Patuxent High School senior Evan Jones spent most of the season playing wide receiver when the Panthers were on offense. He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball and coach Steve Crounse knew the pressure that put on opposing defenses.
When a teammate suffered a broken collarbone in the regular season finale, however, Crounse knew the most logical replacement was Jones. But the veteran coach also didn’t want to compromise Jones’ ability to make plays on the perimeter of the field.
So Jones spent the season’s final few weeks shuffling between running back and wide receiver. And in the season’s biggest game, he delivered one more time. Jones rushed 22 times for 132 yards and one touchdown, and caught six passes for 107 yards and another score as the Panthers rallied from a 21-point halftime deficit to beat four-time defending champion Fort Hill, 35-28, in the Maryland 1A championship game.
“He went off,” Crounse said. “He did everything for us. He’s a super dynamic kid. He holds every receiving record for us at Patuxent.”
That included making three tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and breaking up two passes from his cornerback position on defense.
For his efforts, Jones was named the Military Bowl Touchdown Club High School Football Player of the Week.
A three-year starter on offense and defense, Jones came up with several big plays as the Panthers (10-3) won their second consecutive state title after capturing the Maryland 2A/1A crown in 2024.
The victory also ended Fort Hill’s four-year run as Maryland 1A champions.
“I would say that has to be up there as one of the best single-game performances in our school history,” said Crounse, who was honored as the touchdown club’s High School Coach of the Year following last season. “He put the program on his back and it was really the exclamation point on his career here. Being able to take down another upper-echelon juggernaut like Fort Hill made it more epic.”
This week’s D.C. Touchdown Club Honor Roll:
DC
Eastern WR/DB Zion Hubbard caught a touchdown pass and forced a fumble as the Ramblers beat Coolidge, 19-8, in the DCSAA Class AA championship game.
FREDERICK
Linganore QB David Doy completed 16 of 21 passes for 266 yards and five first-half touchdowns as the Lancers beat Oakdale, 56-17, in the Maryland 3A championship game.
LOUDOUN
Loudoun County WR/S Reed Bianchini caught four passes for 48 yards, including the game-winning five-yard touchdown on fourth down midway through the final quarter and on defense made nine tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass as the Captains beat Lafayette, 25-23, in a Virginia 4A semifinal game.
MONTGOMERY
Quince Orchard QB William Drakeford Jr. completed 8 of 14 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 17 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns as the Cougars beat Wise, 26-21, to win their second consecutive Maryland 4A championship.
NORTHERN REGION
James Madison RB Matthew Weiler rushed 26 times for 127 yards and three touchdowns as the Warhawks lost to Oscar Smith, 34-28, in a Virginia 6A semifinal game.
PRINCE GEORGE’S
Wise RB Kameron Parker rushed 20 times for 141 yards and one touchdown and returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown as the Pumas lost to Quince Orchard, 26-21, in the Maryland 4A championship game.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
