2022 Baltimore Metro High School Football Report: Week 4

National

St Frances went on the road for the fourth straight game to begin the season, this time to the ‘Palmetto State’ to take on their six-time state champion Dutch Fork. The Silver Foxes came into the game ranked #25 in the country by MaxPreps. The Silver Foxes entered the Friday night affair having won 43 straight regular season games, and 66 of 67 overall. Of the four nationally ranked opponents the Panthers opened up with, the Silver Foxes were the highest ranked of the four. 

The Panthers had either slow starts or early deficits, or both, in each of their first three games, and this one featured the former, before running away with a 26-7 victory over the Silver Foxes. The game was scoreless, when the Panthers needed just three plays into their third possession to go 77 yards to take a 8-0 lead after a two-point conversion, with :16.4 remaining in the first quarter. Following a 26 yard run by junior quarterback Michael Van Buren, senior Durrell Robinson broke through the middle for a 38 yard burst to the end zone, to put the Panthers on the board, and like the victory a week before versus Venice, ignited their explosive offense. 

After the Silver Foxes took a ‘pick 6’ back to cut their margin to one, Van Buren redeemed himself in the second quarter, throwing two touchdowns to Kyre Benton, the second with :13 remaining before halftime to take a 20-7 lead. The Silver Foxes sought momentum in the second half, and recovered the kickoff. But, one play later, the Panthers Brian Simms, a Boston College commit, came in for the sack, forced the fumble, and took the ball 58 yards to the end zone to give the visitors a 26-7 lead. The Panthers defense limited the Silver Foxes to only 121 yards of offense, their lowest total in seven years. It was the first time the Silver Foxes offense hadn’t scored since 2009. 

Dutch Fork coach Bill Knotts, who coached the Silver Foxes to five of their six state titles, said afterward, “That’s a fine football team. I have never seen a team so big and fast. In 42 years, I have never seen a defense that good. They’re just special.”

Van Buren completed 16 of 25 passes for 176 yards, while Robinson added 93 rushing yards. Benton finished with six receptions for 88 yards. While the offense gets the highlights, it’s the defense that make the Panthers what they are. The defensive unit is headlined by a trio of senior defensive linemen, which includes LSU commit Dashawn Womack, USC commit Sam Greene, and Pitt commit Isaiah Neal. Despite playing four nationally ranked opponents, the defense has allowed only four touchdowns in four games. 

Next up for the Panthers is a trip to Kahuku, Hawaii, to take on the defending state champion Red Raiders. The Red Raiders were ranked #47 by MaxPreps, before a 35-0 shutout victory this weekend. The 9,866 mile round trip will wrap up a six week period where the Panthers went on the road to play five nationally ranked teams to begin the season, playing in the shadows of the Football Hall of Fame, Dallas, Florida’s Gulf Coast, South Carolina, and now Hawaii. 

The Red Raiders traveled to play #1 St John Bosco ten days ago, and came away with a 34-7 loss. Still, it was the closest margin of victory in the Braves five wins, which includes wins over nationally ranked Allen TX and Bishop Amat CA. The Red Raiders boast the #18 linebacker prospect in the ‘23 class in Liowa Lefau, the top player in Hawaii, and a half dozen three star prospects, including a top 50 linebacker in Leonard Ahyou, who has offers from Hawaii, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and BYU, among others, and a top 50 safety in Brock Fonoimoana, a Utah commit. The Red Raiders also feature a receiver headed to Utah, and a defensive lineman committed to BYU.  

MIAA A & B

It was to be the first big MIAA showdown of the season, pitting arguably the two best teams in the MIAA A division, Spalding and Calvert Hall. It turned into anything but, as last year’s undefeated regular season champion Cavaliers routed the defending league champion Cardinals, 42-7, much like they did a year ago when they trounced four of their five league opponents by 23 points or more over the league slate, finishing with a +33.4 point margin in league play.

