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November 18, 2009

Joppatowne's Waibel is Ravens' Coach of the Week

Joppatowne football coach Bill Waibel was named the Ravens' High School Coach of the Week after guiding the No. 5 Mariners to a 49-30 regional semifinal victory over Bohemia Manor Friday night.

The Mariners (11-0) had not allowed that many points all season, but Waibel said the defense, which came into the game giving up an average of 5.2 points and had not allowed more than 14, played well.

“We had three turnovers in the first half, and it gave them a short field,” Waibel said in a news release. “But we were able to take care of the football in the second half and make adjustments on the offensive line, as far as blocking schemes go. We challenged our team to go out and play to our ability.”

Continue reading "Joppatowne's Waibel is Ravens' Coach of the Week" »

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 9:56 AM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football
        

November 17, 2009

Pikesville football double trouble for Sparrows Point

In last weekend’s regional football semifinal, Pikesville probably faced the most highly-motivated team in the entire state tournament bracket – Sparrows Point.

A week earlier, the Pointers had a chance to beat Pikesville on the last play of the regular-season finale, but Panthers linebacker Nolan Hart tipped the ball away from a Sparrows Point player in the end zone to seal a 35-28 Pikesville win and the top spot among Baltimore County’s Class 1A teams.

That brought up Part Two for the rivals: the Class 1A North region opener.

“We knew Sparrows Point was going to come out and be excited, because the week before they lost on the last play of the game, so they knew they could beat us and our kids knew that too,” said Panthers coach Jamie Willis. “I told them they’re going to come out on top of their game, especially emotionally, and they did. They jumped on us. They threw the ball down two series in a row and went up 14-0.”

The Panthers didn’t fold.

Shortly after Sparrows Point's second touchdown, quarterback Jeremy Downing wanted to pass on third-and-12, but the Pointers covered his receivers, so he scrambled for a first down that led to Pikesville’s first touchdown.

“He makes plays,” Willis said. “He’s that kind of kid, so it got us moving a little bit and got us into the game emotionally and from that point on, we played probably our best football.”

The Panthers reeled off five unanswered touchdowns to take the lead for good, led offensively by Downing, Bradley Garfield, Daniel Shear, Kion Wright and DeVohn Gilmore. They went on to win, 42-20, and earn a trip to Thurmont to meet Catoctin (10-0) for the regional crown Friday night.

That was the eighth straight win for Pikesville, which started the season 0-2. Willis said the leadership of his 21 seniors played a key role in their success in a season in which they matched a program-best 8-2 record.

“We started the year 0-2 with a bunch of turnovers and then we got a bye week,” Willis said. “We knew we had to get better and they just continued to lead us. Right now we're playing our best football, so they led us to where we are today.”

Willis, a second-year head coach who took the Panthers to the regional final last season after they had gone through five losing seasons, also noted the defensive play of linemen Robert Gibson, Pat Murdock, Brent Hiken and Jaron McQueen, defensive ends Shear and Taymar Davenport, linebackers Hart and Tim Bailey, corners David Johnson and Shawn Markow and safeties Gilmore and Corey Cutler.

Next up for the Panthers, who had never gone past the first round of playoffs until last season, is another familiar foe: Catoctin. They fell to the Cougars, 50-13, a year ago at home.

“We played them last year in the same game,” said Willis, “so we know who they are. I think they expected us to be here again and we knew they were going to be here again. My kids are looking forward to it. We’re going to have to play a flawless game to beat them. They’re a very good team.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:01 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

Arundel's Harris worth watching too

There’s more than one state record setter on Arundel’s No. 1 football team.

R.J. Harris can sometimes get overshadowed by quarterback Billy Cosh, who breaks his own state passing records every game. Harris, however, is setting some records of his own. He’s the one catching most of those passes.

The senior wide receiver scored one touchdown in Friday’s regional semifinal win over Annapolis to boost a couple of his own state records. He has 25 receiving touchdowns this season, breaking the old mark of 23 shared by two of his former Wildcats teammates, Brandon Johnson-Farrell in 2007 and Alec Lemon in 2008.

He also holds the state career mark for most receiving touchdowns with 45, which also broke a two-year old Johnson-Farrell record of 40.

When asked recently about the state records, Harris said he didn't even know he was getting close to any state records.

"To tell you the truth, I had no idea about it. My dad told me about it (after he broke the first one), but I had no idea. It felt great, because I worked hard, but that wasn't my goal. My goal wasn't to set records. Of course, it's fun and all, but our main goal is to win a state title."

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:40 AM | | Comments (0)
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The Cosh Watch

Add yet another state record to Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh’s resume.

With 14 completed passes in Friday night’s 18-6 regional semifinal win over Annapolis, the senior raised his career total to 562. That breaks the record of 548 set by North County’s Mike Pfisterer in 2000, a record Cosh tied the previous week.

Cosh now holds 11 state records -- 10 outright and one shared. Eight of those records, including the shared mark of seven touchdown passes in a game, are overall state records. The other two are public school records. With 108 career touchdown passes, Cosh needs six more to break the state overall record of 113.

Cosh, who is headed to Kansas State, is creeping up on one more Pfisterer record. He has 849 career pass attempts behind Pfisterer’s 902.

Time is winding down on Cosh’s high school career with only three more weeks left to play if the No. 1 Wildcats make it all the way to the state Class 4A final. Of course, he will be playing in the Maryland Crab Bowl on Dec. 19 at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium, but those stats won't count toward his high school totals.

Continue reading "The Cosh Watch" »

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:30 AM | | Comments (0)
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November 16, 2009

The Next Level ... goes on vacation

Hey there folks. I'm out of town this week, so there will be no edition of The Next Level today.

Don't fret though: I'll return next Monday with a double helping to catch you up on everything that went on this past weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Posted by Steve Gould at 10:00 AM | | Comments (0)
        

November 15, 2009

Playoff football: By the numbers

The first week of regional playoff action has come and gone with three weeks left until the crowning of the state champions. Here’s a look at some of the big numbers from the regional semifinals:

0: Teams currently in Class 2A that have ever won a state Class 2A championship.

3: Interceptions by Arundel’s Michael Coombs in the Wildcats’ 18-6 win over Annapolis Friday.

4: Unbeaten teams still rolling. Arundel, River Hill and Joppatowne are 11-0. Forest Park is 10-0.

5: Unanswered touchdowns scored by Pikesville in rallying to beat Sparrows Point Friday for a second week in a row.

6: Different Eastern Tech players who scored touchdowns in the 50-12 win over Lake Clifton Friday.

10: Games in which Joseph Blackwell has led Arundel in rushing yardage.

13: Tackles recorded by Arundel’s Bobby Partilla in the win over Annapolis Friday.

31: State playoff games won by Dunbar since its first appearance in 1993. The Poets have won six titles.

34: Yard field goal by Franklin’s Jake Gibson with six minutes to go to edge Poly, 10-8, Friday night.

37: Points scored by Patterson in less than eight minutes of Friday’s 37-0 win over Woodlawn.

49: Most points scored this season by Joppatowne in its Friday night win over Bohemia Manor – and the Mariners needed them, because they also gave up a season-high 39 points.

70: School record points scored in a game by River Hill in Friday night’s shutout of James M. Bennett.

100: Career wins for River Hill coach Brian van Duesen with Friday’s victory.

340: Yards rushing for Dunbar’s Nathan Ayers Jr., a career high, in the Poets’ come-from-behind win over Forestville Saturday.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:16 PM | | Comments (2)
Categories: Football
        

Football regional final schedule set

Next weekend's regional football championship schedule has been set. Here's a look at the local teams first with the rest of the draws to follow.

4A North
Patterson vs. Thomas Johnson at Poly, Friday, 7 p.m.

4A East
Old Mill at Arundel, Friday, 7 p.m.

3A North
Franklin at Hereford, Friday, 7 p.m.

3A East
Atholton at River Hill, Friday, 7 p.m.

2A West
Middletown at South Carroll, Friday, 7 p.m.

2A North
Chesapeake-BC vs. Eastern Tech at CCBC-Dundalk, Friday, 7 p.m.

1A North
Pikesville at Catoctin, Friday, 7 p.m.

1A South
Dunbar vs. Forest Park at Poly, Saturday, 1 p.m.

1A East
Havre de Grace at Joppatowne, Friday, 7 p.m.

The rest of the bracket:
4A West
Paint Branch at Sherwood, Friday, 7 p.m.

4A South
Flowers at Wise, Saturday, 1 p.m.

3A West
Linganore at Quince Orchard, Friday, 7 p.m.

3A South
Westlake at Huntingtown, Friday, 7 p.m.

2A South
Gwynn Park vs. Douglass-PG OR
Douglass-PG vs. McDonough
(depending on the winner of the Gwynn Park-McDonough semifinal Monday)

2A East
Kent Island at Queen Anne's, Friday, 7 p.m.

1A West
Allegany at Fort Hill, Friday, 7 p.m.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:22 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

November 13, 2009

Crab Bowl rosters announced

The final rosters have been announced for The Maryland Crab Bowl, the high school football senior all-star game, to be held Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium.

The game pits the best seniors in the Baltimore area against the best in the Washington, D.C. area. Click here to check out the rosters.

If you're wondering why a couple of Baltimore quarterbacks -- McDonogh's Rudy Johnson and Edmondson's Jerry Lovelocke -- show up on the Washington roster, it's because Bowl officials determined that there were no Division I-caliber senior quarterbacks in the Washington area while there were six on the Baltimore side (including Cambridge-South Dorchester's Taylor Henry). They split them up to get the best players into the game.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:33 PM | | Comments (0)
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November 11, 2009

Poly's Wrenn: 'It's bad news for us'

Poly’s football team suffered a devastating blow to its offense when quarterback Antoine Goodson and running back Gabriel Ali-El suffered shoulder separations that will keep them out of Friday's 7 p.m. regional semifinal at Franklin. Both injuries came in Saturday's game against City at M&T Bank Stadium.

The No. 11 Engineers were able to defeat City, 26-20, in overtime after Goodson left the game early in the second half. Ali-El managed to stay on the field and score the game-winning touchdown. Goodson ran for two touchdowns before injuring his right shoulder (his throwing arm) for the second time this season.

Goodson, a senior who orchestrates Poly’s triple-option offense, is now out for the season, Wrenn said, and Ali-El, a junior, will miss Friday night’s game, which would be the last game for the Engineers if they don’t win.

“It’s bad news for us,” said Wrenn, whose team is 9-1. “We’ve lost two 1,000-yard rushers and a whole bunch of touchdowns scored and about three-fourths of our offense. We’re going to limp into the Franklin game a little bit, but we’ll do our best.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:05 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

The Cosh Watch

Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh continued his record-setting pace last week as he tied the state public school mark for most completed passes in a career. With 33 completions each of the last two weeks, the All-Metro senior has reached 548. That ties him with North County’s Mike Pfisterer, who set the mark in 2000.

Sharing that mark brings Cosh’s total state public school records to 11. He holds nine outright and shares two. Eight of them are overall state records. The other three are state public school records. He needs to add only eight more touchdown passes to his 106 to break the state overall record for touchdown passes in a season.

It appeared that Cosh, who is headed to Kansas State, had reached yet another public school milestone when his career passing yardage hit 6,718 Friday, eclipsing Pfisterer’s mark of 6,522. That is an Anne Arundel County record. However, Friendly’s Joe Haden bettered that mark in 2006 and now holds the record of 7,371.

In Friday night’s regular-season finale, a 69-28 romp over Southern, Cosh was 33-for-44 for 380 yards and six touchdowns. He has thrown 49 touchdowns this season as the No. 1 Wildcats improved to 10-0 and advanced to the state Class 3A East regional playoffs. He threw for 56, a state overall record, last season and he has up to four more games to play.

He now holds all of the state single-game and single-season passing records except best completion percentage in a season, .694 held by Ryan Fleetwood of Cambridge-South Dorchester since 1993. Cosh’s percentage this fall is .689.

Here’s a look at how close Cosh is to three state public school career marks:

Most passing yards: Haden 7,371, Cosh 6,498.
Most passes attempted: Pfisterer 902, Cosh 832.
Most passes completed: Pfisterer 548, Cosh 548.

(Thanks again to Mike Loveday and Sheldon Shealer of ESPN Rise for helping me keep up-to-date.)

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:03 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

November 10, 2009

Football five still unbeaten

And then there were still five...

Week 10 – the final week of league action – did nothing to thin the ranks of the undefeated as Arundel, River Hill, Joppatowne, Boys’ Latin and Forest Park all polished off perfect regular seasons. The first four are 10-0. Forest Park is 9-0.

Now the quest to stay unbeaten becomes more difficult as each team heads into post-season play. Staying perfect now means winning a state – or in Boys’ Latin’s case an MIAA – championship. At least one of the five must fall, because Joppatowne and Forest Park are both in Class 1A.

Here’s a look at how they got here and who’s next:


No. 1 Arundel
The Wildcats won their 20th straight game and the Anne Arundel County championship with Friday’s 69-28 victory over Southern. In sweeping through the league, they have scored 492 points and allowed just 123. All-Metro quarterback Billy Cosh has completed 239 of 347 passes for 2,805 yards and 49 touchdowns. His favorite receiver, R.J. Harris, has caught 88 of those passes for 1,313 yards and 24 touchdowns. Joseph Blackwell has run for 1,014 yards and nine touchdowns on 165 carries.
Next up: Annapolis (8-2) at home Friday at 7 p.m. in a Class 4A East region semifinal. In the fifth game of the season, Cosh threw for four touchdowns – three of them to Harris – to beat the Panthers, 38-7. Coach Chuck Markiewicz’s Wildcats are looking for their first state championship since 1975 after reaching the state semifinals last season and the title game in 2007.

No. 2 River Hill
After posting a fourth straight unbeaten season in Howard County with Friday’s 41-21 win over Centennial, the Hawks move back up to the Class 3A playoffs after winning two state Class 2A titles. Three years ago, the Hawks were runners up to Friendly in Class 3A. In Friday night’s win, Nick Bonhag had two touchdowns as the Eagles were the first team to score more than 15 points on a stellar Hawks’ defense that allows just 7.2 points per game.
Next up: James M. Bennett (6-4) at home Friday at 7 p.m. in the Class 2A East regional semifinals. The Clippers, from Salisbury, are in the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The last time coach Brian van Deusen’s Hawks lost a playoff game was that state 3A final, 37-18 to Friendly, on Dec. 9, 2006. Since then, they have won 38 games in a row.

