Northwest Beats Suitland 33-16

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Mark Pierce threw for two touchdowns and E.J. Lee ran for two, leading Northwest to a 33-16 victory over Suitland in the Class 4A state title game Friday night.

With Northwest ahead only 20-16 with 4:27 left in the game, Pierce made the biggest play of the night -- a 77-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Matt Watson.

Pierce completed 12 of 22 for 261 yards as Northwest (12-2) won its second state title. The Jaguars, from Montgomery County, made big plays at the right time throughout the night. Lee had touchdown runs of 9 and 10 yards.

Suitland (12-1) outgained Northwest, 346-293, and even ran 26 more plays. But the Rams were flagged for 19 penalties for 150 yards, calls that often hurt them.

Lee's 9-yard first-quarter touchdown put Northwest up 6-0.

Suitland got a second-quarter safety due to a high snap on a punt deep in Northwest territory.

Pierce then made it 12-2 when he threw a 30-yard touchdown to Josh Gills late in the second quarter.

Suitland cut it to 12-8 when quarterback Wesley Wolfolk threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Singleton on its first second-half possession. But Rasheed Gillis returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to give Northwest the ball at Suitland's 27.

Gills later scored on a 1-yard run with 6:32 left in the period. Lee ran for a two-point conversion and a 20-8 lead.

Wolfolk then directed a 15-play, 92-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard touchdown pass to Darryl Jasper. Wolfolk then ran for two to make it 20-16 with 9:40 left in the fourth quarter.

The two Northwest touchdowns then locked up the win.

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