2023 MPSSAA Baltimore Metro Football Report – Week 8 Review, Week 9 Preview

Week nine brings four head-to-head league championship games in the Baltimore area on Friday.  

Howard County

Reservoir (6-2) 
@ Mt Hebron (7-1)^ 

Carroll County

Winters Mill (8-0)
@ Westminster (6-2) 

Baltimore County II 

Hereford (6-2)
@ Owings Mills (8-0)^ 

Baltimore County III 

Loch Raven (6-2)
@ Randallstown (6-2)^ 

^ 1 game lead 

Baltimore County 

Perry Hall sits as the ‘top dawg’ in Baltimore County for the first time since 2013 – following the Gators 24-20 victory over Milford Mill, snapping the Millers 27 game win streak versus Baltimore County opponents. In a duel between a pair of teams who both feature a handful of talented skill players, it was the defensive units and special teams of the Gators and Millers that provided the opportunities for the majority of scores.  

The Millers put the first points on the board after Perry Hall sailed a high snap over the head of Gators punter Manny Lopez, starting their first scoring drive at the Gators ten yard line. On second down, Keion Sutton scored from seven years out. The Gators answered late in the first quarter with a eight yard scoring run by Dallas Conway, evening the game at six apiece, and took a 9-6 lead into intermission with a 41 yard field goal from senior Joe Cook with 19 seconds remaining in the half.  

Trailing 12-6, following another field goal from Cook, this from 31 yards out, the Millers defense provided themselves a short field on a fumble recovery by Tyler Page. Five plays later, Damon Ferguson Jr scored from 17 yards out to even the score at 12. Early in the fourth quarter, the Millers regained the lead on quarterback DeShawn Purdie’s 36 yard run to go up eight points, 20-12.  

With the Millers looking to take a two score lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Gators defense came up big when junior Corey Costner took a ‘pick 6’ 44 yards and cut the margin to two points, before a failed two-point conversion. On the following possession, after being forced to punt, the Millers botched the exchange on the long snap and the Gators recovered the ball on the Millers 11 yard line. On the next play, Jacob Wagner scored to give the Gators the lead with 2:58 to play. The Millers put themselves in position for a desperation ‘Hail Mary’, but those prayers went unanswered.  

The Gators made the most of their opportunities, with the offense limited to 139 yards on 43 plays. Not only did the Gators defense produce a ‘pick 6’, but added eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and seven quarterback hurries. The Gators (8-0) will look to finish with their first undefeated regular season since 2005 when they host Kenwood (4-4) on Friday. The ‘05 Gators finished 11-1, after losing to Sherwood, 42-0, in the regional final. The Millers (6-2) are idle in week nine, as they prepare to defend their 2A state title in the coming weeks.  

Dundalk (6-2), whose young Owls’ two losses came to Perry Hall and Milford Mill, won their third straight game with a convincing 47-6 win over Bel Air. Senior Qaiyon Prioleau gashed the Bobcats for 185 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Senior Joey Kasprzak added two scores, while sophomore quarterback Micah Williams threw for two scores. The Owls close out the regular season by hosting Catonsville (3-5) on Friday.  

Owings Mills is 8-0 for the first time in their program’s history following their 45-0 shutout win over Eastern Tech (0-8).  The Eagles registered their third shutout of the season, and held their opponent to seven points or less for the fifth time in eight games. Eagles junior Nevaeh Elliott rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns, sophomore Alan Bland added two touchdowns, and senior Malakai Dickens completed all six of his passes and threw for two scores.  

Travis Hall took over a program that went winless in the season before he came in 2018. Since, the Eagles have gone 40–15 in six seasons under Hall. The Eagles had registered seven wins or better in a season just once in the quarter of a century before Hall arrived, and have hit that mark in each of the last four seasons. In addition to the 0-10 season in 2017, the Eagles history includes the longest MPSSAA losing streak of 53 games, from ‘04 into ‘09. The Eagles will receive a test before competing in the 2A playoffs when the host the Bulls of Hereford (6-2) on Friday.  

