MPSSAA Baltimore Metro Football Report – Week 1

Baltimore County 

Many showcase games don’t live up to the hype, especially when there’s months of anticipation. This one did. In what was the best matchup between two MPSSAA teams in Week one between the defending 2A State Champion Milford Mill Millers and the defending 3A runner-up Oakdale Bears, the two powerhouses delivered. In the end, the Bears matched the Millers go-ahead score with just more than five minutes to play with a score of their own with 1:07 remaining in regulation time, and followed it with the game-winning two-point conversion.  

The game was dominated by the defensive units, who both managed to stifle two of the more potent offensive units in the MPSSAA. There were only two long sustained scoring drives the whole game, one by each team, and both coming in the fourth quarter. The Bears opened the scoring when Brayden DeWaal took an interception 61 yards to ‘the house’ to give the visitors a 7-0 advantage. Both teams would trade possessions until Millers junior Keion Sutton took a handoff 72 yards to put the defending champs on the board and even the score. Oakdale responded. Bears senior quarterback Evan Austin raced 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 14-7 lead, one which they would carry into halftime.  

The Millers capitalized on a short field midway through the third quarter on a seven play, 24 yard scoring drive, but missed the extra point, and trailed by one. Just inside the fourth quarter, the Millers put together a 12 play, 70 yard scoring drive that put them ahead. With the successful two-point conversion, the Millers led 21-14, with 5:15 to play. Austin then directed the Bears on a nine play, 80 yard scoring drive that set up the game-winning two-point conversion and gave the Bears the 22-21 win. Of the Millers, Oakdale coach Kurt Stein proclaimed, “I’d be surprised if they (Millers) lose another game all season.” The Millers travel to Hereford on Friday.  

Perry Hall took to the road to see Manchester Valley in week one and raced to a 34-0 halftime lead over the Mavericks, before settling with a 46-7 victory. The Gators stay on the road in week two, when they travel to Western Tech. Dundalk scraped by Crofton, 10-7, as their defense and special teams carried the Owls to victory. This week, the Owls head to New Town, a week after the Titans registered an impressive 14-13 win over Eleanor Roosevelt, of the highly competitive PG 4A league.  

Hereford registered a 35-0 shutout victory over SEED in week one, with junior quarterback Bobby Burke throwing for three touchdowns, and running for another score. The Bulls play host to defending 2A State Champion Milford Mill on Friday. Franklin saw a game of two halves in their opener with Westminster in Week One, racing to a 35-14 halftime lead, only to be outscored 34-7 in the second half and suffer a 48-42 loss. The Indians host Overlea on Friday. The Falcons from Overlea put away Patapsco in week one, 24-6. Junior Keshon Greene caught five passes for 124 yards and scored all three touchdowns for the Falcons. Catonsville slid by Dulaney, 23-17, in Week One, and hosts Chesapeake of Baltimore County in Week Two. Owings Mills topped Randallstown, 24-14, in Week One, and go to Loch Raven in Week Two. 

Baltimore City 

Dunbar’s much anticipated opener with Loyola was shaping up to be a nice Friday night feature, with the Poets inside the ten yard line midway through the second quarter and looking to cut their 14-0 deficit to a one score margin, when the Dons grabbed a fumble that left the Poets ball carrier’s hands as he tried to extend it over the goal line and took it 99 yards for a 21-0 lead.  

Then, with a minute remaining before halftime, four or five shots rang out just outside the stadium that sent the crowd, players, and coaching staffs scrambling. Shortly thereafter, the game was called. A 12 year old boy was shot, and was in stable condition Sunday night. Dunbar coach Lawrence Smith, a Baltimore City policeman, knows full well the obstacles his kids face every day, “My kids deal with a lot, day in and day out, and still focus on their academics and athletics. It was tough, it was just the second quarter. And, it was a great atmosphere. We will use this as another life lesson, as we prepare for a very good Dunbar team.” 

