The senior tight end and Duke commit believes he can help turn the season around
Growing up with a speech impediment, the Briar Woods tight end and Duke commit learned to communicate with his actions on the field. (Olin Akisoglu for Synthesis/Koubaroulis LLC. / The Washington Post)
September 30, 2015, 2:31 p.m. — In the opening week of the 2015 season, the Briar Woods Falcons had a late 16-14 lead over Tuscarora in a matchup between ranked teams in the Washington Post All-Met poll. However, the Huskies quarterback Daniel Smith punched the ball into the endzone from the one-yard line, giving his team the dramatic victory.
This moment set the stage for the Falcons season. They would fall again in Week 2 to a South County team that remains undefeated and is currently ranked No. 4 in the poll.
Although they would finally get that first win in their next game, the Falcons now sit at 1-4 on the season with several tough games ahead, including at No. 6 Westfield and they a home game against Stone Bridge to close the regular season.
Falcons senior tight end Mark Birmingham believes they can right the ship and return to their winning ways.
“I have no doubt we can win out the rest of our season and make the playoffs,” Birmingham said. “It’s just a matter of coming out every Friday night and competing to the best of our abilities.”
Birmingham, a Duke commit, is the highest profile player on the Ashburn, Va. squad. He is in the ESPN Top 300 and is a four-star recruit, according to Scout. He is the number four overall prospect in the state of Virginia in the 2016 class and third nationally among tight ends.
At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he creates a matchup problem for smaller defenders. Even with this big body at their disposal, the Falcons have been unable to find their rhythm offensively.
“We have a lot of young guys in critical positions,” Birmingham said. “Also, we have a few injuries to the offensive line, which puts pressure on the quarterback and the entire offense.”
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The Falcons run a spread offense with a heavy rushing attack, led by dual-threat junior quarterback D’Andre Thomas. He is averaging 137 yards through the air per game and 46 yards on the ground. He has thrown for just three touchdowns in five games, leaving little room for Birmingham to get going.
According to Birmingham, it will be his own responsibility to ignite the resurgence.
“As a captain and leader I just need to continue to keep the guys focused and believing in what we are doing, and to lead the right way,” he said.
Despite the 1-4 record, three of the four defeats were by one touchdown or less, and three of the losses came to ranked foes.
“We have always been just a few plays away to win,” Birmingham said, “but we work hard and get better every practice.”
Although he is fully invested in his senior season with the Falcons, Birmingham is excited about being a part of the Duke roster next season and achieving his dream of playing at the next level. The Blue Devils have been on a rapid rise under the leadership of Head coach David Cutcliffe. The program may not be on the same level as the basketball team any time soon, but the culture has changed.
“It’s a new challenge and reaching my goals is everything,” Birmingham said. “I’m most excited to be a part of all the tradition the school holds, not just football but in general.”
Before his prep career ends, he hopes to improve his blocking and attention to technique in terms of route running. At the college level and beyond, there will be more players closer to his size, making technique more valuable.
Greater than his desire to improve technically is his aspiration to help his ailing Falcons soar again.
“I would just like to be the best leader and teammate I can be,” Birmingham said, “to put us in the best position to win games.”
The Falcons return to action this Friday as they host Lee.
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