Boys' Latin's Gilbert on fast track

EVER WONDER what it's like to have speed beyond your wildest imagination? We're not talking about driving fast in a car. We're talking speed as in how fast your legs can carry you.

Damere Gilbert, a 5-10, 170-pound track star turned wide receiver and defensive back, can tell you.

"It's breathtaking," he said. "I can't believe I'm going that fast, but I know I can always get faster."

Gilbert used his "quicks" last night to propel Boys' Latin (6-5) past Southern High, 24-20, in nonleague action at the South Philadelphia Supersite.

Junior quarterback Troy Hester scored the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard sneak with 28.9 seconds remaining, helping the Warriors come back from a 20-12 halftime deficit.

The big play on that drive was a 41-yard completion to Gilbert that put them at the Rams' 15 with 1 minute remaining.

"I just like to work hard," Gilbert said. "In situations like that, I want people to be able to depend on me to get the win."

The Sharon Hill resident finished with 115 yards and a touchdown on three catches (38.3 per). He also added six tackles, four solos and two pass deflections. His 64-yard dash to the end zone in frame No. 2 gave the Warriors a short-lived 12-6 advantage.

Despite a few late miscues, Southern took control on back-to-back ground tallies by junior quarterback Kahssian Kay to take a 20-12 lead.

However, the Public League AAAA Rams (3-6) failed to extend their lead, fumbling twice inside the Warriors' 5-yard line. The first led to a disjointed, 99-yard touchdown on a fumble return by senior Clarence Rowland.

With the Rams poised to score, Rowland emerged with the ball as players from both sides and the officials appeared to hesitate. Rowland even tentatively ran down the field, perhaps unsure if the ball was blown dead or not.

"I was trying to get that ball out," Gilbert said. "I don't know what happened, but we came up with it in the end zone. I don't know what happened. I was so shocked."

After a conference, the referee signaled touchdown with 6:11 left in the third. The next costly fumble came as junior running back Casey Williams powered his way through several Warriors, dragging the pile near the end zone.

However, the ball squirted free near the 5 and a mad dash ensued. Several players got fingers, limbs and hopes on the ball before it slipped out of the end zone for a touchback. Senior Derrick Jones forced the fumble for the AAA Warriors.

"We just had to remember what the coaches said in the beginning of the season," Gilbert said. "Just face adversity, dig down and make stuff happen."

Qashah Carter led the Rams with 84 yards and a score on 10 totes. He and Nicholas Coffie also had interceptions. Junior fullback Martel Marshall finished with 83 yards on eight carries. Defensively, Samid Williams racked up eight tackles, six for loss and a sack.

The turnovers may have been critical, but 11 penalties certainly didn't help Southern's chances.

Hester finished with 250 yards passing and two scoring tosses. Junior Javon Oglesby-Rice added a 70-yard receiving score. Senior Michael Hammock grabbed four passes for 42 yards.

And don't forget the speedy Gilbert. He's sitting on 10 scholarship offers in track, where he runs the 100, 200, and 400 meters, and both relays (4x100, 4x400).

"Once I was able to walk [my mom] just put basketballs and footballs in my hands," Gilbert said. "Then once I turned 7 years old, she put me into track and I just took off from there."

Gilbert said his mom, Gia Waddy, with whom he lives, and his father, David Gilbert, both ran track when they were younger.

He smiled widely as he claimed to be the speediest in the family. He's undecided on what he wants to study in college, and he's also unsure of what sport he wants to play.

"Right now, I just love them both evenly," he grinned. "I couldn't choose."

Gilbert is hoping he doesn't have to.

"If I have to choose," he said, "I'll just beg the coach to let me play both."