5 Joppatowne
Coach Bill Waibel’s Mariners are harder to score on than any other Baltimore-area team. They allow just 5.2 points a game and finished off a perfect run through UCBAC Chesapeake Division with Friday’s 28-7 win over C. Milton Wright. They have four shutouts. This was their 17th straight win over a UCBAC opponent as Chris Wright ran for two touchdowns.
Next up: Bohemia Manor (7-3) Friday at home at 7 p.m. in the Class 1A East region semifinal. A UCBAC team from Chesapeake City in Cecil County, the Eagles are in a different division and did not play the Mariners during the regular season. They won the state 1A crown in 2002 and the Mariners took it a year later. Joppatowne has not lost a game on the field to a UCBAC opponent since September 2006 (although they forfeited some for an ineligible player in 2007 and 2008).

No. 8 Boys’ Latin
The Lakers finished off their first unbeaten regular season in 32 years with Friday’s 40-27 win at St. Paul’s. A strong defense and the running of Patrick Steele continue to power the Lakers. Steele rushed for 203 yards and five touchdowns in the game, bringing his season total to 29 touchdowns – many of them running behind his personal plowman, fullback Drew White.
Next up: No. 14 Archbishop Spalding (9-1) for the MIAA B Conference championship Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mount St. Joseph. The Lakers dominated the last meeting, 20-0, as Steele scored three times. But the Cavaliers will be out to avenge their only loss and take the trophy. Coach Ritchie Schell’s Lakers last won a B Conference title in 2002, when the conference was divided in half and they took the Silver Division. They shared C Conference titles in 2003 and 2004.

Forest Park
Lake Clifton gave the Foresters quite a run for the Baltimore City Division II championship Friday, but quarterback Travis Fonseca’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Arraheem Dedmon and some late-game defensive heroics gave the Foresters a 6-0 win and the title. Sean Patterson forced a fumble and Patrick Makell recovered it with about a minute to go to end a Lakers drive that had reached the Foresters 4-yard line. In his first season as head coach, Damon Bomar and his staff have turned the team around from 2-8 last fall
Next up: Carver (6-4) in the Class 1A North region semifinal Friday at 7 p.m. at Poly. The Foresters, who have won five games by a touchdown or less, edged the Bears, 20-14 in the regular season. Each team is looking for its first playoff victory.


Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

November 9, 2009

Broadneck's Herrick is Ravens' Coach of the Week

Broadneck football coach Jeff Herrick was named Ravens' High School Coach of the Week after guiding the Bruins to one of the biggest upsets of the fall season, a 44-38 win over No. 4 Old Mill.

The win was bittersweet, because it was not enough to get the Bruins (8-2) into the regional playoffs. Annapolis (8-2) edged them out for the fourth and final berth in the Class 4A East region, because the Panthers won the regular-season meeting, 28-25.

Against Old Mill, two big defensive plays made the difference -- Brian Hanratty's 28-yard interception return and Domenick Johnson's 87-yard fumble return, both for Bruins touchdowns.

Herrick began his coaching career at Meade and has been head coach at Broadneck since 1989.

Herrick is the seventh Baltimore coach to be honored this season by the Ravens, following Patterson's Corey Johnson, Atholton's Kyle Schmitt, Dunbar's Lawrence Smith, Calvert Hall's Donald Davis, Chesapeake-Baltimore County's Mark Junker and River Hill's Brian Van Deusen. North Carolina's James McCormick and Linganore's Rick Conner have also been honored. Each winner receives a $2,000 donation for his school's football program.

One coach will be named the Ravens' High School Coach of the Year at the Ravens' Dec. 13 game against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:41 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

The Next Level -- Week 10

Hard to believe we’re already through 10 weeks of the college football season. Seems like it has flown by. It won’t be long now until we’re checking out how some local players fare come bowl time.

One player who looks like he’s ready for anything is West Virginia freshman Tavon Austin. The former Dunbar star got only one touch in the Mountaineers’ 17-9 home victory over Louisville, but talk about capitalizing. Austin, who started at wide receiver, rushed 9 yards for a touchdown on second-and-goal in the third quarter. The score, Austin’s third of the season, extended West Virginia’s lead to 14-6. Austin’s former Dunbar teammate, Horace Miller, got his first start of the season at linebacker for the Cardinals. The freshman recorded two tackles (one solo, one assist).

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 10" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 5:34 PM | | Comments (1)
        

Gilman coach Poggi staying put

After the Gilman football team upset McDonogh Saturday, one online media outlet reported that Greyhounds’ coach Biff Poggi might not be back on the sidelines next fall, but when asked about the report Monday, Poggi said he had no plans to leave.

“I’ve got another son who’s pretty good. He played as a freshman, so I’m not going anywhere,” said Poggi of his younger son Henry, who played on the Gilman varsity team along with big brother Jim, a senior.

Coach Poggi said he was asked Saturday about Jim moving on to play for Iowa next year but said he didn’t mean to give the impression that dad was moving along too.

“I said I’m really interested in him getting settled, and I want to get out to see him as much as I can, and I think [the reporter] might have taken that to mean that I wouldn’t be here, but you can do both.”

Poggi, whose team won its ninth Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship since 1998 with the 37-24 win over McDonogh, said he expects to stick with the team at least through Henry’s final three years.

“Then I may go off gracefully into that sunset,” Poggi said with a laugh, “but who knows?”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 3:40 PM | | Comments (2)
Categories: Football
        

November 8, 2009

Week 10 football: By the numbers

The regular season came to an end this weekend with many teams looking forward to playoffs. Here's a look back at some of the key numbers from the action-packed regular-season finales:

1 Minute to play when Forest Park’s Patrick Makell smothered a Lake Clifton fumble on his own 6-yard line, sealing a 6-0 victory, an unbeaten regular season and the Baltimore City Division II title for the Foresters.

2 City fumbles inside No. 11 Poly’s 10-yard line late in the game, one setting up Gabriel Ali-El’s decisive 9-yard touchdown run in Poly’s 26-20 overtime victory in the 121st meeting Saturday between the two schools.

4 Straight undefeated regular seasons for No. 3 River Hill, which won its 40th consecutive Howard County game, 41-21, over Centennial Friday night.

Continue reading "Week 10 football: By the numbers" »

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 8:30 PM | | Comments (0)
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Regional football playoffs set

The schedule for the regional football playoffs is set. Here's the lineup.

Class 4A
East

Annapolis at Arundel, Friday, 7
Old Mill at North Point, Saturday, 1
North
Patterson at Woodlawn, Friday, 7
Thomas Johnson at Urbana, Saturday, 1
South
Roosevelt at Wise, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Suitland at Flowers, Saturday, 1
West
Springbrook at Sherwood, Friday, 7
Paint Branch at Whitman, Friday, 7

Class 3A
East

J.M. Bennett at River Hill, Friday, 7
Wilde Lake at Atholton, Friday, 7
North
North Harford at Hereford, Friday, 7
Poly at Franklin, Friday, 7
South
Lackey at Huntingtown, Friday, 7
Potomac at Westlake, Friday, 7
West
Damascus vs. Linganore at Oakdale, Friday, 7
Tuscarora at Quince Orchard, Friday, 7

Class 2A
North

Dundalk vs. Chesapeake-BC at CCBC-Dundalk, Friday, 7
Eastern Tech vs. Lake Clifton at CCBC-Essex, Friday, 7

East

North Caroline at Kent Island, Friday, 7
Wicomico at Queen Anne's, Friday, 7
South
Douglass-PG at Glenelg, Friday, 7
McDonough at Gwynn Park, Saturday, 1
West
Century at South Carroll, Friday, 7
Middletown at Rockville, Friday, 7

Class 1A
East

Bohemia Manor at Joppatowne, Friday, 7
Havre de Grace at Snow Hill, Friday, 7
North
Sparrows Point at Pikesville, Friday, 7
New Town at Catoctin, Friday, 7
South
Carver vs. Forest Park at Poly, Friday, 7
Forestville vs. Dunbar at Poly, Saturday, 1
West
Fort Hill vs. Smithsburg at Greenway Avenue Stadium, Friday, 7
Allegany vs. Boonsboro at Greenway Avenue Stadium, Saturday, 1

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:24 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

November 5, 2009

City, Poly QBs: More friends than foes

For about three hours a year, Adrian Coxson and Antoine Goodson have to think of each other as rivals, not friends.

As the quarterbacks for the City and Poly football teams, they line up on opposite sides of the area’s longest-running rivalry, an intense annual encounter that draws thousands of raucous, partisan fans to M&T Bank Stadium. When they square off at noon Saturday in the 121st meeting of their programs, the seniors won’t let friendship get in the way of the game. They won’t let the game get in the way of their friendship either.

Fittingly, City's Coxson met Poly's Goodson met at a football camp at Poly. Friends since the ninth grade, they have never had a problem keeping the big game in perspective.

“I don’t know how to explain how it works,” Goodson said. “We’re friends and we understand that while we’re on the field. We both try to win the game because it’s a big game. We understand that we both want to win, but even when you lose, after the game, you congratulate each other, say, ‘Good game,” and say, ‘I’ll see you later at the Victory Dance.’”

That doesn’t mean they haven’t been working each other via cell phone this week.

“He was just telling me the other day about how he might go for 200 yards,” Goodson said, “and I said the same thing, ‘I might just go for 200 yards.’ It makes it kind of fun, though.”

Coxson's perspective is about the same: “I was just talking to him and we laugh about how we’re going to beat each other, stuff like that -- how much we’re going to score. I play corner too, so me and him talk about me hitting him, me tackling him. We just laugh about it.”

The two have had a lot in common this season with Coxson taking over as City’s quarterback although he has committed to Penn State as a wide receiver. Goodson, who is being recruited by Georgia Tech, runs No. 11 Poly’s triple-option offense. They are the guys in charge on the field.

“Both are like the air traffic controller of their team,” said Poly coach Roger Wrenn. “They keep all the planes flying and make it all work. They’re both veteran players, they’re terrific guys and they’re terrific leaders.”

Earlier this season they shared an unfortunate coincidence, each suffering a shoulder injury in a game on the same day, Sept. 25. Goodson separated his right shoulder and Coxson sustained a small ligament tear in his left shoulder. Each missed only one game and both are now 100-percent recovered.

That’s good, because a lot more is riding on Saturday's game than bragging rights and the adulation of their devoted classmates and alumni.

Poly, which won last year ending a three-year string of Knights’ victories, is favored, but City almost certainly needs a win to clinch a berth in the Class 2A North region playoffs. Poly is already in the Class 3A North region playoffs, but the Engineers can sew up at least a share of the Baltimore City Division I championship, which will be decided by Friday and Saturday’s final regular-season games.

That’s more than a little added incentive to a rivalry that has been very close historically. Poly leads the series, but only 59-55-6.

Coxson and Goodson are ready for Saturday, which for them, as for all seniors, will be a bittersweet day. It’s their final City-Poly game, so they want to make the most of a day they will never forget.

“I just enjoy the feeling you get playing in front of all those people,” Coxson said, “how important the game is to you and how important it is to them. It’s historic and it’s just a fun game. At the same time, you have to be serious because both teams need this win, but it's still fun. Even after we get out of high school, me and Antoine are going to be friends. We both know how important this game is.”

Even though Coxson and Goodson play on opposite sides of the rivalry, they agree that being part of such a storied tradition bonds guys across the line of scrimmage. Theirs isn’t the first friendship that grew out of the City-Poly rivalry and it won’t be the last.

“As intense as the rivalry is,” Wrenn said, “it makes for enduring friendships, too.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 3:53 PM | | Comments (7)
Categories: Football
        

MetroSports Weekly football highlights

Games include: City-Edmondson, Dunbar-Poly, John Carroll-Spalding and Calvert Hall-McDonogh  
Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:13 PM | | Comments (0)
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November 4, 2009

Four still alive in city football race

I'll start by saying the chances of this plot actually playing out are just about impossible.

That said, some pretty strange things have happened this football season. Let's see if they happen in Baltimore City's crowded Division I race.

Here’s what could happen: It could end up in a four-way tie for first place. Poly, Dunbar, City and Patterson are all within a game of each another going into this weekend’s regular-season finales. Poly and Dunbar are 6-1 in the Division. City and Patterson are 5-2.

Here's what would have to happen to give all four a share of the title.

• City must beat No. 11 Poly

• Digital Harbor must upset No. 9 Dunbar

• Patterson must beat Northwestern.

Highly unlikely all three will happen. Two, maybe.

Still, it’s an interesting scenario to contemplate. There are no tiebreakers in the city league, so co-champs are not uncommon, but four would be quite a crowd at the top.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:30 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

Rivalry football games impact titles

More than just bragging rights will be decided Saturday in two of Baltimore’s longest-running football rivalries: City-Poly and Gilman-McDonogh.

When City and Poly meet for the 121st time at noon Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium, the No.11 Engineers (8-1, 6-1 division) will be looking to clinch at least a share of the Baltimore City Division I title.

On the other hand, the Knights (7-2, 5-2) probably need a win to seal a berth in the Class 2A North regional playoffs. If City loses, Dundalk could knock the Knights out of the fourth and final playoff spot with a win Friday over Owings Mills. And in the city, if the Knights win and No. 9 Dunbar suffers an unlikely loss to Digital Harbor on Friday, City would sneak into a share of the Division I title.

In the longest-running public high school rivalry in the country, Poly holds the series edge 59-55-6. Last season’s 16-13 Poly win broke a three-year City reign.

Gilman and McDonogh have not been playing quite as long. Saturday’s 2 p.m. matchup will be the 94th edition. The No. 2 Eagles host the regular-season finale which has turned into the MIAA A Conference championship game. The Eagles (8-1) stand alone in first place in the conference at 4-0, but No. 5 Gilman (6-3) is 3-1. A Greyhounds win would give them the title outright because the head-to-head result breaks the tie.

