With only one second left on the clock, Abdul Adams broke free of defenders and bolted 45 yards into the end zone to cap the Wilson Tigers’ 36-14 victory over the Ballou Knights on Oct. 31 in Washington, D.C.
“I saw the hole, I saw the defender. I made a cut, and then all I saw was green,” Adams said of the 45-yard touchdown.
Adams saw a lot of green that night. Wilson’s star junior running back had 292 total yards—including 25 carries for 251 rushing yards—and three touchdowns in the decisive win, scoring twice in the fourth quarter.
The last time these two teams met, Ballou (5-5, 3-3) defeated Wilson (6-4, 4-2) in double overtime, 16-10. Ballou held Wilson to its lowest point total of the season, and Adams had just 86 rushing yards. Entering Friday’s matchup, the two teams were tied for second place in the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) Stars division.
“We just wanted to execute and play our game. If we execute, we’re a hard team to beat. That’s all we had to do, try to make plays,” said Wilson head coach Mark Martin. “Last game, we left a lot of plays on the field. Ballou’s a good team, a well-coached team…but we just had to execute.”
The game initially looked like it would be a much closer affair, as both teams scored on their opening possessions. First, Wilson quarterback Steve Williams threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Adams within the first two minutes. Then, Ballou junior running back Marquis Hamilton scored a short rushing touchdown to tie it up.
Three plays later, Ballou senior lineman Levon Livingston forced a fumble by the quarterback, scooped up the ball and ran it into the end zone. That would be Ballou’s last score.
Although neither team reached the end zone in the third quarter, Wilson scored 20 points in the fourth.
The victory gives Wilson sole control of second place in the DCIAA Stars division, behind H.D. Woodson, the reigning Turkey Bowl champions.
The Tigers look to extend their four-game winning streak against Dunbar (5-5, 3-3) in the regular season finale at home on Nov. 7. Ballou will square off against Coolidge (3-6, 0-5) to end their regular season.