Annapolis football adjusts quickly, wins big twice in five days

While some football teams had their games moved around last week and others didn't play at all because of the heat, Annapolis played twice.The No. 14 Panthers played Meade on Tuesday in a game rescheduled from Sept. 2 because of a possible staph infection at Meade. After just three days of practice, Annapolis then played Southern on Saturday.None of that bothered the Panthers, who won both home games by a combined 121-23. Not that he'd do it again, but coach Nick Good-Malloy said the experience wasn't as bad as it might sound.&quot;I think, all in all, there were a lot of positives to be taken away from it because a lot of our preseason practices were truncated due to heat,&quot; he said. &quot;So getting a few extra practices in was beneficial before playing that first game. People were asking if I was upset, but I actually thought those extra practices were very helpful.&quot;He praised his players for adjusting, especially with the quick turnaround and the hot conditions for Saturday's 3 p.m. game. The Southern game had been moved from Friday to Saturday morning to give the Panthers an extra day of practice, but the ACT exam was scheduled for then, bumping the game to the afternoon.&quot;Our kids did a really great job of adjusting to the schedule changes and doing what we asked them to do,&quot; Good-Malloy said. &quot;We really focused a lot on managing their energy throughout the days and spoke to them a lot about nutrition, hydration and rest, because it was a balancing act between wanting to prepare and … not wanting to run the guys into the ground.&quot;Senior safety Trey Gross said he never had played two football games in five days before, but he said the team was ready to go again by kickoff Saturday.&quot;The whole time, we were going through adversity with the heat, so we were already getting used to adjusting to certain things,&quot; Gross said. &quot;We had to have a lot more hydration and adjust certain routines that we might have during the week. We thought we were pretty prepared. We're not perfect, but we thought we were ready.&quot;Gross and most of the other starters didn't play in the second half against Southern, a game they won, 69-16. Good-Malloy said resting his starters and giving his substitutes a chance to play a lot in the first two games will help both groups in their game Friday at No. 3 Broadneck (2-0).&quot;I want to see more cooler weather,&quot; Gross said. &quot;It's much better playing conditions. When we played Saturday, the refs took it in their hands to have a lot of [water] breaks. I didn't cramp up, so I was pretty good. We warmed up without should pads, just jerseys, so that was another adjustment we had to make.&quot;Good-Malloy said he's been particularly happy with the defense in the first two games. While holding opponents to just three touchdowns, the Panthers defense has scored four times.Gross kicked it off with two defensive touchdowns in the season opener against Meade. He scored on an interception return and again after he stripped the ball carrier, recovered the fumble and raced to the end zone.Linebacker Avery Groft called a lot of the defense on the field, Good-Malloy said. &quot;He's the brains of the operation on the field and he did an excellent job getting guys in the right place.&quot;On offense, quarterback Justin Williams has scored eight touchdowns on 23 touches. Over the two games, he was 6-for-11 for 139 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also ran 12 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns.Running back Cameron Hough scored three times against Meade. In the Southern game, six offensive players were involved in touchdowns. Williams ran for three and threw for three against the Bulldogs.&quot;I'm pretty happy with how the whole deal ended up working out,&quot; Good-Malloy said.

Annapolis football adjusts quickly, wins big twice in five days

Don't miss our 4th of July sale!
Save big on local news.

SALE ENDS SOON

$1 FOR 12 WEEKS

Don't miss our 4th of July sale!Save big on local news.

SALE ENDS SOON

$1 FOR 12 WEEKS

Don't miss our 4th of July sale!
Save big on local news.