The Greyhounds lead the series, 55-33-5, but the teams have traded wins for the past four years with the visiting team taking the victory each time. Last year, McDonogh won, 22-14, and the past three games have been decided by an average of seven points.

As for the other big rivalry, No.10 Calvert Hall and No.12 Loyola extend their series to its 90th year when they meet in the Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day at M&T Bank Stadium. Loyola leads that one 48-33-8. We'll have more about that closer to game day.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

November 3, 2009

Friedgen gets help with his diet

Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen was asked what he did when not worrying about his current football team during the Terps' bye week. The coach said he went to a football game last weekend (he was spied at Gilman) and while there he got a big surprise that had nothing to do with football.

It was senior day and the owner of one of his favorite Italian restaurants - Da Mimmo's - was at the game supporting her son. She saw the coach and came over to him to say hello.

"She said she was looking forward to seeing me at her restaurant that night," Friedgen said. "I said, 'Tonight?' And she said yes, 'Your wife made reservations for the whole family, didn't you know?'

"No. I wasn't told.

"I mean, would your wife do that to you? She must of wanted to keep me on my diet," said the coach, who has been on a diet since before the season.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 8:05 PM | | Comments (0)
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The Cosh Watch

Here is this week’s attempt to keep up with record-setting Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh. It's not an easy job.

The All-Metro senior keeps breaking his own record for passing touchdowns in a career. Six more in Friday night’s win over Meade gives him 100. That’s 20 more than the record coming into the season. Cosh broke that in Week 6.

The biggest news is that Cosh hasn’t wiped anyone else’s name out of the record book – at least not yet. His 326 yards passing Friday bring his career total to 6,498, just 24 yards shy of the state mark set by North County’s Mike Pfisterer in 2000. Cosh should get there in Friday’s regular-season final against Southern.

He also has an outside chance to get Pfisterer's record for most completed passes. He will need 33, but that's exactly what he had against Meade, going 33 for 46.

If – or I should say when – Cosh gets those marks, they will be his 11th and 12th state records (he shares one of those). He now holds all of the state single-game and single-season passing records except best completion percentage in a season, .694 held by Ryan Fleetwood of Cambridge-South Dorchester since 1993. Cosh’s percentage this fall is .68.

Cosh, who is headed to Kansas State, has thrown 43 touchdowns this season as the No. 1 Wildcats improved to 9-0. He threw for 56 last season.

With one regular-season game remaining and up to four more in the playoffs, Cosh is closing in on three Pfisterer records, all state public school career marks:
Most passing yards: Pfisterer 6,522, Cosh 6,498.
Most passes attempted: Pfisterer 902, Cosh 777.
Most passes completed: Pfisterer 548, Cosh 515.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:00 AM | | Comments (0)
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November 2, 2009

River Hill's Van Deusen named Ravens Coach of the Week

River Hill football coach Brian Van Deusen has been named Ravens High School Coach of the Week after leading the No. 3 Hawks to a 35-14 victory Friday over then-No. 14 Atholton to remain undefeated and clinch their seventh straight Howard County championship.

Van Deusen has been a Ravens Coach of the Week four times during his 10-year tenure as the Hawks head coach, a run that includes the last two state Class 2A titles. The Hawks have won 37 straight games and have not lost a regular-season game since 2005.

He is the sixth Baltimore area coach in eight weeks to be honored by the Ravens this season along with Patterson's Corey Johnson, Atholton's Kyle Schmitt, Dunbar's Lawrence Smith, Calvert Hall's Donald Davis and Chesapeake-Baltimore County's Mark Junker. Also named were North Caroline's James McCormick and Linganore's Rick Conner.

The Ravens will named their High School Coach of the Year on Dec. 13 at the Ravens-Lions game.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:01 PM | | Comments (0)
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The Next Level -- Week 9

Byes and injury combined to make for a lighter week than usual in terms of play by former area football standouts. There will still, however, some dynamic performances.

Redshirt freshman Joey Ehrmann got his second straight start (and the second of his career) at strong-side linebacker in Wake Forest’s 28-27 home loss to Miami. Though the Hurricanes rallied late for a dramatic victory, the Gilman alum made quite an impact – especially on Miami quarterback Jacory Harris. Ehrmann was credited with five tackles (four solo, one assist), including 2.5 sacks of Harris for total losses of 21 yards, and a forced fumble. On a first-and-10 play from the Hurricanes’ 20-yard line in the second quarter, Ehrmann brought down Harris for a loss of 8 yards, knocking the ball loose in the process (Harris was able to recover it). In the third quarter, Ehrmann combined with defensive tackle John Russell to sack Harris for a loss of 14 yards. Ehrmann also took down Harris on his own for a loss of 6 yards in the fourth quarter.

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 9" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 4:32 PM | | Comments (3)
        

Five aim for perfect football regular seasons

And then there were five...

The ranks of unbeaten football teams dwindled by nearly half this week as Poly, Atholton and Chesapeake-Baltimore County suffered their first marks in the loss column.

That leaves Arundel, River Hill, Joppatowne, Boys’ Latin and Forest Park. Each is 9-0 and each can claim an undefeated regular-season title with a win this weekend.

Here’s a look at how they remained perfect and who they must beat to stay that way.

No. 1 Arundel

All-Metro quarterback Billy Cosh threw for six touchdowns in a 62-21 route of Meade to boost his state career record for passing TDs to 100. He has 43 for the season. R.J. Harris caught two of those passes Friday night boosting his career total to 41 and setting a new state public school record. The Wildcats have scored 423 points this season, outscoring the opposition by an average of 47-11.

Next up: Southern (6-3) at home Friday at 6:45. If coach Chuck Markiewicz’s Wildcats can get past the Bulldogs, they will clinch the Anne Arundel County title outright. A win would give the Wildcats 20 straight victories over county opponents. Their last loss came to Old Mill, 34-19 on Sept. 12, 2008. Old Mill’s only loss this season has been to the Wildcats 34-27 in Week 1. No other team has come closer than within 22 points of Arundel.

No. 3 River Hill

The Hawks won their 37th straight game and clinched a seventh straight Howard County championship with Friday’s 35-14 win over No. 14 and previously-unbeaten Atholton. Kevin Johnson ran 19 times for 120 yards and a touchdown, but the defense gets most of the credit for this one. The Hawks shut out the Raiders in the second half, holding them to just 38 yards of offense. Thomas Erdman had eight tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble while Johnson had three tackles. The Hawks defense has allowed an average of just 5.6 points this season.

Next up: at Centennial (4-5) Friday at 7 p.m. A win would give coach Brian van Deusen’s Hawks a 43rd straight win against Howard County opponents and their fourth straight unbeaten season in the county. It would also give them great momentum going into the state playoffs, where they will go for a Class 3A crown after winning the last two in 2A.

No. 6 Joppatowne
The Mariners’ defense allows just 5 points per game and no team has scored more than 10 on them his fall. Friday’s 35-0 win over Havre de Grace was their fourth shutout and wrapped up the UCBAC Chesapeake Division championship. A 12-7 win over North Harford in Week 7 determined the title. Friday night Joel Scott ran eight times for 100 yards and one touchdown and returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown. David Miller had four sacks. Three-year starter Jake McGinnis is the team’s leading tackler.

Next up: At C. Milton Wright (3-6), Friday at 7 p.m. The Mariners hit the road for the first time in six weeks as they go for their 17th straight win against a UCBAC opponent (It would be many more if not for several forfeits for an ineligible player in 2007 and 2008). They haven’t lost a game on the field to a UCBAC opponent since September 2006 to North Harford.

Continue reading "Five aim for perfect football regular seasons" »

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:11 AM | | Comments (2)
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November 1, 2009

By the numbers: Week 9 football

A by-the-numbers look at this weekend’s football action:

1 Touchdown separating McDonogh from the MIAA A Conference pack. The No. 2 Eagles’ 7-0 win over No. 11 Calvert Hall gives them sole possession of the top spot at 4-0 and a chance to win the conference title outright in Saturday’s season finale against No. 5 Gilman (3-1). A Calvert Hall upset would have left all three tied for first at 3-1.

3 Wins this season for Owings Mills, which has won two in a row after banishing a 53-game losing streak earlier this fall.

4 Passing touchdowns for Forest Park quarterback Travis Fonseca, his season high, in beating Douglass, 43-14, Friday, helping his team remain unbeaten.

5 Undefeated teams left – No. 1 Arundel, No. 3 River Hill, No. 6 Joppatowne, No. 8 Boys’ Latin and Forest Park. Three teams dropped from the ranks this weekend – No. 8 Poly, No. 14 Atholton and No. 15 Chesapeake-Baltimore County.

Continue reading "By the numbers: Week 9 football" »

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 8:22 PM | | Comments (0)
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October 27, 2009

McDonogh's Johnson: Comeback of the year?

McDonogh's Rudy Johnson sure knows how to rally his team.

The senior quarterback threw three touchdown passes in the final five minutes to boost the No. 2 Eagles from 19 points down to a 27-26 win over Georgetown Prep on Friday, a victory that kept them unbeaten in the MIAA A Conference.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in high school football,” McDonogh coach Dom Damico said. “In six minutes, Rudy threw for a couple hundred yards and three scores.”

Johnson -- 6 feet 2, 210 pounds and headed for Buffalo -- finished with 335 yards and four touchdowns, but the final minutes may have been the most impressive comeback of the season.

When Dominic Bryan’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Georgetown Prep a 26-7 lead with about 6:40 to go in the game, the Eagles appeared to be cooked, but Johnson didn’t think so.

First, Johnson hit Justin Gross with a 4-yard pass and then he hit Gabe Macis with a 32-yarder with about 3:30 to go to pull within 26-20. Macis caught a 34-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left to tie the game and Sam Eby nailed the game-winning extra point.

“He’s a very humble kid,” Damico said, “but I’ll tell you what, he’s been in McDonogh since middle school and he’s just very, very competitive in everything, even middle school gym classes. He plays hard and tries to compete in every little game he plays. I think if you put him in a competitive or challenging situation, he’ll play hard. Just an ultra-competitive type of kid.”

In addition to Johnson’s heroics, Damico sited Macis (nine catches for 150 yards, two TDs) and linebacker Isaac Jorgensen for their contributions to the win.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:31 PM | | Comments (0)
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The Cosh Watch

Another week, another handful of touchdowns for Arundel’s record-setting quarterback Billy Cosh.

The All-Metro senior threw for four touchdowns in Friday night’s 60-0 win over Northeast to increase his state-record passing touchdowns career total to 94. He has 37 passing touchdowns this season for the No. 1 Wildcats (8-0).

Cosh, who is headed for Kansas State, holds nine state records and is tied for another. (A few weeks ago, I wrote that Cosh held eight records outright, but I missed one: most passing yards in a game – 475 in last year’s state semifinal against Linganore.) He now holds all of the state single-game and single-season passing records except best completion percentage in a season, .694 by Ryan Fleetwood of Cambridge-South Dorchester in 1993. Cosh’s percentage this season is .673.

With two regular-season games remaining and up to four more in the playoffs, Cosh continues to close in on these state public school career records, all set by Mike Pfisterer at North County between 1997 and 2000:

Most passing yards: Pfisterer 6,522, Cosh 6,172
Most passes attempted: Pfisterer 902, Cosh 731.
Most passes completed: Pfisterer 548, Cosh 482.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:00 AM | | Comments (0)
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October 26, 2009

The Next Level -- Week 8

Week 8 was a big one for several former local high school football standouts, including a couple of true freshmen who found the end zone.

Three-time Baltimore Sun All-Metro Player of the Year Tavon Austin (Dunbar) wasted no time in scoring his second touchdown of the season for West Virginia. The freshman took the opening kickoff of the Mountaineers’ home game against Connecticut 98 yards to the house. It was West Virginia’s longest play of the season, and the Mountaineers went on to win, 28-24. Freshman defensive back Terence Garvin (Loyola) assisted on a tackle on kickoff coverage for West Virginia in the first quarter. Huskies starting safety Jerome Junior (Archbishop Curley) was playing in his first game since fellow defensive back Jasper Howard was stabbed to death early Oct. 18 on Connecticut’s campus in Storrs. The redshirt freshman made five tackles (three solo, two assists).

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 8" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 2:25 PM | | Comments (1)
        

October 25, 2009

Forest Park football turns it around

With eight undefeated football teams remaining in the metro area, there's sure to be one that gets overlooked. And that one is Forest Park.

The Foresters are quietly rolling along in Baltimore City's Division II, turning last season's 2-8 record into this season's 7-0 start. The Foresters don't have any big stars and they are not winning by the huge margins that some of the other undefeated teams are posting. They are winning in true team fashion and that's just the strategy first-year head coach Damon Bomar is looking for.

Friday's game against Southwestern was their closest win yet, an 18-12 victory in triple overtime. Senior running back Angelo Lewis scored the game-winning touchdown and senior defensive end Andrew Allen had two sacks on Southwestern's ensuing series to clinch the win.

Commitment, determination and discipline have been keys to the turnaround said Bomar, who is also the school's athletic director. He's tried to instill those virtues in his players since weight training began last June.

"I saw them buy into it early when we had weight training in January and more kids came out," Bomar said. "We're mostly senior oriented and we had some juniors and the same kids are excelling on the field now because of weight training. I tip my hat to them. I tell them I'm proud of them and that this team is going to leave a legacy at Forest Park."

Along with Lewis and Allen, other two-way seniors are leading the way: Chidi Flowers (wide receiver-free safety), Pat Makall (running back-linebacker), Evan Rose (wide receiver-cornerback) and James Queen (lineman).

Bomar practices what he preaches when he talks about a team strategy. He has the same approach with his coaching staff, all of whom played golf together Sunday. Sean Markley is the offensive coordinator; Shawn Waller, the defensive coordinator; and Dwayne Barnes, the special teams coach.

"It's funny because we're all so tight," Bomar said. "They're always praising me and I say, 'No, it's all of us collectively.' That's how I want to leave -- whenever I leave Forest Park -- I want to make sure these kids understand we did this collectively -- the players, the coaching staff, the administration and the students as well."

