The 2021 season was a magical one in Sykesville for South Carroll, as the Cavaliers advanced to the state championship game for only the second time in their program’s history, and just the fourth time in Carroll County history. All three of the county’s previous state finalists – ‘76 Westminster, and Westminster and South Carroll in ‘05, lost to Prince Georges County opponents.
This time, the Cavaliers faced then ten-time state champion Dunbar, the most successful program in the MPSSAA since the Poets became a member in 1993, and fell, 38-6, in the 2/1A state championship game. Nonetheless, the ‘21 Cavaliers season was a huge success, and ignited an excitement in a community that doesn’t take for granted deep post-season runs. The Cavaliers set program records in wins (12) and win percentage (.923). The Cavaliers also matched a Carroll County record for wins, tying Westminster’s 2005 and 2012 teams, and matching the ‘12 Owls county record in win percentage.
The Cavaliers were led by the county’s Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Ryan Barnard, and the county’s Defensive Player of the Year, inside linebacker Brandon Athey. That talented pair has graduated, but the Cavs do return another pair of stars in AJ Rodrigues (5’10 170), who led the county in rushing with 1,182 yards and 14 touchdowns, and defensive tackle Ben Simmens (6’0 230), who finished second behind Athey on the Cavaliers in tackles, with 89. Rodrigues was a threat as a runner, a pass-catcher out of the backfield, and was one of the more productive kick returners in the state, leading to 1,684 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns. Simmens, who added 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks on defense, was also an all-county selection on the offensive line.
The Cavs will look to senior Carter Mazalewski (6’3 215) to take over at quarterback, after a productive season at wide receiver and free safety. Senior Nate Boore (6’0 190) is considered the Cavaliers best ‘all around’ player, one who will line up at running back, tight end, linebacker, and defensive back. Boore finished fourth in the county in sacks last season, with 9.5. Senior Caleb Blum (5’10 205) will contribute at both H-back and linebacker, and the Cavs will have a trio of senior targets at receiver in Drake Hebron (6’1 170), Jackson Strzelczyk (5’10 145) and Mike Pizzuto (5’8 155). Senior Cody Troppman (5’11 235) will join Simmens on both front lines. Kraus, who spent 11 seasons as the Defensive Coordinator for 11 years before taking the head coach position, is 23-15 in four seasons at South Carroll.
Westminster (8-4) worked through a wild season in 2021, losing their first four games, before winning their next seven (the Owls were later awarded a forfeit win in week one over South River). Chris Bassler’s Owls played a tough early schedule last September, traveling to South River for the opener, then taking on Linganore the following week, then South Carroll, and finally Dundalk, in successive weeks. Linganore, South Carroll, and Dundalk, all played in state title games last season. This year, the Owls face the same gauntlet, in the same order, to begin the season.
While the Owls lost quarterback Jack Gruenzinger to graduation, they do return his top target, and one of the top targets in the MPSSAA, Mason Fisher (5’10 170), who caught 42 passes for 1,205 yards and 14 touchdowns. Fisher finished third in the MPSSAA in receiving yards, and tied for third in touchdown receptions. Senior inside linebacker Andy Schneider (5’11 210) will anchor the Owls defense. Junior Kyrece Walker (5’10 160) was named an all-county cornerback as a sophomore. The Owls also bring back a pair of two-way lineman in seniors Nick Koumentis (6’1 200) who lined up at tackle and defensive end, and Randy Green (5’11 220) at guard and defensive tackle. Bassler, a former Offensive Coordinator at McDaniel, is 23-7 in three seasons at Westminster.
Manchester Valley (7-4) graduated running backs Trent Onkst and Justin Staubs, who finished 2nd and 3rd in the county in rushing yards, combining for 2,080 yards, but the Mavericks will return a quarter of seniors to lead them. Markel Brown (6’4 183) will be the Mavericks best player, playing tight end and defensive end. Blake Ray (5’10 155) will go both ways at receiver and ‘db’. Jake Boog (5’10 160) starts at quarterback, while Ben Pitta (5’8 170) will be ‘RB1’. Koontz will be entering his fifth season as head man at Man’ Valley, after 25 years in the county as an assistant at Winters Mill, North Carroll, and Westminster. Koontz has led the Mavs to two of their four playoff victories in their program’s history, and a 17-11 record over the last three seasons.
Francis Scott Key posted a 7-4 record, after 13 losing seasons in 14 years. The Eagles graduated their leader in quarterback Jarren Rutter, but return his brother Dewit (5’9 150), an undersized linebacker that makes plays across the field. The Eagles also return Ben Stevens (6’3 190), who will move to quarterback, after a productive season at receiver. Senior Brady Rhodes comes back at center and outside linebacker for the Eagles. Will Thompson stepped down after three seasons with the Eagles, and a season after matching the program’s mark for most wins since 2004. David Cunningham, an assistant for two years under Thompson, takes the helm in Union Bridge. The Rutter’s oldest brother, Josh, a former FSK star, coached the Eagles from 2016 through the 2018 season, including a 7-3 season in 2017, the program’s lone winning season in 14 years before last year’s breakthrough.
