The St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes Saints unexpected rise to dominance continued Saturday with the squad’s 26-7 victory over the Potomac School.

Despite the final score, the Saints trailed through much of the matchup. Though they scored first on a 31-yard pass from quarterback Ish Seisay to wide receiver Sam Gallahan, the extra point kick went wide.

The Panthers (1-2, 0-0 in conference) responded soon after — quarterback Kevin Havermann hit wide receiver Johnny Read for a 29-yard touchdown pass — and did not make the same mistake. Potomac’s 7-6 lead held steady as each squad’s defense dominated.

But after two scoreless quarters, Seisay broke through the Panthers defense with a four-yard dash into the end zone. The St. Stephen’s squad went for a two-point conversion to extend their lead, but the passing play crashed and burned.

Holding onto the six-point lead, the Saints turned — and not for the first time this season — to running back Darius Manora. The senior, already enjoying a breakout year, punched in a two-yard touchdown run.

He followed that score with an 11-yard touchdown run minutes later to cap off the Saints’ 20-point fourth-quarter performance and secure the victory. The pair of touchdown runs brings the running back’s season total to eight, though five were earned in a rout of backyard rival Bishop Ireton earlier this month.

Though the Saints have yet to play a conference game, they are 4-0 on the season. This year, the second under head coach Bernard Joseph, is a far cry from the Saints previous two seasons, which saw the team go 1-8 in both campaigns.

They face a tough challenge Saturday with a matchup against Paul VI Catholic (3-1, 0-0 in conference). The Panthers are coming off a 39-14 loss to Woodberry Forest and looking for revenge.