Now, Coach Smith must get his team ready for a tough Week Two matchup, playing their namesake from Washington DC, on the road. The Crimson Tide’s 0-2 record defies the challenge that lies ahead for the Poets, considering the Tide took on two quality teams to open the season in Friendship Collegiate and Mt St Joe, who the Tide fell short of on Friday, 16-12. The Poets loss to the Dons ended their 26 game win streak, that dated back to pre-pandemic.  

Mervo pulled out a tough quality win in their 26-20 victory over Bowie in week one. Mustangs senior Tye’Shawn Cox did more than a bit of everything in their victory, by catching both of their touchdown passes, returning a punt 54 yards, and returning a kickoff 39 yards. Cox amassed 208 all-purpose yards on seven touchdowns. After a mid-season injury last year in week four, Mustangs quarterback Ray Moore III returned to form, throwing for 265 yards, adding 26 rushing yards, and tossing the two touchdowns to Cox. Junior Joshua Ross added 94 rushing yards on 11 attempts for the ‘Stangs. Mervo plays host to defending 2A semifinalist Middletown of Frederick County on Friday.  

Both City College and Poly took opening week losses, with the Black Knights falling to Edgewood, 27-12, and the Engineers losing to Northeast, 8-6. The Black Knights trailed 13-0 at halftime, before cutting their deficit to 19-12 in the third quarter following two touchdown passes from junior quarterback Nick Cyrus. However, the Rams countered with a score on their next possession and finished with a 27-12 win. Cyrus threw for 260 yards in the loss. The Black Knights mustered only 21 rushing yards. Things don’t get any easier for the Knights in Week Two, as they cross the bridge to meet defending 2A State runner-up Kent Island. Poly travels to Forest Park on Friday, a week after the Foresters 14-0 win over Western Tech. Foresters junior Tijuan Reed led the way with 124 rushing yards.   

 UCBAC 

Edgewood contained the explosive aerial attack from City College in week one, and senior Jahmir Torres suppled the offense in the Rams 27-12 win over the Black Knights. Torres took 17 carries for 181 yards and a touchdown, a caught four passes for 80 yards and another score for the Rams. Torres added 30 yards on two punt returns, and finished with 291 all-purpose yards. While the Black Knights, who feature a sure armed junior quarterback, along with two high D1 recruits at receiver, did score on 48 and 58 yard touchdowns passes in the third quarter, with those two big plays were their only scores. The Rams held the Black Knights to 21 rushing yards.  

Rams coach Keith Rawlings believes the win will propel the Rams to a third successful season in a row, “It was a great game versus a very talented opponent. City is going to win a lot of games. It was a game our kids wanted to win, to set the tone for the season. I feel we prepared well, and we’re getting better every week.” The Rams travel to see CM Wright on Friday.  

CM Wright put away Havre de Grace in Week One, 42-7, highlighted by their defense and special team units. The Mustangs capitalized on the Warriors six turnovers, with seniors Joel Tufts and Lucas Seifert each taking fumble recoveries for touchdowns. Senior linebacker Brewer Fullwood, the leader of the defense, totaled a team-best ten total tackles and nine solo tackles for the Mustangs, and forced a fumble. In addition, Mustangs junior Landon Krepps returned a kickoff for a score.  

Bel Air pulled out a last second(s) win over Fallston on Friday, going for the two-point conversion and the win in the Bobcats 22-21 victory over the Cougars. Bobcats junior Julien Horton was the star of the night, scoring the game-winning touchdown, and finishing with 11 receptions for 121 yards. Bobcats junior quarterback Patrick Sullivan had a rollercoaster first start, but delivered on the game-winning drive, completing six passes for 55 yards on the drive. Bobcats junior JT Ouandji Nana plowed in for the game-winning two point conversion. Cougars junior quarterback Dom Foster threw three second-half touchdowns, to give the Cougars a 21-14 lead, after trailing 14-0.  

