Headliners; Mervo impresses, while grieving; Spalding shines; MMA, Dundalk roll; Concordia upends McDonogh, B > A; Westminster shocks the Lancers; A-Town takes HoCo showdown; Bruins rebound; “I can’t believe…what I just saw!” ~ Old Mill.

National

After a bye week, St Frances heads to Florida’s ‘panhandle’ to take on the ‘Sunshine State’s’ defending 8A state champion, Venice. Though the Indians lost their opener to Miami power Northwestern, the Tribe were still ranked among the top sixty teams in the nation going into last week’s game. The Indians, who like the Panthers had a bye last week, were ranked #53 in MaxPreps XCellent rankings last week. The Indians boast the #6 edge rusher in the country, 6’5 240 Damon Thomas, who holds offers from the likes of Georgia, ‘Bama, and Ohio State, as well as four-star defensive back Elliott Washington, a Penn State commit. To add, the Tribe offers senior Brooks Brantley at quarterback, who holds offers from Central Florida and Murray State, among others. The Panthers will head to Florida with the nation’s #3 ranking. 

MIAA A

Spalding registered another impressive win for a second week in a row. A week after keeping high-powered Broadneck out of the end zone in their 38-3 win over the Bruins, the Cavaliers pulled out a 20-13 victory over Pennsylvania’s #2 ranked team, Imhotep Charter. Cavaliers sophomore quarterback Malik Washington had difficulties at times versus the Panthers vaunted defense, but put the hosts on the board with a one yard run in the second quarter, the only score of the first half. The Indians not only boast Michigan commit Samaj Bridgeman and super soph’ Zahir Mathis on defense, but Georgia commit Jabree Wallace-Coleman at running back. Mathis, a 6’2 230 linebacker, chose the Wolverines over offers from the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs, among others. Mathis, 6’5 220, is the #7 edge rusher in the ‘25 class, and holds offers from Georgia and Maryland, among his 16 bids. 

Though the Cavaliers defense bottled up Wallace-Coleman for the most part, limiting the Georgia commit to just 77 yards on 22 carries, Panthers junior quarterback Mikal Davis Jr produced a pair of passing touchdowns in the second half to even the score at 13. With just just more than a minute remaining in the game, Washington found Max Moss for an 83 yard score that would turn out to be the game-winning touchdown. Before that, Washington had hit on just eight of his 26 targets, for 94 yards. “Malik struggled for moments, but he and Max made the biggest play in the biggest time of the game”, Cavaliers coach Kyle Schmitt said. 

Despite the adversity, the sophomore quarterback led the Cavs to a huge win over one of the Commonwealth’s finest. Hakim Simms rushed for 79 yards and a score on 17 carries for the Cavs. 

“We are proud of the grit our players displayed against a great opponent. Imhotep challenged us up from on both sides of the football, and our players answered. Our defense made plays when we needed them. Brayden Marrocco’s interception in the red zone. A lot of credit goes to our defensive coordinator, Tyrone Forby, and staff for their work this week. Our special teams also played very well, as we had a considerable advantage in field position”, Schmitt said, as he pointed to a 17 yard difference between the teams in average markings of field possessions between the two teams (AS: 40, IC: 23). 

The Cavaliers road gets no easier this week, as the Cavaliers head to ‘the District’, to face Gonzaga. “It will be a challenge to go into a hostile environment and win”, said Schmitt. 

In a showdown between a MIAA A founding member and the best of the MIAA B division, Concordia Prep shocked McDonogh by outscoring the Eagles 19-0 after intermission to post a stunning 26-7 win over the Eagles, who were ranked #3 by the Baltimore Sun heading into the meeting. The Saints managed only a trick play to score in the first half, before scoring on their first two possessions of the second half. The Saints lost to Gilman, another MIAA A foe, in week zero, 27-21, after hanging a loss on the Greyhounds a year ago, 28-21. The Saints only other foray in the ‘A’ division was in 2018, when Prep was routed by Calvert Hall, 43-6. While Loyola just rejoined the ‘A’ division this year, the ‘B’ division put hierarchy on its head last season, when the Dons, the ‘B’ runner-up to Concordia Prep, upended the ‘A’ champ, Calvert Hall, in the legendary ‘Turkey Bowl’ game.  

