Imhotep remains king of the Pub with 33-0 win over Bartram

Imhotep's defense is fast, furious and full of great athletes with gobs of football savvy.

And its motto is simple.

"If they can't score, they can't win," Kamal Harrison said Saturday night after his Panthers dispatched Bartram, 33-0, in less than four full quarters at the Germantown Supersite.

With the win, the Panthers also claimed the 4A Public League championship, their sixth consecutive Pub title.

Junior lineman Omar Speights led the Panthers with four sacks, while Harrison added two. As a team, Imhotep sacked Bartram's star quarterback, Mahmud Dioubate, nine times.

Junior defensive back Tykee Smith added an interception, forced a fumble, added a sack and scored a rushing touchdown, while Penn State-commit Isheem Young was also dynamic on both sides of the ball.

"It feels great to have something stamped in the history books for the young'uns to look forward to," Harrison said. "I just love being a part of the history here at Imhotep."

On a frigid night in front of a slightly less than packed crowd, the Panthers led, 7-0, at intermission, but scored 19 points in the decisive third frame to seize control.

Then, with the game out of reach in the fourth, referees gathered near midfield and called the game with 6 minutes, 48 seconds remaining after several physical plays and jawing by both teams.

Bartram was flagged 16 times for 121 yards, while the Panthers got ticketed 13 times for 130 yards.

Young finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. He also walked away with the game's MVP award. Yusuf Terry added 66 yards and two scores on three catches.

Imhotep will face Cardinal O'Hara next week for the 4A District 12 title.

Smith's forced fumble while the Panthers were ahead, 14-0, in the third led to a 47-yard score by Young on the next play.

With a lead in hand, the defensive front knew Dioubate had no choice but to throw.

"Basically, me and Omar got a little competition thing," Harrison said. "Whoever can get there first [wins]. But really we love working together."

If Speights arrived first, Dioubate usually fled to Harrison, and vice versa.

When the defensive front didn't get there, the back end did.

"If we're having a tough game up front," Harrison said, "we have guys behind us that we can rely on. They fly."

For Bartram (11-1), Dioubate finished with 137 yards on 9 of 24 passing. Ibrahim Diaoune caught six passes for 100 yards.

Box

Imhotep 0 7 19 7 — 33

Bartram 0 0 0 0 — 0

IM: Tykee Smith 2 run  Anthony Gordon kick

IM: Isheem Young 7 run. Gordon kick

IM: Young 47 run. Kick failed

IM: Yusuf Terry 4 pass from Jalen Sutton-Christian. Run failed

IM: Terry 60 pass from Sutton-Christian. Gordon kick

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