Hakim Simms rushed for two touchdowns to put the Cavs ahead,14-0, and after the Cardinals Noah Brannock found Donovan Lewis in the end zone to make it a one possession game, Malik Washington connected with his favorite target, Max Moss, for a score, to push their lead to 21-7. Tyler Brown returned an interception for ‘six’ to take a 27-7 lead into intermission. 

Washington completed 23 of 38 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, while Simms rushed for 121 yards on 24 carries. Moss posted his fifth straight 100 receiving yard game, catching seven passes for 101 yards and two scores. Cavs PJ Poknis caught a touchdown, and registered an interception for the Cavs defense, who have allowed just four touchdowns in their last four games. The Cavaliers head to Pallotti on Friday. 

Mt St Joe welcomed back Loyola to the MIAA A division with a 40-0 blowout win over the Dons, as Winston Watkins threw for five touchdowns, with four coming in the first half. The junior threw for 235 yards, with a pair of his touchdown tosses going to Trey Jones. Junior linebacker Sahir West headlined a Gaels defense that recorded their second shutout of the season, after earning just one last season. The Gaels travel to Gilman on Friday, while the Dons host McDonogh, who lost to Carroll, 14-7, following a bye week for the Eagles. Pallotti topped Gilman, 30-14, after scoring 18 unanswered points in the final stanza. 

Concordia Prep moved to 4-1 with a 35-6 win over Mt Zion Prep, just before the Saints set their sights on MIAA B league play. Mt Zion also lost to McDonogh, 21-2, and Calvert Hall, 21-6. The Saints have won four straight since losing their opener to Gilman, 27-21. St Mary’s remained unbeaten, but not before needing a fourth quarter comeback to overtake John Carroll. Trailing 13-7, the Saints scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take a 28-13 victory. Saints quarterback Carson Petibon rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in the win. Curley began their league play with a 42–14 win over Boys Latin. 

Carroll

Carroll County teams have seemingly always played in the shadows of their neighbors in Frederick, Baltimore, and Howard counties when it comes to the gridiron, but the 2022 season has allowed the Carrollites to show their wares. Frederick boasted four different schools that won a state championship on the gridiron in the last decade. Franklin, just northwest in Baltimore county, has won three state titles in the last decade, and Howard County teams have won five since Westminster and South Carroll made state title game appearances in 2005. South Carroll broke the 15 season title game drought for the county by advancing to the 2A state championship game last season, before losing to Dunbar.

This season, Carroll County teams, particularly Westminster, is reminding opponents from surrounding counties that Carroll’s best can not only compete with them, but win. The Owls opened the season with a 33-0 shutout victory over South River, a Seahawks team that has won their last two games. The following week, the Owls traveled to Linganore and beat the six-time state champion Lancers, 44-28. In week one, Liberty dispatched two-time state champion Walkersville, 34-14.

Last Friday, Westminster hosted defending 4/3A finalist Dundalk, in a battle of Owls. It was a defensive tug of war. After the Owls of Dundalk went up 6-0 in the second quarter on a 55 yard touchdown pass from Ja Bonner to Joey Kazprzak, the Owls of Westminster responded when Kyrece Walker found Mason Fisher for a 28 yard score, and converted the extra point, to take a one point lead, 7-6, after blocking Dundalk’s earlier extra point attempt. Midway through the third quarter, Westminster added to their lead when Walker hooked up with Canton Rutters for a 27 yard touchdown to take a 14-6 lead. Just inside the fourth quarter, Owen Harris nailed a 25 yard field goal to make it a two possession game, 17-6. Bonner then connected twice with Kazprzak for 71 yards, culminating in a 15 yard score to cut it to 17-12, after the two point attempt failed. 