Calvert Hall went down to Nashville to meet Trent Dilfer’s Libscomb Academy, and the Cardinals returned home with a 35-0 loss to the nationally ranked #24 Mustangs. The Cardinals managed just 156 offensive yards on 54 plays, or 2.9 yards per play. The Cardinals face Mt Zion this Friday, before hosting Spalding the following week. Mt St Joe rebounded from a respectable loss to St Ignatius of Ohio with a 34-0 win over Franklin. After leading 14-0 at halftime, the Gaels scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to take command of the game. 

Two weeks after running away from New Town in a 48-6 rout in their opener, Loyola fell just short of Georgetown Prep, 22-21, in double overtime, after blocking an extra point in the second extra session, only to commit a roughing the kicker penalty that gave the Little Hoyas a second chance, and the game-winning two-point conversion that followed. The game was scoreless for three quarters before the Dons struck first in the fourth, before the Little Hoyas responded, sending the game to overtime tied at seven. Gilman’s bid to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2005 fell short in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, falling short of Big Red, 47-33. Pallotti took a 21-14 win over John Carroll, and host Clarkson of Arkansas this week. The Football North, as Clarkson is known as, faces both DeMatha and St Frances later this season. 

MIAA B

Concordia Prep served the ‘B’ division proud, with their 26-7 win over McDonogh. The Eagles came in as the second ranked team in MIAA’s top division, behind Spalding. St Mary’s continues to look like the Saints top contender in the ‘B’, following their 35-0 shutout victory over St Albans last weekend. The Saints ground game continued to pound, racking up 299 yards on the ground, on 33 carries, with senior Pat Cary leading the way with 161 yards on 15 carries. Saints senior quarterback Carson Petibon rushed for 68 yards and two scores on seven carries, while adding eight completions for 98 yards and a score through the air. After two victorious routs, the Saints head to Loyola this weekend to take on the Dons. Boys Latin survived Liberty, after the Lions elected to go for a game-winning two-point conversion late, and came up short. Mason Proutt grabbed two touchdown receptions for the Lakers. 

Baltimore City

Within eleven months after having to bury a teammate, the Mervo Mustangs had to prepare to bury another, following junior Jeremiah Brogden’s senseless murder after he was gunned down leaving school, just hours before the team’s scheduled opener with Edmondson. The game was scratched, and the Mustangs community had to come together to grieve, and be there for one another, again. The Mustangs dedicated their championship season a year ago to Elijah Graham, who died from a traumatic brain injury, following a play in a game versus Dunbar.

The Mustangs came out strong in their opener in week two, posting a 37-0 shutout rout at City College. The Mustangs scored all 37 of their points before intermission, igniting a running clock. Junior Ray Moore III threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in his first game as a Mustang, after transferring from Avalon. DeSean Thornton added an 80 yard punt return for a score for the ‘Stangs. Both Karmen Vines and TySean Cox produced 75 receiving yards, with Vines and Challenger Valentine scoring on the two Moore touchdown passes.  

Dunbar scored early and often , and finished with nine touchdowns, converted seven two-point conversions, and recorded a safety in their 70-0 win over Patterson, where Devin Roche & Co. could grab a seat in the second quarter. The Poets needed not more than 15 minutes of game time to establish a 40-0 lead and start the running clock. Roche threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and the defense scored on consecutive possessions, in addition to the safety, and the Poets took a 54-0 lead into intermission. The Poets and Mervo, Baltimore City’s defending state champions, meet September 30th, in week five. 