Larry Luthe’s Liberty Lions (3-7) return their starting quarterback and his top target, with Jack Pelliciotti (6’2 205) throwing for 1,973 yards, with 803 of those yards going to wide receiver Sam Evans (5’10 170). On defense, the Lions return lineman Luke Collins (5’10 240) and defensive back Dean Beaumier (5’11 170), both all-county selections last season. Luthe will be entering his 20th season as a head coach, including ten years at Mt Hebron from ‘98 through ‘07. Luthe’s next victory will be his 100th win.
It had been 16 years since both Westminster and South Carroll both advanced to the 3A and 2A state championship games since a Carroll County team had advanced to a state championship game, before the Cavs magical run in ‘21. The Cavaliers lost to Potomac, 38-3, in the ‘05 2A state championship game. That same Saturday in December, the Owls suffered a heart-breaking 20-14 double-overtime loss to Gwynn Park in the ‘05 3A state title game. The Owls lost to Largo, 20-7, in the 1976 Class A (now 3A) state championship game. The two Carroll County ‘05 state finalists played each other in week one, with the Owls dismantling the Cavaliers, 44-8. The Cavs finished 7-3 in the regular season, but avenged an earlier 21 point loss to Middletown, with a 21-3 win over the Knights in the regional final. The Cavaliers stumped 11-1 Milford Mill, 27-18, in a 2A state semifinal, before their loss to Potomac in the final. Coach Kraus was an assistant to Butch Schaffer on the ‘05 team.
The Owls had an opportunity to win the ‘05 title game with Gwynn Park, but missed a 21 yard field goal wide left at the end of the first overtime, after the Yellowjackets dropped what-would-be two touchdown passes on their possession. In the second extra session, the Owls Ryan Payne appeared to catch a touchdown pass on first down, but was ruled out of bounds. Television replay showed one foot in. The Owls failed to score, and the Yellowjackets scored on fourth and goal from the two yard line, with William Little barreling in, after an initial hit at the line of scrimmage.
The Owls competed in the Monocacy Valley Athletic League (MVAL) in ‘05, the Chesapeake Division, together with fellow Carroll County schools Century and North Carroll, and Frederick county powers Urbana and Linganore, along with Thomas Johnson and Tuscarora. The Owls shared the regular season crown, after they lost to Linganore and beat Urbana, and Urbana beat Linganore, leaving all at 5-1 in league play. The Owls avenged their loss to Linganore in the opening round of the regional playoffs, then put away a 10-1 Seneca Valley squad, 38-20, in the regional final. In the semifinal, the Owls trounced 11-1 City College, 35-6.
Kevin Clancy set a number of MPSSAA passing records in ‘05, for an Owls offense that came into the championship game averaging 40 points per game. Clancy set MPSSAA records in passing yards, with 3,335, and passing touchdowns, with 38. Clancy became the first MPSSAA quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards in a season, snapping North County’s Mike Evans MPSSAA mark of 2,996 in 1996, under the guidance of Chuck Markiewicz. Clancy became just the second MPSSAA quarterback to pass for 30 touchdowns in a season, joining Northwest’s Ike Whitaker, who threw 30 the year before. Deontay Twyman of Sherwood joined the ‘30 passing touchdown club’ a week after Clancy, and finished with 34 passing touchdowns in ‘05.
The following year, in ‘06, Friendly’s Joe Haden matched Clancy’s record, before Markiewicz’s quarterbacks at Arundel, Nick Elko and Billy Cosh (twice), threw for more than 40 and 50 touchdowns, respectively, in successive years in ‘07, 08, and ‘09. Seven years after Clancy’s last game as an Owl, Deryk Kern would break both Westminster and MPSSAA passing records in 2012, when he threw for an MPSSAA record 63 touchdowns, and 3,890 yards, just 23 yards short of Cosh’s MPSSAA mark set in ‘08.
The 2012 Owls are arguably the best team in Carroll County history. The Owls finished 12-1, with regular season wins over Urbana, who advanced to the ‘12 3A state semifinals, and Martinsburg, who went 13-1 and won a West Virginia state championship. In the 4A playoffs, the Owls trounced Blake, 51-7, after leading 48-7 after three quarters, then clobbered Sherwood, 62-28, in the regional final.
The Owls faced Quince Orchard in a 4A state semifinal. The Cougars dominated the first quarter, shutting down the Owls offense, but still holding a tenuous 7-0 lead. After another Cougars score, Kern and the Owls unleashed for 19 points in the second quarter, to take a 19–14 lead into intermission. The Owls had their second extra point attempt blocked, and failed on a two-point conversion after their third score. The Cougars reclaimed the lead, 21-19, which would carry through to late in the fourth quarter. It looked as though the Cougars were going to make it all but academic, driving to the Owls two yard line, before a goal line stand. Kern drove the Owls 78 yards for a potential game-winning field goal, but the 37 yarder went wide left. The Cougars would lose to Wise, 12-7, in the 4A state championship game. An extra point or two separated the Owls and Cougars, and five points separated the Pumas and Cougs. The Owls were six degrees from a 4A state title.
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.