After their defense held, Dundalk made a run, thanks to a 50 yard completion from Walker, and drove inside Westminster’s ten yard line, before coming up short on a pass from Bonner that fell incomplete as time expired. Walker threw for both of the Owls scores, and has accounted for 12 touchdowns through four games. Walker completed 10 of 15 passes for 131 yards on Friday, while Fisher grabbed six receptions for 75 yards. For Dundalk, Bonner completed 15 of 26 attempts for 256 yards and two touchdowns, with Kazprzak registering seven receptions for 192 yards and two scores. Dundalk running back Jordan Fiorenza was limited to 15 carries and 77 yards, as the hosts stacked the box. Fiorenza entered the game ranked sixth in the MPSSAA in rushing, at ten yards per carry. 

South Carroll remained unbeaten with a 26-13 win over Manchester Valley, with AJ Rodrigues rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, and adding an interception on the defensive side. The Cavaliers go to Liberty week seven, but should they get past the Lions and the others and finish the regular season undefeated, they would be the first county school to finish with an undefeated regular seasons in back-to-back years in this century. If the Cavs were to follow with an opening round playoff win, they’d be the first county team to produce back-to-back ten win seasons in this century. Liberty pushed to 3-1 with a 35-7 win over Francis Scott Key, with Jack Pellicciotti throwing for three touchdowns, and Kevin Poole rushing for 138 yards. 

Baltimore City

The time has come. The Baltimore City showdown featuring two defending state champions. For just the second time in league history, after the Poets and Edmondson met in ‘07 as defending champs, with the Poets taking a 49-24 win. Last year’s matchup, was the closest anyone had gotten to either one. The undefeated Poets won by two points, after erasing a 16 point lead with less than three minutes to play. For the Mustangs, the defeat was their only loss of the season. 

Patrick Nixon has built the Mustangs program into a sound one, predicated on an aggressive defense, and an offense with an array of playmakers. The ‘22 Mustangs are much of the same, though they had to replace 18 of 22 starters. Through three games, the Mustangs gave outscored their opponents, 134-6, and have been untested as of yet. 

Dunbar is coming off of a rare hard fought 28-12 ‘Homecoming’ win over Dunbar of DC on Friday night, their closest margin of victory since playing Mervo last season. Tristan Kenan rushed for three touchdowns, and Devin Roche threw to Devin Paige for the Poets other score. The Poets have outscored their four opponents, 210-18. Roche leads the MPSSAA in rushing yards, with 773, and has accounted for 11 touchdowns. Kenan is tied for 5th in the MPSSAA rushing yards, with 591. 

Last year’s game may have been the most exciting game in the 2021 regular season in all of the MPSSAA, with the Poets coming back from 16 points down with less than three minutes to play to pull out a 48-46 overtime victory. Mustangs coach Patrick Nixon is 4-7 versus Dunbar, but 4-4 in their last eight meetings. All four of the Mustangs wins have been by six points or less, and five of the last seven meetings between Dunbar and Mervo have been decided by a one possession margin. 

Kickoff is 6 o’clock Thursday night at Morgan State.

Poly moved to 4-0 with a lackluster 8-2 win over Forest Park, while City rose to 2-2 with a 38-16 win over Lake Clifton. 

Baltimore County

Milford Mill continued to impress, with a 43-6 win over Owings Mills. While the Millers were scoreless through one quarter, they built a 35-6 lead over the Eagles in the third quarter. Sean Williams rushed for five touchdowns and 111 yards on just 15 carries, extending his MPSSAA-leading rushing touchdown total to 14 through four games. The Millers head to Woodlawn on Friday. Millers junior quarterback Deshawn Purdie threw for 368 yards, and leads the MPSSAA in passing yards through four weeks, with 901. Daysen Shell ranks sixth in the MPSSAA in receiving yards, with 356, and the talented kick returner provides 167 all-purpose yards per game. 