New Town (6-2) won their fifth straight game with a 39-14 victory over Towson (4-4). The Titans travel to Overlea (2-6) on Friday. Hereford pushed to 6-2 with a 42-8 win over Overlea, with all six touchdowns coming in the first half. Bulls junior quarterback Bobby Burke completed 14 of 15 passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns, while his top target, senior Nico Mosquera, caught six passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Randallstown (6-2) won their sixth straight game with the Rams 42-0 shutout over Landsdowne. The Rams host Loch Raven (6-2) for the outright division title on Friday.  

Howard County

Just as it looked like Mt Hebron would run their way to the first outright county title in their program’s 55 year history, Howard threw a wrench in any week eight celebration with an 18-14 victory on the road in Valhalla. While the Vikings lost their first game in eight contests this season, the Lions ended a three game skid, and bounced back from a 7-0 loss to Glenelg in the Elgard Bowl in week seven.  

The Lions defense held off a late Vikings drive that penetrated the ‘red zone’, answering with three straight stops that yielded -2 net yards for the Vikings. After cutting their first half deficit from nine points to one point midway through the second quarter, the Vikings would come up scoreless on three drives that each moved into the ‘red zone – once in each of the second, third, and fourth quarters, thanks to penalties and mishandles on snaps and in the backfield.  

The Vikings opened the game brilliantly, scoring on a nine play, 80 yard drive punctuated by senior Aiden Hauf’s 46 yard run to the end zone, taking a 6-0 lead. The Lions countered with a score of their own, when junior quarterback Dylan Kimmel found a wide-open Dylan Treese in the middle of the field that resulted in a 47 yard touchdown pass. On the point after, the snap ricocheted off of the holder’s hands and bounced into the hands of kicker Sean Myers, who raced 14 yards to the pylon to give the visitors an 8-6 lead.  

After a three-and-out by the Vikings on the following possession, the Lions moved to the Vikings 22 yard line after a 23 yard scramble by Kimmel, and two Vikings penalties. Kimmel then hit senior David Allen Jr across the middle for 11 yards, followed by another penalty that put the ball on the Vikings six yard line. On the next play, sophomore Darius Moore took it into the end zone, and Myers nailed the extra point to give the visitors a two possession, 15-6 lead.  

On the ensuing kickoff, senior Coleman Hallums returned the kickoff 55 yards and into Lions territory. Seven plays later, Vikings quarterback Tobie Lewis scored on an 18 yard keeper, and Hallums added the two-point conversion to cut the margin to one, 15-14. Penalties cut the Lions following possession short, and a poor punt gave the Vikings the ball on the Lions 44 yard line. The Vikings pushed to the Lions 15 yard line, with a first down, before a short loss and two penalties pushed them too far behind the sticks to manufacture points before halftime.  

Myers would add some insurance on the Lions first drive of the second half, drilling a 42 yard field goal to give the Lions an 18-14 advantage. The Vikings saw another opportunity slip away late in the third quarter, foiling a first and ten at the Lions 12 yard line, with two mishandles in the backfield and a sack that ended the once promising drive at the Lions 45 yard line, turning it over on downs. After regaining the possession, the Vikings looked for the go-ahead score, and appeared to find it when Hallums split the guard and tackle and took it 48 yards to ‘the house’.  

But, while the Vikings and the home crowd celebrated wildly, a penalty flag was thrown for a holding downfield, negating the score. As a consolation, the spot foul was marked off right at the needed line of gain, and gave the Vikes first and ten on their 46 yard line.  

After some nifty runs by Hallums and Lewis, the Vikings found themselves with a first and ten at the Vikings 17 yard line. After a seven yard run by Hallums on first down, giving the hosts a 2nd-and-3 at the ten yard line, the Lions defensive from came up huge, stuffing the Vikes for -1, -1, and zero yards on three successive plays, ending the thriller.  

