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[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

21 ‘85 Wilde Lake Wildecats (11-2, 6-1) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏆 🏅 >>> A dozen years after taking over the Wildecats program, Coach Doug DuVall had established it as a county and regional contender, though it still sought its first post-season appearance in school history, falling short by a game four times, and disqualified in another that had appeared to be their first.

In ‘74, the Cats only loss was to the state champion Howard Lions, 17-9, but the week 8 loss was enough to keep the Cats out of the playoffs, while pushing the Lions forward. In ‘77, despite an overtime loss to Oakland Mills in week 10, the Cats appeared to have earned a playoff berth, before having to forfeit 5 wins following a week 10 ruling, for playing an over-aged player.

In ‘78, the Cats lost a winner-take-all playoff berth to the arch rival Scorpions in week 10, 22-14. In ‘83, they would face a similar fate, losing to the Scorpions in the regular season finale, 9-6. In ‘84, the Cats failed to qualify despite winning a county title, and finishing 8-1, a year before the MPSSAA expanded its playoff format to 8 berths per classification.

That benefitted the Cats In ‘85, after completing the ten game slate at 8-2, and sharing the county title with Glenelg. Nonetheless, the Cats were in, along with three other county teams across two classifications, joining the Gladiators, Atholton and Hammond, the latter pair finishing a game back of the Cats and Gladiators in league play, and all four finishing the regular season at 8-2.

The ‘85 Cats took a loss to the top ranked team in the Baltimore area, Gilman, in the opening week, 20-0. Then the Cats suffered its second loss of the season to Glenelg two weeks later, 17-14, but a Gladiators loss to Hammond resulted in a share of the county title for Coach DuVall’s troops.

The Cats would cash in on its first post-season opportunity, after falling just short of a handful of berths over the previous 11 years. A year after Hammond had handed the Cats a 9-6 defeat, its only loss in league play, the Cats and Bears would meet in the newly formed quarterfinal round.

Early on, it looked as the Cats first post-season run would end early, as the Bears mounted a 14-0 lead, before a Bruce Williams-led Cats attack scored 27 unanswered points, including 21 straight in the fourth quarter, led to a 27-14 win. Williams rushed for 131 yards on 14 carries, including scoring two game-changing, fourth quarter touchdowns.

In the state semifinals, the Cats would face the Millers of Milford Mill, who had shutout Glenelg, 6-0, in a donnybrook in the quarterfinal. Trailing 6-0 at halftime, Darrell Davis returned the opening second half kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cats a 7-6 lead. The Cats would carry that momentum to their next drive, with Mark Alexander capping it off with a 2 yard touchdown that gave the Cats a 14-6 lead.

The Millers would close in late in the fourth quarter, cutting the margin to 14-12, with an opportunity to tie with a successful two-point conversion, with 3:21 to play. But a Millers pass would fall short, and the Cats held on, propelling them to their first title game appearance in their first post-season experience.

The Cats would face the legendary Allegany Campers in the state championship game, a program that had won 33 of their last 34 games, and a team that was averaging 38 points per game.

The Cats handed the Campers their first first halftime deficit of the season, 7-6, before the Cats Mark Alexander and the running game took over, as the senior ran for 138 of his 167 rushing yards after intermission, and scoring both of their second half touchdowns to seal the deal, and crown the Green & Yellow state champions.

The Cats Jack Bradford was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, before starting at outside linebacker at Maryland for three years, and leading the Terps with 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in his senior season. Bradford’s pro career would be cut short in the pre-season of ‘92, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Alexander was named to the All-County 1st team after rushing for 1.195 yards and 18 touchdowns, including rushing for 261 yards and scoring three of the Cats five touchdowns in the state semifinal and state title games. Joe Ellison was named to the All-County 1st team for a second time, while fellow lineman, junior Bill Douglas, joined him. Also named to the All-County 1st team were defensive back Robert Ruth and lineman Keith Yates.

This would be the first of five state tiles for Coach DuVall, and just the second in county history, the first since the Howard Lions won it all in the MPSSAA’s inaugural season of ‘74.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

20 ‘17 Howard Lions (12-1, 9-0) - Coach Ross Hannon 🥈🏅 >>> The ‘17 Lions culminated a four year run matched only by the ‘71-74 Howard Lions, the Wilde Lake Wildecats ‘89 squad, with their 3-peat teams from ‘90-92, and the River Hill ‘06-09 teams. The Lions finished the ‘17 county slate having won 43 of their last 44 league games.

They would share a county title with River Hill in 2017, both finishing 9-0, having not meet each other this season. Only once before in county history had the county championship been shared by two teams that finished undefeated in league play - ‘02, when Glenelg and Wilde Lake went 8-0.

This was the fourth straight county title for the Lions, followed by their fourth regional title, matched only by the River Hill Hawks, who won five straight regional titles from ‘05 through ‘09.

The Lions steamrolled through through the regular season, with just one opponent scoring more than 10 points against them, that, a 34-13 win over Wilde Lake. The Cats were the only opponent to score two touchdowns on the Lions in the 10 game slate.

Glenelg was the only team to beat their longtime rival in more than three years in league play (‘16 25-20), but the Lions took the 2017 Elgard Bowl in dominating fashion, shutting out the Gladiators, 34-0. The Lions handled two other playoff teams, stuffing Long Reach, 20-6, and shutting out Atholton, 40-0.

The Lions faced MoCo’s Sherwood in the regional semifinal, and had to overcome four turnovers and a 9-7 halftime deficit to reach their fourth straight regional title game, looking for their fourth title. Lions junior running back Devin Dawkins, who had returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score and brief lead in the first half, rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns after intermission, with his third score giving the Lions a 20-9 lead with 10 minutes to play.

The Warriors made a field goal to cut it to a one possession game with two minutes to play, 20-12. Then the guests capitalized on what could have been a costly turnover, when Warriors quarterback Mike Mbiny raced 24 yards for a touchdown, needing the two-point conversion to tie. But the Lions forced an incompletion, and advanced to the regional final. Dawkins finished with 138 rushing yards on 24 carries, to go along with his 80 yard kickoff return.

The Lions would face another MoCo power in the regional final, Paint Brach, a post-season matchup that harkened back to the very first two years of the MPSSAA, when the Lions and Panthers met in the state title game, with Howard winning in ‘74, and the Panthers In ‘75, snapping the Lions 47 game win streak.

The Lions marched out to a 14-0 lead, before the Panthers Norman Douglas threw a pair of scoring strikes, that carried a 14-14 tie into intermission. On the first possession of the second half, the Panthers moved the ball to midfield, when the Lions All-County linebacker Ryan Kearney, who had lost his father that morning, made the play of the game, jarring a Panthers fumble, setting up a 37 yard touchdown run by Robert Agbai, four plays later.

Dawkins, who a 80 yard kickoff return for a score a week earlier, bought huge insurance for the Lions, returning a punt 67 yards to paydirt to give the Lions a 26-14 lead. Ben Stephanos fumble recovery and 40 yard return to clinch the Lions their fourth straight regional title. Dawkins finished with 167 yards on 26 carries. to go with his pair of scores.

The Lions faced a juggernaut they knew very well in the state semifinal, the Pumas of Wise, who they had lost to, 55-6, in the 2015 4A state title game, then 48-0 in the state semifinal, setting up a post-season matchup between the Lions and their former All-American, DaLawn Parrish, and his Pumas, for a third straight year.

The third time never materialized into a charm, as the ultimate decision was the same, a Pumas blowout, though the margin was a bit closer than the previous two, 42-6. Coach Parrish and his Pumas won their third straight 4A state title, just the second team to do so, and first Springbrook did it from

Nonetheless, the ‘17 Lions had much to be proud of, especially considering they were eliminated by the best public school team in the state, for the third year in a row. The Lions 34.4 points per game ranks 18th best in county history, and their +24.5 point differential ranks as 16th best in county history. The Lions ranked #18 in the final Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, the 11th ranked public school.

Dawkins was named Howard County Player of the Year, rushing for 1,404 yards and 25 touchdowns. Dawkins rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns versus Oakland Mills. Dawkins 3,271 rushing yards in ‘16 and ‘17 are the second most in county history by any player over their sophomore and junior campaigns, second only to Glenelg’s Wande Owens, who finished his injury riddled season of ‘17 with 3.458 over the two years. Dawkins was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 2nd team.

Kearney was named as the Defensive Player of the Year, as well as to the Washington Post All-Met team. Agbai Stephanos, and Anthony Reid joined Dawkins on the 1st team, as did defensive lineman Demetrius Majors, and offensive lineman Alon Gourney.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

19 ‘18 Glenelg Gladiators (13-1, 10-0) - Coach Butch Schaffer 🥈🏅 >>> These Gladiators proved to be the most accomplished team in Glenelg history, earning a berth in the state title game for the first time, and winning 13 games in a season for the first time in school history. The Gladiators also notched their fourth regional title in five years.

These Gladiators were led by Wande Owens, the record shattering running back that would finish as one of the best in MPSSAA history, ranking 2nd all-time in MPSSAA history in career rushing yards, with 6,354 yards, second to only Dunbar’s Tavon Austin, and 3rd all-time In MPSSAA history in touchdowns scored, with 86.

In week 2, the Gladiators pummeled 4-time defending county champion Howard, 42-14, in the Elgard Bowl. Owens was phenomenal,rushing for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 carries, while adding a 95 yard interception for a score. Owens had scores of 95 yards, 82 yards, and 72 yards, among his four touchdowns.

The Gladiators were shut out in the ‘17 Elgard Bowl, 34-0, with Owens limited to 39 rushing yards. This time, the tables had turned, with Sam Alsheimer leading a Gladiators defense that limited the Lions dynamic Devin Dawkins to 45 yards on 20 carries.