Poly played twice in five days, after having their opener with Northeast pushed back until Monday because of a gas leak on Mountain Road on the previous Friday. The Engineers survived the Eagles, 16-15, before routing Lewis, 46-0 on Friday. Senior Tavon McGee, an 1,000 yard rusher in ‘21 for the Engineers, rushed for 137 yards and four touchdowns, while his classmate Jason Lindsey added two scores. 

Baltimore County

Milford Mill may not be running like the machine it will be in November, as it incorporates a new quarterback and running back, but it’s been more than enough to handle a pair of next tier (below) opponents by five touchdowns or more a for a second week in a row. A week after a notable 42-7 victory over Franklin, the Millers posted a 48-9 win over Hereford, themselves 36-0 winners over Eastern Tech in their opener. Deshawn Purdie and Sean Williams came over for their senior year from Mt St Joe, as playing time looked limited with the Gaels, who were returning their ‘QB1’ and ‘RB1’. 

While  it was Purdie who threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns in their opening win over the Indians, it was Williams that took the headlines in the week two victory over the Bulls, rushing for 221 yards and five touchdowns under the Friday night lights. Things started slow for the Millers, holding just a twelve point lead at halftime, 14-2, before wearing down the Bulls, and outscoring their foe 34-7 after intermission. 

Dundalk is mirroring their success of 2021 through the first two weeks, as the 4/3A state finalists are using a ground game and defense to tell their story. Both, bolstered by very good line play. The Owls opened last season with a 35-0 win over Century. Last week, the Owls opened with a 35-7 win over the Knights. In week two of 2021, the Owls topped Parkville, 37-6, before the Owls 35-6 victory over their Knights on Friday. The Owls averaged 34.5 points per game last season, and average 35 through two games this season. Last fall, the Owls allowed just 6.8 points per contest, while this year through two their mark stands at 6.5. 

Senior Jordan Fiorenza, the leader of the ground game in 2021, rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries in the win over Parkville on Friday night. Senior outside linebacker Dale Martin produced eight tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles for the Owls. 

Perry Hall posted their second consecutive rout, albeit against relatively inferior opponents. Still, through two weeks, the Gators outscored Landsdowne and Towson, 85-0, collectively, after a 42-0 victory over the Vikings in the opener, and a 43-0 throttling of the Generals this past weekend. The Gators host Dundalk on Friday, in a battle between a pair of 2-0 Baltimore County teams. New Town recovered from its loss to Loyola in their opener with a 36-0 win over Overlea. The Titans host Kenwood this week, after the Titans topped Woodlawn in week two, 20-14. 

Anne Arundel

Old Mill hosted Fort Hill in the second game of their home-and-home series, following the Sentinels 28-13 victory over the Patriots in Cumberland in week two of last season. That one was decided in the third quarter, as the hosts scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 14 point lead. This one wasn’t decided until time expired, and the Sentinels completed their two score comeback with less than three minutes to play. After getting on the board with 2:48 to play, the Sentinels recovered their onside kick, and Quinn Cohen blasted a 21 yard field goal attempt through the uprights as the clock read 0:00. The Sentinels headed back to Western Maryland with an almost miraculous 9-7 victory, after going scoreless for 45+ minutes. 

Broadneck bounced back from their opening loss to Spalding with a 35-0 shutout victory over South River, who has now gone scoreless in their first two games. Against his former teammates, Bruins senior transfer quarterback Camrin Catterton hit on 16 of his 21 targets for 230 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 52 rushing yards on ten carries. Catterton’s first scoring toss went to Machi Evans, to give the Bruins a 20-0 lead just before half. Evans finished with seven receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and has produced 281 all-purpose yards through two games. The Bruins defense held the Seahawks to just 27 yards of offense. 