Myers was the catalyst for the Lions, with his two-point conversion and 42 yard field goal. The sophomore Moore finished with more than 120 all-purpose yards, including 91 rushing yards and a score on 14 carries. Kimmel threw for 91 yards and provided two big first downs on 23 and 28 yard runs. Hallums finished with 106 yards on 20 carries, to go along with his 55 yard kickoff return. Hauf finished with 79 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. 

The Vikings (7-1) hopes for the program’s first outright county championship are still alive, with a week nine win over second place Reservoir (6-2) , who sits a game back, and is looking for their first county title. The game, which for all purposes is the county championship game, is in Valhalla on Friday. The Lions (5-3) will look to build on their momentum in the regular season finale versus winless Centennial (0-8). 

Reservoir stayed alive in the county title hunt with a 28-27 win over Long Reach, ending their two game losing streak. Adrian Alvarado rushed for 94 yards and a score on 18 carries, while quarterback Jordan Tate added two scores on the ground. Kevin Sisk added a 99 yard touchdown run.  Long Reach (5-3) travels to Wilde Lake (4-4) on Friday.  

River Hill (5-3) came up with a big road win at Glenelg (5-3), 20-7, forcing a five-way tie for third place in the county, with the Hawks and Gladiators knotted up with Atholton, Howard, and Long Reach. The Hawks host Atholton (5-3) on Friday, with the winner finishing no worse than tied for third place, and tied for second with a Reservoir loss.  

Anne Arundel County

Red October. Old Mill survived their third tough test in as many weeks, following the Patriots 27-26 win over Glen Burnie. The Patriots faced a gauntlet on the first three weekends in October, facing the three highest ranked opponents in the county in succession. The Millers turned a two point third quarter deficit into a 31-21 lead and an eventual 31-28 win over Broadneck on a ‘pick 6’ and ‘scoop 6’. Then outlasted Arundel, 14-9, in a slugfest, before their fourth quarter comeback victory over the Gophers.  

Broadneck came into their showdown with Old Mill having won 22 straight games versus county opponents. Arundel, the 4/3A defending state finalist, had won 12 of 13 league games dating back to last season, with the only loss coming to the Bruins. Glen Burnie came within a point of 4/3A defending finalist Arundel in the season opener, then with a possession margin of Broadneck three weeks later, before putting away then 4-2 Meade, 27-7. 

After Glen Burnie opened the scoring on an 8 yard run from Hebrew Norfleet, the Patriots rebounded to take a 21-6 halftime lead over the Gophers, thanks to a pair of Tre Martini touchdown passes – the second an 81 yard connection with senior Jordan Penn – and recovering a blocked punt in the end zone for the third score. The Gophers were undaunted, responding with three straight scores, two in the fourth quarter to take a 26-21 lead with 4:02 to play. Gophers senior quarterback Romeo Edmonds threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to give the Gophers a five point advantage.  

The Gophers seemed poised for a ‘stop’, with the Patriots facing a 3rd-and-18 at the Pats 32 yard line, when Martini, under pressure, hurled a desperation ‘bomb’ to Penn for the eventual 68 yard game-winning score. The Patriots defense sealed the game with a sack and turnover on downs. Martini threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns, including the pair of long distance touchdowns to Penn. Penn finished with seven receptions for 221 yards and two scores. The Patriots were limited to 48 rushing yards.  Edmonds rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries for the Gophers. The Gophers failures on a pair of two-point conversions in the first half came back to cost them in the one point loss.  

The Patriots survived Broadneck by three points, Arundel by five points, and the Gophers by a point. Glen Burnie, meanwhile, fell to Broadneck by seven points, and to both Arundel and the Patriots by a point. The Patriots (7-1), who are idle in week nine, sewed up their first league title since 2016. The Gophers (5-3) can set a program record in win percentage in a single season with a win at Severna Park (2-6) on Friday.  