The Gladiators dominated county play, with only River Hill (G 12-0) coming within 26 points of ‘Big Red’. The Gladiators outscored the four HoCo playoff teams - River Hill, Howard, Long Reach, and Oakland Mills, by an average of 26.7 points per game. In addition to the Gladiators shutout of River Hill, they also held Centennial, Reservoir, Marriotts Ridge and Mt Hebron, scoreless.

These Gladiators mark of 37.1 points per game ranks as 5th best in county history, while their +29.8 point differential ranks as 8th best in county history, with their 7.2 points allowed mark ranking 14th, all-time.

The Gladiators defense added another shutout in the regional semifinal, shutting out Oakland Mills, 42-0, with Owens rushing for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries, adding a 70 yard interception return for a score, his second of its kind on the season.

The Gladiators followed up that shutout, with another shutout, its second of the season versus River Hill. The 35-0 victory gave the Gladiators their third consecutive regional title, and its fourth in five years. Owens ran for 142 yards on 20 carries in the first half, and became the second player in MPSSAA history to rush for 6,000 yards. Owens finished with 225 rushing yards, while Kyle Dry added 89yards and a score on 11 carries.

The Gladiators formula of Owens and a stout defense came together again in the state semifinal, as they recorded their third straight shutout of the post-season, and its eighth of the year. Owens gained 156 yards on the ground, on 21 carries. This was the Gladiators fifth shutout in six games, allowing only 7 points over their last half-dozen games.

This was the Gladiators first state title game appearance, after falling short in the state semifinal in their previous five tries, including twice in the last two years. These Gladiators did what their ‘77, ‘00, ‘14, ‘16 and ‘17 versions couldn’t do, advance to the state championship.

There, the Gladiators, 13-0, faced 13-0 Oakdale, a team that handled four-time defending state champ Damascus, 24-7, rather easily in the regional final, before the Bears shutout the high-powered offense of the Elkton Elks, 35-0. The Bears were too much for the Gladiators, producing a 35-7 state title victory, the first in its school history.

Owens finished his illustrious Gladiators career as the MPSSAA’s 2nd all-time leading rusher, with 6,354, while snapping both Rafael Wall’s county career rushing yards mark of 5,095, and Mike Campanaro’s career rushing touchdowns record of 57, in early October.

Owens 2,680 rushing yards in ‘18 snapped his single-season record he set two years prior, of 2,504 yards in ‘16. Owens 40 rushing touchdowns shattered Wall’s single-season record total of 31 in 1990, and his 42 total touchdowns broke Campanaro’s single-season mark of 39, set in ‘08.

Alsheimer was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, after registering 134 tackles, 98 solo. Tyler Reifer, who doubled as quarterback and linebacker, and recorded 5 interceptions, was named to the All-County 1st team, as were defensive back Darren Clapp (7 int) and defensive lineman Jake Arnono. Junior tight end Drew Sitka and lineman Otto Trawick, both who helped pave the way for Owens, were also named to the All-County 1st team.

Coach Schaffer stepped away after the historic season, finishing his 13 year career at Glenelg with a 102-47 overall record, capping it off as a state finalist and undisputed county champion. Schaffer’s 102 victories ranks tied for 6th in county history, and his 68.5% winning percentage ranks 5th best, all-time. Schaffer’s 9 playoff appearances rank third, behind only Doug DuVall and Brian Van Deusen, who both stand at 15. Schaffer’s four regional titles rank tied for third as well, with Ken Klock, behind DuVall’s 9, and Van Deusen’s 8.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

18 ‘11 Atholton Raiders (10-2*, 9-1*) - Coach Kyle Schmidt 🏅 >>> Heading into the regional final showdown with River Hill, these Raiders were producing one of the most dominant seasons in county history, boasting a shutout of the Hawks for a second consecutive season.

The Raiders were averaging 38.7 points per game, which, if it stood, would rank 7th all-time in county history, and its +33.7 point differential would rank 5th all-time in county history.

The ‘11 Raiders had not lost on the field in their 11 games, though they did have to forfeit a 39-0 opening week victory over Glenelg, for conducting an illegal practice, months earlier.

Still, the Raiders went on to win the county title outright, snapping River Hill’s seven year reign atop the county standings. And did so in dominating fashion.

These Raiders are just 1 of 7 teams in county history to rank among the top 10 in points scored in a season, points allowed in a season, and point differential, joining the ‘74 Howard Lions, the ‘90 Wilde Lake Wildecats, the River Hill Hawks championship teams of ‘07, ‘08, and ‘12, and the ‘09 Hawks.

The ‘11 Gladiators, who the Raiders dominated, would advance to a regional final nearly three months later. In week 2, the Raiders handled another playoff team, Howard, 28-7, setting up a matchup with River Hill, a year after A-Town shut out the Hawks, shattering the two-time state champions’ 46 game county win streak.

After a win over Reservoir, the Raiders crushed both Marriotts Ridge and Oakland Mills, 54-6 and 56-7, respectively. Following a 40-21 win over defending county co-champion Hammond, the Raiders closed out the season with three shutouts, outscoring Wilde Lake, Mt Hebron and Centennial, by a tune of 122-0.

Not only had the Raiders closed their regular season with three straight shutouts, but they also had averaged 45.3 points per game over their last half-dozen games. On the field, the Raiders had won 16 straight regular season games versus county competition, including a pair over River Hill.

The Raiders pummeled Decatur, 49-0, in the regional final, registering their fourth straight shutout, and seventh straight game of 35 points or more. The win set up a rematch of the Raiders ‘09 regional final, with River Hill, a game in which the Hawks won, 30-3.

Since, the Raiders had done the unheard of, blanking the Hawks. Twice. In 2010, the Raiders shocked the Hawks, 10-0, snapping their 46 game win streak in league play. Earlier this season, the Raiders traveled to River Hill and shutout the Hawks again, 14-0.

In the regional final, the Raiders took a 7-0 lead on a 45 yard scramble by Brian McMahon in the first quarter, but squandered a chance to go up two scores when they fumbled at midfield. Six plays later, Aaron Wells, who had missed the regular season tilt, tied it up with a 2 yard run, with the extra point giving the Hawks a one point lead. Then, just before halftime, Wells raced 29 yards to the end zone, giving the Hawks a 14-6 lead at intermission.

The Hawks looked to go up by two scores, but fumbled at the Raiders 7 yard loss me. The Raiders put together 6 minute, 93 yard touchdown drive, to cut the deficit to 2, 14-12, before a failed two-point conversion attempt.

Following a late, fake punt attempt on their own 23 yard line, the Raiders surrendered a back-breaking 8 yard touchdown run by Raheem Vaughn with less than two minutes to play, extinguishing any hopes for the first regional title in school history. The Raiders gained 256 yards on the ground, 306 yards overall, but were decimated by four turnovers.

The Raiders finished #7 in the Maryland Football Media Writers Poll, #4 among Maryland public schools.

Linebacker Stephen Whiting was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, who recorded 11 sacks. McMahon was named to the All-County 1st team after throwing for 1,289 yards and 13 touchdowns, adding 772 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. And a pair of wins over the Hawks.

Offensive tackle Paul Federinko was named to the All-Met team, helping lead the Raiders to more than 4,200 yards of offense. Joining that trio on the All-County 1st team were Eddie Thomas, who rushed for 1,155 yards and 20 touchdowns, and receiver Daquan Ellison, who grabbed 48 receptions for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cornerback Austin Tennessee was selected to the All-County 1st team on defense.

Coach Schmidt would Coach one more year at Atholton, before moving on to Archbishop Spaulding. Schmidt went 38-9 in his four seasons on Freetown Road, leading the Raiders to four straight playoff appearances, and three straight regional final berths.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

17 ‘78 Oakland Mills Scorpions (10-1, 7-0) - Coach Steve Matters 🥉🏅 >>> The ‘78 Oakland Mills Scorpions were a juggernaut, the most talented team to ever suit up on Kilimanjaro. These Scorpions, outside of the state record-setting Howard Lions of ‘72-74, were the best team the county produced in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.

Coach Steve Matters figured this team was ready for prime time, with a host of returnees coming back from their 8-2, ‘77 squad. Although the ‘77 Scorpions missed the playoffs despite going 8-2, they knocked off the Sun’s 6th ranked team, and newly formed arch rival, Wilde Lake, in overtime.

All-Met running back Steve Houck was returning, as well as one of the best athletes in the county, quarterback Chet Gee, along with running back Dudley Redding, and two-way performer, Brian Winfield.

This ‘Wishbone’ offense, led by Gee, was the best of its kind in the state, and through the first nine weeks of the season, produced the highest scoring offense in the Baltimore area, averaging 39.7 points per game.

The trio of Gee, Redding, and Houck, are arguably, the best backfield this county has ever seen. Gee, was an All-Met quarterback, Redding was a Syracuse commit, and Houck is just 1 of 6 underclassmen to be chosen to an All-Met team as a running back.

The season began with a 58-0 rout of Landsdowne, as Gee rushed for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns, on 6 carries. Light work. The Scorpions continued their dominance through league play, out scoring their six league opponents, 226-30 (37.7-5.0), heading into their matchup with Wilde Lake.

The Scorpions started October with a 50-8 blowout of Mt Hebron, followed by a 40-8 rout of Centennial, before shutting out Howard, 42-0.

Here they were, 9-0, and still needing a week 10 win to get in the playoffs for the first time in school history, facing a winner-take-all week 10 showdown with the Wilde Lake Wildecats. This, following the Scorpions 27-21 overtime win in ‘77, after the Cats had come back from 14 down.

