Preps Football Roundup

By: Keith Mills

Arundel High School opens defense of its Class 4A region championship with a showdown against Broadneck tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats finished 13-1 last year. Their only loss was a 36-30 setback to Quince Orchard in one of the best state championship games ever played at M&T Bank Stadium.

Record-setting quarterback Nick Elko is now playing at Delaware State, but coach Chuck Markiewicz returns a ton of talent. Junior Billy Cosh, son of Maryland defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, takes over at quarterback while Alec Lemon and Sean Fitzgerald return at wide receiver. Lemon caught 70 passes for 969 yards and 13 touchdowns last year while Fitzgerald caught 40 passes with three touchdowns.

Broadneck should also be able to score some points behind senior quarterback Kyle Colleran and sophomore running back Ronnie Van Meter. The Bruins are coached by Jeff Herrick, who is beginning his 20th year in Cape St. Claire. The Bruins finished 9-3 last season, with two of the losses coming at the hands of Arundel.

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Last week, the Dunbar football team gathered at M&T Bank Stadium to watch the Ravens' preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. This week, the Poets open the season on the road in Prince George's County against always tough Gwynn Park.

The Poets rolled to their second straight state crown last December, beating Allegany, 58-34, behind the explosive Tavon Austn.

Austin scored 35 touchdowns and rushed for more than 2,500 yards a year ago and is back for a senior year that promises to be just as explosive.

Austin has plenty of help. Jonathan Perry, Sean Farr, Antonio Brown, Gary Onuekwusi, Anthony Waters, Horace Miller and Tevin Brown return from a team that finished 14-0 and won the school's fifth state title.

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Mount St. Joe and Loyola shared the MIAA A Conference title a year ago. The Dons opened their season with an impressive 39-9 win over Archbishop Spalding last week as Terence Garvin scored five touchdowns, while Mount St. Joe opens its season tomorrow at Spalding. The Gaels christen John Plevyak Stadium next week against Thomas Johnson High of Frederick.

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Gilman is off this weekend as the Greyhounds get ready for their annual showdown with DeMatha next Friday at the P.G. Sports and Learning Complex in Largo.

The Greyhounds opened their season with a 28-0 shutout of St. Mary's as Jack Doyle and the defense led the way. Doyle intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown as Gilman handed last year's MIAA B Conference champs an opening game setback.

St. Mary's is coached this year by Brad Best, who led the Saints to three conference titles from 1989 to '99 while Biff Poggi returns for his 12th year at Gilman. The Greyhounds are 72-24 under Poggi with eight MIAA A Conference titles.

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River Hill opens defense of its Class 2A state title when it visits Atholton tomorrow night while state Class 3A finalist Hereford opens its season at home against Frederick Douglass of Prince George's County.

Issue 3.36: September 4, 2008