MPSSAA 4/3A State Championship Preview

For the Mervo football team, the pandemic paled in comparison to the adversity they have fought against since the outbreak. After missing an entire season in either the Fall of ‘20 or Spring of ‘21, the Mustangs have seen tragedy, followed by unbridled jubilation, followed by heartbreak and injury, to this – a second appearance in the 4/3A title game in three seasons.  

The Mustangs advanced to the 2023 4/3A state championship game in the same fashion they’ve fought through the challenges that have presented themselves over the last 27 months for the program, pulling out a 6-0 win over previously undefeated Perry Hall on the road.  

In week three of the ‘21 season, in a grueling 48-46 loss to Dunbar, Mustangs senior Elijah Gorham was taken by ambulance after a hard fall in the end zone. Three weeks later, Gorham passed away from serious brain injuries. The Mustangs dedicated their season to Gorham and went on to win their program’s first state championship on the gridiron, topping Dundalk, 22-13, in the inaugural 4/3A title game.  

Last season, before Coach Patrick Nixon’s Mustangs could even begin to defend their title, junior running back Jeremiah Brogden was shot and killed just after dismissal on game day in week one. The opener was scrapped, as the Mustangs had to deal with yet another tragedy. The Mustangs responded in weeks two, three and four with a trio of dominating wins. Then, in their 24-20 week five loss to eventual 2/1A state champion Dunbar, their star quarterback, Ray Moore III, was lost to a season-ending injury, dousing all but any hope of defending their first state crown.  

Coach Nixon is proud of the way his team has dealt with the amount of adversity they have, “Having this opportunity means the world to our program. Between last year’s injuries to several key players, and the back-to-back years of dealing with the tragic loss of Jerimiah Brogden and Elijah Gorham, it definitely took a toll on our program. This year shows the toughness and the resiliency that this team has.” 

The Mustangs ‘22 season came to an end at Perry Hall, where the Gators pulled out a 7-6 win at home – a year after a 43-6 loss to the ‘Stangs, and Tech finished 6-4. That’s where the Mustangs found themselves on Friday in the semifinal matchup, and just like last year, scoring was extremely difficult to come by for both teams. The Gators eventual game-winning drive in ‘22 came on their opening possession. That’s all they needed. That would have been all they needed with an extra point on Friday, but the Mustangs foiled every opportunity afforded to the Gators, shutting out the previously undefeated hosts.  

The undefeated Gators and one-loss Mustangs dueled to a scoreless first half, with both defensive units dominating. There were a few opportunities, but turnovers, sacks, and penalties thwarted those few chances. Mervo senior running back Bobby Johnson was able to find some running lanes for the Mustangs, but not enough to ignite a scoring drive. The Gators produced three sacks of Moore III in the first half, putting a damper on the Mustangs passing game, neutralizing their outside weapons.  

Meanwhile, the Mustangs defense was suffocating, forcing two interceptions deep in their own territory. Mervo senior safety Terrance Couser came up with the first ‘pick’ for the Mustangs, while senior middle linebacker Tre Henley supplied the second. Gators junior Corey Costner grabbed an interception on the very play just before Henley’s grab, scrapping a potential scoring bid that had the Mustangs at the Gators 12 yard line. As the teams headed into intermission, it looked as though any score could be enough to win it, after just two touchdowns between the pair in six quarters of post-season action over the last two years.  

The second half seemed to be even more challenging for both offensive units, after having had to fend off constant pressure, series after series. Neither team crossed midfield in the third stanza, and the game would be decided in the fourth quarter or extra time, with the game tied at nil.  

On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Mustangs were forced to punt, and the Gators fair caught the kick at their own 46 yard line, giving the hosts their best field possession in the second half. After a three yard run by senior quarterback Da’Shaun Conway, senior running back Jake Wagner plowed two yards to cross midfield, setting up a 3rd-and-5 at the Mustangs 49 yard line.  