The stage was set, before a crowd estimated to be as high as 4,200 on Kilimanjaro. Gee, who ran the Scorpions omni-potent ‘Wishbone’ offense, versus Jim Traber, the Cats high hurler. The ‘78 All-Met 1st team quarterback, versus the All-Met 2nd team quarterback (and 1st team safety).

Gee was headed to Duke, while his younger brother Daryl was establishing himself as the top scholastic soccer player in the country. Traber, meanwhile, was being recruited by then Pittsburgh Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Jimmie Johnson, who took the head coaching job at Oklahoma State the following year, and where Traber would land.

The two Columbia combatants dueled away to a 8-8 halftime tie, though the Scorpions squandered two apparent scores. The first, a first quarter fumble by All-Met receiver Winfield at the 1 yard line that bounced through the end zone for a touchback. The second, a 85 yard punt return by Winfield for a score, only to be nullified by a block in the back.

Late in the fourth, with the score tied at 14, Gee and the Scorpions had the ball on their own 22 yard line, with 6:14 to play. Gee directed the Scorpions on a 7 play, 78 yard drive, punctuated by Dudley Redding’s 24 yard sprint for a score, with 3:07 to go. The Scorpions defense stymied the Cats comeback attempt, before the offense bled the clock.

The Scorpions were the first Columbia school to secure a post-season berth, and finished the regular season 10-0. Redding rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries, while Gee added 102 yards on 13 carries.

The Scorpions had to travel to Hagerstown to meet the Allegany Campers in the state semifinal, to open their playoff history. A history that would include two straight regional titles in ‘83 and ‘83, another in ‘90, two straight undefeated county crowns in ‘94 and ‘95, and a state championship exactly 20 years after the ‘78 run.

The Campers led 7-0, before Gee ran it in from 30 yards, but with the missed extra point, the Scorps trailed by 1. Then, just before halftime, the Campers Marshall Wayland scored on a 6 yard run, and the Campers held a 13-6 halftime lead. The Campers defense was outstanding, sacking Gee 7 times. A Wayland 1 yard score midway though the final stanza, made it all but academic, and the Campers went on to win, 20-6.

Gee, following his All-Met honors and college career at Duke, would play six seasons in the USFL for the Jacksonville Bulls. Redding was named to the All-Met 2nd team.rushing for 1.101 yards and 18 touchdowns. Lineman Jay Lasek joined Gee on the All-Met 1st team, while Winfield joined Redding on the All-Met 2nd team, as the two-way player recorded 9 interceptions.

Houck, for his part, adorned with his #99, took his diminished role like a champion would, paving the way for Gee and Redding as a fullback, when he wasn’t unleashing punishment with the ball. Tight end Ken Hovet, would follow his playing career at Davidson by taking the sidelines on Kilimanjaro again, first as an 8 year assistant, then as the head honcho for 11 seasons, including winning the program’s only state title in ‘98.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

16 ‘98 Oakland Mills Scorpions (12-1, 9-1) - Coach Ken Hovet 🏆 >>> These Scorpions were the ‘Cardiac Kids of Kilimanjaro’, coming back time and time again to post one of the most improbable state title runs in county history. After suffering a week 3 loss to the defending state champion Wilde Lake Wildecats, the Scorpions reeled off 10 straight wins to capture the only state championship in school history, a history that boasts 59 state titles.

The Scorpions were coached by former alum’ Kenny Hovet, a ‘79 graduate who just missed scholastic glory when his ‘78 Scorpions fell short in the state semifinal in Allegany. Twenty years later, Hovet found that glory.

The ‘98 Scorpions won 6 one-possession games, going 6-0 in games decided by one score, including four that they had trailed in.

The Scorpions battled through injuries as well, as ‘97 All-Met running back Vinnie Rubbo, who gained 1,873 yards and scored 24 touchdowns as a junior, was slowed all season with an ankle injury.

Following the 27-13 loss to the Wildecats, the Scorpions staved off Howard, 7-0, pulled out a 12-7 win over Centennial, then a 18-13 win over Long Reach to qualify for the playoffs at 9-1. This would be the Scorpions ninth playoff appearance, but were looking for their first regional title in 8 years, after winning 4 of 9, and 5 of 13.

The Scorpions had no trouble in the state quarterfinal, shutting out Bohemia Manor, 20-0. Early on, the Scorpions Robert Scott recovered a fumble at the Eagles 4 yard line, but four plays later, Rubbo was stopped six inches short of the goal line, and the Orange & Black turned it over on downs. But on the Eagles second play, the Scorpions Michael Ellis tackled the Eagles Brandon Wright in the end zone on the last play of the quarter, to give the Scorps a 2-0 lead.

The Scorpions capitalized on the next possession, after TJ Welsh scored on a sneak from inside the 1 yard line to give the Scorps a 9-0 lead. Welsh hit Tom Browne on a 43 yard completion on the drive, and Ellis added a 21 yard run.

In the third quarter, the Scorpions Nick Fambro picked off an interception, to give the Scorpions the ball at the Eagles 23 yard line, setting up Welsh’s second touchdown from inside the 1, giving OM a 15-0 lead, which would hold. It was the first shutout of the season for the Scorpions.

This was the Scorpions 6th regional title, the 20th anniversary of the first, with Hovet in uniform. The ‘Cardiac Kids’ weren’t done yet, and the Scorpions faithful would renew their ICU memberships once again.

The Scorpions to the Eastern Shore to face Cambridge - South Dorchester in the state semifinal. After an early Vikings score, the Scorpions evened things at 7, when sophomore JT Rembert took in a four yard run. The Scorpions had two drives end with missed field goal attempts.

The Vikings took the lead early in the fourth quarter, on a 22 yard scoring pass from Josh Dodson to Tyrone Smith. Rubbo blocked the Vikings extra point attempt, in what would prove to be decisive. The Scorpions offense responded, and Rembert capped off a 65 yard drive with his second score of the game, and the Orange & Black would hold on, 14-13. Though Rembert started for a third straight game, Rubbo rushed for 127 yards on 17 carries, showing flashes of his ‘97 campaign.

Trailing 6-0, the Scorpions drove to the Knights 10 yard line, before Welsh was intercepted by Benjamin Carter, who returned the pick 37 yards. On the Knights first play, Robert Morgan raced 58 yards to paydirt, to give the Knights a 12-0 lead, late in the third quarter. The Scorpions countered, as they had all season, as Welsh directed a 75 yard scoring drive, connecting on passes of 16, 23, and 29 yards, before putting his head down on a 1 yard score to cut the lead to 5, 12-7. Minutes later, the Scorpions Nick Fambro and a pair of teammates sacked the Knights DeAngelo Bullock in the end zone, and the Orange & Black were down 3, 12-9.

The Scorpions offense came through, with a 72 yard drive, finished with what be the game-winning touchdown from Rubbo, on a 2 yard plunge. The Knights looked to take the lead back, driving to the Scorpions 5 yard line, before getting stuffed on four runs. The Scorpions ran clock and chains, taking the ball from their 5 yard line, to the Knights 17. Welsh finished throwing 17 of 25 for 193 yards, and scored a touchdown, while the running trio of Wllis (9-111), Rubbo (9-89), and Rembert, came through on the game dwindling drive.

Two-time All-County 1st team lineman Jay Frizzelle was named to the All-Met 1st team, as was Ellis, who did a bit of everything for the Scorpions, rushing for 825 yards and 13 touchdowns, while recording 117 tackles, 8 interceptions, and 6 sacks. Welsh, who was named to the All-Met 2nd team, would break Jim Traber’s single-season passing yardage mark, throwing for 1,943 yards and 15 touchdowns, with 5 rushing touchdowns.

Welsh’s favorite target, Tom Browne, was named to the All-Met 2nd team along with his signal caller, after registering 48 receptions, for a school record 982 yards and 9 touchdowns. Rubbo was named to the All-County 1st team for a second year in a row, this time at linebacker, finishing with 101 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries, to go with 697 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns.

Coach Hovet was named as the Baltimore Sun Coach of the Year, 20 years after playing for the most legendary team to ever play on Kilimanjaro, the ‘78 Scorpions. Hovet would Coach the Scorpions another 5 years, finishing 72-48 (.600) in his 11 years on Kilimanjaro, winning three outright county titles (‘94, ‘95, ‘00), two regional titles, and the only state title in Oakland Mills history. Beside, of course, the other 58.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

15 ‘15 Howard Lions (13-1, 10-0) - Coach Bruce Strunk 🥈🏅 >>> The 2015 Howard Lions capped off a pair of undefeated seasons in league play, and won their second consecutive 4A North regional championship, setting a school record, with 13 wins. They did everything they had to, but beat Wise. Few teams in county history would have stood any chance.

Coach Strunk had turned the Lions program into a force, capping off the 2015 regular season having won 24 straight league games. The back-to-back county championship in ‘14 and ‘15 were the first consecutive league championships for the program in 40 years.

Aside from a 14-6 win over playoff bound Reservoir, and a 29-22 victory over second place Oakland Mills, the Lions rolled through league play, winning the other 8 league games by an average of +27.6 points per game.

Following the Oakland Mills win in week 5, the Lions stood at 5-0, having registered two shutouts. The Lions then ran off three blowout wins, scoring 49 points in a 27 point win over Centennial, 47 in a 37 point win over Hammond, and 47 in a 35 point win over Long Reach.

The Lions faced Glenelg in a week 9 edition of the Elgard Bowl. The Gladiators were coming off a 13-7 win over Marriotts Ridge. The Lions pulled out the ‘14 Elgard Bowl, 20-15, while the Gladiators won in ‘13, 35-20.

The Lions handled the Gladiators easily, 26-7, their 22nd consecutive victory in league play. The Lions closed out the regular season with a 49-27 win over Atholton, with Casey Crawford unleashing 322 passing yards and 4 touchdowns on the Raiders.