Bobcats coach Eric Siegel exhaled afterward, “Fallston is an extremely well coached team, and one of our biggest rivals. They say anything can happen in rivalry games. I’m happy with how we competed, and how we didn’t gave up. I went for ‘two’ because I believed in Kyle (Benfield, OC) to make the right play call, and out players to execute it.” Bel Air hosts North Harford on Friday, following the Hawks 31-14 opening week victory over Perryville. Fallston hosts Aberdeen this week. Elkton routed Rising Sun in their opener, 41-14. Patterson Mill stumped Digital Harbor, 38-6. Bohemia Manor routed Kent County on the other side of the bridge, 42-6. Harford Tech blanked Aberdeen, 31-0. 

Anne Arundel 

Old Mill senior Maximus Jones picked up where he left off last season in the Patriots 34-12 victory over Annapolis in opening week, rushing for 321 yards and four touchdowns, on just 16 carries. Last season, as a junior, Jones led the county in rushing with 1,538 yards, and scored a county-best 22 touchdowns. With that performance, Jones garnered MPSSAA All-State honorable mention honors. Old Mill coach Mike Pfisterer says of Jones, “Max has worked hard in the off-season on his strength and speed, and he’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball.” 26 touchdowns in 13 games, I’d say so. The Patriots have a monumental challenge on Friday, when they play host to Concordia Prep, who had Spalding on the ropes in the final minute on Saturday, until Cavaliers junior Cooper Welsh nailed a 31 yard game-winning field goal with 25 seconds remaining.  

Credit to Broadneck coach Rob Harris, he has had his team take on some of the area’s best to open the last two seasons, though the Bruins took both in defeat. After a 38-3 loss to Spalding to open the ‘22 season, the Bruins rattled off ten straight victories, before running into MPSSAA’s best equivalent to the Cavs in the post-season, Quince Orchard, and ending their season in the state semifinals. The Bruins saw their great chance at a win slip away in their opener with McDonogh, fumbling in the ‘red zone’, and the Eagles capitalizing with a game-winning drive for a 21-14 victory. Bruins senior All-State receiver Eli Harris caught four receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The Bruins go to Arundel to take on the defending 4/3A state runner-up Wildcats in week two.  

The defending 4/3 runner-up Cats lost quite a lot of key pieces from last year’s 11-win team, and it showed in week one, after escaping with a 27-26 win over Glen Burnie. The Cats scored 27 second-half points after trailing 12-0 at halftime, but had to stop a potential game-winning two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter to hold off the Gophers. Chesapeake pounded South Carroll with 328 rushing yards in their 34-7 win over the Cavaliers, with senior Collin Lewis leading the way with 156 yards and a score on 22 attempts. The Cougars travel to Queen Anne’s County on Friday.  

Meade thrashed Severna Park, 44-14, and will host Severn School on Friday. Junior Darius Burley threw for 300 yards in North County’s 48-8 rout of Landsdowne. The Knights head to Union Bridge to take on Francis Scott Key on Friday. South River ran through Southern, 39-6, with junior Ben Adams paving the way with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. The Seahawks host Severna Park on Friday. 

Howard 

The Howard County defending champion Atholton Raiders ran into a stiff Glenelg defense in Week One, and the Gladiators ended the Raiders 17 game win streak versus county opponents with a sound 17-9 victory. The Gladiators posted an uncharacteristic 4-6 mark last season, but first year coach Will Bell’s team resembled the Gladiators nine editions from ‘13-21, that won 74% of their games collectively, and combined for four state semifinal appearances, including one that led to a 2A title game berth in 2018.  

“The community was everything I imagined and more heading into week one, and – with a game of this magnitude”, said Bell. “The game sold out hours before kickoff. Our fans were electric. We’ve been waiting for this game to get here, especially our seniors. It was a total team effort, with big plays made in all three phases. We held them to 54 rushing yards, and didn’t give their quarterback time to throw. We came up with some big plays in the pass game, and ran the ball when it counted in the fourth (quarter). 

