By John Sutherland ’16

The Warriors have their sights set on winning it all after their extremely successful regular season. The team finished the regular season undefeated but will technically be 9-1 after having to forfeit their opening day victory. They defeated Bel Air 27-22 on November 13 and faced Howard on November 18.

*Note: The Warrior went to print before the result of the Howard game.

The forfeit cost the Warriors the number one seed in the 4a North region. The team was understandably upset and tried to appeal the forfeit as they won the game 47-6 and the ineligible player came in the fourth quarter and had no real effect on the game. The appeal was to no avail, though, and this led the Warriors to have only one home playoff game. They had the chance to prove they should have been the number one seed Friday against undefeated Howard.

The game against Bel Air was no walk in the park. After the Warriors looked as if they were going to dominate after getting two quick easy touchdowns, Bel Air responded right back with two touchdowns of their own. The game was nervy until the end, especially when Senior QB Shawn Bliss threw an interception to Bel Air late in the fourth quarter with only a five-point lead. Luckily, the Bel Air player tripped and fell; otherwise, he could have taken it back for a touchdown. Bel Air was in great position on Sherwood’s 30-yard line after the interception. It looked like the Warriors might suffer a heartbreaking defeat, but then the man who looked unstoppable all throughout the game had one final act. Senior WR/CB Marcus Simms intercepted Bel Air to seal the win.

Simms single-handedly carried the team to victory with 181 receiving yards and three touchdowns on top of the game-winning interception. Bel Air made the mistake of not double-teaming Simms, and he made them pay dearly for it. If Simms continues to dominate, the Warriors will be a very hard team to beat.

The Warriors biggest concern is star Junior RB Travis Levy’s ankle. Levy originally suffered the injury during their win over Paint Branch. He has played every game since and has not missed a beat yet. There was a scary moment in the Bel Air game where Levy stayed down after the play late in the fourth quarter. He fortunately did not further injure himself and played against Howard. “The ankle isn’t 100 percent, but I will be playing at a 100 percent,” Levy said.

The team knows the road to States will not be easy and will need guys to step up. Look for sophomore DL Everett Stubblefield to step up and become a big contributor in the playoffs. “He’s a sophomore with great heart and potential,” Levy said. “[There’s a] lot of weight on his back but he should prevail.”

The Warriors returned to the playoffs after missing it last year. Their win over Bel Air is the first time they have reached the quarterfinals since 2012. They ultimately hope to win their first state title since 2008.