A week after traveling to Dover and pulling out a win over the Senators, Arundel went for the ‘Delaware double’ as the Cats hosted defending state finalist Smyrna, but came away with a split, after a 14-0 loss to the Eagles in a defensively dominated contest. The game was scoreless through three quarters, and 7-0 with less than four minutes to play, before an Eagles ‘pick 6’ all but ended the Cats hopes at home. The Wildcats managed only 97 yards of offense, including -6 rushing yards. Quarterback Gavin Kamachi connected on just 13 of 33 passes for 103 yards, with two interceptions. The Wildcats travel to Old Mill on Friday.

Glen Burnie is making history, reaching 2-0 for the first time since going 2-0 in 2001, before losing to Annapolis in week three. It was those Panthers the Gophers topped, 43-21, on Friday night to move to 2-0. Coming into the season, the Gophers had won just five of their last 50 games. The Gophers Hebrew Norfleet returned the opening kickoff for a score, and senior Mike Quarles scored three touchdowns in the win. The Gophers hosts South River this week, as the Seahawks search for their first points of the season, after a 33-0 loss to Westminster in their opener, followed by a 35-0 shutout loss to Broadneck on Friday. 

Chesapeake won two games in five days, with a 45-0 win over Western Tech on Monday, and a tight 14-7 victory over Winters Mill on Friday. Crofton moved to 2-0 after the Cardinals 7-6 win over Severna Park, a year after the Cards went 1-8 in their inaugural season. Joe Hayes scored the touchdown for the Cards, but it was Satchel Wilson’s block on an extra point that clinched the contest for Crofton. Meade got in the win column with a 51-14 win over Tuscarora, snapping a 13 game losing streak that dated back to 2019. 

Howard County

Dillan Watkins rushed for 242 yards on 29 carries, including the game-clinching 37 yard score, as Atholton took a key 21-7 victory over Glenelg on Friday. A year after handing the Gladiators their only league loss, the Raiders handed ‘Big Red’ defeat again, but not before needing key defensive stops late to secure the win. Deacon Watkins, Dillan’s brother, came up with a big sack as the Gladiators approached the red zone midway through the fourth quarter, before Jabriel Moody picked up his second sack of the night on the following possession, as the Gladiators approached the red zone again. The Raiders threw for 299 yards in last year’s win over the Gladiators, but ran for 338 yards on 44 attempts on Friday night. 

While the Gladiators program has been a solid one since it’s inception, and consistently good in this century, the Raiders have had more success against ‘Big G’ than any other county rival since 2005. Since ‘05, the Raiders have won nine of the 13 meetings between the two, and their .692 win percentage in the series since ‘05 is the highest of any county rival versus Glenelg, including River Hill (12-7), who has won four state titles during that span. 

River Hill pushed to 2-0 with their 31-14 win over Howard, holding the Lions scoreless in the second half, after holding a narrow 17-14 lead at halftime. The Hawks host MarriottsRidge on Friday, with the Mustangs carrying a 12 game losing streak. Wilde Lake’s Ethan Jackson connected with Gio Butler on a 65 yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter that broke a scoreless tie with arch rival Oakland Mills, and the score stood as the game-winner in the 7-0 affair. Long Reach responded after their opening week loss to River Hill with a 29-0 win over Reservoir, and host Mt Hebron this week, after the Vikings 15-12 victory over Marriotts Ridge.

Carroll

Westminster shook off a stranglehold Linganore had on the Owls on Friday night, snapping a ten game losing streak to the Lancers with an impressive 44-28 victory over their cross-county foes. The Owls marched out to a 27-7 lead with :59 remaining in the first quarter, and withstood a Lancers rally that cut the margin to six points, 34-28, late in the third quarter. Kyrece Walker was magnificent for the Owls, accounting for all six touchdowns, including four passing and two rushing. The Owls led 34-14 before the Lancers quarterback Christian Petrozzello scored on his second long run of the night to cut the margin to 34-21. Minutes later, Walker made one of his few mistakes on the night, and the Lancers returned an interception 55 yards, setting up a short score that cut the margin to six. The Owls added a 41 yard field goal with :07 left in the third quarter, and with Walker providing an insurance score in the fourth, the Owls defense kept the Lancers scoreless in the final stanza. 