The Mustangs defensive front produced again, as senior defensive tackle Tayjon Wilkerson jetted through the line to drop Conway for a one yard loss, aided by defensive end Jabriel McDonald. After a short punt, the Mustangs took possession at their own 37 yard line, with just over eight minutes to play. On first down, the Gators blitzed Moore III from the right side and dropped him for a ten yard loss, leading to a 2nd-and-20 from their own 27 yard line.  

That’s when Moore III dropped back and fired a dime to senior De’sean Thorton on a post play down the middle for a 73 yard touchdown, snapping the scoreless draw. Just as they did in ‘22, Mervo missed the extra point attempt, and now the Mustangs would rely on their defense for one or two more stops to prevent the miss from being the difference, as it was in ‘22. The Mustangs kickoff unit used the momentum from the touchdown to pin the Gators at their own three yard line. After two first downs, the Mustangs forced the Gators to punt again, and the Mustangs had the ball at the Gators 44 yard line, with less than five minutes remaining. Five runs by Johnson, and another by Moore III, ran some clock, and put the ‘Stangs inside the Gators ten yard line.  

However, two penalties pushed the Mustangs back out to the 30 yard line, and after a five yard run from Johnson, the Mustangs turned the ball over on possession at the Gators 25 yard line, with just 32 seconds left on the clock. Four short completions pushed the Gators in Mustangs territory, but time expired on the fourth, and after 48 minutes of a defensive slugfest, Mervo was headed to their second state title game in three seasons, and Perry Hall finished their best campaign in decades, finishing 12–1. 

Coach Nixon couldn’t have been more proud of his defense, “We pride ourselves in being an aggressive, physical, disciplined, and defensive minded team. The guys executed the defensive game plan which was to stop the run and keep all of their passes in front of us. No big plays. We wanted to get as many guys to the ball as possible each and every play. The guys played extremely hard and I am proud of them.” 

Moore III has been magnificent this season, throwing for more than 2,130 and 26 touchdowns, while adding nine rushing touchdowns. Johnson leads the Mustangs running attack for a second year in a row, and has rushed for 873 yards and 14 touchdowns. Thorton joins senior Tye’Shawn Cox as Moore’s top two targets among a handful of their weapons. The two have combined for more than 2,100 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns.  

Wilkerson – 5’9 240 – and Henley – 6’2 190 – have been lynchpins for the Mustangs defense, with the senior tackle producing 40 solo tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, a safety, and a 52 yard ‘pick 6’, while the senior middle linebacker leads the unit with 70 solo tackles and 51 assisted tackles, adding two forced fumbles and a 41 yard ‘pick 6’. Senior linebacker Kenneth Ford has produced 65 solo tackles, while junior linebacker Lindsey Tankard has added 58.  

The Mustangs have a pair of playmaking cornerbacks too, in senior Kamari Williams and junior Kasir Hicks, with Williams totaling a team-best six interceptions, six pass breakups, and five tackles for loss, and Hicks netting ten pass breakups, six tackles for loss, and two interceptions. 

Mervo will have its hands full in the final when they take on the defending champion North Point Eagles, in a battle between the ‘21 4/3A state champs and the ‘22 4/3A state champs. Like the Mustangs, the Eagles possess a smothering defense, and an offense that wins behind their line play.  

The Eagles defense has stifled offensive units all season, and did again Friday, forcing ‘three-and-outs’ on the Bengals first three possessions, and limiting the hosts to only 45 offensive yards before intermission, while mounting a 14-0 lead. The Eagles rushed for 169 yards and two scores on 25 carries in the first half, but saw one drive end on downs after entering the Bengals ten yard line, and another end with an interception in Bengals territory.  

In the second half, the Eagles pounded it out on the ground with seniors Kaleb Hart and Isaiah Coleman, and junior Damien Brown, before Hart threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to give the visitors a 21-0 lead early in the third quarter. The Bengals countered with a 56 yard touchdown pass, but the defense continued to get stops, and Brown scored his third touchdown of the day to push their margin to 28-7 with just more than seven minutes to play, and all but seal it.  