The Foresters have a little more collective work to do this fall. They finish out their season at home with Douglass on Friday and Lake Clifton on Nov. 6. The regular-season finale with the Lakers could be the Division II championship game, because both teams are unbeaten in the division. After that, the Foresters will advance on to the regional playoffs.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 9:30 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

A number of prep football notes

Here is a by-the-numbers look at some of this weekend’s prep football highlights as the season winds toward its final two weeks of regular-season games:

1 Touchdown keeping No. 13 Dunbar in contention with undefeated and No. 8 Poly for the Baltimore City Division I title. The Poets slipped by Edmondson, 6-0, Friday to improve to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the division.

2 Wins this season for Owings Mills, which ended a 53-game skid earlier this month. Friday’s 14-10 win over Western Tech raised the Eagles’ record to 2-5.

3 Touchdown passes thrown by McDonogh quarterback Rudy Johnson in the final five minutes of Friday’s game at Georgetown Prep for a come-from-way-behind 27-26 MIAA A Conference victory. The No. 2 Eagles are the only team unbeaten in A Conference competition.

7 Wins for Forest Park, which defeated Southwestern, 18-12, Friday to move to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the city’s Division II where the Foresters are tied with Lake Clifton for first place. The two will meet in the regular-season finale.

8 Local teams still undefeated after eight weeks of play – No. 1 Arundel, No. 3 River Hill, No. 6 Joppatowne, No. 8 Poly, No. 14 Atholton, No. 15 Chesapeake-Baltimore County, Boys’ Latin and Forest Park. Statewide, 20 teams still have perfect records.

36 Straight wins for No. 3 River Hill with Friday’s 48-3 victory over Oakland Mills. The Hawks also have won 41 straight over Howard County opponents as they prepare to host also-unbeaten Atholton on Friday night.

37 Passing touchdowns this season for Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh, who had four in Friday’s 60-0 win over Northeast. The senior’s state record for career passing touchdowns is now 94.

39 Offensive yards gained by No 9 Archbishop Spalding during the second half against Boys' Latin’s stifling defense in a 20-0 Lakers win. Winning the battle of unbeatens, the Lakers now have the top spot in the MIAA B Conference standings all to themselves.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:18 PM | | Comments (0)
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October 20, 2009

Arundel, Joppatowne, Poly stay unbeaten

In a rare week of Monday night football, the three unbeaten teams that played stayed that way as No. 1 Arundel, No. 6 Joppatowne and No. 8 Poly won their belated contests.

Poly's game had been rescheduled earlier, but the other two were among a handful of games postponed because of last week's heavy rains.

Arundel moved to 7-0 with a 35-6 win over South River thanks to five touchdown passes from Billy Cosh, including three to Ronnie Harris.

Joppatowne also improved to 7-0 with a strong defensive performance to slip past top Harford County rival North Harford, 12-7. Both touchdowns came on kickoff returns -- from Epe Henriques and Joel Scott.

Poly is 7-0 too, beating Digital Harbor, 38-12, as Gabriel Ali-Eli ran for four touchdowns and caught a fifth on a pass from Antoine Goodson.

Those three are among nine undefeated teams remaining in the Baltimore area, including No. 3 River Hill, No. 9 Archbishop Spalding, No. 14 Atholton, No. 15 Chesapeake-BC and Forest Park. Only Lake Clifton dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten, falling to No. 13 Dunbar, 30-6.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 4:34 PM | | Comments (0)
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The Cosh Watch

Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh threw for all five of the No. 1 Wildcats’ touchdowns in Monday night’s 35-6 win over South River, boosting his state-record career total to 90 passing touchdowns. Last weekend, he broke the previous state record of 80 when he passed for seven, which also tied the record for most passing touchdowns in a game.

Here’s a look at how close Cosh is getting to some other state public school career records, all set by North County's Mike Pfisterer between 1997 and 2000:

Most passing yards: Pfisterer 6,522, Cosh 5,963.
Most passes attempted: Pfisterer 902, Cosh 708.
Most passes completed: Pfisterer 548, Cosh 468.

I’m guessing with the All-Metro senior's talents, The Cosh Watch could become a weekly feature.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 1:20 PM | | Comments (2)
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October 19, 2009

Chesapeake's Junker named Ravens' Coach of the Week

Chesapeake's Mark Junker, who has led his Baltimore County football team to a 7-0 season already matching last season's win total, was named Ravens' High School Coach of the Week today.

Junker's No. 15 Bayhawks defeated Catonsville 28-7 on Friday and remains the only team unbeaten in the county's Class 2A-1A Division. The Bayhawks fell behind 7-0 and trailed by that margin at the half, before rallying to take the lead on Corey Polston's 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

The Bayhawks also came from behind in the win that put them on the map, a 15-13 victory over then-No. 6 Eastern Tech on Sept. 26. They trailed 6-0 at the half in that game.

Junker, in his third year as head coach, led the Bayhawks to a 7-4 finish a year ago.

He is the fifth Baltimore-area coach to be named Coach of the Week this season along with Patterson's Corey Johnson, Atholton's Kyle Schmitt, Dunbar's Lawrence Smith and Calvert Hall's Donald Davis. North Caroline's James McCormick also has been honored.

One of weekly winners will be named the Ravens' High School Coach of the Year on Dec. 13 at the Ravens game with the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 8:04 PM | | Comments (1)
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The Next Level -- Week 7

Let’s jump right into things:

A week after breaking up three passes in Buffalo’s 40-3 home victory over Gardner-Webb, starting free safety Mike Newton (Calvert Hall) was back making big plays in the Bulls’ 21-17 win over visiting Akron. The senior came up with two takeaways, recovering a fumble in the first quarter after Buffalo defensive lineman Anel Montanez forced Zips running back DeVoe Torrence to cough up the ball, and intercepting Akron quarterback Patrick Nicely in the second quarter. Newton also made eight tackles (two solo, six assists). Bulls senior Dane Robinson (Calvert Hall) started at defensive tackle, recording no statistics.

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 7" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 3:39 PM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football, The Next Level
        

October 15, 2009

Joppatowne resident having fantastic football season in Brussels

This past summer, The Baltimore Sun featured a story about Baltimore native Gino Culotta, a senior football player at the International School of Brussels. Culotta, 16, plays in Brussels because his dad works there. He spends his summers in Joppatowne.

This past summer, Culotta went to a number of Division I and Division II schools asking about an opportunity to earn an athletic scholarship. While his talent was judged as worthy of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Division, the fact that he plays in Brussels makes his prospects slim.

But Culotta said he planned to play hard to make an impression on coaches in the United States. He has not let up in his efforts.

This week, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound running back was named Athlete of the Week by the European military high school system that includes more than 2,000 athletes. Giving the award to a player from the International School of Brussels, which plays in the military system but is not a military-base school, is very rare.

But Culotta made it virtually impossible to ignore him.

Last week, he carried 29 times for 239 yards and four touchdowns while helping his team to a 34-6 victory over 2008 European Division III Champion AFNORTH. The win also propelled the Brussels team to the Division II North championship in the European League.

This season, Culotta has scored 13 touchdowns and rushed 97 times for 799 yards. A two-way player, Culotta also has 19 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

To read The Sun's profile of Culotta, click here.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 5:04 PM | | Comments (0)
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No. 7 Joppatowne vs. North Harford game moved to Monday

The football game between No. 7 Joppatowne and visiting North Harford scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. has been moved back to next Monday because of weather and field conditions. The game will remain at Joppatowne and still be played at 7 p.m.

Joppatowne athletic director Mike Bauer made the call around 11:30 a.m. The rain that's been around for several hours is supposed to continue all day, with temperatures in the low 40s.

This might be Harford County's best game of the season as Joppatowne (6-0) and North Harford (5-1) have gotten off to fast starts.

The weather is supposed to be much better Monday -- partly sunny with highs in the upper 50s. But that gives both teams two games in five days. Joppatowne takes on Fallston next Friday, the same day that North Harford plays Havre de Grace.

-- Jeff Seidel

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:59 AM | | Comments (0)
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Football races tighten in points standings

Several local teams remain in first place in this week's MPSSAA football points standings, but as the season lengthens, the more important races will be for the fourth-and-final playoff berths.

No. 1 Arundel (Class 4A East), No. 3 River Hill (3A East), No. 10 Poly (3A North), No. 15 Chesapeake-BC (2A North), No. 7 Joppatowne (Class 1A East) and Forest Park (1A South) remain atop their regional standings. Poly is just ahead of No. 9 Hereford in its region and Forest Park has a small lead over No. 13 Dunbar.

Several local teams are battling for that critical fourth-place spot.

In Class 4A East, Annapolis trails fourth-place Broadneck by less than three tenths of a point. Catonsville is half a point behind fourth-place North Harford in 3A North. City lags behind Edmondson by less than two-tenths of a point in 2A North. The same distance stands between Long Reach and Glenelg in 2A South.

In 2A West, Century is a full point behind fourth-place South Carroll, but the Knights are coming on strong, winning their last three games after starting out 0-3. In Class 1A South, two-tenths of a point separate fourth-place Carver from Maritime Industries.

After this weekend's games -- week seven in a 10-game regular season -- some of these races will only get tighter. For a look at the complete MPSSAA football point stadings, click here.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:00 AM | | Comments (1)
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October 14, 2009

John Carroll's St. Clair does it all

If you read about this week's Boy Athlete of the Week Steven St. Clair today, you know he had a busy last week in leading the John Carroll football team to two wins. There wasn't enough space to elaborate on his accomplishments, which may be the most work done by a high school football player in one week's time this fall.

How about this for a single week's work by the senior quarterback-strong safety:

First, he scored three touchdowns and the game-winning conversion for a 29-28 overtime victory at Cardinal Gibbons on Oct. 12. He ran for 42 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 110 yards and another touchdown. He also had 11 tackles and intercepted a critical third-down pass late in the game.

That game was played on a Monday because John Carroll had an outbreak of the flu and school was closed on Friday, Oct. 9, forcing the postponement.

Then, the Patriots played St. Frances on Friday, winning 28-0. In that game, St. Clair ran for 53 yards and one touchdown, passed for 79 yards and one touchdown and returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown. He also had six tackles, grabbed two other interceptions and punted once for 57 yards.

For the season, St. Clair has 1,026 all-purpose yards. He has 561 yards on 88 carries with 11 rushing touchdowns as well as 356 yards on 26-50 passing with four touchdowns. On defense, he has 50 tackles and four interceptions. He has punted five times and returned four kickoffs for 109 yards.

A second team All-Metro selection and honorable mention All-State pick last season, St. Clair has drawn interest from several NCAA Football Championship Subdivision programs. In addition to his football talents, they certainly like his 3.8 grade-point average and his versatility -- he also plays rugby and wrestles.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:00 PM | | Comments (0)
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Video: Football Highlights of the week

 
Posted by baltimoresun.com at 9:41 AM | | Comments (0)
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October 13, 2009

Calvert Hall's Davis is Ravens Coach of the Week

Calvert Hall's Donald Davis is the fourth local coach to be named Ravens High School Coach of the Week.

His Cardinals upset then-No. 2 Gilman, 21-12, on Saturday for their fifth straight win and their first win over the Greyhounds since November 2003. At 5-2 overall, they moved into first place in the MIAA A Conference at 2-0. McDonogh, the only other team unbeaten in the conference, is 1-0.

The Cardinals, who moved into The Baltimore Sun's Top 15 for the first time this season at No. 8, used a strong running game and a tough defense as they held a Greyhounds offense averaging 40.2 points a game to its lowest output of the season. They ran for more than 250 yards. Defensively, the Cardinals came up with a fumble and an interception and stopped two conversion attempts.

Davis, a Calvert Hall graduate, has been the head coach for three years and has been coaching for nine. In 2003, he was the Ravens High School Coach of the Year while at Cardinal Gibbons.

This season's Coach of the Year will be named on Dec. 13 during the Ravens-Lions game.
Others in the running this season: Patterson's Corey Johnson, Atholton's Kyle Schmitt, Dunbar's Lawrence Smith and North Caroline's James McCornick.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:52 AM | | Comments (0)
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October 12, 2009

The Next Level -- Week 6

We’re nearing the halfway point of the college football season, and, as expected, some local players showed their stuff in Week 6.

West Virginia-Syracuse featured a reunion of sorts, as three of the game’s players were teammates in last year’s Crab Bowl, a high school all-star game that pits a team of Baltimore-area standouts against a squad of those from the Washington area. West Virginia’s Tavon Austin (Dunbar) and Terence Garvin (Loyola) and Syracuse’s Alec Lemon (Arundel) played for the Baltimore team in that game, which featured an 81-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Lemon to Austin, who are good friends off the field.

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 6" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 3:47 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Ten football teams still perfect

With four weeks left in the prep football regular season, 26 teams in Maryland remain undefeated, according to MdVarsity.com. Ten are in the Baltimore metro area.

Arundel, River Hill, Atholton, Joppatowne, Poly, Archbishop Spalding, Boys’ Latin, Chesapeake-Baltimore County and Lake Clifton are 6-0. Forest Park is 5-0.

A few of these likely will complete perfect regular seasons, but not all of them can. Looming are three potential showdowns between unbeatens:

Archbishop Spalding and Boys' Latin could be playing for the MIAA B Conference championship when they meet on Oct. 23.

Two-time state Class 2A champion River Hill, now riding a 34-game winning streak, meets upstart Atholton in an Oct. 30 game that could decide the Howard County title.

Lake Clifton and Forest Park may duel it out for the Baltimore City Division II crown in the regular-season finale, Nov. 6.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:00 AM | | Comments (2)
Categories: Football
        

October 11, 2009

Cosh loads up the record book

Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh isn’t just playing football this the fall, he's working on his book – the state record book.

Friday night, Cosh set his eighth state record for passing and tied another. His seven touchdown passes in the 75-19 romp over Glen Burnie gave him 85 for his career, breaking the three-year-old record of 80. In addition, those seven touchdown passes tied the state single-game record set in 2006 by Kennedy’s Melvin Harris.

And Cosh played only a quarter and a half Friday night, leaving with 267 yards on 16 of 19 passes and a 68-13 Wildcats lead.

