Instant revelation: Washington junior Quadir Cobbs (right) has burst on to the scene, rushing 24 times for 96 yards and a TD against Ben Franklin. MARIA POUCHNIKOVA / TIMES PHOTO
Keith Kerrin leapt excitedly so high into the air that it’s a surprise his shoes didn’t fall off.
Late in the fourth quarter of Friday afternoon’s double-overtime football thriller between host Washington and visiting Ben Franklin, an Eagles forced fumble caused Kerrin to sprint on to the field and bear-hug the first player in a home jersey he could find … once his feet returned to ground level.
The fact that Kerrin is not a player on Washington, but the team’s defensive coordinator, indicated just how badly the Eagles wanted this win against the undefeated visitor. It was an emotional roller coaster that saw Franklin win, 20–14, but not before Washington had converted a game-winning overtime field goal that was blown dead after the fact because an opposing player had jumped offsides.
Kerrin and his shellshocked Eagles watched as the Electrons danced excitedly in celebration on the other end of the field, stealing away what would have been an enormous win for Washington. But GW still made a statement regardless, holding a high-flying offense averaging almost 46 points per game to one offensive score on the game’s last play (Franklin’s first two touchdowns occurred on a kickoff and punt return). Franklin’s visible frustration all began with Kerrin, longtime head coach Ron Cohen’s excitable defensive mastermind.
“That’s most certainly the ex-football player in me,” laughed Kerrin, who played linebacker at Temple and had a cup of coffee with the Philadelphia Eagles before getting into high school coaching. “I coach with the same emotion that I played with. The kids pick up on that, and it generates through them to the point where it becomes contagious. Friday was one of those moments. There was a lot of emotion going through those kids, and it really showed. Hats really go off to our kids; they knew what they were up against, which is one of the best offensive teams in the city. They deserve a majority of the credit because they executed the defense we were calling.”
Washington’s defense, led by defensive end and blue-chip Division I college recruit Shareef Miller, brought its A-game and then some against Franklin. Miller and his 10 defensive mates frustrated Electrons QB Kevin Caldwell beyond belief, as his 153 passing yards and one touchdown were season lows (Caldwell had averaged 265 yards and four passing scores per game coming in), and there were very few big plays surrendered. Kerrin’s unit forced three turnovers, and its play spoke volumes despite the end result.
“That’s a big life lesson they just experienced,” Kerrin said. “There’s days where you go to work and do everything in your power to control what you can and still not get the result you were looking for. There’s something the kids can take from that, and I think it’s really going to push us toward greatness into the playoffs. It was a tremendous effort, and a motivating factor to give themselves the opportunity to see that team again.”
Franklin (6–0, 4–0 Public League Independence Division) secured the victory, but it was evidently clear Washington (4–3, 3–1) was the better team. If not for the special teams lapses, the score may have looked a lot different.
One player who really seemed to buy in to what Cohen, Kerrin and the rest of the staff are preaching was junior running back/safety Quadir Cobbs. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound Cobbs made play after play on both sides of the ball, a key cog in disrupting Caldwell’s passing rhythm while also rushing 24 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. Through the team’s first four games, Cobbs had two carries for zero yards and no scores; in his last three, he’s rushed 41 times for 328 yards and four TDs, putting a sudden stranglehold on the starting job in a Washington backfield full of capable playmakers.
Cobbs said he wasn’t featured as much early on because he missed too many practices to be at his job at the Rolling Thunder Skating Center in Mayfair, but he’s struck a balance at the most opportune time. Instead of hanging out at the gas station across the street from school, as he had done before this season, Cobbs is listening to what Kerrin and the coaches are selling: show up, work hard and somebody might just notice.
“After the game, one of the coaches was telling me that a scout from Rutgers was asking who number 22 was,” Cobbs said. “That motivates me to work hard, get my grades up and do well on the SATs. My GPA is not great right now, but I think my coaches recognize that I’m a young person that wants to go to college, and I appreciate them giving me a chance to show what I can do. Now people come up to me in school and ask me about the game, because they realize I’m doing work on the field.”
Said Kerrin of Cobbs: “That’s a kid who’s come a really long way who never thought he’d have the opportunity to go to college. Now the fruits of his labor are unfolding right before his eyes. A lot of these kids aren’t used to being recognized for positive things they’re doing outside their neighborhoods. Some get up at 6 a.m. to commute from West Philly or Upper Darby or wherever they’re from to exert themselves to do great things. Something I try to do is drill the concept of secondary education to them to let them know there’s more out there than the streets and what their friends are doing in the neighborhood.”
Unlike the last two years, when Washington fell in the Class AAAA Public League championship game to Frankford and egos and finger-pointing ran rampant, this is a team full of guys who like each other. They embrace responsibility and accountability, which is why it would be no surprise to see them competing in the title round for the ninth consecutive season.
“This group is tremendous,” Kerrin said. “They enjoy playing for each other, being around each other and helping each other out by any means necessary. They realize they let one get away, but they’ve accepted it without excuses. There’s no finger pointing … they’re looking no further than themselves. They will continue to fight, no matter the situation.”
Cobbs concurred.
“I’m having a lot of fun, but I’m not showing off or anything like that,” the newly-revealed weapon said. “It’s fun sucking up the attention, but not too much. I want to keep working so they keep coming to me, not just in one game, but game after game. This game is going to motivate us, because we wanted it so badly. It hurt that we lost, but showed that we can beat anyone. I’m just enjoying being noticed for what I can do playing a game that I love.” ••
