Oct. 20: Tristian Thomas, Calvert

Calvert High wide receiver and strong safety Tristan Thomas has great football sense.

“But a lot of kids have a high football IQ,” Calvert football coach Rick Sneade said. “Tristan also has great size. And what he does in a two-yard area, attacking the ball or going after someone with the ball, he just has that ‘it’ factor.”

It shows up on the field every Friday and shows up during the week as college coaches continue calling and visiting Prince Frederick to recruit the 6-foot-3, 192-pound Thomas.

Thomas showed why he is in demand again this past Friday as he caught 10 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns, made 10 tackles on defense and returned a punt 55 yards as the Cavaliers beat rival Northern, 34-30.

For his efforts, Thomas was named the Military Bowl Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.

“Obviously he has these big-time stats on offense, but defensively he’s had some bone-chilling tackles and is disruptive around the ball,” Sneade said. “He’s being recruited as a defensive player. When you look at his offensive tape some of the things that should be highlighted showcase his physicality. He boocks and eliminates people. When he’s blocking on the edge, cornerbacks and safeties just get blown off of the screen.”

In seven games this season, Thomas has caught 38 passes for 704 yards and nine touchdowns, made 47 tackles and intercepted three passes, caused two fumbles and blocked a field goal attempt. His most recent scholarship offer came from Purdue, joining a list that includes Oregon, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, Florida and UCLA, among others.

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Honor Roll:

ANNE ARUNDEL
Annapolis OLB Rion Jackson, an Auburn recruit, made four tackles with two sacks and two tackles for loss and broke up two passes as the Panthers beat North County, 49-0. tackles for loss and broke up two passes as the Panthers beat North County, 49-0.

DC
McKinley Tech DE Caleb Dawson made 10 tackles with three tackles for loss and two sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and broke up a pass as the Trainers beat Anacostia, 12-9.

FREDERICK
Oakdale QB/K Dylan Ohm completed 11 of 17 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown, rushed four times for 38 yards and kicked a 25-yard field goal with two minutes left as the unbeaten Bears beat Walkersville, 25-23.’

HOWARD
Howard RB/DB Jayson Allen rushed 18 times for 281 yards and five touchdowns and made 18 tackles on defense as the undefeated Lions beat Atholton, 40-0.

LOUDOUN
Loudoun Valley WR Ethan LaFollette rushed 13 times for 221 yards and three touchdowns and caught a 37-yard pass as the undefeated Vikings beat Broad Run, 51-7.

MONTGOMERY
Magruder RB/LB Caleb Smallwood rushed 33 times for 295 yards and three touchdowns and three two-point conversions and made three tackles and forced and recovered a fumble on defense as the Colonels beat Kennedy, 50-38.

NORTHERN REGION
Madison RB Will Smoot rushed 27 times for 271 yards and two touchdowns as the Warhawks beat Centreville, 28-21.

PRINCE GEORGE’S
Douglass QB Merrell Lloyd completed 9 of 12 passes for 211 yards and six touchdowns as the Eagles beat Friendly, 56-0.

PRINCE WILLIAM
Battlefield WR/LB Noah Glover, a Miami recruit, caught three passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns, including the decisive 42-yard score with three minutes left as the Bobcats beat Gainesville, 21-20.

PRIVATE
Potomac School QB Carter Reynolds completed 16 of 33 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns as the Panthers beat St. James (Md.), 27-23.

STAFFORD
Brooke Point QB Antonio Guillen completed 14 of 15 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns as the Black-Hawks beat Hartwood, 42-7.

WCAC
St. John’s RB/LB King Antoine rushed six times for 60 yards and one touchdown and on defense made 12 tackles and returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown as the Cadets beat Good Counsel, 38-7.

photo by debbie mcintosh