Can high school kids in Baltimore play football? Looks like Terps don't think so.

By Nate Sandstrom

The Baltimore Sun put out their all-Metro football teams today, and guess ho may of the first team offense and defense the paper reports are going to Maryland?

Answer: one.

Offensive Player of the Year Tavon Austin has said he is considering Maryland, but last week said West Virginia is the front-runner.

On the Terps' current roster of 125 players, just 13 players are from the Baltimore metro area (I'm including Columbia).

I'm not informed enough to know whether this is a good or bad thing; but I do find it interesting. For as much guff as Gary Williams gets for letting B-more hoops players get away, I haven't heard much about football coach Ralph Friedgen not getting B-more gridiron recruits.

This Just In

Westlake wins 3A Championship over Wilde Lake, 13-0. Their quick defense put constant pressure on the Wilde Lake offensive attack. Check here for full coverage in about an hour. Congrats to my buddy and Westlake alum Jim Marsden. Congrats to my college buddy and Penn State fan Chris Smith, PSU recruit Devon Smith returned a punt 88-yards for a TD, his fourth return TD this season.
--Nate

Playoffs!

By Nate Sandstrom

Over the next two days, 64 high school football teams across the state of Maryland will take the field in a quest for a trip to M&T Bank Stadium on the first Saturday in December and the chance to take home one of four different state titles (Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A).

Inside those quests are plenty of intrigue as well. D.C. and Baltimore-area schools battle for bragging rights over which region is best, while county foes square-off in rematches of tight regular season contests.

River Hill, Dunbar, Quince Orchard and Damascus are all in and looking to defend their respective championships of last season. Eastern Tech and Arundel are also back in the tournament looking for the titles they came oh so close to capturing last season.

Despite the dreary rain and cold today tomorrow should be good football weather, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-60s if you're looking for some football to catch live. A run down on some games of note:

# = Max Preps state ranking, team, (County, team record and seed)

Class 4A
Friday 7 p.m.
• Wootton (Montgomery, 7-3, 3S) at #8 Quince Orchard (Montgomery, 9-1, 2S). Quince Orchard opens their title defense by facing-off against their season-opening opponent, Wootton. That one was a close contest, with the Cougars winning on the road 26-21. Quince Orchard also features a top-15 CB in Maryland recruit Travis Hawkins. They also have top-flight recruit DE Jason Ankrah. Wootton is riding a five-game win streak, but will need some big plays to pull an upset here.

Class 3A
Friday, 7 p.m.
• Damascus (Frederick, 7-3, 4W) at #16 Seneca Valley (Montgomery, 10-0, 1W). The only undefeated team in Class 3A will host the defending state champion in this strong first-round battle. Seneca Valley prevailed in a match-up of these team on Oct. 24 13-7 as Damascus' homecoming opponent. Seneca Valley scored on the first two possession of the game but had to hold off a late Damascus rally. The Screaming Eagles D has posted six shoutouts this season.

Class 2A
Friday, 7 p.m.
• #20 Gwynn Park (Pricne George's, 8-2, 4S) at #2 River Hill (Howard, 10-0, 1S). Hard to know who is going to complain about this draw more. In the talented 2A South region, Gwynn Park barely made the tourney at all despite topping #11 Dunbar in Baltimore in the season opener, shut-out state qualifier Friendly and took #18 Urbana to overtime before losing. All this and they get a team that has won 24 straight games since falling in the 2006 3A state title game to Friendly. Players to note include DT Raynard Randolph.

Not that River Hill is eager to see Gwynn Park in the first round. The Hawks have outscored opponents 464-28 this season and are widely-recognized as the best public school team in the state. However, some may question their strength of schedule. They've played just one team that qualfied for the state tourney, defeating #12 Wilde Lake 12-0. Still, the Hawks have a pair of backs already given scholarships to 1-A schools in Michael Campanaro and Malek Redd and combind with their stifling defense led by S/WR Leron Eaddy will still be favorites.

Class 1A
Saturday, 6 p.m.
Reginald Lewis (Baltimore City, 7-3, 2S) vs. W.E.B. DuBois (Baltimore City, 7-3, 3S) at Poly High (Baltimore). The Sun calls this game possibly the most even first-round game in the state; Lewis won the first meeting 6-3. Both defenses allow fewer than 10 ppg.

Also, the Sun faceoff today debates whether private school teams, which recruit, should be allowed to compete in state tournaments. I think the best answer is to have the private school champ take on the winner of a four-team playoff among the public school champs in kind of high school Super Bowl, though I'm sure some would say that would be way too long of a season for the kids. It would certainly hurt basketball at the schools that advance, but I would still like to see it.

Mayland High Schools: Week 2

I can't believe more people were not talking about defending 1A champ Dunbar (Baltimore) being upended in their season opener on Monday at Gwynn Park (Prince George's).

