Photo by Daniel Kucin. Washington Redskins safety Madieu Williams said when he was a DuVal student, "We didn't make it to the playoffs, that's for sure."

Published on: Thursday, November 08, 2012

By Daniel Kucin

DuVal High School’s varsity football team and winning haven’t been synonymous over the years, but the Tigers are looking to change that this year and prove skeptics wrong.

The Tigers finished the year with an impressive 9-1 finish — only losing to division rival Eleanor Roosevelt in week eight of the regular season.

DuVal has brought the ground-and-pound philosophy back into effect, accounting for more than 2,300 yards collectively and averaging just more than 260 yards a game.

Senior running back Shamik Perry has been the catalyst of the Tigers’ offense this season. Perry has already rushed more than 800 yards, including 246 yards against High Point, this year.

Probably the most defining game of the Tigers’ season was against Suitland, as both squads sported undefeated records before the match up. The Tigers dominated the perennial powerhouse in a 26-6 victory, strangling the Rams defensively as senior Tyree Holmes posted 11 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery.

Now, DuVal finds itself again facing Suitland in the first round of the playoffs this Saturday. Both teams enter the contest with the same record. Suitland looks to be up to the task of knocking DuVal off of its perch, but Suitland will only do it with a good team effort and a big impact from Ohio State recruit Taivon Jacobs, a wide receiver and kick return specialist.

DuVal’s incredible bounce-back season marks the first time the Tigers have made the playoffs in five years.

Former DuVal standout and Terp, Washington Redskins safety Madieu Williams was shocked that his former team is moving in the right direction and correlated that with his playing days in Lanham.

“We didn’t make it to the playoffs, that’s for sure,” Williams said jokingly. “We didn’t have too many winning seasons when I was there.... Actually, I never had a winning season when I was there. Kudos to them and the staff that is there.”