This story is part of The Washington Sun’s All-DMV coverage. All-DMV is a new collaboration between The Sun, Fox 5 DC, NBC4 Washington and WTOP News, aimed at covering the D.C. area’s best high school athletes. You can find past players of the week and more information about All-DMV here.
Last week marked the conclusion of the regular season high school football in the D.C. area. With the arrival of the postseason, here are five locals who earned All-DMV player of the week honors:
Hunter Humphries, Senior, Quarterback, Churchill
In a tough county matchup against Paint Branch last week, the Bulldogs relied on their senior leader to end the regular season on a high note. Humphries pieced together an efficient performance, completing 19 of his 22 passes for 204 yards and throwing two touchdowns. He also added a third score on the ground as Churchill pulled out a 28-13 win over the Panthers.
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“We put so much on [Humphries] and we rely on him so much,” Churchill coach Joe Rydzewski said. “But in big situations, there’s nobody else I’d rather have with the ball in their hands.”
Trysten Johnson, Senior, Quarterback, Maret
This year’s Maret team is the youngest squad that coach Mike Engelberg has coached in his 21 seasons with the Northwest D.C. program. Of its 22 starters, 12 are freshmen or sophomores. Despite their youth, the Frogs picked up a statement 36-22 victory over St. Albans on Friday to move to 7-1 on the year.
Much of that success is thanks to Johnson, one of the team’s few veterans. The dual-threat senior, committed to The Citadel, rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns and added 116 passing yards and three more scores in Friday’s victory.
“If we are in the wrong protection and someone comes through untouched, [Johnson] goes up, he talks to them, he calms them down and we fix it,” Engelberg said. “The leadership he’s providing in the sense of his positivity goes a long way.”
Aiden Mejia, Sophomore, Athlete, Langley
Just a sophomore, Mejia has already made a name for himself as one of the most explosive athletes in Northern Virginia. The underclassman, who rotates between wide receiver and running back, has catalyzed another strong offensive season for the Saxons, who picked up a 21-7 win over Marshall on Friday.
Mejia accounted for 186 total yards and two touchdowns in the win. The highlight of his night came in the first half, when he caught a pitch and burst loose for an 80-yard touchdown.
Tristan Sabb, Senior, Quarterback, DeMatha
Sabb shook off last week’s loss to WCAC rival St. John’s with a sterling performance on the road against Gonzaga on Saturday afternoon. The senior quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the 30-14 victory, which helped the Stags secure a home game in the upcoming WCAC playoffs.
Sabb showed up when it mattered most — early in the fourth quarter, he jetted to the end zone for a rushing touchdown to give DeMatha a two-score advantage. The dagger came minutes later, when Sabb lofted a deep pass to senior wide receiver Austin Barber for a long score to put the game away.
Deyon Smith, Senior, Linebacker, Friendship Collegiate
Smith imposed his will on both sides of the ball for the Knights in a 30-18 win over Riverdale Baptist on Friday night. He was a dominant presence at middle linebacker for Friendship Collegiate, which held Riverdale Baptist to 18 points after the Crusaders averaged 42 in their three previous contests,
Smith racked up nine tackles in the win. He also rushed for 75 yards and punched in two touchdowns at running back for coach Mike Hunter’s team, now on a three-game winning streak heading into November.
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