Hereford pushed to 3-1 with a 41-8 win over Kenwood, after staking a 26-0 halftime lead. The Bulls go to Overlea on Friday. After taking on Milford Mill and Mt St Joe to begin the season, Franklin (2-2) has climbed to .500 with a 21-14 overtime win over Perry Hall. The Indians travel to Catonsville on Friday. New Town is 3-1 following a 34-20 victory over Woodlawn, and host Randallstown on Saturday. Patapsco junior Noah Cornish ranks third in the MPSSAA in rushing, with 633 yards on the ground, and tied for second in rushing touchdowns, with ten. Dundalk, following the loss to Westminster, goes to Towson on Saturday. The Millers and Owls don’t meet this season. 

Howard

Atholton and River Hill are both a win away from a week six showdown between a pair of Howard County undefeated teams. The Raiders pulled out a 16-6 win over Oakland Mills last Friday, getting revenge on their only league loss last season. Trailing 10-6, with five minutes to play, the Scorpions committed their sixth turnover of the night, and a play later, Dillan Watkins took it in from 12 yards to give the Raiders a ten point lead. Daniel Ogordi recorded both an interception and fumble recovery for the Raiders, who face 0-4 Hammond this weekend. 

The Scorpions travel to Glenelg to meet the Gladiators, who they’ve beaten just one time in their last 21 meetings, dating to a first round playoff game in 2000. That year, the Scorps shutout the Gladiators, 28-0, finishing with a 9-1 regular season record and the one seed, before getting bounced by the Glads in the first round of the playoffs. The Scorpions only win in the series since came in 2015. Glenelg moved to 3-1 with a 31-7 win over Centennial. The Gladiators held a slim 6-0 halftime lead, when Paul Piwowarski returned the second half kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, and the rout was on. 

River Hill had no trouble with Mt Hebron, routing the Vikings, 41-6. The Hawks average 257.8 rushing yards per game through four games, and have outscored their first four opponents 49-3 in the first quarter. The Hawks host Reservoir on Friday. Travis Thompson scored two touchdowns to lift Howard over Long Reach, 13-6, and spoil the Lions border rival Lightning’s ‘Homecoming’ on Saturday. The Lions are 3-1, and host Mt Hebron on Friday. Wilde Lake shutout Hammond, 35-0, to move to 2-2, and host Centennial on Friday. 

Anne Arundel

Broadneck won its third straight game since losing their opener to Spalding, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to put away Meade, 38-6. Camrin Catterton threw three touchdowns for the Bruins, Ian Mauldin rushed for two scores, and Eli Harris caught seven receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns. The Bruins defense produced five sacks and three interceptions. The Bruins go to North County on Friday. Arundel too moved to 3-1, with a 37-8 win over Glen Burnie. Tyson Miller rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns, and Ahmad Taylor rushed for 78 yards and another two scores. The Wildcats travel to Elkton on Friday, to take on the Golden Elks. 

Old Mill trounced Annapolis, 64-14, to get back to .500, and now head to South River on Friday. The Seahawks have now won two straight after starting 0-2, with their 14-7 victory over previously unbeaten Crofton. The Hawks scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to notch the win. The Cardinals look to get back in the win column when they travel to Northeast on Friday.  

UCBAC

Five UCBAC teams went into last week undefeated, and only three came out unblemished. Edgewood dominated then unbeaten Harford Tech, 34-0, as junior Caesar Travers completed 11 of 18 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns. Isaiah Martin was the target on two of those scores, and caught four passes for 90 yards. The Cobras came in having won 38 of their last 41 regular season games, and hadn’t been shutout since their 2013 opener versus Tower Hill DE. The Rams host North Harford on Friday. 

Bel Air remained undefeated after a 48-0 win over C Milton Wright, with the Bobcats registering their third straight shutout victory. Nate Furrow rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries for the Bobcats, and Jay Perez completed 11 of 15 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Bohemia Manor moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2010, when they went 10-2 and advanced to the regional final. Fallston fell from the unbeaten ranks with a 27-3 loss to Patterson Mill.