Mt. Douglas’ Davis Highlights Game Against Lunas
Marcus Davis returns a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter as the Mount Douglas Rams surged ahead of the Vancouver College Fighting Irish in the Subway Bowl, AAA high school football provincial championship, at B.C. Place on Saturday (Dec. 1). The Rams powered their way to a 51-14 victory. Photo by Christian J. Stewart Photography.
By Rodney S. Yap
Fans of Maui Interscholastic League football and supporters of Lahainaluna High School will get to see a special talent today when the home team lines up against the visitors from Victoria, British Columbia.
That’s because the Mount Douglas High School Rams is not your ordinary team and its star player, Marcus Davis, is one of the best ever to play Triple-A provincial football. The two made their case as one of the best high school teams from the Vancouver Province this generation has seen when the Rams successfully defended their title with a 51-14 dismantling of the Vancouver College Fighting Irish on Dec. 2, 2012.
Last year’s win gave Mt. Douglas its second straight AAA Subway Bowl championship and talk of a Rams’ three-peat in 2013 began immediately as the division’s player of the year, Davis, was only a junior.
“I know they have made a name for themselves,” said Lahainaluna co-head coach Bobby Watson, when asked about the Mt. Douglas Rams. “I know they are Triple-A champions and they are returning 16 players from last year’s team.”
Marcus Davis with his MVP hardware from Team B.C.’s win over the USA all-star team at the Football University International Games in San Antonio, Texas, in January.
The Lunas’ non-league game against the Rams is slated for 7 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium. Meanwhile, the MIL regular season opener for King Kekaulike and Kamehameha Maui will be played Upcountry, also at 7 p.m., on the Warrior campus.
On Friday, Baldwin defeated Maui High, 33-13, at War Memorial Stadium.
In 2011, the Rams travelled to the Garden Isle to face Kapaa. Davis, sophomore then, had two interceptions and two touchdown receptions in the Mt. Douglas’ 34-31 win over the Warriors.
Mt. Douglas’ current 37-player roster, includes 17 seniors.
As a junior (video highlights), Davis averaged a team best 11.57 yards per carry. He capped the team’s 12-game season with 798 yards rushing (69 carries / no fumbles) and 11 touchdowns.
As good as Davis was running the ball, he was equally good, if not better, as a receiver where he led the team in yards (996), catches (52) and touchdowns (13). He averaged 19.15 yards per catch. Nothing, however, can compare to his prowess as a return specialist, scoring four punt returns for touchdown on six tries (355 yards). He added two more scores on kickoffs, where he averaged 41.69 yards per return (542).
Davis’ all-purpose production accounted for 2,691 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2012, an average of 224.25 yards per game.
Davis set the stage the Rams’ back-to-back crowns with a pair of early touchdown runs against Vancouver College totaling 151 yards. Less than a month later, the now 5-foot, 10-inch, 180-pounder, sparked Team B.C.’s 38-18 win over USA’s all-star team of high school players at the Football University International Games in San Antonio, Texas.
Davis, who scored B.C.’s first touchdown of the game on the second play from from scrimmage, was named the game’s MVP.
Lahainaluna’s Connor Mowat (54) sacks Kapaa quarterback Fresno Masaniai (5) last week at War Memorial Stadium. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.
“Davis was dynamic as ever being a threat to score every time he touched the football, whether it was catching the football or returning punts and kickoffs,” Mt. Douglas head coach Mark Townsend told the media following the upset by Team B.C.
Townsend attended the FBU as Team B.C.’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator.
“The scary thing is, Marcus is only in Grade 11. (He was) deservingly awarded the Player of the Game against Team U.S.A. and his already sky-high stock certainly rose higher in the eyes of those NCAA (and CIS) scouts in attendance,” Townsend added.
The Team USA that Davis was up against is an elite team of high school players, selected behind the top level of U.S.A. high-schoolers who played in the US Army All-American Game and Under Armour High School All-Star game.
The Rams currently have 11 players who are listed on Team B.C.’s 56-player cut-down roster for the Under-18 tackle team that will represent B.C. at the FBU International Games as part of the US Army All-American Bowl Week to be held in San Antonio, Texas in early January 2014.
The players will be invited to a final mini-camp to take place in December. The final roster of 36 players will be named at the conclusion of the mini-camp.
Davis, offensive linemen Christian Krause and Zach Wilkinson and quarterback Ashton MacKinnon are returning Ram players who played for Team B.C.
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