The Lions headed into their third straight post-season, a program first, having won 22 of their last 23 games, and more recently, averaged 43.8 points over their last 5 games.

First up, in the regional final, was Mervo, who had a week 7 win over Dunbar. The Lions shut the Mustangs down, winning 20-0, and placing them in the regional final game for the second year in a row, a feat only matched by the ‘74 and ‘75 Lions.

The Lions faced 11-0 Sherwood in the regional final, in a battle of unbeatens. The Lions had dispatched MoCo’s Paint Branch, 39-7, in the ‘14 regional final, but these Warriors were a step above, with a win over two-time defending 4A champ Northwest, and a 42-21 victory over Paint Branch.

The Lions raced out to a 7-0 lead early, when Crawford found Cameron Carlyle on a 66 yard touchdown pass. The Warriors responded, then took the lead, 14-7, on a pair of Shawn Bliss touchdown passes. From there, Crawford and the dynamic Malik Anderson took over, leading the Lions to 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 27-14 halftime lead.

Crawford and Anderson hooked up on a pair of touchdown passes in the second stanza, from 50 and 30 yards out. Anderson ran in the other score, followed by Crawford passing for a two-point conversion. Crawford threw for 291 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Anderson added 200 yards from scrimmage, and scored 3 touchdowns.

In the state semifinal, the Lions took on Broadneck, after the Bruins had beaten two undefeated team on the road in the regionals, North Point and Old Mill, who had edged the Lions, 10-3, in the ‘14 state semifinal.

The Bruins struck quick, scoring on their first two possessions, to take a 10-0 lead, before the Lions dominated the last 30 minutes of play, just as they did a week before with Sherwood. And just as they did a week before, the Lions scored 21 unanswered second quarter points, to takes 21-10, halftime lead. The Bruins cut the gap to 28-24, late in the third quarter, on freshman Ethon Williams second touchdown reception.

Crawford came through again, hitting Anthony Reid on a 21 yard scoring strike, to give the Lions a 35-24 lead, and eventual win. Anderson rushed for 179 yards on 21 carries, while Crawford connected on 23 of 28 passes for 252 yards.

The Lions were in the state final, exactly 40 years after their last appearance, facing a former All-American alum’, DaLawn Parrish, Head Coach of the Wise Pumas. The Pumas, who boasted a +41.4 point differential in the ultra-competitive PG 4A league, proved to be too much for the Lions, as Parrish and his troops pounded his former alma mater, 55-6.

Anderson was named to both the All-State and All-Met 1st Teams, and became the first Lions back to rush for 2,000 yards, finishing with 2,005 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground, adding 25 receptions for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns. Crawford made the All-County 1st team after setting a Lions single-season passing yardage record, with 2,313 yards (5th best in county history), and a Lions single-season touchdown record, with 26, second only to River Hill’s Austin Altman’s mark of 27 in 2012.

Joining Anderson and Crawford on the All-County 1st team offensive unit were lineman Steve McNair and Carlyle, who finished with 8 touchdown receptions. Linebacker Zach Robinson was named to the All-State 2nd team, recording 125 tackles. Defensive tackle Felix Fremmedig and cornerback Bryson Craven, who led the county in interceptions, were both named to the All-County 1st team defensive unit.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

14 ‘11 River Hill Hawks (12-2, 9-1) - Coach Brian Van Deusen 🏆 >>> The ‘11 Hawks were the only one of Coach Van Deusen’s four state champions to suffer a loss, and they suffered two of them, the first time that had lost two games in league play in 8 years. Nonetheless, the Hawks found payback for one loss in the regional final, then dominated the state semifinals and finals like few have ever done in county history.

After opening the season with a pair of 21 point wins over Reservoir and Long Reach, the Hawks mettle was tested after suffering back-to-back losses, the first back-to-back losses for the program in 9 years.

First, it was Atholton, shelling a shutout of the Hawks for a second straight year, a season after snapping the Hawks county record 48 game win streak. The Hawks managed just 48 yards of offense.

The following week, the Golden Bears of Hammond would hold off the Hawks, 12-9. Akili Moore’s 100 yard interception return for a touchdown to open the scoring would spell out the Hawks fate, turning the ball over six times, including turnovers on five straight possessions amidst the cloud of fog on the field.

Aaron Wells had returned in the Bears loss, but wasn’t in full form until the weeks following, as the Hawks went on a dominant run. Sitting at 2-2, the Hawks shut out the 3A defending state champion Wilde Lake Wildecats, 38-0, before thrashing Howard, 42-7. The defending state champions mustered just 56 yards of offense.

The Hawks went on to blow out Oakland Mills, 59-7, then shutout Centennial, 47-0, before facing their only test in the final six weeks.

At 6-2, the Hawks couldn’t afford another loss, and Glenelg nearly gave them one. The Hawks led 14-6 in the third quarter, when the Gladiators Nick Crabill’s fumble bounced into the end zone for a touchback.

But, with just under six minutes to play, the Gladiators evened things at 14, and sent the game to overtime, but not before a failed 42 yard field goal attempt by the Hawks Davis Grove as time expired.

In the extra session, Raamah Vaughn scored on a 1 yard run for the Hawks, and a Grove conversion gave the Hawks a 21-14 lead. Following a Mark Darden scoring pass on 4th and 8, the Glads elected to go for two, but Darden was sacked.

The Hawks closed the regular season with a 42-0 shutout of Mt Hebron, then opened the playoffs with a 29-0 shutout of Howard, setting up a rematch with the Atholton Raiders in the regional final, a team that had shutout the Hawks in their last two meetings.

After the Raiders opened with a 6-0 lead after a Brian McMahon 45 yard scramble, Wells score two touchdowns in the second quarter, to give the Hawks a 14-6 halftime lead. With just under 9 minutes to play, the Raiders scored, to cut it to 14-12, but McMahon was stuffed on the two-point attempt. Vaughn scored from 8 yards out with less than two minutes to go, and seal a 21-12 win.

In the state semifinal, the Hawks throttled Aberdeen, 41-7, and the two-time champs were in the state final for the fourth time in six years. Vaughn ran for a 43 yard score and passed for a 36 yard score in the first quarter, then added another touchdown in the second quarter to propel the Hawks to a 21-0 halftime lead. Evan Griffin added scoring runs of 25 and 35 yards for the Hawks in the blowout win.

After losing to Friendly in the 2A ‘06 state final, the Hawks won back-to-back 2A state championships in ‘07 and ‘08. This was the Hawks first berth in the 3A title game, a year after Wilde Lake won its first 3A (formerly Class A) state championship.

The Hawks would face the Thomas Johnson Patriots in the state final, a team that beat Damascus soundly in the regional final, 42-6, before stopping Huntingtown, 12-3, in the state semifinal.

The Hawks held a 14-7 halftime lead over the Pats, as both Wells and Vaughn found the end zone for the Hawks. In the second half, the Patriots turned the ball over on four straight possessions, and the Hawks pounced, as Vaughn added two more scores, Wells another, and Griffin another, leading to 27 unanswered points, for a 41-7 lead, and eventual 41-13 win. Wells finished with 164 rushing yards.

Linebacker Riley Davis, who was a freshman call-up on the ‘08 Hawks, was named to the All-Met 1st team, after registering 135 tackles. Defensive tackle Jason Johnson joined Davis on the All-County 1st team defensive unit, recording 97 tackles. Randall Lawson joined the two on the county’s top team, after leading the league in interceptions, with 9.

Wells, who finished a somewhat injury riddled year with 1,366 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Vaughn, who scored 6 touchdowns in the playoffs, joined Wells on the All-County 1st team offensive unit, as did lineman Karas Johnson.

The Hawks finished ranked 6th in the Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, 3rd among Maryland publics. The Hawks +23.5 point differential ranks 17th best all-time in county history.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

13 ‘14 Howard Lions (12-1, 10-0) - Coach Bruce Strunk 🥉🏅 >>> It’s hard to distinguish between the ‘15, ‘15, ‘16 and ‘17 Howard Lions, as all were regional champions. Three had just 1 loss, which eliminates ‘16, who also had a league loss. ‘15, ‘16, and ‘17, which eliminates no one, because Wise is Wise. What put the ‘14 Lions just ahead was their smothering defense, simply put.

The ‘14 Lions 5.1 points allowed per game ranks 9th best in county history, and the 4th best mark in the county in the last 27 years, behind only ‘97 Wilde Lake, and the ‘07-08 River Hill Hawks, all undefeated state champions.

Coach Bruce Strunk has started to see a turn to prominence late in the 2011 season, when the Lions would win their final four games in league play, including wins over 9-win River Hill, 7-win Centennial, and playoff bound Hammond.

The Lions lost to Perry Hall in the opening round of the playoffs, but laid a foundation of what was to come. That foundation would begin with that four game streak, and turn into a 32 game win streak that would span three years.

The Lions began the season with a 31-14 win over Wilde Lake, followed by a 34-0 shutout of Atholton, followed by a 34-9 at playoff bound Marriotts Ridge, capped off by 39-0 victory over Mt Hebron, setting up a week 5 Elgard Bowl matchup with Glenelg, who took the ‘13 Elgard, 35-20.

The Lions held a 6-0 lead through the third quarter, thanks to a 76 yard touchdown reception from Dylan Perez in the first quarter, before a 5 yard touchdown from Tre Davis early in the fourth quarter put the Gladiators on top, 7-6, the first of four lead changes in the final stanza. A Kevin Sheahin 23 yard touchdown pass put the Lions ahead, 14-7.

