission.

The visiting Cougars, ranked as the 7th-best scholastic team in the entire region this week by The Washington Post and expecting a cake walk upon arrival on University Boulevard, did ride back to Germantown with a lopsided win. Yet it was short of dominating for a team that expects to push for a state title.

In winning their 5th consecutive game this fall, Quince Orchard discovered the fired-up Gladiators (1-4) would be anything but pushovers during the opening 24 minutes of play. Northwood stopped the mighty Cougar offense for almost the entire first quarter and pulled within 14-6 late in the second quarter on a quarterback sneak by Northwood's senior co-captain Jimmy Hessler.

The southpaw signal caller bounced back with a strong game against a Cougar team that had yielded only 48 points in four games while rolling up 147 points on offense. Hessler hit several long gainers, including a 48-yard bomb to classmate Anatoly Moschkin that set up Northwood's other touchdown, a 1-yard run by tailback Ange Gadji , with 7 minutes left in the contest.

Early in the 3rd quarter, with his side trailing 21-6, Northwood defensive lineman Gary Williams picked off a Cougar pass and ran it back for an apparent touchdown, but one of the referees waved off the play, claiming a whistle had stopped play.

Ultimately, the experience and depth of the Cougars wore down the Gladiators, who faced the county's top rusher in Ben Sasu, who entered with 621 yards in his first four games.

Northwood will be looking for victory No. 2 when it visits neighboring Einstein next Friday before returning to their own grounds for a Homecoming Weekend tussle against Wheaton at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. -- posted by jay p. goldman, 10:10 p.m., 10/2/09

Game 5 statistics (compiled by Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Gadji 6 carries-23 yards, 1 TD; Francis 3-9, Hessler 2-7, 1 TD; Vaughn 2-2. Team total: 13-41

Receiving: Vaughn 8 receptions-71 yards; Moschkin 2-56; Francis 5-21; Crye 1-20; Davis 1-14. Team total: 17-182 yards

Passing: Hessler 17 completions-31 attempts, 182 yards, 1 INT

Punting: 3 punts-140 yards: (47 yard avg.).

Penalties: NHS 9-80 yards. QO 4-25 yards

Fumbles lost: NHS 2 (1 on lateral pass, 1 on punt return). QO 2

First Downs: NHS 8, QO 10

Defense: Tackles: Pomeroy 10.5, Sapp 4, R.Okue 3, Davis 3, Gadji 3, Miller 1 (fumble recovery), Moschkin 1, O'Rourke 1, Glover 1, Onley 1, Putschi 1, #34 1, Williams 0.5 (fumble recovery and interception for TD called back)

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Game 4: Blake 54, Northwood 29

The Gladiators had high hopes for its Friday night contest (Sept. 25) at Blake HS, a team that had given up 79 points to its first three opponents this fall. And at the start, it appeared to be a promising night before the Bengals put the hammer to the heads of their visitors, amassing a 54-29 victory.

Mistakes cost the Gladiators dearly. Two fumbles on completed pass receptions plus three aerial pickoffs of southpaw tosser Jimmy Hessler put the ball the hands of the Bengals all night. Blake wasted precious little time converting the giveaways, scoring five times on runsof 30 yards or longer, including 98-yard and 80-yard dashes.

The setback is Northwood's third straight after an opening season conquest. Next on tap for the Glads is one of the Washington-area's perennial powerhouses, Quince Orchard HS, at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Northwood. Quince Orchard is ranked in The Washington Post's Top 10.

Here�s a quarter by quarter rundown of the Bengals-Gladiators game, courtesy of Northwood parent Jim Hessler.

Game photos by Gameday Maryland here.

1^st quarter: NHS opened with a 63-yard drive, capped by a 36-yard touchdown pass from senior QB Jimmy Hessler to wide receiver Gary Vaughn. Extra-point good. NHS, 7-0. Blake's running back Asante ran kickoff to NHS 33-yard line but NHS defense drove Blake back to their 48 and forced a punt. NHS began on its 18. On first play Hessler was intercepted with Blake scoring on the 18-yard return. Two-point pass conversion good. B 8, NHS 7. Next NHS drive stalls after one first down. Blake starts on the 50, runs the ball six times, finishing with Asante�s 7-yard TD run. Missed extra-point. B 14, NHS 7.