Cosh’s name appears in the state football record book more than any other player and he still has a chance – if his 2009 stats end up comparable to last season's when the Wildcats reached the state Class 4A semifinal – to claim a few more milestones. He now holds eight of 14 state public school passing records, including the one he shares.

Here are Cosh’s other seven state records, which are overall records – for public and private schools. All were set last season.
Most total offensive yards in a season: 4,074.
Most passing yards in a season: 3,913.
Most passes attempted in a season: 448.
Most passes attempted in a game: 64.
Most passes completed in a season: 292.
Most passes completed in a game: 39.
Most touchdown passes in a season: 56.

How close is he to the other career records? On the public schools list, Mike Pfisterer, who led North County from 1997 to 2000, holds three that Cosh has a shot to reach.
Most passing yards: Pfisterer 6,522, Cosh 5,712.
Most passes attempted: Pfisterer 902, Cosh 674.
Most passes completed: Pfisterer 548, Cosh 446.

(The source for all of this data is the MPSSAA Football Record Book, which you can find at mpssaa.org. Many thanks to MdVarsity.com’s Sheldon Shealer for keeping the records up to date and for helping me sort them out.)

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 4:09 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

October 9, 2009

River Hill's perspective is all about winning

The No. 4 River Hill Hawks football team, which moved from 2A to 3A competition this season, continues to win -- just like it has the last two years.

The Hawks were 28-0 over the last two seasons with two 2A state championships to show for it. This season, some might have expected their prospects to dim, but River Hill head coach Brian Van Deusen wasn't among them. And the team has added another five straight victories to its total.

The 5-0 start has it leading the 3A East division by one point over another county rival, Atholton, which is also 5-0.

On Friday, River Hill will try to maintain its lead and improve to 6-0 while playing at county rival Glenelg at 7 p.m.

"We're keeping the string going," Van Deusen said. "This year, besides losing last year's seniors, we've had some injuries and been moving people around. But we keep winning. It's a matter of perspective. Our junior varsity (county champions last season) is good every year. The new kids coming up can step in and play well. Our returning players have gotten bigger and stronger, allowing us to do more things.

"You know, we were real good before those guys [Malek Redd, Leron Eaddy, Michael Campanaro and quarterback Luke Hostetler, among them] graduated."

For two seasons, perfection has been the name of River Hill's game. But even before that first unbeaten season, the Hawks were the envy of many. They were 13-1, losing only the championship game three years ago. And they were 13-2 the year before that.

This season, River Hill has continued to excel, bringing its four-plus year record to 59-3 and counting.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 6:00 AM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football
        

October 8, 2009

Century, Winters Mill in first-place football battle

One of this weekend’s biggest football showdowns will be Friday night’s Carroll County battle between Century and Winters Mill.

The winner will take over sole possession of first place in the county as well as the top spot in the Monocacy Valley Athletic League Blue Ridge Conference (which includes the same teams). Both teams are 2-0 and the only teams remaining unbeaten in the county and conference.

Century, a state Class 2A semifinalist last season, started out slow against a tough Frederick County schedule. After dropping games to Middletown, Thomas Johnson and Tuscarora, the Knights (2-3) won their first two Carroll County games, including last week’s 26-6 victory over previously-unbeaten South Carroll.

Winters Mill has not played quite the same strength of schedule but drew the toughest Frederick County team -- Linganore, the No. 2 team in the state according to MdVarsity.com and last year’s state Class 4A runner up. That 72-6 loss is the only game the Falcons have dropped in the first half of the season, going 4-1.

Looking for keys to the game, you can find the big ones in the quarterbacks. Century’s Josh Bordner and Winters Mill’s David Blackwell had impressive two-way performances last week and were both nominated for the Army Iron Man award given to the state’s best dual performance of the week.

Bordner, who has committed to Boston College, had a hand in three touchdowns in the 26-6 win over South Carroll. He threw for 207 yards and a touchdown and also ran for two touchdowns. On defense, he had two sacks and an interception.

Blackwell threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 60 yards. He also had an interception in leading the Falcons over North Carroll, 26-14.

Kickoff is Friday night at 7 at Century.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:20 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

A very good year for River Hill OL Coale

If this was the "Late Show with David Letterman", the question for the night's Top 10 list would be: What is the most unexpected thing you've heard said by a high school senior football player in 2009?

The No. 1 answer would come from River Hill offensive lineman Max Coale, a 4.0 student and a captain of the 5-0 Hawks, who is featured Thursday in The Baltimore Sun's Q&A profile.

During a casual conversation about what a good time of life it is to be 17, Frank Sinatra's name came up and Coale had this to say:

"Frank Sinatra?" Coale said. "I love Frank Sinatra! I love the way he sings. If I could be anybody, be anybody, I'd be Frank Sinatra, a 1920s lounge singer."

Coale, his brown eyes sparkling, wasn't kidding.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 6:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

October 5, 2009

The Next Level -- Week 5

Week 5 of the college football season has come and gone. By now you guys know the drill, so let's get down to it.

Maryland got a couple of strong defensive performances from players with local ties in its 24-21 upset victory over visiting Clemson on Saturday. Jamari McCollough (Randallstown) returned to his starting spot at strong safety and came up big, intercepting Tigers quarterback Kyle Parker in the end zone with 31 seconds left in the first half. Clemson had driven into the red zone, and McCollough's pick allowed the Terps to preserve a 17-13 halftime lead. The senior also assisted on a tackle.

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 5" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 1:04 PM | | Comments (6)
        

September 30, 2009

Football points have standing early

It’s early in the football season, but it’s worth noting a few things about the MPSSAA points standings.

Sure, much of this could change as the season goes on. After all, there are still 32 undefeated teams through the first four weeks of competition and few will remain that way. Still, you can get an idea that some teams have set themselves up in good position while others have begun fading already. The top four teams in each region advance to the regional playoffs.

River Hill, which won the last two Class 2A titles, leads the race in Class 3A East over Howard County rival Atholton. The Hawks have already beaten Wilde Lake, last season's Class 3A runner-up. They meet Atholton, one of the season's hottest turnaround stories, on Oct. 30.

In Class 4A East, Arundel leads the way after reaching the state semifinals last season. The Wildcats have already beaten Old Mill, the top Anne Arundel rival in the region. They face Annapolis, which is just out of the region's top four, Friday.

Dunbar, the three time-defending Class 1A champ, trails Baltimore City foe Forest Park in Class 1A South. The Poets lost ground when they fell to Patterson three weeks ago, but they could make some of that up with a win over unbeaten City on Friday.

Other teams atop their regional rankings: Franklin in Class 3A North; Southern in Class 2A South; Chesapeake-BC in Class 2A North; and Joppatowne in Class 1A East.

To see where your team ranks in its regional standing, click here.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:10 PM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football
        

September 29, 2009

Atholton's Schmitt named Ravens' prep coach of the week

Atholton football coach Kyle Schmitt has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week after leading the Raiders to a 34-30 win over Wilde Lake on Saturday and boosting their record to 4-0.

The Raiders have already bettered last season's win total of three under their first-year coach, who was a Maryland Terrapins graduate assistant last season. Previously, Schmitt played in preseason with the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals as an offensive lineman. He also played in NFL Europe.

The Ravens prep coaching award, sponsored by Toyota, comes with a $2,000 donation to the school’s football program, a certificate signed by Ravens coach John Harbaugh and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and a hat.

The weekly winners will be honored Dec. 13 at M&T Bank Stadium before the Ravens' game against the Detroit Lions. That day, the Ravens' High School Coach of the Year will be named.

This is the third week for the honors. The first-week winner was Patterson's Corey Johnson, whose team had upset three-time defending state champ Dunbar the previous weekend.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:07 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

Chesapeake-BC football hits stride early

Chesapeake football coach Mark Junker said he has always heard that the fourth year of your program is when things should all come together. He's a bit ahead of schedule.

The third-year head coach guided his Baltimore County team to perhaps the biggest upset of the season, beating then-No. 6 Eastern Tech, 15-13, on Saturday.

The Bayhawks rallied from 6-0 down at the half to get the winning edge on two Corey Polston touchdowns in the third quarter. The win, which improved the Bayhawks to 4-0, ended a 23-game regular-season winning streak for the Mavericks, who reached the state Class 2A championship game the last two seasons.

Junker said his team might have been intimidated a bit at first, but that turned around quickly.

"They drove down right away on us and they gave us a break and fumbled inside our five, but then they stymied us. We got back on the 1-yard line," Junker said. "We punted and [Emmanuel Gbor ran] the punt back. It was an auspicious start for us. I give our kids credit. They could easily have gone in the tank after starting out the first quarter like that, but we moved the ball a little bit and that gave us some confidence in our second drive. I think our kids are just tough and they stuck with it."

In addition to Polston's heroics, the Bayhawks got a stellar game from their linemen -- Nestor Navalo, Elijiah McClain, Chris Brown, Pascal Tshiams, Edwin Thomason and Matt Meyers -- as well as fullback/linebacker James Bedgood, who had 12 tackles.

Junker said his he learned his approach from one of the deans of area coaching, Poly coach Roger Wrenn, who spent many years at Patterson.

"I was very fortunate as an assistant coach. I worked for nine years with Roger Wrenn at Patterson, so really I consider him a mentor and I coach a lot of the way he does," Junker said. "It's a lot of fundamentals, a lot of discipline, an old-school football theory. That's the mentality I brought into Chesapeake and the kids have responded. They're really taken ownership into the program. I'm getting the kids now who, the first year I was there were freshmen and sophomores and have been in the program for a few years. They say the fourth year in the program you should start hitting your stride, because you've had the freshmen for four years underneath your game plan and if you're doing anything right, you should start to see some success."

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:04 AM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football
        

September 28, 2009

Parkville building turnaround football season

Before the season began, coaches concluded that some teams that hadn't been too strong in recent years could emerge on the Baltimore County football landscape. Parkville was not one of those teams mentioned.

Going 1-9 a year ago in coach Jackson Tarr's first season as head coach, the Knights weren't in the conversation with teams such as Hereford, Eastern Tech, Perry Hall, Franklin, Woodlawn and Milford Mill. Even Chesapeake, which upset Eastern Tech Saturday, was mentioned a few times.

Now the Knights are in the conversation. At 3-1, with a 33-15 upset of then-No. 15 Perry Hall under their belts, they getting ready to host No. 8 Hereford Saturday at 1 p.m.

Senior running back Rashard Carter, who did not play last season but played as a freshman and sophomore, scored three touchdowns for the Knight's in Saturday's upset, but he's just part of the story.

"He's doing exactly what we expected of him," said Tarr. "More importantly, the rest of the team is playing well. They've turned it up."

In addition to Carter and linemen Dylan McKenzie, Marvin White, Josh Strother, Philip Okpara and Tae Kim, quarterbacks Tavis Jaskulis and Omari Timmons as well as tight end Jason Vick have been big factors in leading the way.

Tarr also singled out Michael White, who led the team in rushing last season as a tailback but has easily handled a less glamorous role this fall, moving to fullback where he does more blocking than ball carrying.

Tarr said he's also gotten a lot of help from assistant coaches John Marquette, who was the Knight's head coach before Tarr, and Harry McNeir, a former head coach at Towson.

The main key however has been having the team come together, said Tarr.

"I've talked to them since I got there about being willing to put in the hard work and do the right things and if you do that, it will show up on the field," he said. "Last year, we struggled but we continued to work hard and do the right things. I just told them, 'Keep doing it and it will pay off.' They do it and they believe it and it is paying off."

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:00 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

The Next Level -- Week 4

Week 4 of the college football season featured some stunning upsets and shake-ups among the nation’s top teams – and of course some standout performances from local players.

Struggling Maryland suffered another disheartening home loss, this one a 34-13 defeat at the hands of Rutgers on Saturday, but a couple of Terps from the Baltimore area did their part to try to keep the game close. Junior wide receiver LaQuan Williams (Poly) scored his first touchdown of the season – and Maryland’s only one of the game – catching a 24-yard pass from Chris Turner in the second quarter. The touchdown tied the score at 10. Starting nose tackle and Severn native A.J. Francis made three tackles (one solo, two assists). On one of Maryland’s biggest defensive plays of the game, the redshirt freshman sacked Scarlet Knights quarterback Domenic Natale for a loss of 8 yards on third-and-5 in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble. Rutgers recovered but was forced to punt. Terps senior strong safety Jamari McCollough (Randallstown) returned from a foot injury, coming off the bench to make one tackle. Senior linebacker Hakeem Sule (McDonogh) played but did not record any statistics. Scarlet Knights senior wide receiver Andrew DePaola (Hereford) played in the win but didn’t make the stat sheet.

Continue reading "The Next Level -- Week 4" »

Posted by Steve Gould at 3:28 PM | | Comments (3)
        

Parkville's Carter a one-man band

In a weekend that included several big upsets in high school football, Parkville senior Rashard Carter proved a one-man band in wrecking then-No. 15 Perry Hall's Saturday afternoon.

Carter, a running back who did not play last season, scored three touchdowns in a 33-15 upset of Perry Hall. He ran for 208 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns and caught a 27-yard touchdown pass. He accumulated 263 yards of total offense in Saturday's game -- boosting his season total to 668 yards. He has run 58 times for 559 yards and six touchdowns this season and has at least 12 tackles as a linebacker for the 3-1 Knights.

"He's blessed," said Parkville coach Jackson Tarr. "He's got a lot of talent, but he wants it more than most kids and he will do the work."

The offensive line gets a lot of credit too for booking Carter's appearances in the end zone -- guards Dylan McKenzie and Marvin White, tackles Josh Strother and Philip Okpara and center Tae Kim.

(More about Parkville in a little while.)

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 2:49 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 27, 2009

Injury likely not season-ending for City's Coxson

Rumor had it Friday night that City’s superb wide receiver/quarterback Adrian Coxson had suffered a broken collarbone early in the Knights’ 47-0 win over Walbrook and that his senior season was over. Fortunately, Coxon’s injury is not so severe and his football season likely will continue with just a brief interruption.

A visit to the hospital Friday showed no broken bone and no separated shoulder, just a small ligament tear in his left shoulder, the right-handed Coxson said last night.