That was the formula the Raiders used to finish with an undefeated regular season for the first time in their program’s history in 2022 – hold opponents to less than ten points, and ran the ball when it counted. The Gladiators opened the scoring in the first quarter on a 65 yard touchdown pass from senior Zach LaFontaine to senior Paul Piwowarski to take a 7-0 lead. The Raiders struck right back when sophomore quarterback Tyler Bell linked up with senior Nicholas Ngo on their own aerial score, but missed the extra point.  

The second and third quarters went scoreless, but the Raiders put points on the board early in the fourth quarter, with senior Justin Soriano nailing a 26 yard field goal to give the Raiders a 9-7 lead. La Fountain countered with a two yard scoring run to take a 14-9 lead, before the Gladiators added to their lead when senior Riley Edmonds put a 24 yard field goal attempt through the uprights to take a 17-9 edge. Piwowarski finished with five receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown on offense, and supplied eight tackles – including two for loss, and a pass break-up on defense. Senior defensive leader Christian Chen added ten tackles, two for loss, and a sack in the win. “I was proud of the toughness, discipline, and heart our kids played with”, said Bell. The Gladiators host Bell’s former team, Hammond, on Friday.  

River Hill delivered a 57-0 loss to Hammond in Week One, as the Hawks scored early and often to open the season. Hawks senior All-County quarterback Omar Hassan led the way with 85 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and the Hawks defense registered their sixth shutout in twelve games, dating back to last season. River Hill coach Brian Van Deusen, after the win, “It was a nice way to open the season. Force some turnovers and get the shutout. Our defense played well.”  

While Van Deusen begins his 24th season at the helm in Howard County, Reservoir’s Matt  Banta begins his first, after assisting with the Gators last season, following five years as the head coach at Dundalk, where he led the Owls to the 2021 4/3 title game. Banta couldn’t have asked for a better atmosphere or result in his first game in Fulton, as the Gators countered the Eagles first and only score by putting 46 unanswered points in the scoreboard. The Gators student body showed up, and the Gators showed out. Gators senior quarterback Jordan Tate completed 7 of 9 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 180 yards and three scores in the Gators dominating win. Senior running back Adrian Alvarado scored three touchdowns himself, and led the Gators in rushing with 187 yards on just 14 attempts.  

After his first game in ‘The Swamp’, Banta understands it’s a process, “I was pleased we got the job done. It was a tremendous effort from our staff and players. We’ve put a lot of time and effort in the off-season to get this program to where it needs to be. With that being said, we’ve got some work to do. I am confident the kids are up to the challenge.” The Gators travel to Kilimanjaro on Friday to take on Oakland Mills. 

Howard held off Oakland Mills, 14-12, on Friday, after the Scorpions failed to even the score with a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, land leaving the visitors two point short. Howard hosts River Hill on Friday. Mt Hebron came out like gangbusters in week one, racing out to a 38-7 lead over Wilde Lake, before taking a 46-21 victory. The Vikings travel to Marriotts Ridge on Friday, a week after the Mustangs fell short of Long Reach, 13-8. The Lightning travel to Atholton on Friday, where they’ll find a hungry Raiders unit.  

Carroll 

“That was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of.” That’s how Westminster coach Chris Bassler described his team’s opener. The Owls produced the most entertaining victory in the MPSSAA in Week One, coming back from a 21 point deficit in the third quarter to claim a 48-42 over Franklin. Owls senior quarterback Kyrece Walker provided the fireworks, continuing his outstanding playmaking that earned him the Carroll County Offensive Player of the Year in ‘22. Walker propelled the Owls to victory by accounting for 308 yards of offense, and five touchdowns. Walker took 16 carries for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and completed 8 of 16 passes for 107 yards and two scores, with one interception.  

“The game was a game of two halves”,  said Owls coach Chris Bassler. “We made a lot of mistakes in the first half, and they took advantage. We were able to clean things up at halftime and make the most of the opportunities. I’m really proud of how hard we played from start to finish.”