Not only had Linganore held dominance over Westminster over the last decade, the Frederick County powers as a whole had all but had their way with Carroll County opponents since 2013, as they headed into the season. Linganore was 13-0 versus Carroll County opponents from the 2013 season through the ‘21 season. Walkersville was 11-1 in that same span versus their cross-county opponents, while Middletown was 7-1, and Oakdale, 6-2. Together, the quartet was 37-4 versus Carroll County opponents from ‘13 through ‘21, with a point margin exceeding 25 points. Then, 2022 happened. Liberty shocked Walkersville, 34-14, in week one, and the Owls removed the Lancers curse in week two. Not only had the Owls dropped ten straight to Linganore, nine of the ten were decided by 19 points or more. The 44-28 victory over the 3A defending state finalists slides the Owls into the favorites role in Carroll County, in a league that includes the defending 2A state finalists, South Carroll. 

The Cavaliers of South Carroll moved to 2-0, though it wasn’t done without a struggle. The Cavs managed just two touchdowns in their 15-9 win over Northeast in week two, on an Eagles defense that was playing their second game in five days. Cavaliers running back AJ Rodrigues was largely contained, rushing for 77 yards on 20 carries, but his two scores were enough to give the hosts a 15-3 first half lead, where it would stay until the final minute, when the Eagles cut the margin to six points. South Carroll goes to Westminster on Friday, a year after snapping a four game losing streak to the Owls. Liberty lost a tight contest with Boys Latin, 21-20, after choosing to go for the win, with a two-point conversion, before coming up short. Lions quarterback Jack Pelliciotti threw for a touchdown, and ran for a score. 

UCBAC

Fallston moved to 2-0 with a 38-6 win over North East, after taking a 38-0 lead and running clock into intermission. The Cougars, who averaged 41.1 points per game last season, are averaging 41.5 per through two games this season. They host 2-0 Perryville in the Cougar Den on Friday. The Panthers pulled out a 30-26 win over Joppatowne on Friday, despite allowing the Mariners more than 400 yards of offense. The Mariners Steven Robinson, who rushed for 159 yards and a score on 11 carries in week one, rushed for 192 yards and a score on 20 attempts in the week two loss. Harford Tech is 2-0 for the fifth straight season, following the Cobras 27-7 win over Aberdeen, where their defense produced six sacks and four interceptions that produced 144 yards in return yards. 

Bel Air is 2-0 for the first time since 2016, when the Bobcats finished 8-3. A week after scoring 48 points in their 48-7 opening week victory over Havre de Grace, the Bobcats came out with a more modest 20-0 win over Century in week two. Friday, Bobcats quarterback Jay Perez wasn’t as wildly successful as he was in week one when he threw five touchdowns in 13 attempts, but the senior was certainly proficient in the week two win over the Knights, completing 12 of 18 passes for 172 yards and a score. Seniors Nate Furrow and Nehemiah Ramsey combined to rush for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries for the Bobcats. Edgewood also moved to 2-0, with their blockbuster 52-20 victory over the Golden Elks of Elkton. 

Willie Sean Coughlan
Willie Sean Coughlan

HS Sports Analyst

Willie, a native of Chicago, and now a resident of Columbia for 40 years, is an educator at Homewood Center in Howard County, after spending 12 years as a real estate agent, following 10 years of running a small men’s retail company. Willie has contributed to Max Preps, Digital Sports, and Varsity Sports Network. Willie has produced MPSSAA top 25 rankings for both football and basketball for 15 years, across various platforms. From a large ‘sports family’, Willie’s brother Mike led Reservoir High to the 3A basketball state title game in 2018, while his nephew Anthony serves as the Indianapolis Colts College Scouting Coordinator.

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