Week 6: Luke Pirris, Navy

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photo courtesy naval academy athletic association

United States Naval Academy sophomore Luke Pirris has been named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Player of the Week after making the most out of his first collegiate start.

Pirris, a sophomore from Ponte Verda Beach, Fla., stepped into the lineup after a teammate’s injury and made a career-high nine tackles with one sack and forced one fumble and recovered another fumble as the Midshipmen beat North Texas, 27-24.

Pirris, who plays Navy’s raider position which is a combination of defensive end and outside linebacker, made perhaps the game’s biggest play. Midway through the fourth quarter, North Texas had first down on its own 39-yard line trailing by just three points. Pirris sacked quarterback Chandler Rogers for an 18-yard loss and forced a fumble that teammate Colin Ramos recovered. On the following play, Alex Tecza’s 21-yard touchdown run gave Navy a 27-17 lead.

“That was a critical situation in the game and the defense found a way to get the ball back to our offense,” Navy Coach Brian Newberry said. “That was probably the critical play of the game right there.”

It was a big day for the Navy defense, which finished with a team-record seven sacks, forced two fumbles and had a goal-line stand.

Pirris was in the middle of the action on several occasions. He switched positions this past offseason, from striker (a safety/linebacker hybrid) to raider and said he continues try to bulk up and get stronger to take on bigger opponents.

Coming from a family of athletes – his father wrestled at Notre Dame and two older brother played football at Mercer – Pirris also was a standout basketball player. And it was his high school basketball coach – former Navy basketball player Kevin Whirity – who helped steer him to Annapolis.

“He is probably the reason I am here,” Pirris said. “He’s someone I always looked up to.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week High School Honor Roll:

  • Florida Atlantic LB Jackson Ambush (Linganore) made eight tackles with one sack as the Owls beat Tulsa, 20-17.

  • Salisbury DB Charles Barley (St. Mary’s Ryken) made four tackles, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble as the Sea Gulls beat William Paterson, 36-19.

  • Hampden-Sydney WR Mason Cunningham (Yorktown) caught eight passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers beat Ferrum, 48-10.

  • Oklahoma WR Jalil Farooq (Wise) caught five passes for 130 yards as the Sooners rallied to beat Texas, 34-30.

  • Virginia QB Tony Muskett (West Springfield) completed 17 of 26 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score as the Cavaliers got their first win of the season, 27-13 over William & Mary.

  • Albany QB Reese Poffenbarger (Middletown) completed 18 of 25 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score as the Great Danes beat Towson, 24-17.

  • Gallaudet QB Brandon Washington rushed 13 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns as the Bison beat Hilbert, 34-20, for the first win this season.

  • USC QB Caleb Williams (Gonzaga) completed 14 of 25 passes for 219 yards, rushed for three touchdowns and ran in the game-winning two-point conversion in the third overtime as the Trojans edged Arizona, 43-31.