2^nd quarter: NHS drive stalls after three plays. Blake drive stalls at NHS 36. NHS fumbles on its 31-yard line. Blake�s Asante runs 31 yards for TD. Extra-point missed. B 20, NHS 7. NHS drive ends with Hessler intercepted on Blake 45. Blake drives to NHS 44, but fumbles. Devin Moyer picked up the fumble and runs 45 yards for TD. Extra-run run failed. B 20, NHS 13.

3^rd quarter: A quarter of Northwood players are hurting from cramps and injuries. Blake begins half with 75-yard drive, capped by a 53-yard TD run by Handy. Extra-point run fails. B 26, NHS 13. On NHS possession, after 15-yard pass reception, wideout Anatoly Moschkin fumbles to give Blake the ball at the NHS 30. On first play, Handy runs 30 yards for TD. Two-point pass conversion. B 34, NHS 13. Vaughn takes kickoff for NHS and runs 86 yards for TD.Two-point pass conversion, Hessler to Andre Davis. B 34, NHS 21. Blake drives 68 yards, capped by a 45-yard Asante run for score. Extra-point not converted. B 40, NHS 21. NHS reaches Blake 41 on next drive but fails to convert on 4th down. Blake fumbles on 1st down and NHS recovers on Blake 35-yard line. On first play, Davis receives pass from Hessler but fumbles and Blake recovers on own 1-yard line. NW stops Blake for 1 yd. Blake�s Simms runs for 98-yard score. Asante runs for 2-point conversion. B 48, NHS 21. After a good run back and a Blake personal foul, NHS moves to Blake�s 35. Hessler is intercepted on 10-yard line.

4^th quarter: Asante breaks away for 80-yard TD run. Kick is missed. B 54, NHS 21. NHS drives to Blake 33, but then fumbles. Blake drive stalls and surrenders ball on own 44. Hessler runs four times for 24 yard, ending with a one-yard QB sneak for TD. Extra pass from Hessler to Jabari Francis is good. B 54, NHS 29.

Blake evened its record at 2-2.

Four of the five high school football prognosticators in the Silver Spring Gazette had tabbed the Glads the favorite. -- posted by jay p. goldman with reporting from Jim Hessler, 11:30 a.m., 9/26/09

Game 4 statistics (compiled by Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Hessler 5 carries for 36 yards, 1 TD; Francis, 2-30; Gadji 6-27; Vaughn 2-16, Pomeroy 1-5. Team: 16-114.

Receiving: Vaughn 4 receptions-48 yards, 1 TD; Davis 1-34, 1 fumble, 2-point conversion; Francis 2-23; Moschkin 1-15, 1 fumble. Team: 8-120.

Passing: Hessler 8 completions-20 attempts, 1 TD, 3 INTs.

Punting: 2 punts for 65 yards: (40 and 25).

Penalties: NHS 10 for 80 yards; Blake 9 for 100 yards.

Fumbles (lost): NHS 3 (2 after passes, 1 on a run); Blake 2

First Downs: NHS 9, Blake 9

Defense: Tackles: Pomeroy 4.5, Davis 4.5, Finley 4.5, Sapp 4.5, Leach 4, Moyer 3 plus fumble recovery and 45-yard TD return, Miller 2, Williams 2, Perry 2, Moschkin 2, Francis 1, Gadji 1, Sharpe 1, Putschi 1, Smith 1, Cameron 1

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Game 3: Rockville 34, Northwood14

The Rockville Rams sent slow-starting Northwood to its second defeat of the 2009 campaign in a sloppy tussle under the lights on the Gladiators� field on Thursday (Sept. 17).

After a ineffective first half, the Gladiators managed a pair of third-quarter scores by Jabari Francis, including an 80-yard kickoff return for one touchdown and a 6-yard run for another. With the conversion of the 2-point conversion by Tristan Pomeroy, the Gladiators moved back in contention, trailing 20-14.

But the Rams used their next possession to put the game away, capitalizing on missed tackles for a 74-yard touchdown scamper.

Rockville (unbeaten in three games) had taken a 10-0 lead at halftime. Northwood�s best offensive play, a 60-yard pass from QB Jimmy Hessler to Gary Vaughn, was nullified by a holding penalty.

Hessler, the southpaw signal-caller, sustained four interceptions, and his mates coughed up the football twice on fumbles.