The Gladiators struck late, when Brent Richardson followed All-American lineman David Robbins for a 5 yard score. Gladiators coach Butch Schaffer elected to go for two, and the apparent win, and Richardson took a snap and tossed a successful two-point conversion to give the Gladiators a 15-14 lead, with 1:04 to play.

It wasn’t over. Rather, it was Sheahin to Perez once again, as they connected on a 27 yard game-winning touchdown pass to win the Elgard, 20-15. Perez finished the night with 4 receptions for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Lions would knock off playoff bound Reservoir, 27-6, before routing Centennial, 51-0, before shutting down Hammond, 32-3, setting up a week 9 matchup with 7-1 River Hill.

The Lions defense came up huge in a 7-0 win, shutting out the Hawks, who had scored 34 or more points in 5 of their 7 wins. The Lions closed out the regular season with, what else, a shutout. A huge shutout, too, as it was applied to cross-border rival along Reach, 28-0.

This was the first county title for the Lions in 15 years, and the program’s first undefeated county champions in 39 years.

The Lions faced Perry Hall in the regional semifinal, a after losing to the Gators in the same round, 28-14. This one wasn’t close, as the Lions established a 21-0 halftime lead, before a 28-0 fourth quarter lead, ending with a 28-7 win. Sheahin hit on 10 of his 12 passes for 205 yards and a pair of scores, while leading rusher Najee Savage rushed for 165 yards on 29 carries, and Malik Anderson gained 96 yards from scrimmage, with 51 rushing yards, and 45 yards on 6 receptions.

This was the first regional final appearance for the Lions since the MPSSAA expanded the playoff format in 2003. The Lions did win a state quarterfinal in ‘99, when 8 teams per classification earned berths.

The Lions hosted Paint Branch in the regional final, the 40th anniversary of the MPSSAA’s inaugural season, when the Lions knocked off the Panthers, 40-14, in the Class B state title game.

The Lions secured their first regional title in 15 years with ease, taking a 14-0 first quarter lead, then a 20-0 halftime lead, before closing out with a 39-7 victory. The Lions defense recorded 8 sacks in 48 minutes. Savage rushed for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns on 36 carries, while Sheahin completed 13 of 18 passes for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Lions were the first Howard County team to win a 4A regional title.

The Old Mill Patriots were next up in the state semifinal, after the Patriots knocked off Arundel, 26-21, in the regional final. This was a donnybrook, scoreless until the last play of the first half, when the Patriots Chris Ray nailed a 25 yard field goal to give the guests a 3-0 lead at intermission. The Patriots defense, who had posted 7 shutouts coming in, denied the Lions from the start, after fumbling the opening kickoff at their own 25 yard line.

Midway through the third quarter, the Pats Donovan Franklin broke off a 45 yard touchdown run to give the Pars a 10 point lead. Then, early in the fourth quarter, the Lions punt unit recovered a fumble at the Pats 23 yard line, but had to settle for a Ian Gould 22 yard field goal, cutting the margin to a one score game, but it would never get closer, and the Pats held on, 10-3.

The Lions defense, led by All-Met 1st team defensive end Winston DeLattidoubere, allowed just three touchdowns in their last 8 games, and registered 49 sacks on the season. DeLattidoubere set a county record with 42.5 tackles for loss, with 17.5 sacks, the second best single-season sack total in county history.

Savage was named to the All-County 1st team, rushing for 1,550 yards and 25 touchdowns,. Sheahin joined his running back on the All-County 1st team, throwing for 1,599 yards and 18 touchdowns, while connecting on 66.4% of his passes. Malik Anderson, the junior slot, set a Lions record with 57 receptions. Lineman Steve McNair and the kicker Gould, were also named to the All-County 1st team.

Rounding out the nine Lions on the All-County 1st team, and joining DeLattidoubere on the defensive unit, were tackle Saif Bryant, who registered 5 sacks in the regional final, linebacker Shane Kieta, and defensive back, Isaiah Stokes.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

12 ‘72 Howard Lions (10-0, 4-0) - Coach Bill Caudill 🏅 >>> The ‘72 Lions were the first team to go undefeated for Coach Bill Caudill, a string of three straight for Caudill, and the first of four straight unbeaten regular seasons for the Lions.

This was two years before the MPSSAA’s inception, and the post-season consisted of only a district title.

Unfortunately, for the Lions, both Randallstown and Westminster were also undefeated in Class A District III, and Howard was denied a berth in the district final, despite being undefeated, falling short on points, based largely on the Lions four Howard County opponents being in Class B, meaning less bonus points.

Nonetheless, the Lions dominated both their four county rivals, as well as their six out-of-county opponents, hailing from Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, and Charles County.

The Lions had lost the county’s all-time leading rusher, Jerome Moore, to graduation in May, but returned a great nucleus from the ‘71 squad that finished their season with three victories, a streak that would begin a state record win streak.

The Lions began the season with a 43-8 romp over Andover, as the Lions defense and special teams scored three touchdowns themselves, two on fumble recoveries, another on a return of a blocked punt.

The Lions faced two of their three toughest opponents of ‘72 in weeks 2 and 3, traveling to meet the MSA’s Cardinal Gibbons, and taking on Charles County Thomas Stone. The Lions defense would step up in both, limiting the Crusaders to 6 points in a 13-6 win, then blanking the Cougars in a 8-0 win.

The Lions routed Atholton, 33-6, before shutting out Mt Hebron, 12-0, then shutting out Anne Arundel County’s Brooklyn Park, 21-0, pushing the Lions to 6-0, with their toughest regular season opponent, Edgewood, up next.

The Rams were 5-1, and were fighting for a playoff berth. The Lions defense had allowed just two touchdowns in their first six games.

Steve Brownley would open the scoring by draining a 32 yard field goal in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, the Cougars Nate Johnson took a 1 yard plunge to give the guests a 6-3 lead. The Lions would counter 45 seconds later when Scott Cooke hooked up with Rich McAuliffe on a 66 yard touchdown pass to give the Lions a lead they would never surrender.

Cooke and McAuliffe hooked up again on the Lions next possession, three times, including a 16 yard score that gave the Lions a 16-6 lead. The Lions passing combo would score again, from 27 yards out, to give the hosts a 22-6 lead, in an eventual 22-14 win. Cooke threw for 223 yards, 146 to McAuliffe.

The following week, the Lions took on their first Columbia opponent, newly opened Wilde Lake, and the county’s flagship took no prisoners, issuing the Cats a 68-20 blowout loss. Six Lions scored touchdowns, including Scott Carter, who scored three times. The Lions led 61-14, after three quarters, having scored 9 touchdowns.

The Lions finished out the season with a 34-0 shutout of Glenelg in the Elgard Bowl, then stomped Aberdeen, 42-20, in the season finale.

The ‘72 Lions +23.2 point differential ranks tied for 18th all-time in county history. The Lions 13 game winning streak would eventually grow into a state-record 47 game win streak, snapped in the 1975 Class A state final by Paint Branch, 28-6.

Linebacker Dave Fadrowski was selected to both the All-State and All-Met 1st Teams, before playing for the University of Kentucky, and the Oakland Raiders. Brownley and McAuliffe both joined Fadrowski on the All-Met team, the latter scoring 15 touchdowns, as did kicker Jim Fink.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

11 ‘06 River Hill Hawks (13-1, 10-0) - Coach Brian Van Deusen >>> The ‘06 Hawks, who preceded the ‘07-08 back-to-back state champions, were a Joe Haden away from turning the back-to back into a three-peat. If it weren’t for the future NFL star, these Hawks were likely to be among the top 5 on this list.

Heading into the 2006 2A state title game, the Hawks were averaging 37.7 points per game, at the time, the 3rd highest scoring average in Howard County history, while their +30.2 point differential ranked third best in county history, as well.

The ‘06 Hawks were coming off an 11-2 season, winning the first of six straight regional titles, before falling to Gwynn Park, 30-21, in the state semifinal.

The Hawks were returning a pair of ‘05 All-County 1st team selections, junior linebacker Zach Martin, quarterback/defensive back Daniel Hostetler and receiver Greg Nowak, in addition to a quartet of sophomores that would lead the Hawks to their two state championships, a year and two later.

In ‘05, Martin had led the league in tackles as a sophomore, Hostetler led the league in interceptions, and Nowak led the league in touchdown receptions. The sophomores - Mike Campanaro, Malek Redd, Leron Eaddy, and Sean Hull, would make an immediate impact, and were largely responsible for the Hawks going 41-1 from ‘06-08, with the only loss coming to Haden’s Patriots.

Following a convincing 28-7 win over Centennial In week 1, the Hawks faced Glenelg, and were put to the test by the Gladiators. After a 16 yard scoring from Hostetler in the first quarter, the Glads put together a 15 play scoring drive to cut the lead to 1, after a failed extra point. The Gladiators Billy West redeemed the missed extra point by booting a 46 yard field goal as time expired in the first half, giving ‘Big Red’ a 9-7 lead.

The game stayed at 9-7 until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Hawks forced the Gladiators to punt from their end zone, and the Hawks started their drive at Glenelg’s 28 yard line. Six plays later, Martin took it in from 1 yard line, and the Hawks would stave off their first challenge of ‘06, 13-9.

Following a 50-0 rout of Hammond, the Hawks faced their second, and final true test of the regular season, in a slugfest with Wilde Lake. The game was a scoreless duel, until midway through the fourth quarter, when Martin scored to give the Hawks an eventual 6-0 win, as they shutout the Cats.

After comfortable wins over Long Reach and Atholton, the Hawks would go on a seven week rampage, a run where they would average 46 points per game, with a +37.7 point differential over that span, leading to the state final.

The Hawks stomped Marriotts Ridge, 54-6, then Reservoir, 41-6, before shutting out Howard, 41-0, followed by a 55-12 rout of Oakland Mills, winning their third straight county title, and finishing the regular season at 10-0 for the second time in school history (‘04).

