At the end of Wise’s semifinal win against Eleanor Roosevelt on Friday, as players waved towels overhead and danced for cheering fans, the scoreboard told a very different story than the last time the teams had met.

The Pumas’ 62-21 win was evidence of a team that has grown and evolved over the course of the season. Compared with the Pumas’ 22-16 win over Roosevelt on Sept. 8, their second game of the year, Friday’s result at home had them on an 11-game winning streak and brimming with confidence heading into the Maryland 4A state final, in which they will meet Broadneck.

“It’s a big difference,” said sophomore Eric Wedge III, whose first game as the starting quarterback was that previous Roosevelt meeting. “My [offensive coordinator] helping me every week, coaching me, teaching me the reads. My whole team believing in me, my O-line taking care of me. We’re getting better and better every week.”

The Pumas (11-1) came out immediately dominant Friday, forcing turnovers and ending nearly every drive with points. A few minutes into the second quarter, Wise had already scored three touchdowns, including a 50-yard run from junior running back DeCarlos Young that shook the home bleachers.

Roosevelt’s offense came alive in the second quarter as the Raiders (10-3) leaned on speed and the teams traded touchdowns for six straight drives. For every breakaway run the Raiders found, Wise had an answer. The Pumas came out of halftime scoring, with Young returning the kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The defense, too, fixed any weak spots from the first half to keep Roosevelt scoreless.

“My whole team just had to come out here and dominate,” said Young, who had nine carries for 210 yards and scored four touchdowns. “But we were talking like: ‘If we do this, we got to finish the whole thing. We can’t just get this game. We got to get to work and get it done.”

The Pumas were appearing in their 12th state semifinal in 17 seasons. Their path through these playoffs has been dominant, and they were spared a postseason rematch with rival C.H. Flowers, which they beat, 17-14, in overtime in the regular season; Flowers was disqualified from the tournament because of a player eligibility violation.

Wise’s own complications with Prince George’s County officials regarding player eligibility resulted in the end of starting quarterback Khalil Wilkins’s season minutes before its regular season matchup against Roosevelt. That gave Wedge a chance to lead his team on a run to a state final appearance; Wise last appeared in the title game in 2021, when it lost to Quince Orchard.

“[I want to] win this year, and then get two more my junior and senior year,” Wedge said. “Get that three-peat.”