Now 1-2 overall, the Gladiators return to the road for their next outing, at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Blake HS. � posted by jay p. goldman, 11:15 p.m., 9/17/09

Game 3 statistics (compiled by Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Hessler, 5 carries-17 yards; Francis, 3-12; Vaughn, 1-4; Gadji, 6-minus 8. Total team rushing: 15-25

Receiving: Moschkin 5 receptions-114 yards; Vaughn 3-49; Francis 1-23; Hirsch 1-13. Total team receiving 10-174

Passing: Hessler 10 completion-23 attempts, 174 yards, 4 INTs

Punting: 3 punts-77 yards (24,38, and 15), 26 yard avg,

Penalties: Northwood 6 for 52 yards (all in first half); Rockville 7 for 59 yards (all in second half)

Fumbles: Northwood 2 lost (1 a lateral pass). Rockville 2 lost

First Downs: Northwood 5, Rockville 13

Defense: Tackles: Davis 8.5, Leach 6.5, Miller 6.5, Perry 6 (1 fumble recovery), Sapp 6, Glover 3.5, O'Rourke 2, Pomeroy 2, Carter 2, Moyer 1.5, Finley 1.5, Williams 1 (1 fumble recovery), Moschkin 1, Hirsch 0.5, Putschi 0.5

Feedback? What do you like or think could be better about this team's website? Send comments to editor Jay P. Goldman (jgoldman@aasa.org)

Game 2: Clarksburg 18, Northwood 0

As high schools, Northwood and Clarksburg have led largely parallel lives. Both opened their doors in 2004, started varsity sports three years ago and moved up together this fall from Class 2A to 3A in athletics owing to steady enrollment growth.

But the two schools� football fortunes have taken divergent paths, evidenced again by the 18-0 thumping delivered by the Coyotes in Northwood�s home opener played in a steady drizzle on Friday night (Sept. 11).

Following Northwood�s inspiring comeback victory one week earlier, hopes were running unusually high for this matchup against a school that has held a dominating hand in head-to-head competition in virtually all sports contests between the two Montgomery County schools in their short lifetimes. (Gladiator baseballers still hurt from a 28-0 pounding in just five innings two seasons ago.)

On the gridiron, the Coyotes (2-0) knew they would have to stop Northwood�s senior quarterback Jimmy Hessler, who put on the county�s best aerial show in the opening win against Watkins Mill. Clarksburg�s sizeable defensive line harassed Hessler all night. He had four of his 25 pass attempts picked off, including a last-ditch toss that could have led to a fourth Clarksburg score as time expired.

With his varsity baseball coach Jerry Ricucci and his summer American Legion coach both in the stands, presumably cringing every time their ace left-handed hurler took an especially hard hit on his slender frame, Hessler could manage just 96 yards through the air against the visitors' prevent defense on the sloppy terrain. The Gladiators (1-1) hurt themselves badly with 12 penalties, including several personal fouls, that nullified some decent gains.

With the water-logged partisans from both sides clamoring from the start for cups of soup and hot chocolate as the temperature dropped to the 60-degree mark, Clarksburg took a 6-0 lead on a short run with 5:46 to go in the opening quarter, then added two second-half scores. The Gladiators' defense showed its merit at times, stopping all three of the visitors� two-point conversion tries, twice via intercepton.

The Gladiators will be home again for their third game of the season at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against Rockville HS. � story posted by jay p. goldman, 11:50 p.m., 9/11/09

Game 2 statistics (compiled by Jim Hessler):

Rushing: Gadji, 10 carries-67 yards; Vaughn, 1-7; Francis, 1-2. Team rushing: 12-76

Receiving: Vaughn, 5 receptions-49 yards; Moschkin, 3-29; Francis, 5-11; Pomeroy, 1-7. Team receiving: 14-96

Passing: Hessler, 14 completions-25 attempts, 96 yards, 4 INTs

Punting: 3 punts-116 yards, 39-yard avg.

Penalties: Northwood, 12-115 yards; Clarksburg, 6-50

Fumbles: Northwood 1 lost; Clarksburg 2 lost

First Downs: Northwood 8, Clarksburg 15

Defense: Tackles: Miller, 8; Pomeroy, 6.5; Sapp, 5; Finley, 5; Davis, 3; Leach, 2.5; Moyer, 2; Glover, 1; Perry, 1; Francis, 1; Moschkin, 1; Vaughn, 1

Examiner Highlights Northwood's Coach and QB

Read Mark Bastow's profile article (in the Montgomery County Examiner)featuring Coach Harris and QB Jimmy Hessler.

