DCSAA Championship: Friendship Collegiate vs. Dunbar… Bigger Than Football

Story by Armani Green. Photos by Armani Green and Nahykia Calhoun.

DEC. 12, 2019:It was a matchup that the city couldn’t wait to see. Friendship Collegiate had been down this road before, but Dunbar worked really hard this season to get to new heights. With Friendship having an overall 9-3 season and Dunbar with 10-2, it was easy to wonder who the champion would be.

After an exciting game, the Friendship Collegiate Knights took home the DCSAA Championship trophy for the second year in a row, winning 20-0!

Before the big game, I interviewed the head coaches and some players from both schools to get their thoughts about the season.

Armani: How does it feel to be in the DCSAA Championship again? What did you do to prepare for the game? What do you feel is the key factor to your continuous championship team?

Coach Mike Hunter - Head Coach for Friendship Collegiate: The opportunity to play in the DCSAA Championship game is a very special feeling. So many people have worked hard to get here and I’m really proud of them. Preparation for this game started in January with strength and conditioning. We carried that hard work into the fall with a very tough competitive schedule. The key to success is surrounding yourself with good people and remembering why you do what you do.

How does it feel to be in the DCSAA Championship? What did you do differently to get here? What did you do to prepare for the game?

Coach Maurice “Bink” Vaughn - Head Coach for Dunbar High School: I’m very excited. We have been working hard all year and I think its an awesome opportunity for our kids to display their talents against a very tough Friendship Collegiate team who are the defending champions. We really didn’t do anything different. We are a year older now, the team grew up a little bit and we kept working and trusting the process. To prepare for the game we watched a lot of film and tried to break down some of the things that Friendship likes to do and what they do well. We tried to have our kids prepare and to have an understanding of what to expect from Friendship.

Are you excited to be in the DCSAA Championship? What did you do to prepare for the game?

How do you think the outcome of the game will go? What is your biggest motivation?

Jamaal “Stew” Banks, #20 starting Wide Receiver for Friendship Collegiate: I’m very excited to have made it to the championship. This is a different feeling for me personally. Preparing for the game was mentally locking in and remembering all the hard work I have been putting in since January. As far as the outcome of the game I believe it’s going to be a good game, both teams have worked hard to get to this point. My biggest motivation is my family and my support system. We have goals and a mission to be great.

Ryan Jones, #5 starting Defensive Linebacker for Friendship Collegiate: Yes, I’m excited for the DCSAA Championship. I’ve put in long hours of hard work and dedication preparing myself to go to battle. I believe me and my teammates will go out there and perform at our highest quality. My biggest motivation is my family.

Amonte “Meechie” Dreher, #2 starting Quarterback for Dunbar High School: Yes, I’m very excited to be in the championship from all the hard work me and my team has put in. My team and I all prepared mentally and physically in practice by studying our opponent and making sure we’re locked in and focused. I believe the outcome of the game will be good if we play our style of football and key in on the game, we should be successful.

Marquis “FatMan” Raspberry, #1 starting Defensive Safety for Dunbar High School: Yes, it feels a little different than the other championships… it’s for all the bragging rights in DC! Preparing for the game was pretty much relaxing and making sure I take it like any other game. The outcome will be shocking. My biggest motivation is everything and everybody I’ve lost. And all the people who looked over or passed me. I’m trying to prove everybody wrong.

Armani Green is a 5th grade scholar at Friendship Woodridge International School. Nahkyia Calhoun is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.