3. River Hill

Coach: Brian Van Deusen.

Last season: 10-2, No. 10.

Postseason: Class 3A East regional finalist.

Outlook: The Hawks missed the state tournament last fall for the first time in six years but took their their eighth consecutive Howard County championship although they had to share it. Their 10-0 loss to Atholton -- the Hawks' first loss to a Howard County opponent in 49 games -- combined with Hammond suffering just one loss -- to the Hawks, 27-6 -- gave the two identical 9-1 league records in a league with no head-to-head tiebreaker.

Another Howard County foe, Wilde Lake, ended the Hawks' bid for a third state title with a 13-6 overtime win in the regional final. The Wildecats went on to win the championship and the Hawks set their sites on this year's title.

River Hill has qualified for the regional championships every year since 2003 and made five trips to the state final four between 2005 and 2009. They won the Class 2A title in 2007 and 2008.

Don't look for much to change in the Hawks' offense where five starters return. They want to run and Aaron Wells is built for the job. The senior running back gained about 1,800 all-purpose yards last season and will be the primary ball carrier once again. Quarterback is a bit of question mark, Van Deusen said, but he had four guys vying for the job.

Defensively, six starters return for a unit that allowed an average of 10.5 points and held six regular-season opponents under 9 points last fall. Look for cornerbacks Raamah Vaughn and Randall Lawson and inside linebacker Riley Davis to be key stoppers.

The Hawks should face a tough battle for the Howard County title this fall with some people favoring Atholton as the team to beat. Besides the Hawks and the Raiders, Hammond should be in the mix with two stellar running backs and you can never count out Wilde Lake, which will surely be rebuilt and ready to go.

Photo of Aaron Wells by Kitty R. Charlton/Patuxent Publishing