The 33-32 loss was the Poets' first in twenty-some games. They came from behind late to take a 32-37 lead, but apparently then gave up a 74-yard TD pass with 3:12 to play, the Gazette reported.

Highly-touted Tavon Austin was apparently held to 79 yards. We'll see how they rebound this weekend against Mervo.

In another Baltimore vs. PG County match-up, Edmondson-Westside topped Friendly 16-7.

Another reloading state champ, 2A's River Hill Hawks didn't get much of a test on Friday, as they crushed 42-7. Wake Forest-bound RB Michael Campanaro scored three TDs and Central Michigan-bound RB Malek Redd scored another in a 42-7 win at Atholton.

This week they will take on Oakland Mills, who appear to be in another rebuilding year after falling 42-3 to Marriott's ridge last week.

An interesting Howard County game to watch on Friday will be Glenelg at Long Reach.

Glenelg ended last year with six straight wins and just missed the state playoffs. They opened the 2008 campaign with a 20-7 win at Mt. Hebron. Long Reach dropped their opener 12-9 to 3A semifinalist Wilde Lake.


Last year's 4A runner-up, Arundel, topped Broadneck, despite losing QB Nick Elko, now at Delaware State. They will travel to Old Mill.

Here is MaxPreps Top 25 for Maryland (all classes).

Maryland High School Championships

Want to see a local team win at M&T Bank Stadium? Head to next week's high school championships.

Two games are set, while the rest of the semi-finals are today.

Thursday, 7 p.m., 3A Title Game
#2 Damascus (Montgomery County, 12-1) vs. #1 Hereford (Baltimore County, 13-0)

A pair of juggernaut football programs face each other in this game.

Hereford has won nine Baltimore County championships since 1996 and state titles in 197, 2001 and 2002. Coach Steve Turnbaugh's eighth undefeated team in his 13th year at the school is led by senior RB Lonnie Liggins, who has rushed for 1,200 yards this season. The Bulls beat Lackey 35-20 on Friday, although the game was tight throughout. Senior DE Gordy Boone entered the game with a team leading 8.5 sacks and was third on the team with 45 tackles. Herford runs the wing T on offense and a 5-2 defense.

Damascus, in the playoffs for the 10th straight season is led by senior running back Evan Zedler and senior QB Kyle Frazier. Zedler reached the 2,000-yard mark in a 35-6 win over Wilde Lake on Friday. Frazier, (6'2, 210) rushed for threw his 20th TD pass on Friday, against just two picks. Senior LB Brian Wittenberger leads the team in tackles, with 121 entering Friday. Damascus runs a pro-I offense and a 3-4 defense. They won state titles in 1981, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2003 and 2005.

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. 2A Title Game
#2 Eastern Tech (Baltimore, 13-0) vs. #1 River Hill (Howard County, 13-0)

River Hill may be the most loaded team in the state, having outscored their opponents 537-14 this season, including 97-0 in three playoff games. They tied a state record on Friday, posting their 11th shutout of the season.

Don't sleep on Eastern Tech, who have outscored their opponents 82-12 in their playoff run. This is the Mavericks fifth straight playoff trip; they lost in the title game in 2003. They rolled over Clarksburg 35-0 on Friday. They entered the game with 3,065 rushing yards, but senior QB Travis Crane has also thrown 13 TDs. Their 5-2 defense has 27 INT's this year, and they run the Wing T offense. Their running backs include seniors Derryck Davis and Darian Conners.

However, they lack the blue-chip stars at River Hill.

Junior LB/WR Leron Eaddy, Junior RB/CB Malek Redd, Junior RB/CB Michael Campanaro, senior LB/RB Zach Martin and senior LB/TE Jonathan Hill are among the leaders of this very good football team. They also feature junior QB Luke Hostetler, former NYG QB Jeff Hostetler's nephew. Martin was on crutches Friday after he sprained his ankle in the first quarter, but Coach Brian Van Deusen said he hopes Martin will be able to play next weekend.

River Hill came up short against Friendly, another very talented team, in the 3A state final title game and a very motivated. Senior LB Alex Turner told me last night that the shutout record was an afterthought compared to winning the state title.

--Nate Sandstrom

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

Know what sucks?

The Sun's coverage of high school football. Two game stories? Hire some stringers. This is how the last paper I worked at does it.

But it's all I got.

River Hill rolled on with a 44-0 win at Centennial. Campanaro scored three TDs for the second straight week, including an 86-yard punt return. See highlights of his first game here.

Also in Howard County, Wilde Lake took a firm hold as HoCo's #2 team with a 28-10 win over Atholton. No mention of likely future Terrapin Cody Blue in the Post story.

Expect more from TronBlaster later this week.

Here's the Washington Post's Top 20 results.

The biggest game of the weekend is actually today, when Friendly, the fastest team in the state, takes on Forrestville.

--Nate Sandstrom