The Hawks rolled through North Harford in the regional final, 27-7, as the sophomore Campanaro scored three touchdowns, one rushing, one receiving, and another on a fumble recovery.

The Hawks won their second regional title in a row with a 48-10 pasting of Severna Park, where Martin rushed for 113 yards and scored three touchdown on 18 carries, while Campanaro added 97 rushing yards on 15 carries, and for the second week in a row, scored a defensive touchdown, this time on an interception return.

Having fell short in the state semifinal a year earlier to Gwynn Park, 30-21, after leading 21-9 in the fourth quarter, the Hawks left no doubt of this result after just one quarter.

The Hawks raced out to a 28-0 first quarter lead, then a 42-0 lead, before the Indians scored on the last play of the first half, before settling on a 56-7 rout, sending the Hawks to the state title game, on the school’s 10th year anniversary.

The Hawks scored on their first four possessions, to take a four score lead in the first stanza, as Martin ran for a score, and Hostetler threw for two, and ran in another. Martin rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, while Campanaro added a rushing touchdown and a touchdown reception.

That set up the state title showdown with Haden and the Friendly Patriots, who were also 13-0, and a team that no opponent had come within 18 points of.

Haden, the future All-American and two-time Pro Bowler, proved to be too much for the relative young Hawks, running for two scores, throwing for two scores, throwing for a pair of two-point conversions, running for another, while kicking for another and grabbing an interception on defense.

The Hawks were in it until the Patriots took a 3 point lead to a three score lead with Haden’s two touchdown throws to close the third quarter with a 29-12 lead, and an eventual 37-18 win. Friendly finished ranked among the top 50 in the country, at #41 in the ESPN Fab 50.

The Hawks, meanwhile, finished ranked #4 in the Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, #2 among Maryland public schools, behind Friendly. Overall, the Hawks, despite the loss, finished only behind two nationally ranked teams, DeMatha and Friendly, and Good Counsel.

Coach Van Deusen’s ‘06 team averaged 36.4 points per game, 10th best in county history, allowed just 9.7 points per game, producing a +26.7 point differential, which ranks 13th best in county history.

Martin was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, recording 154 tackles, 101 solo, and 18 tackles for loss, while leading the county with 1,598 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Joining Martin on the All-State 1st team was Hostetler, who threw for a league-leading and school record 18 touchdowns, while also leading the league in interceptions on the other side of the ball, with 9.

Campanaro was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 2nd team, as well as the Washington Post Honorable Mention team. The sophomore finished with 1,044 rushing yards, 601 receiving yards, 18 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Defensive lineman Chris Rhodes joined Martin on the All-Met 1st team, as did offensive lineman Zach Robinson. Nowak made the All-County 1st team, with 6 touchdown receptions, second behind only Campanaro’s 8, in the county.


🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Runner-up
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

10 ‘09 River Hill Hawks (12-1, 10-0) - Coach Brian Van Deusen 🥉🏅 >>> It took a mosh pit at Huntingtown, and a game Hurricanes squad to put an end to the Hawks 40 game win streak, and bring River Hill’s hopes for a 3-peat to an end.

The Hawks came into the state semifinals as the county’s 2nd all-time leading scoring team, averaging 41.4 points per game, with a +35.5 point differential, which would rank only behind the ‘74 Howard Lions, the ‘90 Wilde Lake Wildecats, and the ‘07-08 Hawks.

The Hawks had a lot to live up two, after back-to-back state championships, and two perfect 14-0 seasons. Gone were All-Mets Mike Campanaro, Malek Redd, Leron Eaddy and Sean Hull, all three-year starters that led the Hawks to a 41-1 record from ‘06-08.

This team would carry the reputation and burden of a 28 game win streak through summer camp, but one that would have to have its own identity, without the main ingredients that had won 41 of 42 games, and back-to-back state titles.

Van Deusen, however, had started the streak of five straight county titles before a Campanaro was in the building, leading to a 62-4 record over 5 years, and the Hawks had quality talent in Kevin Johnson, Brent Kluge, Max Coale, and Thomas Erdman, among others.

The ‘09 Hawks would roll through their 10 game league slate without a team coming within 14 points of them.

The Hawks began with a 41-6 victory over Hammond, before shutting out playoff bound Wilde Lake, 27-0. From there, the Hawks shut out 2-0 Long Reach, 37-0, before taking out Mt Hebron, 49-13.

In week 5, versus Howard, the Hawks held a relatively close 16-7 halftime lead, before Erdman took a blocked punt 11 yards to give the Hawks a 23-7 lead, and an eventual 30-15 victory.

That set up a matchup with 5-0 Glenelg in week 6, a Gladiators team that was averaging scoring 30 points per game. Quarterback Harry McLaughlin ran in two scores in the first half, and Kluge and Johnson added scores in the third quarter, leading to a 35-0 shutout of the Gladiators.

The Hawks thrashed Marriotts Ridge, 61-0, then went on to pummel Oakland Mills, 48-7. In week 9, Atholton held a 14-7 halftime lead over the Hawks, as the Raiders Kalvin Seamonson connected with Matt Robinson on 80 and 90 yard touchdowns.

The two-time defending champs responded with three touchdowns in the third quarter, and 28 unanswered second half points, leading to a 35-14 win.

The Hawks topped Centennial, 41-21, in the regular season finale to complete their fourth straight 10-0 regular season, and win their sixth straight county championship.

Then, what would happen next in the regional semifinal, would go down as the most points scored in a playoff game, ever, in the MPSSAA. The Hawks stomped the JM Bennett Clippers, 70-0.

Kevin Johnson took in three scores in the first quarter, the defense added two interceptions for scores in the second quarter, to go with two more scoring runs, leading to a 54-0 halftime lead.

Three weeks after Atholton delivered the Hawks their only halftime deficit of the season, the Raiders awaited in the regional final. This would be no match, as the Hawks scored on their first possession, while the Raiders fumbled on theirs, and the Hawks capitalized, to take a 14-0 lead, five minutes in, before securing a 30-3 win. Two regional playoff games, 100 to 3.

The Hawks and Huntingtown Hurricanes would play in the slop, following downpours throughout the week, paired with 20-30 mile per hour winds prevailing throughout the game.

The Hawks suffered three turnovers, and twice failed to produce any points from inside the Canes 5 yard line, including the final play of the game, which took the officials three minutes to unpack, before ruling a fumble, and not a spike.

Just before that, the Canes Mark Smith hit a 35 yard field goal to give the Canes a 10-7 lead with 1:04 to play. The Hawks drove down the field for a chance to win, before coming up just short.

The Hawks finished with a 39.3 scoring average, 6th best in county history, with a +32.5 point differential, also 6th best in county history. The Hawks became the first county team to win five straight regional titles, and remains the only.

Lineman Coale was named to the Sun’s All-Met 1st team, as was Johnson and Erdman. Johnson finished with 1,220 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 3 interceptions as a dangerous cornerback. Erdman caused 5 forced fumbles, and had 4 fumble recoveries.

Kluge was selected to the All-Met 2nd team, as was kicker Amos Shahagh, who launched 41 touchbacks. Defensive lineman Nick Bohang was the sixth Hawks player to be named to an All-Met team, selected to the Post’s Honorable Mention team. Linebacker Wayne Emerson was named to the All-County 1st team.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

9 ‘92 Wilde Lake Wildecats (12-1, 7-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏆🏅 >>> These Wildecats had much to live up to, having won back-to-back state championships, and 26 straight games. The Wildecats were looking to become just the second team in the MPSSAA’s 19th year history to win three straight state titles.

Coach Doug DuVall had established the Cats as a county juggernaut long ago, having won or shared 9 of the last 12 county titles, but now having won state titles over Montgomery power Damascus, and Baltimore County power Milford Mill, ‘The Lake’ were now a state power.

The ‘91 Wildecats graduated a quality cast including Brent Guyton, who went on to UCLA, Andre Martin, to Maryland, Jamie Easterly, to Georgia Tech, Damon Hamlin, to Rutgers, and two-time All-County lineman Tony Farace, to name a few.

Coach DuVall still had a boatload of talent, if not starting experience.

Lineman CJ Benning and Jay Green would be two of the best three offensive lineman in the league, along with Glenelg’s Terry O’Brien, while defensive lineman Nate Casella and Mike Green would be two of the best in the league, as well. Casella and Green would also lead the running attack. The defense projected to be as good as it had been in ‘90 and ‘91.

Add the very talented Donald Gibson to the mix, the Cats weren’t getting any sympathy from anybody. In fact, they had a huge target on their back.

The Cats started out with a 28-7 win over South Carroll, then a 22-8 victory over Dundalk, to push their winning streak to 28 games.

That streak would come to an end in week 3, as the Wildecats suffered a 28-27 overtime loss to Southern of Anne Arundel County.

The Cats led 7-0, before the Bulldogs took a 13-7 halftime lead on a 60 yard interception return for a touchdown. Mike Green scored his second and third touchdowns, giving the Cats a 21-13 midway through the fourth quarter. The Cats Seth Willingham threw three interceptions, two inside the Bulldogs 15 yard line.

Then, with less than four minutes to play, the Bulldogs Troy Dennis took a screen pass 46 yards for a touchdown, leaving the ‘Dawgs’ a two-point conversion from forcing overtime. After a penalty put the ball in the one-and-a half yard line, Southern punched it in, to force an extra session.

Both teams lost fumbles on their first possessions of overtime. Then, Mike Green gave the Cats the lead back with a score on the second possession, but Willingham’s kick was blocked, putting the score at 27-21. On fourth down, after three short runs, Jason Poknis took it in from inside the 1 to tie it, before the Bulldogs Jimmy Galvan added the extra point for a 28-27 win.