Broadneck produced 357 offensive yards in their 42-6 rout of North County, led by junior Ian Mauldin’s 135 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Bruins senior Eli Harris caught six passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns. The Bruins (6-2) close the season by hosting winless Crofton (0-7). Arundel (6-2) registered a 35-0 shutout victory over South River (3-5), rebounding from their loss to Old Mill. The Wildcats host Annapolis (4-4) on Friday. Meade (5-3) went on the road and took a 35-20 victory with them from Nap Town. Chesapeake moved to 6-2 with a 49-6 win over Watkins Mill. The Cougars travel to Southern (1-5) for their regular season finale.  

Baltimore City 

Dunbar won their 33rd straight victory over a Baltimore City opponent in a 58-0 rout of Digital Harbor, registering their fourth clean sheet in six games. The Poets scored 38 points or better in 24 of their last 26 victories versus city foes. During the run, which includes two forfeit wins, the Poets have shut out 15 of their last 31 Baltimore City opponents. Overall, it was the Poets 32nd victory, beginning with the Poets return to the gridiron following the pandemic. The Poets will look to finish with their tenth undefeated regular season in 19 years when they host Carver Vo-Tech (6-2) on Friday.  

Mervo (7-1) rebounded from their two point loss to Dunbar by dismantling City College, 44-12. Mustangs senior quarterback Ray Moore III threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 100 yards and two scores. Senior running back Bobby Johnson added two scores, and senior Tye Cox produced 105 receiving yards and a touchdown. Mervo has outscored their five city opponents not named Dunbar by a total of 184 to 12. The Mustangs host Patterson (3-5) in their regular season finale.  

Forest Park moved to 7-1 with a 44-0 blank sheet victory over Lake Clifton, the Foresters 19th consecutive victory in division play. Foresters junior TiJuan Reed took ten carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Jayon Knox added 104 rushing yards on 11 attempts. The Foresters defense was spearheaded by seniors Brandon Fauntleroy and Elijah Ebron, with Fauntleroy producing eight tackles and a forced fumble, and Ebron contributing six tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The Foresters host Douglass (1-7) on Friday to close the season.  

UCBAC 

Edgewood suffered their first loss of the season in a 17-16 defeat to Harford Tech, who had won just one of their last four games. Cobras sophomore quarterback Stephen Kelley II completed 11 of 15 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown, junior Jamaal Pearl rushed for 86 yards and a score, and junior Caleb Hamilton provided a 27 yard field goal that proved to be the difference.  

The Rams (7-1) scored 14 unanswered points on Monday to beat C Milton Wright, 26-17, to complete their week two game that was halted at halftime because of weather, with the Mustangs leading 17-12. The Rams will travel to Pasadena on Friday to take on Northeast (6-2) in a non-league contest. The Cobras (5-3) host C Milton Wright (5-2) on Friday.  

C Milton Wright moved to 5-2 with a 21-7 win over North Harford, before taking the loss to the Rams on Monday. Patterson Mill clinched the UCBAC Susquehanna Division title with a 30-28 win over Fallston, while Perryville (5-3) smothered Bohemia Manor (5-3), 42-2.  

Carroll County

Westminster eked out a 21-17 win over Liberty. Owls senior quarterback Kyrece Walker took a 29 yard scamper to the end zone to open the scoring midway through the second quarter. Liberty evened the score at seven just before halftime. Down 9-7 in the third quarter, and backed up into his own territory, Walker took a carry 94 yards for a touchdown to give the Owls a 14-9 lead. But, the Lions countered, when junior quarterback Chase Miller scored from two yards out, then added a two-point conversion toss to give the hosts a 17-14 edge, with 10:54 remaining. The Owls Raquan Warfield scored the eventual game-winner from four yards out with 4:45 to play.  

Winters Mill stayed among the unbeaten, albeit barely, with the Falcons 10-7 victory over Manchester Valley. Senior Kamdyn Koch put the Falcons on the board with a field goal, which was followed by a 25 yard touchdown run by senior Paris Lee. The Falcons (8-0), who are assured of registering the best win percentage in their program’s history, visit Ruby Field in Westminster (6-2) on Friday for the Carroll County championship.