“They said it was a little tear and I should be good in a week. They said I could probably play Friday (against Dunbar), just see how I felt, but I doubt if I’m going to play [Friday], because I don’t want to risk further injury.”

City coach George Petrides doesn’t want to risk that either and wanted Coxson to be evaluated by a specialist in sports medicine, which Coxson said he will do Monday morning.

Coxson said last night he was feeling optimistic.

“It’s feeling OK,” he said. “I can move it more than what I could yesterday. It’s getting better. I’ve just got to work through it.”

Although Coxson, who has committed to Penn State, was recruited as a wide receiver, he has been filling a void at quarterback for the Knights (4-0). The injury came on a hard tackle after a pass on City’s third offensive play of the game.

“Coach called a pass play and I rolled out and threw the ball,” Coxson said, “and the boy hit me anyway, just drilled me into the ground.”

If he doesn’t play Friday, Coxson will be urging on his backup, senior Alfonzo Hawkins, a transfer from W.E.B. DuBois, who Petrides said is a good ball handler and a good runner. He also threw a touchdown pass against Walbrook.

“It would be hard to watch my team play on Friday,” Coxson said, “but I know they can do it without me.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 8:34 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 24, 2009

Football equipment grants available

High school and youth football teams can apply for part of $1 million in merit- and need-based equipment grants to be donated through USA Football this fall.

The grants, made possible by the non-profit NFL Youth Football Fund, can be applied for through 5 p.m. on Oct. 15 at usafootball.com. Youth teams must be non-profit to receive the grants.

Each selected youth program receives $1,000 worth of equipment and apparel from Riddell and Under Armour. The package for high school teams is valued at $1,500.

“This program helps youth football leagues and high school programs continue to make a positive impact in their communities through America’s favorite sport,” said Scott Hallenbeck, executive director of USA Football in a press release earlier this week. “Even with multiple fundraisers and registration fees, some organizations struggle to properly equip their teams. We’re proud to foster great football experiences and we’re happy that our national partners – Riddell and Under Armour – share our vision.”

Since 2006, USA Football, the national governing body for youth and amateur football, has distributed more than $2 million.The NFL Youth Football Fund is a joint effort ot the NFL and NFL Players Association started in 1998.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 10:02 AM | | Comments (1)
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September 21, 2009

The Next Level -- Week 3

The Next Level rolls on with a recap of Week 3 action.

Former Archbishop Curley standout Jerome Junior showed his big-play capability in Connecticut’s 30-22 road win over Baylor. A week after recording seven tackles against North Carolina, the redshirt freshman safety intercepted a wide receiver pass from the Bears’ Kendall Wright in the third quarter and returned it 14 yards. Junior also made two tackles (one solo, one assist).

Severn native A.J. Francis had an eventful second quarter in Maryland’s stunning 32-31 loss to visiting Middle Tennessee State. The starting nose tackle, a redshirt freshman, blocked an extra-point attempt and stopped Blue Raiders quarterback Dwight Dasher for no gain on a first-and-goal run from the Terps’ 7-yard line, but he was also called for an offside penalty in the period. For the game, Francis recorded two tackles (one solo, one assist). Maryland senior linebacker Hakeem Sule (McDonogh) assisted on two tackles on kickoff coverage. Junior wide receiver LaQuan Williams (Poly) also had an assist on a special teams tackle. On offense, Chris Turner threw to Williams twice, but both passes were incomplete. Terps senior safety Jamari McCollough (Randallstown) missed the game while recovering from a foot injury he suffered against California in Week 1.

Starting free safety Mike Newton (Calvert Hall) led Buffalo in tackles for the second straight week. The senior made nine stops (six solo, three assists) in the Bulls’ 23-17 defeat at the hands of host Central Florida. In the first quarter, he stuffed a third-and-1 rush by Golden Knights running back Brynn Harvey for no gain. Newton was injured making a tackle in the fourth quarter, but he returned to the game. Fellow Calvert Hall product Dane Robinson made one solo tackle for Buffalo. The senior defensive lineman stopped Harvey for no gain on a second-and-1 rush.

Shaky Smithson (Douglass) made an impact as both a receiver and a returner in visiting Utah’s 31-24 loss to Oregon. The junior caught five passes for 33 yards, his longest an 11-yard reception on a second-and-2 play in the second quarter. Smithson also returned six kickoffs for 140 yards (a 23.3-yard average), with a long of 29.

Wake Forest linebacker Joey Ehrmann (Gilman) turned in a notable performance in the Demon Deacons’ 35-7 home rout of Elon. The redshirt freshman made seven tackles (two solo, five assists) and was credited with a half sack for a loss of 4 yards.

Starting weak-side linebacker Zach Brown (Wilde Lake), a sophomore, assisted on four tackles including two for losses as host North Carolina beat East Carolina, 31-17.

Junior wide receiver Sheldon Bell (City) caught two passes for 15 yards in visiting Duke’s 44-16 loss to No. 22 Kansas. His longest, a 13-yard reception, came on second-and-8 in the fourth quarter.

A week after scoring his first college touchdown, freshman Tavon Austin (Dunbar) was held to one reception for 5 yards as visiting West Virginia fell to Auburn, 41-30. Freshman defensive back Terence Garvin (Loyola) played but did not record any statistics.

Former local standouts Sean Boyle (Calvert Hall), a sophomore offensive lineman, and Kwame Johnson (Parkville), a freshman wide receiver, played for Temple in the Owls’ 31-6 loss to Penn State in State College, but neither recorded any statistics. Baltimore native Matt Brown, a freshman wide-out who played his high school ball at Peddie School in New Jersey before prepping at New York’s Milford Academy, was thrown to twice, but both passes were incomplete. Brown also called for a fair catch on the one punt he fielded.

Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus targeted freshman wide receiver Alec Lemon (Arundel) on a deep pass in the Orange’s 37-34 win over visiting Northwestern, but the throw wasn’t completed. Senior tight end Andrew Robinson (Calvert Hall) got onto the field for Syracuse, recording no stats.

Also playing but not recording any statistics in their team’s respective games were Army junior linebacker Jacob Bohn (Mount St. Joseph), Louisville freshman linebacker Horace Miller (Dunbar), Navy senior quarterback Greg Zingler (Severna Park) and Rutgers senior wide receiver Andrew DePaola (Hereford). Army beat visiting Ball State, 24-17; Louisville lost to host Kentucky, 31-27; Navy was defeated by host Pittsburgh, 27-14; and Rutgers beat visiting Florida International, 23-15.

Posted by Steve Gould at 6:14 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football, The Next Level
        

Atholton football matches last season's win total

With Atholton's win over Centennial Friday, the Raiders started off 3-0. That wouldn’t seem like a big deal with so much of the football season left, but the Raiders have now matched their win total for all of last season.

“Everybody’s real excited,” said Raiders’ senior Matt Robinson. “This is the first time Atholton’s gone 3-0 in at least 10 years. It’s a really big deal. We’re not looking to stop. We’re just looking to keep moving forward and getting better. I don’t think we’ve reached our potential at all.”

The Raiders started out with a 43-21 win over Reservoir then nipped Howard, 15-14, before beating the Eagles, 35-14, on Friday thanks to a pair of Ryan Raines touchdowns and a big day on special teams. Quarterback Kalvin Seamonson also threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

Last season, current head coach Kyle Schmitt was a graduate assistant at Maryland. Taking over the program, which returned only a handful of starters, Schmitt said he saw a lot that he liked.

“Overall, the old staff did a nice job of developing players, because these kids have a real solid knowledge of the game,” Schmitt said. “We’ve brought some of my thoughts, mixed them with the kids and they’ve really done a good job with it.”

Schmitt also likes the senior leadership that captains Robinson, Raines, Seamonson, Welsey King and Zach Deal bring to the team. An unsung hero has popped up every game. Friday it was King, a linebacker and offensive guard, whom Schmitt said played with a lot of energy.

Robinson, a wide receiver/linebacker who has committed to Maryland, said many of the Raiders are capable of making big plays.

“A lot of teams are focusing on either me or Kalvin,” he said, “but we have a lot of play makers, a lot of skill position player and they all can step up to the plate. At any given moment, somebody else can make a play. I think our versatility is what’s helping us a lot, because if someone’s covered, other people can get open and get the ball.”

The competition gets a bit tougher this week when the Raiders travel to meet Wilde Lake Saturday at 2 p.m. The Raiders came close to the state Class 3A runner-up Wildecats last year but fell 22-21.

“I’ve told our guys they’ve done a great job starting off solid, but, if you want to be thought of in the upper echelon of Howard County, beating Wilde Lake is part of that. If you want to run with the big dogs, you’ve got to beat a couple of them. I think this is a big game for our program. I don’t want to put too much pressure on our kids, but to take the next step, we’ve got to beat a program like this, because they’re a traditional power. Those guys do a great job over there.”

Robinson said the Raiders haven’t beaten the Wildecats in four years.

“Our confidence is real high right now,” he said. “Just knowing if we can get by Wilde Lake we have a pretty good chance of doing really well in the county and setting ourselves up for a good chance at the playoffs. This will be a pretty good test for us.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 1:18 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

DeMatha reigns with most NFL players

When it comes to turning out professional football players, DeMatha is No. 1 in the country, according to USA Football.

The Stags, ranked No. 1 every week this season in MdVarsity.com's state media football poll, have seven alumni currently playing in the NFL – two more than a handful of other teams including Eleanor Roosevelt, which has five, according to USA Football statistics released today. The numbers were based on NFL kickoff weekend rosters, which included 1,695 players from schools in 48 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa and five foreign countries.

“I’m very proud to have been a part of their program,” said DeMatha graduate and Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook in a news release. “My high school coach (Bill McGregor, the 2004 NFL High School Coach of the Year) continues to be an inspiration and source of support for me.”

Continue reading "DeMatha reigns with most NFL players" »

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:16 AM | | Comments (0)
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September 18, 2009

Gilman grad Opara shows studies help sports career

Something student-athletes hear over and over again during their high school years is the importance of succeeding in the classroom as well as on the field. After a while, that advice can go in one ear and out the other.

One person who proves the truth in that advice is Chisom Opara, a Gilman graduate who is now a scout for the Cleveland Browns. The subject of today’s “Alumni Report,” Opara knows he wouldn’t still be in football if he had not succeeded in class as well as on the field.

He wanted to make it as an NFL player, but he didn’t, so he found a way to fall back on a career that kept him very close to the sport he loved.

Like Opara, most high school athletes will not play professional sports. There just aren’t enough roster spots in the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA and other pro leagues. But you don’t have to play to have a career in those sports.

Just look at how many people surround an NFL team – everyone from coaches to scouts to athletic trainers to public relations specialists. It takes a village to keep a professional team running. At the college level, there are lots of supporting positions, too, and you can see how many people work to make sure your high school and club teams run smoothly.

There are other careers in sports, too, such as sports management and sportswriting or broadcasting. Do you have any idea how many people it takes to pull of Sunday Night Football?

Opara’s 3.5 grade-point average at Gilman sure helped draw the interest of college coaches from such academic powerhouses as Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Duke and Virginia. He chose Princeton and earned his degree in politics.

“The percentage of people who make it to the professional ranks if you really look at it across all sports, it’s very small,” Opara said. “It is an uphill battle. Certainly, if you’re good enough and you try hard enough, there’s a chance, but not everybody’s going to make it. But there are other opportunities to stay around the game, whether it’s coaching, scouting, being a trainer, equipment manager, working in operations. There’s a lot of opportunity up there. Even when I was coming up, I didn’t realize there were people who scouted me when I was in high school. That aspect of it didn’t really dawn on me until college, and I started to become a bit more into it.”

Opara said he thought about other careers, such as investment banking, or teaching and coaching high school football, but when his chance came in the front office, he jumped on it. Today, he can’t thank Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and Browns general manager Phil Savage enough for giving him the chance to stay in the NFL, but Opara made a lot of that happen himself. He got the grades in high school to get to Princeton, and he got his degree even though he went back for it after a tryout with the Ravens in 2003.

Without the ability to communicate well, he wouldn’t be any better at his job than I would be at mine.

“It kind of underscores the importance of combining the athletic part with the academic part,” Opara said, “because in my job, your ability to write and communicate is very important. If you’re just a good football player and you can’t write and communicate, you can’t express your opinions, then jobs like scouting and jobs like coaching are not going to be as open to you. That just underscores the balance of succeeding athletically and also pushing yourself academically.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:00 AM | | Comments (0)
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September 14, 2009

The Next Level -- Week 2

Welcome back to The Next Level. It was another exciting week of college football, featuring some notable performances from former Baltimore-area standouts.

It didn’t take Tavon Austin long to make a big impact in the college game. The former Dunbar star, a true freshman, started at wide receiver for West Virginia against East Carolina on Saturday and made two catches for 59 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Jarrett Brown that extended the host Mountaineers’ lead to 28-20 in the third quarter. The touchdown was West Virginia’s longest scoring play of the game. The Mountaineers went on to add another touchdown, and ended up winning, 35-20.

Navy reserve quarterback Greg Zingler (Severna Park) also put points on the board Saturday. After Midshipmen starting quarterback Ricky Dobbs rushed for a 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter against Louisiana Tech, Zingler took the field for the point-after attempt, ostensibly as the holder. When the snap came however, the senior picked up the ball and ran it for a 2-point conversion, pushing Navy ahead 18-10 in the second quarter. The host Mids rolled on to 32-14 victory. Navy senior linebacker Jerry Hauburger (Eastern Tech) played in the game but did not record any statistics.

Maryland starting nose tackle A.J. Francis had a big game as the host Terps edged Football Championship Subdivision opponent James Madison, 38-35, in overtime. Though the Dukes rushed for 268 yards against Maryland, the redshirt freshman, a Severn native who attended Georgetown Prep in Washington, made five tackles (two solo, three assists). That included two stops for no gain and his being credited for a half-tackle that resulted in a loss of 2 yards for JMU. Terps junior wide receiver LaQuan Williams (Poly) recorded one catch for 7 yards in the game, and senior linebacker Hakeem Sule (McDonogh) played but did not record any statistics. Senior safety Jamari McCollough (Randallstown) missed the game because a foot injury. The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Barker reported that coach Ralph Friedgen said he does not expect McCollough, a second-team All-Metro selection as a high school junior, to be ready to play when Maryland hosts Middle Tennessee State on Saturday.

