Game Time Blog

When Manassas Park head coach David Coccoli saw the turnout for the Cougars’ football team this year, he never would have guessed how important it would become.

Before the season even began, Coccoli saw his starting quarterback Nick Kolb go down with a broken foot in the first scrimmage. Kolb was supposed to be out six to eight weeks, but he has yet to be cleared by medical staff.

Coccoli
That injury barely forshadowed what was to come for the Cougars.

Coccoli is now on his third signal caller of the year after losing Donovan Johnson last week when Johnson suffered his third concussion in two years. The coach said Johnson is out for the season, but there hasn’t been a decision beyond that.

Now Manassas Park is 1-4 and facing 1-5 Strasburg Friday and it hasn’t been the season the team envisioned earlier.

“You could say that,“ Coccoli said. “When we played Colonial Beach [Sept. 28], we had four starters out with injuries. We have a lot of ninth and 10th graders playing right now and we have two freshmen playing both ways.“

That game against Colonial Beach, in week three, resulted in the Cougars’ lone victory of the year.

The Manassas Park training staff has certainly earned its paychecks this year. In addition to Kolb and Jackson, the Cougars also lost junior lineman Bobby Jackson when he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus all on the same play (also in the Colonial Beach game); junior lineman Brandon Watkins to the flu for the Buckingham County contest; another junior lineman RJ Garrett broke his hand and missed a game, but is back playing with a wrapped cast.

“For the Buckingham County game we had four 10th graders starting on the line,“ Coccoli said. “[Garrett’s] playing basically out of necessity—we need him out there and he can play. He’s been cleared by the doctors.

“We’ve taken our lumps this year,“ he added. “We’re excited for the future. We only have four seniors playing right now. We’ve got a lot of guys playing in spots they’re not accustomed to with injuries and illnesses. We’ve got 17 of our 22 starters returning next year, so we’re building for next year.“

> Osbourn Park backfield duo Dominique Terrell and Gary Jackson will play Friday at Potomac according to Yellow Jackets’ coach Brian Beaty Thursday evening.

“Yeah, they’re back and healthy,“ Beaty said. “Well, as healthy as can be expected at this point.“

Both players sat out last week’s win over Freedom, Terrell with a sore ankle and Jackson with an aching shoulder. Beaty said Jackson practiced with the team fully all week and Terrell joined Wednesday after missing the first two days.

Terrell
Terrell, a junior quarterback, has completed 26 of 64 passing attempts for 406 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions this year. He is also OP’s leading rusher with 528 yards and four touchdowns on 88 carries.

Jackson has 282 yards rushing on 57 attempts. He’s found the end zone four times for the Jackets.

In Terrell’s stead last week, Jamil Brown played quarterback for OP and threw for 39 yards on 5 of 8 passing.

Beaty said there was no plan to spell Terrell with Brown Friday, but that could change once the game begins.

“Not right now. We’ll have to see how things go,“ he said.