HAGERSTOWN – As rivalries go, the one between the North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown is a modest one.
Outside the city limits, it doesn’t move any seismic meters to earthquake levels. But in this town, if you wear red or green, are/were a Hub or a Rebel or have the inkling to discuss the voracity of the confrontations, it gets emotional.
“Records don’t matter,” said South Coach Juwuane Sandridge said. “It’s North-South tonight. Gotta be ready to go.”
Emotions were high again on Thursday for the 68th edition of what has become known as the Hagerstown Gridiron Classic. Pride and bragging rights were on the line.
But in the end, South running back Josiah “JoJo” Davis calmly reflected on his accomplishment after rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Rebels to a 20-14 win over the Hubs at North’s Mike Callas Stadium. His performance was the best way to say thanks to everyone.
“I had to work for them,” the senior said of his two short, power runs for scores. “But my line, my coach they believed in me, and I scored for them.”
Davis scored from the 2 in the second quarter to tie the game at 7 followed by a 3-yard touchdown that gave the Rebels a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter. He was the workhorse back for South, a role the senior performed for the majority of his career for the school.
He played with purpose. On Thursday, in his final regular-season game of his high school career, he paid everyone back for his success. He checked major objectives off his list.
It started with a hug he gave to Sandridge as time expired.
“I said I loved him. He said ‘thank you.’” Davis said while his Rebel teammates celebrated with the Gridiron Classic trophy – presented to the team by Hagerstown Mayor Bill McIntire – in the background. “That guy right there … that coach … before the game, he made a long speech. It was a good speech. Then at halftime, the same thing happened. He kept on pushing us and believing in us, and I’m proud of that.
“This game … this whole season … was for my dad. He passed away with I was 11 and I wanted do this for him.”
The game pitted two teams with similar styles.
North and South both were primarily running teams with one key ball carrier. Davis’ counterpart on this night was North’s Ty’Qwell Fauntleroy, who entered the game with nearly 900 yards on the season.
North started the season fast but entered on a two-game losing streak. South started slowly but showed improvement as the season progressed. After it was over, North stood at 5-4, South 3-6.
“You have two athletic teams … it’s an aggressive team over there with South,” said North Coach Nathan Butts before the game. “We have to play sound football. Like I always say, focus on us. We control what we do.”
But North lost that control.
Four turnovers and the loss of two key defensive players – Brant Noubissie and Ronald Savage III – in the second half knocked the Hubs off balance. The steady diet of Davis didn’t help matters either.
After fumbling the ball away on the first play of the game, North bounced back and took a 7-0 lead with 8:31 to go in the first quarter. Fauntleroy started the drive with a 52-yard runs and finished with by bowling over the goal line from the 1 for the touchdown.
Darius Gearman added extra point for the early lead.
Meanwhile, South struggled to get into gear. The Rebels had four negative-yard plays and three incomplete passes in the first quarter.
South mounted a 12-play drive in the second quarter to tie the game. Davis accounted for 47 of the 58 yards on the push downfield, culminated with his 2-yard burst up the middle for the score. Isreal Andino Guardado tacked on the extra point for the 7-7 tie with 5:28 remaining in the half.
The Rebels got the break they needed after a failed drive to start the second half.
North quarterback Colt Butts fumbled a snap on the Hubs’ opening play of the second half. William Frushour recovered the ball, giving South the ball at the Hubs’ 27.
Three plays later, South quarterback Lucas Semler unleashed a 19-yard pass along the right hashmarks to Jameir Simms, who made a diving catch in the end zone for the touchdown. The extra point failed, but Rebels led 13-7 with 6:37 remaining in the quarter.
“I had a go route I just ran my full speed,” Simms said “I believed that my quarterback would get me the ball and I made a play.”
When asked how close the ball was to hitting the ground. “About right there,” he said, motioning with a half-inch between his thumb and forefinger. “I think it set the tone for the rest of the game.”
The Rebels and Davis continued to assert themselves. The defense gummed up North’s run game to keep South in the lead.
South used another drive, finished in the fourth quarter, to all but cap the victory.
Davis and Semler engineered the drive as South covered 71 yards on nine plays, setting up Davis’ 3-yard score for a 20-7 lead with 9:53 remaining.
A pair of miscues kept the Hubs from making the comeback. Jeremiah Welch collected a fumble recovery and an interception in a span of four minutes to take North’s offense off the field.
The Hubs finally broke through with :31 remaining on a 2-yard run by Fauntleroy to cut the deficit to six points. North failed to convert an onside kick, allowing the Rebels to runout the clock, starting the celebration as South move its record to 36-31-1 in the rivalry.
“We trusted in each other. We were rusty in the beginning but we got better and better,” Simms said. “We were the better team tonight and we fought with all of our hearts.
“It’s probably my proudest game of the whole season. I just love my boys … I love my guys.”
And for Josiah Davis, it was a mission accomplished
“I feel good … we got the trophy back … I feel good,” he said.