Starting free safety Mike Newton (Calvert Hall) continues to be a factor on the back line of Buffalo’s defense. A week after making six tackles against Texas-El Paso, the senior led the Bulls with 11 tackles (six solo, five assists) in their 54-27 home loss to Pittsburgh. Newton, who was in on six consecutive tackles on the Panthers’ first drive, also broke up a pass.

A pair of defenders made their presence felt in visiting North Carolina’s wild win over Connecticut (the Tar Heels came back to prevail, 12-10, after Huskies offensive tackle Dan Ryan was called for holding in the end zone with 1:32 remaining, resulting in a safety). UNC sophomore linebacker Zach Brown (Wilde Lake) made five tackles (three solo, two assists), and UConn safety Jerome Junior (Archbishop Curley), a redshirt freshman, recorded seven stops (three solo, four assists).

Wide receiver Shaky Smith (Douglass) made one catch for 9 yards on a first-and-10 play in the third quarter of Utah’s 24-14 win at San Jose State. The junior also returned a pair of kickoffs for 26 and 25 yards.

Syracuse didn’t have many highlights in falling, 28-7, to Penn State in Happy Valley. Freshman wide receiver Alec Lemon (Arundel), however, did make two catches for 10 yards, including one for a gain of 11. Orange senior tight end Andrew Robinson (Calvert Hall) and Nittany Lions junior cornerback Shelton McCullough (Randallstown) both played, but neither recorded any statistics.

Wake Forest freshman linebacker Joey Ehrmann (Gilman) assisted on the tackle on the opening kickoff in the Demon Deacons’ 24-17 win over visiting Stanford.

Duke junior wide receiver Sheldon Bell (City) and Army junior linebacker Jacob Bohn (Mount St. Joseph) got onto the field in the Blue Devils’ 35-19 victory over the host Black Knights, but neither recorded any statistics.

Raynard Horne (Overlea) played in Virginia’s 30-14 home loss to Texas Christian, but the junior running back recorded no statistics.

Senior wide receiver Andrew DePaola (Hereford) saw action in Rutgers’ 45-7 romp over visiting Howard, recording no statistics.

Posted by Steve Gould at 7:02 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football, The Next Level
        

Poly's Goodson rolls up yardage

Poly's senior quarterback Antoine Goodson certainly has gained a lot of ground this season.

The multi-talented, three-year starter has 635 yards of total offense in just two games for the No. 14 Engineers (2-0). He has scored eight touchdowns -- five rushing and three passing.

In last week's season-opening 40-26 win over Largo, Goodson ran for 178 yards, threw for 174 yards and scored five touchdowns. In Friday's 28-12 win over Mervo, Goodson ran for 191 yards, passed for 92 and scored three touchdowns.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 1:31 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 13, 2009

A number of things about River Hill football

River Hill’s football team is putting up some impressive numbers this fall and not just in the 68 points the Hawks have scored during their first two games and the miniscule six points they have allowed.

Friday night’s 27-0 win over Wilde Lake was their 30th straight victory. The Wildecats haven’t beaten River Hill since 2003, but then again, few teams have.

The Hawks have won 35 consecutive games in Howard County and 51 of their last 52 against county opponents. The last time the Hawks lost to a county foe was on Oct. 29, 2005 when Long Reach beat them, 15-14.

They're not thinking about it right now, but the Hawks would like to keep another streak going too as they aim for a third straight state title. This one would be a little different, however, since the Hawks won the last two in Class 2A but are now part of a loaded Class 3A.

Katherine Dunn

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 8:32 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 12, 2009

Tough day for Gilman against DeMatha

You know it's a bad day when your quarterback compiles 347 yards of total offense and five touchdowns only to see his team lose by 21 points.

That's what happened to No. 4 Gilman on Saturday when DeMatha came to town and handed the Greyhounds a 56-35 whipping on a drizzly afternoon. Quarterback Darius Jennings ran for 222 yards plus two touchdowns and threw for 125 and three more scores. But it wasn't enough.

The big problem for Gilman (2-1) was DeMatha running back Marcus Coker. He finished with an amazing 392 yards rushing on only 24 carries. The Iowa-bound senior also scored five touchdowns, and the Greyhounds saw a lot of him -- mostly from the back.

"He could have had 892 if he wanted to," said Gilman coach Biff Poggi.

DeMatha (2-0), ranked No. 23 nationally in the latest USA Today poll, used its large offensive line to open holes so big that a truck could have driven through them sideways. There were times when Coker was barely touched on his long runs.

He had three short TD runs plus one for 80 yards and another for 77. The 80-yard touchdown run was a key because it tied the game at 14 just before halftime and let the Stags regain control as they scored the first 14 points of the second half.

-- Jeff Seidel

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:31 PM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football
        

Gilman-DeMatha football game set for 1 p.m. today

Rejoice, local football fans. The Gilman-DeMatha game is on for today at 1 p.m. It will be played, as scheduled, at Gilman.

Gilman athletic director Tim Holley said this morning that he and several others, including the school's headmaster and football coach Biff Poggi, took a walk on the field for about an hour around 7 a.m. and determined that while there was still plenty of water there, the game could go on.

"[We] decided that the field, while not in ideal condition, was in playable condition," Holley said around 9 a.m. "If it was a league game, we would definitely play."

Holley said they're very concerned about the condition of the field after today's game, one reason he wasn't optimistic on Friday, but that both coaches wanted to play. Poggi felt very strongly that the game needed to be played on Gilman's campus, as scheduled.

"I'm very supportive of that," Holley said.

And so the game will be played. See you at 1 p.m.

-- Jeff Seidel

Posted by Trif Alatzas at 9:46 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 11, 2009

Status of Gilman-DeMatha game uncertain

The situation still doesn't look good for the Gilman-DeMatha football game.

The contest was scheduled to be played at the neutral site of Cardinal Gibbons tonight at 7 p.m. But the storm that hit the area Friday left the Gibbons field unplayable. So they went to the backup plan of moving the game to Gilman on Saturday at 1 p.m. But the rains have caused just as many problems there.

Gilman athletic director Tim Holley said at about 5 p.m. that they could play the game Saturday, but it could do a lot of damage to their field. He wasn't optimistic about the chances of getting the game in when talking before lunch time and still didn't feel too confident later in the day. The final decision should be made by around 8 a.m. Saturday.

"I'm not optimistic, but who knows what could [happen] overnight," Holley said.

Holley said both team's coaches have talked about this situation at length and agreed this is the best course of action. If Gilman, for example, moved the game back to Monday, that wouldn't work since the Greyhounds have to play Thursday because of Rosh Hashanah. Teams don't want to play two games in four days.

"Both coaches have talked about it and are in complete agreement," Holley said.

If the game is canceled Saturday, then it won't be played at all. Holley said this is a non-conference game, and there's nowhere else to put it. Simply put, both schools have their hands tied on this one.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning for updates.

-- Jeff Seidel

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:25 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

Manchester Valley/Brunswick game postponed

Today’s Manchester Valley High School varsity football game against Brunswick High School is postponed until 2 p.m. tomorrow at Manchester.

Posted by Trif Alatzas at 4:49 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

Jim Poggi ready for Gilman's test vs. DeMatha

Ask Gilman linebacker Jim Poggi how he feels about playing DeMatha and he needs a few seconds to put his feelings into words.

The annual Gilman-DeMatha football game has turned into an intense rivalry over the last 10 years, one that the Greyhounds look forward to even though they will be the underdogs when the game kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. at Gilman, after being postponed from Friday night.

What’s it like to play against a team that’s often No. 1 in Maryland and this week is No. 23 in USA Today’s Super 25?

“It’s really hard to explain,” said Poggi a senior, who has played in two previous DeMatha games. “They are an amazing team every year. They have such great players every year and, they play so hard and they’re so tough. It’s a fun game to play, because of the intensity. If you’ve got 10 notches, the intensity is at a 12.

:Loyola and all of our league games are really high too, it’s just DeMatha is always highly-ranked in the east, highly-ranked nationally. This week, USA Today came out with them at 23, so it’s more of a national-setting type of feeling . When we play in our league, ti’s more like we do this for Gilman.”

For Gilman, The Baltimore Sun’s No. 2 team behind defending MIAA A Conference champ Loyola, the game is a chance to test themselves against the best said Greyhounds coach Biff Poggi. Gilman is ranked No. 4 in the MdVarsity State Media Poll, which has DeMatha No. 1.
Jim Poggi agrees with his dad.

“ I love it because, again, it’s high intensity the whole time and when you play against teams that are, skillwise, absolutely unbelievable, it gives you a good gauge of where you are. If you play a bunch of teams you can easily beat, you don’t really know how good you are going into league competition.”

DeMatha leads the series 6-4, but the teams have split the last four meetings. Last season, the Greyhounds pulled out a victory in the fourth quarter when Darius Jennings broke a 58-yard touchdown run to clinch a 21-14 victory.

“That game was so close and both teams played so well it was almost a shame there had to be a loser in that one,” said Jim Poggi, “because I respect all the guys on their team.... We’re not playing against a bunch of jerks on the other side of the ball. They’re a bunch of nice guys who love playing football and it’s great, because it’s a nice, clean game.”

Poggi, who has committed to play at Iowa next fall along with teammate Anthony Ferguson, has struck up a friendship with DeMatha running back Marcus Coker, who has also committed to Iowa. They talk on Facebook a few times a week, said Poggi. Some other players have also become friends with some of the Stags.

So is there any banter about who’s going to win?

“A little bit,” said Poggi with a laugh, “but it’s all in good fun. Especially on my side, I don’t want to say too much.”


Posted by Katherine Dunn at 4:00 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

Gilman-DeMatha postponed, possibly canceled

Rains have wreaked havoc with the Gilman-DeMatha football game. The contest was scheduled to be played at the neutral site of Cardinal Gibbons tonight at 7 p.m.

The storm that hit the area on Friday left the Gibbons field unplayable, however, so they went to the backup plan of moving the game to No. 4 Gilman on Saturday at 1 p.m. But the rains have caused just as many problems there.

Gilman athletic director Tim Holley said that, as of 10:30 Friday morning, his field was under nearly two inches of rain, and he wasn't sure if the game could be played.

"I'm not optimistic," Holley said. "I don't want to ruin our field."

If the game is canceled tomorrow, then it won't be played at all. Holley said this is a non-conference game, and there's nowhere else to put it. Simply put, both schools have their hands tied on this one.

-- Jeff Seidel

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:27 AM | | Comments (6)
Categories: Football
        

Late Parkville coach Yates remembered as field dedication approaches

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Parkville High's plan to rename its football field in honor of Joseph Yates Sr., who in 1971 became Baltimore County's first African-American head football coach.

Since then, I've heard nothing but wonderful things from former players -- and one former student of his who is a colleague of mine here at The Baltimore Sun -- about what a great guy he was and how much he deserves this honor. I e-mailed one of his former players that it is a shame Yates is not here to receive this honor in person, but I was told he wouldn't like all the attention.

Yates died in 2006 at the age of 83, but, by all accounts he left a lasting impression on those around him. So for further insight into the legacy of Joe Yates, as Parkville prepares to rename it's football field Yates Field this Saturday at 12:30 p.m., read what former Sun
columnist Gregory Kane wrote just after Yates passed away:

When the Parkville High School football team plays its first home game this season, will the players be performing on a turf called Yates Field?

They will if Robert Gartside has his way. Gartside is a proud alumnus of Parkville, Class of 1969. His last season on the football team - where he played on the defensive line - was in the fall of 1968. Joseph Yates Sr. was an assistant football coach at Parkville then. Three years later, Yates became Baltimore County's first black high school head football coach.

You can read the reset of the column here.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 6:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 10, 2009

Listen to Bel Air-Harford Tech football Saturday

If you are a fan of Bel Air or Harford Tech's varsity football teams and cannot get out to the game Friday night, you can listen to it on Saturday afternoon. The game will be taped and broadcast at 3 p.m. on Herb FM or Live 365.com. To listen go to www.herbfm.net or www.herbfm.com.


Posted by Katherine Dunn at 5:00 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 7, 2009

Arundel's Blackwell: Transferred to a starring role

Joseph Blackwell was not one of those names I heard tossed about in preseason as one of the area’s best football players. In fact, he was never mentioned.

That’s because hardly anyone knew about him. Until Friday night.

In his debut in an Arundel jersey, the junior running back scored four touchdowns in the No. 3 Wildcats’ season-opening 34-27 victory at No. 6 Old Mill, perhaps the Wildcats' top challenger in Anne Arundel County.

The Patriots struggled with Blackwell, who proved exceptionally slippery, running for 174 yards on 28 carries and one touchdown and catching five passes for 83 yards and three touchdowns.

“It’s like trying to catch a waterbug with a pair of tweezers,” said Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz of his newest offensive threat.

For the last two seasons, Blackwell played at Archbishop Spalding. He wasn’t happy there, saying he didn’t fit into the Cavaliers’ offensive system, so he decided to transfer to his local public school in February.

It was a good fit.

“I was back with all my old friends,” said Blackwell, who attended Arundel Middle School and played recreation football with one of his Wildcats' teammates and against some others. "When I transferred, I talked to the coach and he was getting me caught up. Then I worked out with them over the summer.”

Blackwell was more than prepared for the season opener.

He caught two passes from All-Metro quarterback Billy Cosh in the first eight minutes for a 13-0 Wildcats lead. They never trailed although Old Mill tied the game at 13 before Blackwell scored again on a 13-yard run in the third quarter to take the lead for good.

“I usually get a case of nerves or butterflies before a game, but I didn’t get really nervous Friday night,” Blackwell said. “I felt really prepared. We came out and the first series went really well, the screen pass went for a long gain and the touchdown. Running that offense, everything kind of fit. I didn’t have this this-is-going-to-be-a-good-night moment, but the offense was really flowing well. For me, it wasn’t going to be a good night unless we won the game.”