Hart has been the catalyst for the Eagles ‘Wildcat-inspired’ offense for two seasons now, and was literally the most valuable player on the field in the ‘22 4/3A title game, rushing for 145 yards and two scores, and throwing for 93 yards and a touchdown in their 31-14 win over Arundel. Friday, Hart and Coleman combined for more than 275 rushing yards, with Brown supplying three rushing touchdowns.  

While sophomore Kyler Ferreiera has thrown for 1,074 yards and 17 touchdowns with one interception, the Eagles have relied on the ‘Wildcat’ offense in the last two post-seasons. Hart, who missed the first two games, has rushed for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Brown has scored a team-best 19 touchdowns.  

The Eagles defense is led by a pair of 2022 MPSSAA All-State selections in senior linebacker Kamari Loving – 6’0 215- and senior defensive tackle Kendall Carter – 6’2 275 – headlining a unit that has allowed only five touchdowns this season. Loving leads the Eagles in tackles, including 77 solo, and Carter has registered 52 tackles in the middle, and is tied for the team lead with six sacks. Brown, the Eagles leading scorer, also doubles as linebacker, and has recorded 40 solo tackles. Senior Seth Gathers leads the Eagles secondary, and has three interceptions on the season.  

The Eagles have shutout nine opponents this season, and limited 12 of 13 opponents to ten points or less. The Eagles have limited all 13 of their opponents to less than 100 rushing yards in each game.  

Billy Condo is in his second season as head coach at North Point, after having been an assistant since the program’s infancy. Condo is surrounded by two former head coaches in Defensive Coordinator Mike Rucker, who led Parkdale to a 4A state title in 2002, and assistant Ken Lane, who was an assistant on three state championship teams under Larry Johnson at McDonough in ‘83, ‘85, and ‘90. Former Eagles two-way star Malik Lawrence, the Post’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, is also an assistant.  

Over the last decade or so, the Eagles have seen a meteoric rise among Maryland public school programs much like the Mustangs impressive trajectory. Over their last ten seasons (eight under Tom Petre), the Eagles boast a 93-17 record (.845), four ‘Final Four’ appearances in six post-seasons, and three title game berths in the last five post-seasons. The Mustangs, for their part, hold an 87-19 record (.821) over the last nine seasons, and have advanced to the state semifinals in four of the last five post-seasons.  

Coach Nixon understands what this opportunity presents, and appreciates the challenge that lies ahead, after such a roller-coaster ride over the last 27 months, “We have a against all odds attitude, which gives us a chance to compete with anyone. We know that defeating North Point wont be easy, but we want to do this for our school, community, and fallen student athletes.” 

#2 North Point (13-0) v #9 Mervo (12-1) 

Playoffs: NP – 18-11, 1-1 in championship game; M – 16-10, 1-0 in championship game 

Scoring: NP – P 39.5 PA 3.3 PD +36.2; M – P 34.5 PA 4.8 PD +29.7 

Coaches: NP – Billy Condo 2nd season 24-3, 9-0 p/o; M – Patrick Nixon 13th season 104-42, 16-6 p/o 

Offense: 

NP – Passing #7 Ferriera 72-108-1074–17-1; Rushing #33 Hart 175-1504–15, #2 Brown 71-515-19, #24 Coleman 42-515-2; Receiving #5 Jackson 33-402-7 

M – Passing #2 Moore III 2,130 yards, 26 tds; Rushing #11 Johnson 873 yards, 14 tds; Receiving #1 Cox 692 receiving, 255 rushing 12 tds, #4 Thorton 673 receiving, 303 rushing, 10 tfd 

Defense: 

NP – #25 Loving 124t, 77 solo; #23 Carter 58t, 36 solo; #10 Lawrence 47 solo, 6 sk; #2 Brown 41 solo; #4 Farmer 3 int; #28 Gathers 3 int,; #22 Barratt 34 solo 

M – #10 Henley 121t, 70 solo, 2 ff; #52 Wilkerson 40 solo, 16 tfl, 4 sacks; #41 Tankard 58 solo; #6 Ford 65 solo; #2 Hicks 6 tfl, 10 pbu, 1 int; #5 Williams 6 int, 6 pbu, 5 tfl