Germantown Academy runs unbeaten record to 4-0 with win over KIPP-DuBois

WHITEMARSH >> Nothing slowed down 6-foot-3, 308-pound Elijah Wroten on his first varsity touchdown run, not even a mid-air, celebratory chest bump in which he sent teammate Coulten Grasella flying backwards in a hurry. 

“I was running too fast when I came back to the sideline,” Wroten said with a chuckle. 

By then, Germantown Academy had scored a clean knockout, going on to win 49-0 over KIPP-DuBois Collegiate Academy in a non-league contest that raised the Patriots’ unbeaten record to 4-0.

“The only thing better than 4-0 is 5-0,” was the team chant afterwards. 

The Patriots are moving forward, and so is Wroten, who — in addition to locking things down on the offensive and defensive lines — got a carry around the goal line, and he went charging into the end zone on his two-yard run to increase the GA lead to 35-0 in the second quarter. 

“That was a real exciting one. That was awesome — I loved that,” Wroten said of his first TD since middle school, when he scored on a pick six. “I was kinda nervous at first because we were preparing for that. But as soon as I got into the end zone, it felt good.”

The Patriots got into the end zone in many different ways Saturday at Carey Stadium — on the ground, through the air, and on a whiffed punt attempt by KIPP that was recovered by Kyle Mulbah for a touchdown.

“I definitely have a lot of faith in my guys,” said Wroten, who is headed to Duke next year. “I feel like we’re moving in the right direction as a team and as a unit. Seeing how hard everybody works during the week, who knows how far we can go.”

Germantown Academy moved briskly downfield on its first series, taking a 7-0 lead when quarterback Jordan Longino hit Lacey Snowden for a four-yard touchdown. The Patriots doubled their lead soon after, when Lions quarterback/punter Dontay Reis was rushed and pressured into missing the ball on a punt attempt, and the ball was recovered by Mulbah for a score. 

Next, Longino hit Jake Hsu for a 27-yard touchdown and a 21-0 advantage, and then Trae Vance displayed his tackle-breaking ability as well as his breakaway speed, motoring to a 40-yard score that widened the gap to 28-0.

“We came right out and did what we wanted to do, which is run the ball with Trae,” Pats coach Matt Dence said of Vance, who had 12 carries for 103 yards and a pair of TD’s. “Trae is a heck of a running back and we have a heck of an offensive line. But the other thing was we wanted to get Jordan comfortable, and he opened up with a nice completion to Tayshaun (Mack for eight yards on the first play).

“And we just started rolling from there.”

Longino hit Jerry Griffen-Batchler for 19 yards, helping to set up the touchdown run by Wroten that spiked the lead to 35-0. 

“He’s been talking to me about that for four years,” Dence said of the senior captain. “He’s an athletic kid. He’s going to play football in the ACC – he’s an athletic kid. The kids were excited for him. Elijah’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever had. 

“He’s also one of the best players we’ve ever had, but he’s a great leader, a selfless kid. He really wouldn’t have cared if I gave him the ball or not, but when we did, his smile went ear to ear.”

The Patriots dominated from one end of the field to the other, and with a defense led by a spectacular linebacking corps, Jack Sheridan and Co. surrendered just nine rushing yards. A 46-yard pass play from Reis to Jolann Alston was the longest play of the day for KIPP (0-5).

With a running clock, GA added scores by Vance and backup QB Matt Brittingham to finish things up.