Then, in week 4, the Cats survived another scare, surviving Howard, 3-0, on a 25 yard field goal by Willingham. That would lead to one of the greatest runs by any defense in county history.

Including the win over the Lions, the Cats recorded six straight shutouts, tying a league record. In week 5, the Cats shut out their arch rival Oakland Mills, 22-0.

At that point, the defense had posted two shutouts and allowed 8 or less points in four of their five games, but the offense was averaging a pedestrian 20.4 points per game, with a high of 28.

That changed, as the defense continued to deny, the offense picked up over the last half of the regular season, averaging 38.8 points per game over their last five games - 41-0 v ATH, 35-0 v CEN, 59-0 v MTH, 28-0 v G, 31-6 v HAM. Hammond snapped the Cats shutout streak in week 10. Still, the Cats allowed just 6 points in 7 league games.

The Wildecats won their seventh straight post-season game, posting their seventh shutout of the season in the quarterfinals, blanking Havre de Grace, 28-0. Nate Casella rushed for 100 yards, Gibson scored two touchdowns, and the Cats defense forced 8 turnovers, as the Cats raced to a 21-0 first quarter lead, and coasted.

In the state semifinal, the Cats capitalized on three sacks and two turnovers to sack Easton, 35-14, putting them in the state title game for a third year in a row, and giving them a shot at the exclusive three-peat. Green’s third sack of the day was the play of the day, jarring the ball loose for a Casella recovery at Easton’s 18 yard line. The next play, Casella ran it in, giving the Cats a 28-14 fourth quarter lead.

The Cats faced Cambridge South Dorchester in the state final game, and the Vikings were on a roll, out scoring Brunswick and Northern-Garrett 90-0 in the quarterfinals and semifinals. The Vikings came in averaging 38 points per game.

The Vikes struck quick, when Dietrich Johnson hit CJ Wiley on a 77 yard touchdown pass on their first play from scrimmage. From there, the Cats shut the high powered offense from the Eastern Shore down. The Cats held the Vikes scoreless the rest of the way, and limited Johnson, who had thrown more than 2,000 yards in the season, to just 57 yards outside their first play.

Casella topped the 100 rushing yard mark, Gibson caught a touchdown from Casella on a fake field goal attempt, and Willingham scored on a 6 yard run, and added 25 yard field goal in the 23-7 win.

The Cats joined the ‘79-81 Springbrook teams as the only teams to ever win three straight championships in a row. In ‘90, ‘The Lake’ won the 2A title, in ‘91 and ‘92, the 1A title.

Both Casella and Gibson were consensus All-State selections. Gibson led the county with 148 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. Casella did everything, including rushing for 351 yards in the three playoff games. Joining the two on the All-County 1st team defensive unit were Mike Green, who registered 22 tackles for loss, while adding 936 yards and 13 touchdowns, and defensive back Donald Butler, who came up with 6 turnovers.

Willingham was named to the All-County 1st team as a quarterback, throwing for 764 yards and 4 touchdowns. Benning was selected to the All-County 1st team for a second year in a row, and fellow lineman Jay Green joined him.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

8 73 Howard Lions (11-0, 4-0) - Coach Bill Caudill 🎖🏅 >>> Of the Lions dominating teams in the early 70’s that Coach Caudill produced, this is one of the two best, trailing only the follow-up ‘74 squad, in my mind. These Lions dominated, like every one of their five teams did from ‘71 through ‘75, but the ‘72 Lions defense leads the pack.

The Lions allowed just 3 touchdowns all season, over 11 games, registering the second best points allowed per game average in county history, with an average of just 2 points per contest.

This team would extend the Lions winning streak to 24 games, leading to a state championship in ‘74, in the MPSSAA’s inaugural season.

The Lions lost their starting quarterback Scott Swope in fall camp to injury, and would rely on sophomore running back Dan Hottowe to run the show.

The Lions began the season with a remarkable six shutouts, including a week 6, 6-0 shutout of then Baltimore County power Randallstown.

In addition to a 42-0 pasting of Cardinal Gibbons, and Randallstown, the Lions held Andover, Overlea, Atholton, and Aberdeen, all scoreless.

Coach Bill Caudill’s troops would finish their season wiping out Edgewood, Wilde Lake, Glenelg and Mt Hebron by a count of 153-22, collectively.

The Lions were a year away from the MPSSAA, but did earn a berth in the District V Class B title game, a year after being passed up for one of the two berths despite going 10-0, based on the points system.

This is what led Coach Caudill to look for bigger pastures, and he finally did a year later, after winning the state title, landing at WT Woodson in Virginia.

The Lions had two factors working against them before the MPSSAA was established. One, their county opponents were all in Class B, the smallest of the four classifications, equaling to less bonus points, and two, the Lions were just Class A, meaning little reward to any potential opponents, while posing a huge risk, as the early 70’s Lions teams were dominant.

The Lions went on to post their 8th shutout of the season in the district title game, blanking North Harford, 14-0, to win their 24th straight game.

The ‘73 Lions outscored their opponents, 284-22, allowing one first half touchdown in 11 games.

All this after losing their starting quarterback Swope just before the season began to injury.

Linebacker Dave Fadrowski was named to the All-State 1st team, before playing at the University of Kentucky, then the Oakland Raiders. Fadrowski was part of a Kentucky team that beat Penn State, LSU and Georgia, and were featured in Sports Illustrated after sprinting to 8-1.

Kicker Jim Fink joined Fadrowski on the All-State 1st team, after nailing all 43 extra points attempts, and 7 of 8 field goals. Fink hit 54 straight extra points, dating back to ‘73, still a county record. Fink is still considered the greatest kicker in county history.

The versatile Hattie was named to the All-Met Honorable Mention team as a sophomore. Wayne Wilson, the future NFL vet, was a huge piece, as a junior. Shawn Carter and Craig Harrington were key players, as well.

Robert Kelly finished with 1,000 yards rushing, while Mike Gowl and Elbert Robinson bolstered the Lions formidable backfield. Kevin Carter and linebacker Dave Sayers were also key contributors for the district champions.

The Lions would go on to extend their winning streak to 36 games the following year, winning the state title, and to a state-record 47 games, in ‘75, before losing in the state championship to Paint Branch, who they had beaten in the state title game in ‘74. The ‘73 Lions defense allowed just 2 touchdowns all season.



🎖 - District Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

7 ‘12 River Hill Hawks (14-0, 10-0) - Coach Brian Van Deusen 🏆🏅 >>> Four years after defending their first state title, the Hawks were defending their third, all while becoming the highest scoring team in Howard County history, averaging 42.9 points per game, and becoming the only team in county history to score 600 points in a season.

Coach Brian Van Deusen’s Hawks won their 4th state title in 6 years, finishing ranked #2 in the Baltimore Sun, #4 in the Washington Post, and #4 in the Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, #2 among Maryland public schools.

The Hawks +33.0 point differential ranks 5th all-time in county history. The ‘12 Hawks eclipsed the ‘08 Hawks (41.7-584) county records in both single-season points-per-game average, and total points scored in a season. The ‘14 Oakland Mills Scorpions (42.5) made a run at the Hawks point-per-game average two years later, but fell .4 short.

Though the ‘12 Hawks didn’t possess the stifling defense that their ‘07 and ‘08 cohorts did, they dominated, just as well. The ‘12 Hawks finished 8 of their 10 league games with a running clock. The ‘12 Hawks trounced 9 of their 10 league opponents by 26 or more points.

The ‘12 Hawks not only clinched the 8th county title in 9 years for Coach Van Deusen and his program, but also the 8th regional title in 9 years for the Clarksville school.

The Hawks began their scoring barrage with a 52-16 rout of Long Reach In week 1, then went to Oakland Mills and shut out the Scorpions, 49-0. Coach Van Deusen’s charges followed up with another shutout, blanking Centennial, 56-0. The Hawks matched a program record by scoring 35 points in one quarter.

Hammond loomed In week 4, a year after the Bears handed the Hawks their second of two losses that season, before the two-time state champs made it the three-time state champs.

In this one, the Bears did score 28 points in a 54-28 loss, but the Hawks had scored 40 points by halftime, and reached 54 in the third quarter.

Next up was Glenelg, who had battled the Hawks in each of the two previous seasons, with the Gladiators losing 21-20 in overtime in ‘11, and 14-7 in ‘10. This one proved to be a battle through three quarters, and the Gladiators opened up with a 6-0 lead, before Austin Altman hit 9 yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds to go in the first half, to go up a score.

The Hawks were 5-0, averaging 47.6 points per game, though their points allowed average of 11.6 was the program’s highest points allowed average in 7 years.

The next four games would cut that average almost in half, as the Hawks recorded shutouts in all four games, with a 37-0 shutout of playoff-bound Mt Hebron, followed by a 62-0 rout of Marriotts Ridge, then a 41-0 blanking of playoff-bound Reservoir, capped off by a 37-0 shutout of Wilde Lake In week 9.

Then, in week 10, the Hawks pummeled Howard, 55-20, scoring 42 points in the first half. Altman set a school record with 5 touchdown passes, while Evan Griffin added 3 touchdowns.

The Hawks scoring average of 47 points per game during the regular season is a county record, and its +39.3 point differential over the 10 game slate ranks only behind the ‘07 and ‘08 Hawks. This was the 6th time in 9 seasons where the Hawks finished with an undefeated regular season.

The Hawks knocked out Mt Hebron, 48-13, in the regional semifinal, to set up a regional final showdown with Atholton, who had split their last 4 meetings with the Hawks. The Vikings win put the Hawks record at 88-5 versus county opponents over 9 seasons.