The Gazette's Take on Week 2 of High School Football:
by Dan Greenberg/Staff Writer
No. 8 Clarksburg at Northwood The three-year starter Veith is now at quarterback rather than his familiar wideout spot, but he has weapons in multi-talented two-way athletes Ace Clark and Sam Collins. The Coyotes may be even more stout on defense, as their four turnovers forced against the Screaming Eagles suggest. Meanwhile, the Gladiators feature one of the most explosive offenses around. They moved the ball at will at Watkins Mill, with heralded senior quarterback Jimmy Hessler (22 of 35, 342 yards) lighting up the skies and halfback Ang Gadji (122 yards) appearing a capable complement.

Game 1: Northwood 20, Watkins Mill 7

        The Gladiators opened the 2009 fall campaign on the gridiron by rallying past host Watkins Mill HS in Gaithersburg, Md., on Sept. 4. Quarterback Jimmy Hessler, a senior co-captain, led the offense, connecting on 21 of 35 passes for 342 yards that included a 22-yard touchdown toss to receiver Jabari Francis. The latter score moved Northwood within 7-6 at intermission.
         The Gladiators' stiff defense stymied the hosts throughout the 2nd half and contributed twice to the scoreboard. Northwood went ahead in the 3rd quarter on a 1-yard run by Ange Gadji that followed a 74-yard screen pass from Hessler to Gary Vaughn, providing a 12-6 lead.
         Northwood added to its margin on a safety by Tristan Pomeroy, Andre Davis and Christian Carter following a kickoff to the Watkins Mill goalline, then tallied a final time on a 15-yard interception return by Isaiah Glover for a score in the 4th quarter.
         The Gladiators' offense was hurt by seven fumbles, all recovered by the opponents. Eight receivers hauled in passes from Hessler, led by Vaughn, who finished with eight receptions for 162 yards.
        The game marked Northwood's first as a Class 3A school, a move up one level because the school's student enrollment has passed the 1,400 mark.
        Northwood opens its home season against a tough Clarksburg side (winner of its season opener against highly touted Seneca Valley) at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 11. -- Story posted by jay p. goldman at 10:55 p.m., 9/4/09

Game 1 statistics (compiled by Jim Hessler)
Rushing: Gadji, 16 carries-34 yards, 1 TD; Vaughn, 3-18; Francis, 2-13; Hessler, 1-12; Davis, 1-2; Finley, 2-1. Team total: 26-80 Receiving: Vaughn, 8 receptions-162 yards; Moschkin, 3-52; O'Rourke, 2-39; C. Carter, 2-25; Gadji, 1-24; Davis, 1-20; Francis, 3-15, 1 TD; Crye, 1-5; Hirsch 1-?. Team total: 21-342 Passing: Hessler, 21 completions-35 attempts, 342 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT Defense: Interceptions: Glover, Miller. Tackles: Sapp, 8; Davis, 8; Miller, 6.5; Pomeroy, 5.5; Leach, 3; Carter, 2; Finley, 2; Perry, 1; Rodriguez, 1; Williams, 1; Moschkin, 0.5; Putschi, 0.5

Glad wrap

Northwood: Fast-breaking in pads
by Jennifer Beekman | Staff Writer, Gazette

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 -The Gazette

Northwood: A passing fancy

by Jennifer Beekman | Staff Writer

A football offense consists of 11 players, but realistically, everything starts with the quarterback.

The cornerstone of Northwood's attack will be a three-year starter: rising senior Jimmy Hessler. His leadership skills, prowess in the pocket and extended varsity experience could be just what the Gladiators need for a breakout season.

Hessler threw for 2,582 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2008, and will helm a predominately passing offense. Unlike last fall when Northwood returned only 10 players, he will be surrounded by experienced varsity athletes this time around; fourth-year Gladiators coach Dennis Harris will welcome 30 players back.

Though Hessler's biggest targets, Keith Hudson and Tim Atakora, graduated, rising seniors Anatoly Moschkin and John Crye accrued some playing time last year.

Northwood also returns its entire offensive line. Rising sophomore Ange Gadji will anchor the Gladiators' ground attack and look to take advantage of that strength up front.

Defense was a liability last year: Northwood gave up about 200 rushing yards each game. Fixing that will be a priority this fall. Rising junior Tristan Pomeroy and rising senior Malik Shapp (should read "Sapp") are two of five returnees on the defensive line.

"We have to be able to stop the run," Harris said. "If you cannot stop the run, you will not be successful. We have a tough schedule. But we expect we can play with everyone on our schedule."

-Head coach: Dennis Harris, fourth year

-Last year's record: 3-7

-Key losses: WR Keith Hudson, WR Timbuk Atakora, RB Lydell Baker

View archive of last year's football website postings.