Howard opens fast, cruises to 36-0 victory | Game Story

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Howard set the tone early and never looked back, rolling to a decisive 36-0 win over Hodgson in a matchup between two Delaware teams at the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic. From the opening possession, the Wildcats imposed their will with a balanced offensive attack and a relentless defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats' first drive showcased patience and execution, mixing short passes with positive gains on the ground. Running back&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401337' first='Amir' last='Maddrey']</strong>&nbsp;ripped off a 10-yard run to get the offense moving, while quarterback&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1239127' first='Jameson' last='Bryant']&nbsp;</strong>scrambled for 12 yards to keep the chains moving. The possession ended in highlight fashion when halfback&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1866829' first='Isaiah' last='Ferrell']</strong>&nbsp;threw a halfback pass to&nbsp;<strong>Ameer Anderson</strong>&nbsp;for a six-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. With the two-point conversion successful, Howard jumped out to an early 8-0 lead after a drive that chewed up valuable time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Howard HS (DE) - [player_tooltip player_id='1239127' first='Jameson' last='Bryant'] finds Suhayl Benson for a 43-yard touchdown against Hodgson (DE) <a href="https://twitter.com/tdhald?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tdhald</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SuhaylBenson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuhaylBenson</a> <a href="https://t.co/SmknwloQVH">pic.twitter.com/SmknwloQVH</a></p>&mdash; EdOBrienCFB (@EdOBrienCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdOBrienCFB/status/1963388348308840782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defense quickly proved just as sharp. Linebacker&nbsp;<strong>Willie Williams</strong>&nbsp;set the edge on second down, while Maddrey knifed through a blocker to stuff a run, with&nbsp;<strong>Miesh Echevarria</strong>&nbsp;cleaning up the play. After the stop, Howard went back to work. Late in the first quarter, Bryant launched a 48-yard strike to wide receiver&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1631764' first='Korey' last='Manley']</strong>, who had slipped behind Hodgson's secondary and walked in untouched. Though the conversion attempt failed, Howard's lead stretched to 14-0.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the second quarter, Howard's front seven imposed its will.&nbsp;Defensive lineman&nbsp;<strong>Labron Prender</strong>&nbsp;powered through a double-team to notch a tackle for loss, and soon after, Echevarria recovered a fumble at the 11-yard line to kill a Hodgson scoring opportunity. The Wildcats seized the momentum on the ensuing possession. Maddrey's hard running and Manley's yards after the catch set up another big strike, this time a 43-yard touchdown from Bryant to wide receiver&nbsp;<strong>Suhayl Benson</strong>. With the conversion, the Wildcats carried a 22-0 lead into halftime.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Howard showed no signs of slowing down after the break. On third-and-long midway through the third quarter, Bryant connected with Ferrell on a crossing route. Ferrell turned upfield and raced down the sideline for a touchdown, padding the lead to 28-0. Minutes later, Echevarria came through with a leaping interception, and Bryant wasted no time capitalizing. He hit Manley in stride on a skinny post for an 80-yard touchdown, a play that erased any chance of a comeback.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By the end, Howard had pieced together a complete performance on both sides of the ball. The offense was dynamic and balanced, while the defense consistently forced mistakes and eliminated Hodgson's rhythm. It was a dominant performance by Howard from start to finish.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Top Performers</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1239127' first='Jameson' last='Bryant'] (QB)</strong>&nbsp;– Orchestrated the offense with poise, delivering touchdown passes of 48, 43, and 80 yards while keeping drives alive with his legs.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1631764' first='Korey' last='Manley'] (WR)</strong>&nbsp;– A deep-play threat all night, with a 48-yard score and an 80-yard touchdown catch that broke the game wide open.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Miesh Echevarria (ATH)</strong>&nbsp;– The tone-setter on defense, finishing with a fumble recovery, an interception, and multiple tackles for loss.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401337' first='Amir' last='Maddrey'] (RB/LB)</strong>&nbsp;– Contributed as a physical runner and defender, moving the chains on offense and blowing up plays in space on defense.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1866829' first='Isaiah' last='Ferrell'] (ATH)</strong>&nbsp;– Showed versatility with a touchdown pass, a receiving score, and several clutch plays in open space.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->