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.
As Frederick High School football coach Kevin Pirri talks to college recruiters about standout junior Travon Neal, he has run into a slight problem: Neal excels at wide receiver on offense, but he might be best suited as a college cornerback, so Pirri has little video to showcase Neal’s ability on defense.
“He really established himself (during this past spring’s season) and since then, they’ve been throwing away from him the whole game,” Pirri said. “The hard thing about selling a corner is that if he’s a good corner, you never hear his name because he cuts the field in half and they never throw his way.”
Perhaps the Cadets’ most recent game might help solve this problem.
Neal caught seven passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns, intercepted three passes on defense and returned a punt 45 yards for another score — all in the first half — as Frederick beat Wheaton, 63-7. For his efforts, Neal was named the Military Bowl DC Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.
“I think he is better at defense, but we haven’t seen any team that had a dynamic passing offense,” Pirri said.
Neal typically plays cornerback, but played safety against Wheaton, partly to give him more exposure at a new position. He was around the ball all night, making play-after-play on offense, defense and special teams — which has been the case throughout the season. A two-time all-Frederick County honoree, he has 24 catches for 486 yards and eight touchdowns, adding a rushing touchdown along with a touchdown pass.
Neal has received interest from some major college programs, but is still looking for his first scholarship offer.
“We’re hoping that will come in the next few weeks,” Pirri said.
This week’s DC Touchdown Club Player of the Week High School Football Player of the Week Honor Roll:
ANNE ARUNDEL
Old Mill WR-DB Tim Triplett caught two touchdown passes and intercepted two passes on defense, returning one for a touchdown, as the Patriots beat Arundel, 48-3.
DC
Dunbar RB Daequan Harvin rushed for 146 yards and four touchdowns as the Crimson Tide beat Coolidge, 28-18.
HOWARD
Glenelg QB-FS Bisi Owens completed five of six passes for 65 yards and one touchdown, rushed 20 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns and on defense made five tackles, had one sack and returned an interception for a touchdown as the Gladiators beat Wilde Lake, 47-7.
LOUDOUN
John Champe QB Patrick Bryan completed 20 of 21 passes for 296 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for two more scores as the Knights beat Colgan, 62-20.
MONTGOMERY
Quince Orchard freshman RB Iverson Howard rushed 17 times for 181 yards and four touchdowns as the Cougars beat Walter Johnson, 63-28.
NORTHERN REGION
Alexandria City WR-DB Josh Clarke had a touchdown catch, intercepted two passes — both returned for touchdowns — and made four tackles as the Titans beat Justice, 34-7.
PRINCE GEORGE’S
Douglass RB-LB Davin Brown Jr. rushed six times for 26 yards and one touchdown, and on defense, made 11 tackles (two for losses) and intercepted a pass that he returned for a touchdown as the Eagles beat Largo, 32-0.
PRINCE WILLIAM
Osbourn Park RB Thomas Pullen rushed 21 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets beat Herndon, 40-14.
PRIVATE
Maret QB Andrew Catron completed 18 of 21 passes for 318 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed four times for 66 yards and one touchdown as the Frogs beat Richard Wright, 58-12.
SOUTHERN MARYLAND
North Point RB Michael Craig rushed 13 times for 230 yards and two touchdowns, one of them a 94-yarder, as the Eagles beat Westlake, 33-12.
