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Sports

Upper Marlboro High School to Play in Kickoff Classic

The Wise High School football team has lost in the state championship the past two seasons.

The 2011 high school football campaign is months away, but the team from Dr. Henry A. Wise High School in Upper Marlboro recently learned they will play in the second annual I-95 Kickoff Classic.

The Pumas, 4A state finalists in 2009 and 2010, will open the season on September 2 against Franklin -- the 2010 3A state finalist -- at Hughes Stadium on the Morgan State University campus in Baltimore.

"It’s an opportunity for us to showcase our team against another good opponent," said Wise head coach DaLawn Parrish, who guided the Pumas to a 12-2 record last year. "This is big. They’ve got a good program. We’re looking forward to this challenge."

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The Pumas have suffered heart-wrenching state championship losses the last two seasons. They were defeated by Old Mill, 17-16, in 2009 and lost to Urbana, 6-0, in last year’s title game. The Pumas will enter the upcoming season with a chip on their shoulder after falling short those times.

“There’s always more drive when you’ve been there and haven’t completed the mission,” said Parrish.

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Wise returns a number of key players from last year including running back Uriah Bethea who rushed for 1,655 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. The 6-foot, 180-pound dynamo has already received a scholarship offer from Division I-AA Towson University.

“I expect him to have a big year,” said Parrish. “He understands our offensive sets. He understands our blocking schemes. I look forward to another big year [from Bethea].”

Among the other returning players are 6-foot-3, 210-pound defensive end/linebacker Tre Smith, 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver Zach Pascal and 6-foot-3, 295-pound two-way lineman Andre’as Antone-Ford.

Parrish said that his team will also return about seven underclassmen that started as sophomores last year. All told, Wise has high expectations entering the 2011 campaign and the Pumas are seeking to capture the school’s first state championship.

“The kids are hungry,” said Parrish. “The coaching staff is hungry. We’re definitely looking forward to the first game and the season.”

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