Blackwell said he knew all eyes would be on Cosh, a senior who threw for more than 3,900 yards last season.

“In the spread offense, everybody’s worried about the pass, nobody’s worried about the run,” said Blackwell, who realizes the word is out about him now. “If they stop me, they won’t stop Billy.”

At one point in the third quarter Friday, Wildcats offensive coordinator Dave Doy called seven straight rushing plays, something Markiewicz said he does not remember ever doing in 32 years as a coach. Blackwell didn’t carry all seven times but his performance made those play calls -- and more of them later when the Wildcats wanted to keep the clock moving -- possible.

Blackwell, who has a 3.8 grade-point average and is considering becoming a doctor, is smart on the field and in an interview. He first gave credit to the Wildcats' linemen, whom he called “my best friends” for opening up some “huge holes” on Friday night.

After watching Blackwell practice, Markiewicz said he wasn’t sure how the 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior’s first game would go.

“We really weren’t sure how he was going to turn out. Joe’s a really smart kid and when he was learning things, he was really tentative. I just wasn’t sure if he was tentative like that always or what the explanation was [but] he was just trying to learn. He’s a methodical-type, smart, smart kid. What we found out was he really took it all in and when he had the opportunity to play, he just played. It’s scary how good he could be.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 9:16 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

The Next Level: Introductions and updates

First things first, I’m Steve Gould, an assistant sports editor for The Baltimore Sun. Welcome to The Next Level, a weekly feature on Varsity Letters where you can find out how former standouts from local high schools who now play for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams fared in their games. Check back each Monday for a recap of their statistics and standout plays. (The list of players I’m working off isn’t comprehensive, so if I’m leaving someone out please leave a comment below or e-mail me, and I’ll make sure to include him.)

Well, with that stuff out of the way, let’s get down to it:

Three-time Baltimore Sun All-Metro Player of the Year Tavon Austin made his college debut in West Virginia’s 33-20 home win over Liberty. Austin, who starred at Dunbar, came off the bench to rush once for 4 yards and catch one pass for 3 yards. He also returned a kickoff for 14 yards. Freshman defensive back Terence Garvin, who also played running back while at Loyola, made one solo tackle for the Mountaineers.

There wasn’t much for Maryland fans to cheer as California rolled over the visiting Terps, 52-13, but a pair of former local standouts started on defense for UM. A.J. Francis, a redshirt freshman, lined up at nose tackle and recorded three total tackles (one solo and two assists). Francis played his high school ball at Gonzaga Prep in Washington, D.C., but is from Severn. Senior Jamari McCollough (Randallstown) started at cornerback and logged one tackle for a loss of 2 yards. His contributions, however, were overshadowed by his leaving with a foot injury. Sun reporter Jeff Barker reported that McCollough was seen on crutches on the Maryland sideline. Terps junior wide receiver LaQuan Williams (Poly) also played in the game but did not record any statistics.

Connecticut redshirt freshman strong safety Jerome Junior (Archbishop Curley) got the start in his first college game and turned in a notable performance, making five tackles (two solo, three assists) in the Huskies’ 23-16 win over host Ohio.

Former Arundel standout Alec Lemon was a favorite target of quarterback Greg Paulus in host Syracuse’s 23-20 overtime loss to Minnesota. The wide receiver, a true freshman, caught five passes — the second most for the Orange — for 17 yards, his longest a 10-yard reception. Senior tight end Andrew Robinson (Calvert Hall), who threw for 2,192 yards and 13 touchdown passes while playing quarterback for Syracuse in 2007, did not play.

Starting senior free safety Mike Newton (Calvert Hall) made six tackles (four solo, two assists) in visiting Buffalo’s 23-17 win over Texas-El Paso.

Freshman defensive back Kwame Johnson (Parkville) came off the bench to make three solo tackles as Temple fell to Villanova, 27-24, at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

Virginia’s Raynard Horne (Overlea), a junior running back, caught one pass for 13 yards in the Cavaliers’ 26-14 home loss to Football Championship Subdivision opponent William and Mary.

Junior wide receiver Shaky Smithson, who played at Douglass in high school before attending East Los Angeles Community College and transferring to Utah, returned one kickoff for 21 yards in the Utes’ 35-17 victory over visiting Utah State.

Freshman linebacker Joey Ehrmann (Gilman) got some playing time for Wake Forest in the host Demon Deacons’ 24-21 loss to Baylor, but his only tackle was negated by a holding penalty on the Bears. Wake freshman running back Michael Campanaro, The Sun’s 2008 Howard County Player of the Year after rushing for 1,848 yards and 29 touchdowns for River Hill, did not play.

Junior linebacker Jacob Bohn (Mount St. Joseph) made one tackle on special teams in Army’s 27-14 road win over Eastern Michigan.

Senior quarterback Greg Zingler (Severna Park) and senior linebacker Jerry Hauburger (Eastern Tech) saw the field as visiting Navy gave No. 6 Ohio State a scare before falling, 31-27, but neither player recorded any statistics.

Louisville’s Horace Miller (Dunbar), a freshman linebacker, played in the host Cardinals’ 30-10 rout of Indiana State but did not record any statistics.

I’m not listing some of the numerous players — many of them freshmen — who didn’t see game time this week, but if you have a question about a specific player who wasn’t mentioned, please comment below and I’ll respond.

Thanks for stopping by, and keep checking in Mondays for more updates. If all goes well, we’ll look to have a similar feature when basketball season comes around.

Posted by Steve Gould at 6:46 PM | | Comments (10)
Categories: Football, The Next Level
        

September 3, 2009

Baltimore City adds two varsity programs; three more to come

You may need a score card to keep track of the new teams arriving on Baltimore City’s fields and courts in the next few years.

Five new varsity programs are coming, including two this year from schools that were located within Walbrook. But, in a sad note for city athletics fans, there is no Walbrook High School anymore.

Anywhere you see Walbrook on a schedule, it is now the Institute of Business and Entrepreneurship (IBE). IBE and the Maritime Academy were both part of Walbrook last year, but now they are individual schools with their own athletics programs. Both will compete on the varsity level right away.

Maritime is located in the old Samuel Banks High School building while IBE is in the former Lemmel Middle School building, about a mile from Walbrook, which is now undergoing renovation.

Walbrook’s athletic director Yolanda Jackson takes over as AD at IBE, which retained the Warriors mascot and the scarlet and gray school colors. While IBE retains some of the Walbrook population, Jackson said, many student-athletes have transferred to other schools. She noted two veteran football players, linemen Nathaniel Lay and Charles Boyd, who have remained with IBE.

The new schools are much smaller than Walbrook, which was a huge Class 4A school. IBE is in Class 2A. The Maritime Anchors, largely comprised of former Banks student-athletes, are in Class 1A.

The other three schools, which have been around for at least a year with some level of junior varsity or freshman participation, will field JV programs this year and will move to varsity next year or the year after. They are Friendship Academy of Science and Technology, Academy for College and Career Exploration and Masonville Cove Community Academy.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 3:18 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

September 2, 2009

Manchester Valley goes varsity right away

Carroll County’s newest school, Manchester Valley, will kick off its first season of athletics tonight with a “Maverick Stampede.” It all starts at 5:30 with a one-mile run/walk ending at the school. A pep rally will follow at the stadium.

The golf team already has played one match, but the first home game will be Friday night’s football game vs. Clear Spring at 7 p.m.

While most new high schools in the state start off with junior varsity athletics and add varsity programs the following year, the Mavericks will play a full varsity slate this season. The school includes a junior class -- a rarity for new schools, which usually open with only freshman and sophomore classes.

Manchester Valley also differs from most new schools in that all of its sophomores and juniors come from one school -- North Carroll -- rather than two or three. Manchester Valley athletic director David Dolch said North Carroll’s enrollment had grown so much it had about 16 portable classrooms outside. Now everybody has a classroom inside at one of the two schools which are 3.2 miles apart in northeastern Carroll County.

North Carroll, which was a Class 4A school (those with the largest enrollment) is now a Class 2A school. Manchester Valley is 1A.

One of Dolch’s favorite things about dividing into two schools is that it doubles the opportunities for students to play sports. He said 240 of Manchester Valley’s enrollment of 571 tried out for teams.

“At a 4A school, when you think about it, teams like volleyball and basketball where you have really small numbers in terms of starting positions, now you’re in a position where you have a chance to make the squad and perhaps break into the starting lineup and have playing time. Obviously, the interest is there,” said Dolch, who came from St. Paul's.

The football team has a coach who knows all about starting a new program. Tony Shermeyer helped start the program at Century and last season coached the Knights to a 12-1 record and the state semifinals -- the best finish for a Carroll County team in more than 30 years. He was The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Coach of the Year.

Shermeyer made sure his players adjusted quickly from the switch to Mavericks’ navy blue and sliver grey from the North Carroll red and black.

“The first thing I said to them the first day of practice was, “You’re not North Carroll Panthers any more. You’re Manchester Valley Mavericks,’” said Shermeyer. “I want them to build the traditions and leave their mark on the program. They have the opportunity to start something really special. They have the opportunity to start traditions for Manchester Valley that are not the traditions of North Carroll. These kids, they’re very motivated. I had a lot of participation in summer workouts. These kids want to succeed.”

Dolch said he has a two-year plan for success in the Mavericks’ athletics program.

“We knew Urbana and Clarksburg (which also opened as varsity programs), became very competitive in their second year in multiple sports and we think we can do the same thing,” Dolch said. “Everyone realized this first year is going to be tough competition because all the teams we play have senior classes and we don’t. I still think we can be competitive in some sports this year.”

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 12:22 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

August 28, 2009

Parkville to name field after county's first African-American football coach

Before Parkville’s football team kicks off its first home game Sept. 12 against Lansdowne, the Knights will rename their football field Yates Field in honor of Joseph Anthony Yates, Sr., Baltimore County’s first African-American football coach.

Yates, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 83, was the Knights' head football coach from 1971-1981, but he had a lasting impact on the community and the young people he taught and coached. The dedication will take place Saturday, Sept. 12 at 12:30 p.m.

joseph_yates.jpg

The legacy of Yates is not about coaching but character, said Ron Belinko, coordinator of athletics for Baltimore County, who coached football at Overlea at the time.

"The significance of Joe Yates in the community is the impact that he made on an almost totally white school. Color was overlooked when it came to Joe Yates. They looked and saw the character of the man and what he was teaching young people and how they responded to him," said Belinko, who coached against Yates in one of the county's biggest rivalries.

Yates came to Baltimore County in 1952 to teach at the Banneker School in Catonsville, according to his obituary that appeared in The Baltimore Sun on Jan. 27, 2006. He also taught at Sollers Point Junior-Senior High School and at Catonsville High before moving to Parkville High.

"That was at a time when he was one of maybe two African Americans in the whole building," Belinko said. "In the early 70s when Joe coached and the respect that he got from the Parkville community, you have to understand the demographics at the time. Probably for many of the students at Parkville, it was the first experience that they had with an African-American male that they all responded to and respected and looked to as a father figure."

Sun reporter Frederick Rasmussen, who wrote The Sun obituary, included a quote from Yates that appeared in the Parkville Reporter during the 1980s, stating that only four blacks were teaching physical education in the county at that time.

Rasmussen also included this quote from former Parkville assistant football coach Bob McCubbin: "Joe knew no color differential. He didn't want to be regarded as a black coach but rather as a person and a human being. He never made color an issue and never discussed it. He was very well accepted at Parkville and there were never any overt actions against him in classes or during games."

Belinko said Yates did not have great success as a football coach at Parkville, but that the honor of having the field named for him shows that his impact transcended football.

"At Parkville, they never had an outstanding record," Belinko said. "It wasn’t that he was coach of the year, it wasn’t that he won championships, it’s the fact that this stadium is being named after him for the character that he showed and for the role model he was for young people that he taught and coached. That’s a tremendous testament. That community and the graduates who still live in that community had that much respect for the man."

Yates certainly personified what coaching high school sports should be all about.

Handout photo of Joseph Anthony Yates Sr.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 1:23 PM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Football
        

August 25, 2009

A look ahead at football polls

The Baltimore Sun's Varsity fall-season preview comes out Wednesday, Sept. 2, featuring players to watch, polls and more for football, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and boys and girls cross country.

But while you wait, high school sports Web site MDVarsity.com released its state football preseason media poll Tuesday. Powerhouse DeMatha heads up the Top 25, garnering 11 of 12 first-place votes from reporters state-wide. Local schools in the top 10 include Gilman (No. 4), Arundel (No. 5) and Loyola (No. 10), the defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champion.

Two of last year's state champions, River Hill (Class 2A) and Dunbar (Class 1A), follow at Nos. 11 and 12, respectively. Old Mill, Mount St. Joseph and Hereford are 18th, 19th and 20th. Class 2A state runner-up Eastern Tech is ranked 23rd.

For the full poll, go here.

Posted by Steve Gould at 12:23 PM | | Comments (3)
Categories: Football
        

August 18, 2009

Epps is Wilde Lake Players Club's first winner

The newly formed Wilde Lake Players Club has made Jarrel Epps the recipient of its first annual Wilde Lake Players Club scholarship of $1,500. Epps was a first team all-county player for the Wildecats. The 5-6, 150-pound running back compiled 919 yards on 106 carries and caught eight passes for 117 yards. He also scored 21 touchdowns.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 2:01 PM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        

August 14, 2009

Clark, Poets to open bid for state title No. 4

Devin Clark won’t be getting much sleep Friday night.

The Dunbar senior is much too eager to get on the football field Saturday morning when the three-time defending state Class 1A champion Poets kick off their season on the official first day of fall practice for Maryland public school teams.

"Wow, it’s a lot of excitement," said Clark, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive end/right tackle. "Basically, this year is like everything to me, because ... I want to make a big impact. This is my last year and I’ve got to let people know who I am on and off the field."

A lot of people already know who Clark is. He didn’t start playing football until the eighth grade, but he has scholarship offers from UNLV, Towson and Morgan State. Set to be a four-year starter, he could become the Poets’ first four-time state champion.

Continue reading "Clark, Poets to open bid for state title No. 4" »

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:00 AM | | Comments (0)
Categories: Football
        
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