Titans Top Wolverines, Wrap Up First Postseason Berth Since 1990

The T.C. Williams football team is heading to its first postseason in 22 years thanks to its solid regular-season campaign that ended Saturday with a 24-14 win over rival West Potomac.

Junior quarterback Darius Holland rushed for a touchdown and threw for another as the Titans finished the regular season with a 7-3 record (5-2 Patriot District) and a power-point ranking worthy of a ticket to the Virginia Class 6A postseason.

“It’ll sink in on Monday,” Titans Coach Dennis Randolph said. “We’re still doing the normal routine here at the end of Week 10. … But when it sinks it, it should be something special. It’s an exciting opportunity for playoff football. I know the kids are excited.”

Playoff seeding will be determined Sunday. Randolph wasn’t exactly sure who the Titans will draw, but The Washington Post suggested fellow Patriot District squad South County.

The Stallions (8-2, 6-1 Patriot) topped the Titans 44-37 in October at Parker-Gray Stadium.

“At playoff time, everyone is 0-0,” Randolph said. “We lost to [South County] in a close one. We sure can’t give up 44 points in a playoff game.”

The Titans’ defense did its best Saturday to clamp down on fleet-footed Wolverines quarterback DeMornay Pierson-El. The Nebraska commit rushed for two scores for West Potomac, which finished the season at 4-6 overall and 4-2 in the Patriot District.     

T.C. Williams tailback Lamont Whiteside rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter and kicker Zach Eisenhour connected on a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth to create a two-score cushion.

When the final whistle sounded, T.C. Williams players tackled an assistant coach to dunk him with a water cooler. The team took part in a trophy ceremony presented by MaxPreps. Saturday’s game was selected as one of 11 rivalries showcased this year by the high school sports website and the National Guard.

Virginia Army National Guard Major Everton Nevers presented the Titans with the National Guard Rivalry Trophy, which will be engraved with the final score of the game and updated each year moving forward.

None of the Titans players were alive the last time T.C. Williams played a postseason game, though a certain Disney movie has carried the program to some renown.

Randolph said it was a special senior class that helped the Titans get over the seemingly impassible playoff hump, committing themselves to the weight room and summer workouts. The team also didn’t buckle this year when it could have, Randolph said, as the Titans kept their focus following blowout losses to Centreville and Lake Braddock—two of the top teams in Northern Virginia. 

“It’s a great thing for my senior year to make the playoffs,” said senior linebacker Malik Carney, a North Carolina commit. “It’s very special. We’ve all played together since freshman year and worked hard and have great chemistry. … Just standing out here, looking at the fans in the stands cheering us, it’s just special.”

T.C. Williams Varsity Football Results and Schedule (home games in bold) 

• Aug. 30 — T.C. Williams 38, Oakton 2
• Sept. 6 — Centreville 44, T.C. Williams 16 
• Sept. 21 — T.C. Williams 13, Langley 7
• Sept. 28 — T.C. Williams 21, W.T. Woodson 14
• Oct. 4 — T.C. Williams 20, Annandale 14
• Oct. 12 — South County 44, T.C. Williams 37
• Oct. 18 — T.C. Williams 32, Lee 0
• Oct. 26 — Lake Braddock 44, T.C. Williams 0
• Nov. 1 — T.C. Williams 14, West Springfield 10
• Nov. 9 — T.C. Williams 24, West Potomac 14