Preps Football: Quarterfinals Preview

By: Keith Mills

Dec. 9, 2006. That date marks the last time the River Hill Hawks lost a high school football game.

The Hawks have reeled off 25 consecutive wins since falling to Friend High School of Prince George's County, 37-18, in the Class 2A state championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. And the streak will be put to the test as Frederick Douglass of P.G. County comes calling Friday for a Class 2A quarterfinal matchup.

Brian Van Deusen's Hawks are 11-0 after last week's 20-6 win over Gwynn Park. Since the 2005 season, the Hawks are 49-3, with their last regular season loss coming Oct. 29, 2005 against Howard County rival Long Reach. This year, River Hill has allowed just five touchdowns in 11 games while averaging 44 points a game and outscoring their opponents, 485-34.

Quarterback Luke Hostetler and running back Michael Campanero lead the high- powered Hawks attack. Campanero has rushed for nearly 1,700 yards this fall and will play his college football at Wake Forest.

Century High School of Carroll County is also undefeated. The Knights are 11-0 heading into Friday night's Class 2A West championship game against Middletown. Century beat Middletown, 21-7, in September.

The 2A North championship will be played Friday night at Essex Community College as unbeaten Eastern Tech plays Edmondson in a Baltimore City-County showdown -- a rematch of last year's region title game, which the Mavericks won, 27-0, before eventually falling to River Hill in the Class 2A title game.

Coach Mark Meseros' Mavericks beat Poly, 31-6, last week. Behind Darian Connors and Joey Jones, Eastern Tech has won 24 of the past 25 games.

So has Edmondson. Coach Dante Jones and his Red Storm squad won its only state championship two years ago and Edmondson has played for the region championship five times in the last eight years. Edmondson advanced to Friday night's game with a 40-0 win over Northwestern as the Red Storm slowed down Wildcats' senior Terrence West while getting three touchdowns from Devin Carpenter.

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A Baltimore County rematch highlights the Class 3A state quarterfinals as Hereford and Milford Mill meet for the second time this year Friday at Hereford. Both teams come in with 9-2 records, with Hereford beating Milford Mill, 28-27, in mid-October.

Both teams are well-coached with long and storied football traditions. The Millers have reached the state semifinals six times. Milford Mill finished second in 1983 and won the Class 1A state crown in 1987 under coach John Buchheister. Reggie White, who played for the San Diego Chargers in the 1995 Super Bowl, played on that team and is now the Millers coach.

Led by quarterback Kevin Fulton and running backs Eric Lawton and Isaiah Brown, the Millers advanced to the state semifinals with an impressive 23-0 win over Franklin.

Hereford made the quarterfinals with a 37-6 win over Mervo. Steve Turnbaugh's Bulls won state titles in 1997, 2001 and '02 and finished second in '04 and '07.

Wilde Lake and Fallston will meet for the Class 3A East championship. Dave Cesky's Cougars are 8-3 after last week's win over Stephen Decatur and head into tomorrow night's game in Columbia as the region's number two seed behind the host Wildecats.

Doug Duval will be gunning for career win No. 309 in the region final as the Wildecats look to make the state semifinals for the eighth time. Duval is retiring after this year and his team would love nothing better than to present their coach with the sixth state title of his illustrious career.

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The Class 4A quarterfinals feature an interesting showdown between Perry Hall and unbeaten Linganore.

Under coach Dave Carruthers the Lancers began a tradition of excellence, winning their first of four state titles in 1989. And these days, it's no different. The Lancers are 11-0 after last week's 48-20 win over Westminster.

Perry Hall is 9-2 with wins over Milford Mill and Hereford. The Gators shut out Thomas Johnson, 34-0, and are looking for their third trip to the state semifinals.

Arundel and Severna Park meet the All-Anne Arundel County Class 4A East region championship. Arundel won the first game by 21 points in mid-October and has been tearing it up following a 34-19 setback to Old Mill Sept. 12.

The Wildcats reached the Class 4A state final a year ago, losing a classic 36-30 shootout to Quince Orchard last December at M&T Bank Stadium. Nick Elko and Alec Lemmon led Arundel's high-powered offense that night.

Elko is gone, Lemon is not. The 6-foot-2 senior is headed to Syracuse and played one of the great games last week in state playoff history. In Arundel's 49-15 win over North County last week, Lemon caught eight passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He also intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

Junior quarterback Billy Cosh replaced Elko at quarterback this year and set a state record with 48 touchdown passes, five in the win over North County. Elko, now at Delaware State, owned the record with 48 touchdown passes last year.

Severna Park upset Old Mill last week and has won four straight games and eight of nine. Sam Jones scored two touchdowns in the win over the Patriots as coach J.P. Hines and his Falcons are looking to make their first trip to the state semifinals in 10 years.

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In Class 1A, Havre de Grace and Joppatowne meet in an All-Harford County final while Pikesville continues pursuit of its first state title in the Class 1A North region final against Catoctin of Frederick County.

And then there's Dunbar. Coach Lawrence Smith's Poets are 10-1 and looking to make it back to the state semis for the fourth time in the last five years and third in a row. The Poets have won the last two Class 1A state titles (five overall).

Dunbar crushed Forestville last week, 52-14, scoring all 52 points in the first half. The Poets play Baltimore City rival W.E.B. Du Bois Saturday afternoon at the Poly-Western Complex. Jonathan Perry tossed four touchdowns last week while Sean Farr hauled in two touchdown passes and Tavon Austin added three more scores, adding to his four-year, state-record total of 115 touchdowns and 7,220 yards.

Posted November 20, 2008