High School Weekend -- November 2

Two more weeks to the start of the football playoffs, and there are some games with major seeding implications this afternoon in the city. Both could wind up being playoff previews.

A link to the playoff standings.

However, perhaps the best team in the state, Friendly (PG), may be on the outside looking in because of an ineligible player.

I keep looking for a chance to sneak away and check out Tavon Austin, but I'll be in the capital covering tax bill hearings tomorrow.

For more on Digital Harbor (down the road from my house) see the Sun's Milton Kent's article here.


Here are capsules from the Sun (I inserted standings, top four qualify).

Digital Harbor (#2 1A South)
@ No. 2 Dunbar (#1 1A South)
When // Friday, 2:30 p.m.

Outlook // This game matches the Baltimore City League leaders in the Division II Rams (7-1) and the Division I Poets (8-0). Tavon Austin and Dunbar have outscored city opponents 36.6 to 8.0 per game, including a 44-34 victory over Poly (7-1), which dealt Digital its only loss, 23-6. The Poets are averaging 40 points compared with 8.8 by their foes, with Austin recording 23 touchdowns and 1,477 rushing yards. Jeron Lewis, who has 12 sacks, leads the Rams defense, which hopes to slow Austin. Trae Higgins and Aaron Hargraves look to run the ball against the Poets' defense, led by linebacker Keon Redhead. Four-year-old Digital has outscored its city foes, 24 points to 8.6 and would love to avenge last year's 36-0 loss in its first meeting with Dunbar.

Poly (#2 2A North)
@ No. 7 Edmondson (#3 2A North)
When // Friday, 2:30 p.m.

Outlook // This game is crucial to the Class 2A North region qualifiers. City (6-2) holds a slim lead over Edmondson (6-2) for fourth place and the final playoff berth. The visiting Engineers (7-1), who are second in the region behind Eastern Tech (8-0), can help City, which hosts Mervo (5-3), and hurt the Red Storm. Next week in the last games of the regular season, City visits Poly and Edmondson will travel to Lake Clifton (1-7). The game showcases two of Baltimore's top running backs in Poly's Lee Reynolds and Edmondson's Terence Wilson.

In Howard County, there are not really any headline games, although the River Hill-Howard battle next weekend will certainly draw interest. Glenelg (#5 1A South) needs to stop Hammond if they want to qualify for the playoffs. However, it's an uphill battle, and based on the numbers they may be out even if they run the table.


Here's TronBlaster's HoCo take this week: (team, W-L, PF-PA)
The elite
1. River Hill 8-0 343-14 Intriguing match-ups with the second best D
in the league this week, and the second best offense (Howard) next week
(Last week: beat Marriotts Ridge 49-6; This week: Reservoir at)
+2. (3.) Howard 7-1 232-146 OK, get excited. They're playoff bound and
if not for a week 3 loss at Atholton, they'd be 8-0 (beat Wilde Lake
21-14; at Long Reach)
-3. (2.) Wilde Lake 6-2 213-96 A few costly turnovers led to the
Howard loss, these two could have a great playoff battle (lost to
Howard 14-21; Oakland Mills at)

The good
4. Marriotts Ridge 5-3 174-210 Hovet is squeezing every win possible
out of this team (lost to River Hill 6-49; Centennial at)
5. Atholton 5-3 132-114 One-trick offense is keeping them from being
elite (beat Oakland Mills 26-20; at Mt. Hebron)
6. Reservoir 4-4 145-96 They need their incredible defense to score
more, like the 2000 Ravens did (beat Centennial 13-8; at River Hill)

The respectable
7. Glenelg 4-4 113-179 Four game winning streak to get back to .500,
good chance to win out (beat Mt. Hebron 21-14; Hammond at)
+8. (9.) Oakland Mills 2-6 172-264 Good show taking Atholton to double
overtime, two near-misses could have had them 4-4 (lost to Atholton
20-26 (2OT); at Wilde Lake)

Just go out there and have fun kids
-9 (8.) Long Reach 3-5 113-188 Puzzling loss to Hammond has to cost
them, I don't know what to make of this team (lost to Hammond 19-32;
Howard at)
+10. (11.) Hammond 2-6 186-253 Offense starting to come around, if only
they could stop someone (beat Long Reach 32-19; at Glenelg)
-11. (10.) Centennial 2-6 98-207 Only team in the league that hasn't
scored 100 points yet (lost to Reservoir 8-13; at Marriotts Ridge)
12. Mt. Hebron 0-8 115-269 Starting to play better, but 0-10 season
is inevitable with A and WL ahead (lost to Glenelg 14-21; Atholton at)

--NS/TB