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On the warpath
Woodson's seven touchdowns bury Cardozo 47-0
(Published October 3, 2005)

By DAVID STEINBACHER
Special to The Common Denominator

Less than three minutes into the game, the Woodson Warriors put all the points that they would need on the scoreboard to claim victory Sept. 30, when senior running back D'Ante Johnson scored.

The conversion attempt was no good, but Woodson led the visiting Cardozo Clerks 6-0. The outmanned Clerks would fail to get into the endzone by the time the final buzzer sounded with the score at 47-0.

"I punched it in," three-year starter Johnson said of his early touchdown, sharing credit with teammates Carl Russell, Clarence Cook, Anthony Bryant, Andrew Thomas and Gilbert Malone on the offensive line who stymied the Clerks' defense.

A short time later, following a Cardozo punt from the Clerks' 21-yard line, Woodson needed seven plays to drive 64 yards for the Warriors' second score of the day. On first and 10 from the Clerks' 26-yard line, Woodson senior quarterback Edward McGee connected with junior tight end Tony Coleman, who caught the pass in full stride near the Cardozo 10-yard line and took it into the endzone virtually untouched.

When Woodson lined up for the conversion kick, the snap bounced, but junior backup quarterback Gabriel Prophet scooped up the loose ball and connected with junior running back D'Andre Johnson (D'Ante's brother) for two points. Following Prophet's athletic play, the Warriors led 14-0 with 4:21 still remaining in the first quarter.

Cardozo drove to the Warriors' 41-yard line, but on a fourth and 20 play, the Clerks decided not to punt and threw a long pass downfield, which was picked off by Woodson sophomore safety Devonne Perkins. Seven plays later, early in the second quarter, Woodson junior running back Antwan Stewart punted 47 yards, counting the roll for one of the top punts in the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association thus far this season. Cardozo then went three and out.

Woodson came back with a first down, courtesy of Stewart's 18-yard gainer from scrimmage. However, McGee was intercepted three plays later by Cardozo's secondary.

With time running down in the second quarter, Cardozo turned the ball over on downs after attempting a fourth and six at the Woodson 49-yard line. On the key play, Woodson junior defensive end Carl Russell sacked Cardozo junior quarterback Sherrod Peppers.

In the final three minutes of the first half, Woodson put exclamation points on the contest with three separate scoring drives.

Three plays after Russell's big defensive play, McGee connected with senior wide receiver Jamaal Ancrum on a 28-yard touchdown strike near the endzone pylon.

"It was a ‘C' route -- sort of a wide receiver fade," said Ancrum, one of the fastest players on the field.

Following D'Andre Johnson's two-point conversion run, the Warriors led 22-0.

To add to the Clerks' woes, a Cardozo punt was blocked on fourth and 19 from the Clerks' 16-yard line. Three offensive plays later, Woodson's D'Andre Johnson punched it in from five yards out to catapult the Warriors to a commanding 28-0 advantage. The two-point PAT run failed.

As if Cardozo wasn't in a deep enough hole following the Warriors' fourth score of the first half, more misadventure would follow for the Clerks. Cardozo fumbled away the ensuing kickoff with 25 seconds remaining second quarter. D'Andre Johnson fell on the loose football in the endzone for Woodson, and the Warriors' lead increased to 34-0. Once again, the PAT attempt was no good, but the damage had been done.

Woodson increased its lead to 41-0 midway through the third quarter and added six more points in the fourth quarter. The Warriors' seventh touchdown of the contest was scored by backup quarterback Prophet, who played most of the fourth quarter with a "running clock" to speed up the game.

Prophet punched the ball into the endzone from four yards out, which increased the Warriors' margin to the final score of 47-0. The PAT attempt again failed.

"I'm a team player -- I go out there and do my best," said Prophet, who is expected to become the Warriors' starter next season after McGee graduates.

Senior wide receiver Ancrum said the Warriors are "starting to come together and play as one unit."

"I feel that we have the potential to get all of the way to the DCIAA championship game and, hopefully, win it," Ancrum said.