There have been several injuries on the defensive line of the James Madison University football team this season, and that has allowed redshirt freshman Anthony McDaniel to take advantage of the situation.

A graduate of Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School, McDaniel has seen action on the defensive line for JMU, which has been ranked nationally at the Division I-AA level this season.

So what does McDaniel, a reserve, have to do to be a starter for the Dukes?

"My overall work ethic," said McDaniel, standing on the field at JMU before a recent practice in Harrisonburg, VA. "I have to learn how to give 100 percent all of the time."

McDaniel played at Wise under DaLawn Parrish, a graduate of Howard High and a former defensive back at Division I Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 1990s.

Parrish and his staff have sent players to the college ranks, from Division I Maryland to Division II Shepherd.

"Coach Parrish, I love that man. He is a great coach. He taught me everything that I know," McDaniel said.

Coming out of high school, McDaniel also considered Richmond and Old Dominion, which like JMU plays in the tough Colonial Athletic Association.

McDaniel had four tackles for the Dukes in a loss at Old Dominion on Oct. 29. "I feel good. It has had its ups and downs but I feel good," McDaniel said about the 2011 season.

Schools from the CAA have had five teams win a national title since 1998. JMU won the national title in 2004.

McDaniel played in seven of the first 10 games for JMU and had 10 tackles. The Dukes won, 31-13, at home Saturday against Rhode Island in the Senior Day game.

JMU, now 6-4 overall, will play Saturday at UMass in its regular-season finale and will need a win to have any shot at making the national Division I-AA playoffs. First-place Towson, also in the CAA, is all but assured of making the playoffs after winning at home Saturday against New Hampshire.

Wise High football falls

The season came to an end for the Wise High football team this past weekend as the Pumas lost, 21-20, in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs against Flowers on Saturday.

Wise, ranked No. 9 in The Washington Post at game time, led 6-0 after the first quarter and scored 14 points in the fourth quarter but came up short after trailing, 12-6, to No. 14 Suitland.

Frederick Douglass, however, won its playoff game, 26-20, over Patuxent. The team will now face Glenelg (Howard County), which beat Gwynn Park in the other Class 2A South Region semifinal game.

Bailey aids Howard hoops

Brandon Bailey, a Largo High School graduate, is a freshman on the men's basketball team at Division I Howard University. The Bison won its first home game of the season, 83-63, on Monday against Division II Washington Adventist of Takoma Park.

"Right now we are growing," Bailey said after the game. Howard began its season with a 63-48 loss at Bowling Green in Ohio on Friday as Bailey had no points in four minutes.

Former Gwynn Park High standout Brandon Ford, another freshman guard for Howard, had one point and two assists in 22 minutes at Bowling Green. "The game is much faster (in college). That is the big difference," Ford said.

The Howard roster also includes freshman Prince Okoroh, who played at Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt. He had five rebounds and two points at Bowling Green and started against Washington Adventist, as did Ford.

The Washington Adventist roster includes senior guard Kwame Johnson of Suitland, senior guard Desmin Wade of Forestville and senior center Marcus Johnson of Fort Washington.

Drummond assists Loyola basketball

Riverdale Baptist product Justin Drummond scored 10 points for the Loyola College men's basketball team in a win at home Monday against Coppin State. He also added seven rebounds.

Salisbury football in national playoffs

Freshman defensive back Justin Coles of Upper Marlboro is on the roster for the Division III football team at Salisbury, which hosts Western New England on Saturday in the national playoffs. Coles graduated from Wise High.