Maryland high school football powerhouse removes head coach amid 6-0 start

One of Maryland’s top high school football programs will be without its head coach for the rest of the season, the school told parents and players on Monday.

Dameon Powell, the head coach of Charles Herbert Flowers (Md.) has been removed from his role, according to the letter. Players and their families learned of the decision from the letter, though it also says that Powell is actively appealing that decision.

In that letter, the school’s principal reminded athletic staff of their “responsibility to follow all the rules, including when it comes to whether or not a student is eligible to play.”

If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be the first time Powell has run afoul of rules regarding player eligibility. In 2023, C.H. Flowers was disqualified from the 4A state playoffs because of the use of an ineligible player. Hours before the Jaguars were set to host Eleanor Roosevelt in a second-round playoff game, Prince George’s County Public Schools notified them they would be forced to forfeit.

This season, C.H. Flowers is off to a 6-0 start and ranks No. 24 statewide in the Maryland Rivals Composite High School Football Team Ranking. After knocking Washington (D.C.) Eastern to open the season, they’ve rolled off five more victories, including a 17-6 upset of rival Dr. Henry Wise last month.

According to a statement given to WTOP, the school will also have to forfeit all games the ineligible player participated in “in accordance with district and state athletic regulations,” the statement read. That number will be determined once the full investigation is complete.

Powell’s removal is just the latest in a series of football-related issues at the Prince George’s County School. In addition to the 2023 disqualification, Powell was suspended an entire year in 2019 for holding a practice before the start of the season, which broke Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association rules.

At the time, Powell was entering his fourth season in charge of the Jaguars following back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and led Flowers to the regional championship game. Since Powell took over in 2016, C.H. Flowers has racked up an 83-18 record and established itself as one of the state’s premier programs.

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