The Military Bowl Foundation and DC Touchdown Club are partnering with WTOP during the 2020-2021 high school football season to honor a Player of the Week. Read about this week’s Player of the Week below.
Gilbert Tongrongou was a slender freshman when he first went out for the Forest Park football team, having played soccer but wanting to take up a different sport. He grew in size and stature over the past three years, blossoming into one of the region’s top players — a two-way lineman who garnered plenty of attention from college recruiters.
Now a 6-foot-4, 260-pound senior, Tongrongou has accepted a scholarship offer to play for Boston College. He makes an impact on both sides of the ball. A teammate’s injury prompted Tongrongou to play tight end this past week on offense, where he was a wrecking ball as a blocker and caught two passes.
But it was Tongrongou’s performance filling in for the Bruins’ injured kicker that might have made the most lasting impression, as he booted the game-winning 25-yard field goal in the second overtime to lift Forest Park to a 25-22 victory over Potomac (Virginia).
For his efforts, Tongrongou was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.
“I always knew Gilbert could kick,” Forest Park Coach John Robinette said. “That overtime kick was a big make.”
It was just one more way that Tongrongou impacted the game. He also made four tackles for loss, giving him 20 in five games this season. Up front on offense, he adapted to the new position and helped clear the way for running back Daniel Peters-John to rush 40 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns along with a pair of two-point conversions.
Tongrongou played on the Forest Park junior varsity as a freshman, then started on the varsity defensive line as a sophomore. This past spring, he became a two-way starter and emerged as a top recruit before settling on the opportunity to play defensive line at Boston College.
“He went from being on a couple schools’ radar to being on everyone’s radar,” Robinette said. “He had 20-plus offers in two months.”
Tongrongou hooked a 32-yard field goal attempt in regulation against Potomac, but Robinette said there was no hesitation to send out one of the Washington area’s biggest kickers for the game-winning attempt.
This week’s DC Touchdown Club Player of the Week High School Football Player of the Week Honor Roll:
Anne Arundel
South River QB Camrin Catterton passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for three more scores as the Seahawks beat Crofton, 40-6.
DC
Anacostia QB Jeremiah Drummond completed 5 of 8 passes for 70 yards and rushed 10 times for 80 yards and three touchdowns as the Indians beat McKinley Tech, 26-8.
Frederick
Linganore RB Ethan Arneson carried 43 times for a school-record 353 yards and three touchdowns as the Lancers edged Oakdale, 54-53 in overtime.
Howard
Oakland Mills QB Kanye Holland rushed 19 times for 114 yards and one touchdown and completed 6 of 8 passes for 73 yards and two more touchdowns, including several big fourth-down plays, as the Scorpions improved to 4-0 with a 26-20 win over Atholton.
Loudoun
Broad Run QB Brett Griffis, a Wake Forest recruit, completed 11 of 13 passes for 196 yards and four touchdowns and rushed seven times for 128 yards in just three quarters as the Spartans beat Woodgrove, 44-0.
Montgomery
Blake RB Dre’Quan Smith rushed 26 times for a school-record 337 yards and three touchdowns as the Bengals beat Watkins Mill, 34-20.
Northern region
Jefferson RB-FS Justin Yoo rushed 20 times for 121 yards and one touchdown with a two-point conversion run and returned an interception 49 yards for another score on defense as the Colonials beat Teach Homeschool, 28-14, to improve to 4-0 for the first time in school history.
Prince George’s
Largo QB-FS Justin McEilwain rushed 12 times for 60 yards, completed 10 of 16 passes for 119 yards and two touchdown passes, including the game-winning 52-yarder with 30 seconds left, and on defense made six tackles and had the game-clinching interception as the Lions beat Fairmont Heights, 14-7.
Private
Spalding QB Nick Gutierrez rushed 27 times for 147 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime, as the Cavaliers improved to 5-0 by beating Gonzaga, 20-13.
Southern Maryland
Leonardtown WR-FS Nick Stearns made four tackles and intercepted two passes on defense and made several key blocks on offense as the Raiders beat North Point, 14-13.
WCAC
O’Connell QB-LB Job Grant rushed nine times for 115 yards and two touchdowns, threw a 25-yard touchdown pass and made five tackles on defense as the Knights beat Annapolis Area Christian, 32-6.