The regional final was a wild one, and it would prove to be the Hawks second closest margin of the season. The game featured a Hawks run of 3 touchdowns in 6 minutes, and a Raiders flurry of 3 touchdown passes in 3 minutes. The two teams produced 836 yards of offense, between them.

The Raiders led 7-6, late in the first half, when Altman hooked up with Cody Daniels on a 6 yard score to give the Hawks a 14-7 halftime lead. The Hawks then scored 21 straight points in the second half to take a nearly insurmountable 35-7 lead, midway through the fourth quarter. That’s when the Raiders Luke Casey went to work. With the aid of a fumble recovery and an onside kick recovery, Casey threw 3 touchdown passes in 3:08 to cut the lead to one score, with another shot at an onside kick, but were denied.

The Hawks Justin Arn rushed for 150 yards and added 87 receiving yards. Altman finished 10-13 for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Casey, for his part, threw for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rushing for 95 yards in the second half alone.

The Hawks faced the Urbana Hawks, who had dispatched Seneca Valley and Damascus in the regionals, in the state semifinal. With River Hill leading 7-0, Urbana evened things at 7, before another touchdown and safety gave River Hill a 16-7 halftime lead, on their way to a 29-7 win. Griffin had a school-record three interceptions in the second half, while Justin Nestor added 3 tackles for loss, and a safety.

The victory put the Hawks in their fifth state title game in seven years, and give them a chance to exact revenge on the Huntingtown Hurricanes, who foiled their bid for a three-peat in ‘09, following a heart-breaking 10-7 loss in the state semifinal.

This one would be a battle, too. The Canes held a 14-6, before Arn’s 10 yard run midway through the third quarter, to cut the deficit to 14-12, where it remained after the Hawks second failed extra-point(s) conversion.

Arn would bust out for a 20 yard sprint to the end zone to give the Hawks their first lead of the game, 18-14, with 8:13 to play. The Canes had one shot left, with the ball on their own 29 yard line, with 1:07 left on the clock. The Canes made a valiant effort, but their hopes died when Griffin made his fourth second half interception in two weeks, clinching the Hawks their fourth state title in six years.

Altman was named as the Howard County Offensive Player of the Year, setting a Howard County record with 27 touchdown passes, adding 2,397 passing yards, fourth most in county history. Griffin was named to the Baltimore Sun’s All-Met 1st team as a defensive back, with his 4 post-season interceptions, while adding 1,022 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Arn joined seven Hawks on the All-County 1st team, rushing for 1,060 yards and 16 touchdowns, with 15 receptions for 488 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging a mind-boggling 32.1 yards per catch. Daniel was named as the All-County 1st team Tight End, while Nick Ball joined his teammates on the All-County team, with 37 receptions for 678 yards, and a Hawks record 9 touchdown receptions.

Logan Kirby was named All-County 1st team linebacker, registering 96 tackles, including 21 tackles for loss. Two-way lineman was named to the top offensive team, but could have been named on defense, too, recording 76 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks. Stephen Osung, one of the handful of do-everything Hawks, finished with 85 tackles, 697 rushing yards, 212 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. Cornerback Noah Carter made 9 Hawks selected to the All-County 1st team, with 3 interceptions.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

6 ‘97 Wilde Lake Wildecats (13-0, 9-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏆🏅 - Coach Doug DuVall celebrated his silver anniversary at Wilde Lake by winning his 5th state championship, led by a dominant defense, reminiscent of its three-peat teams in ‘90, ‘91, and ‘92.

The Cats won their 13th county title, 10th in 14 years.

The Cats defense allowed just 6 points in their three playoff games, one score, while their 3.5 points allowed mark for the season ranks 5th all-time in county history, and 3rd best since 1975, behind only ‘07 River Hill and ‘90 Wilde Lake.

The Wildecats opened up with a 34-6 rout of Franklin, after leading 34-0 after three quarters. Brandon Finney rushed for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns, on just 7 carries. The Cats followed that up with a week 2 shutout of cross-town rival Oakland Mills, 35-0. Finney rushed for 114 yards.

In week 3, the Cats topped playoff bound Long Reach, 35-13, running away from the Lightning after holding just a one score lead, 14-7, midway through the third quarter. Quentin Collins took a 60 yard reverse to the house to give the Cats a 22-7 lead, and they never looked back.

This was Coach DuVall’s 200th career victory, the first Coach in the county to reach that mark, and still the only to do so.

The Wildecats shutout Mt Hebron, 39-0, then handled Glenelg, 42-14, before the defense dominated like few others over the last 8 weeks, with 6 shutouts, and allowed only 12 points overall.

The Cats began with a 47-0 shutout of River Hill, followed by a 33-6 victory over Centennial, before closing out the regular season with three shutouts.

‘The Lake’ blanked Atholton, 35-0, before blasting Howard, 40-0, then recorded their sixth shutout of the regular seaso with a 35-0 win over Hammond.

No team came within 21 points of the Cats in the regular season, and the four-time state champs posted a +31.5point differential over the ten game slate.

Coach DuVall clinched his 10th playoff appearance in 13 years, dating back to its first post-season berth in 1985, when the Cats captured the Class B championship.

The Wildecats faced Milford Mill in the state quarterfinals, and the undefeated Howard County champions scored on their third play from scrimmage, when Derek Bell hit Derrick Jordan on a 78 yard pass play. The Cats defense allowed their first score in 14 quarters, but the Millers missed the extra point. Cats linebacker Luke Vanderwagen registered a safety with 1:15 to play, and the Wildecats held on, 9-6, to move onto the state semifinal.

Friendly would loom in the semifinals, and the two would battle in a game dominated by both of the defensive units. Lama Tyson’s 29 yard field goal midway through the second quarter turned out to the game-winner, and the only points scored in the game. Tyson’s field goal would be his only one of the year.

The Wildecats drove inside the Pats 15 yard line twice in the first without scoring. The Patriots turned the ball over four times, the last, a interception by Quentin Collins, which sealed the deal for the Cats fifth state championship in 13 seasons.

‘The Lake’ would face 11-1 Frederick County power Thomas Johnson in the state championship, coached by the legendary Ben Wright. Wright’s Patriots were making their fifth straight playoff appearance and averaging 35.6 points per game.

The Cats would engage in a defensive tug-of-war, and Cats Defensive Coordinator Mike Harrison’s unit came up huge again. This was the third and final playoff game for the Cats, and would be the third straight where the Cats would score less than 10 points and win.

The game remained scoreless through three-and-a-half quarters, until some Cats trickery put them in position to score. At their own 20, Derek Bell hit Derrick Jordan on a 10 yard pass, who pitched it to Finney, who then raced to the Patriots 8 yard line.

Following a penalty, Finney connected with Jordan on a 16 yard touchdown pass that would turn out to be the only score of the game, thereby the game-winner in the state title game.

Just before the hook-and-ladder, the Patriots went 69 yards on 8 plays and faced a 3rd-and-two, but couldn’t convert, and failed on a 30 yard field goal attempt. Following the Cats score, the Patriots drove 59 yards on 8 plays, facing 4th-and-1 inside the 10 yard line when Luke Vanderwagen disrupted a potential score, and the Cats held on for a 7-0 win.

This was the 5th state title for Coach DuVall, the first 3A state championship in school history, and the first 3A title in county history. DuVall became just the third coach in MPSSAA history to win 5 state championships, joining Bob Milloy and Al Thomas.

The ‘97 Wildecats posted 8 shutouts, tied for a county record. The Cats finished ranked 6th in the Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, 5th among public schools.

Bayron was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the Washington Post All-Met 2nd team, recording 97 tackles, and two interceptions, both for touchdowns. Bayron added 1,055 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Vanderwagen was named to the Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention team, finishing with 92 tackles, 17 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 31 tackles for loss.

Collins was also named to the All-County 1st team, with 3 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. Duane Kerr added 99 tackles and 15 sacks. Finney did a bit of everything for the Cats, including grabbing 5 interceptions, and averaged 27.4 on 10 punt returns, scoring twice. Bell threw 27 completions in 49 attempts, for a remarkable 775 yards and 11 touchdowns. Lineman Garth Hendrick and Tyler Fisher joined their teammates above on the All-County 1st team.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

5 ‘91 Wilde Lake Wildecats (13-0, 7-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏆🏅 >>> The ‘91 Cats were following a state championship team in 1990, and looking to become just the sixth team to repeat as state champions in the MPSSAA. The Cats lost much of their ‘90 team, but did bring enough talent back to be considered a state contender in ‘91.

The Wildecats backbone would be their defensive unit, as usual. Together with a potent offense led by returning quarterback Phil White and running back Damon Hamlin, this team, with huge expectations, had the ingredients to meet those and repeat as state champions.

The Cats lost Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, Raphael Wall (Maryland), Ricky Rowe (Penn State), the Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, and Joey Guyton (Delaware), among others.

But they did return Brent Guyton, one of the top recruits in the state, lineman Tony Farace, who was named to the All-County 1st team as a junior, lineman James Easterly, and quarterback Phil White, among a talented cast.

DuVall would win his 9th county title in 12 years, and go on to win his 4th regional title in 7 years.

The Cats began the season with a 20-12 victory over South Carroll, followed by a shutout of Dundalk, 27-0, after taking a 20-0 halftime lead. In week 3, the Cats got past Southern of Anne Arundel, 27-15, after trailing by 3 points at intermission, as Hamlin scored three touchdowns.

To begin the county slate, the Wildecats faced arch rival Oakland Mills, a defending regional champion. The Cats handled the Scorpions, 21-0, with their defense leading the way, limiting their cross-town rival to -10 yards of total offense, forcing 5 turnovers.

The Cats led 7-0 at halftime, before Easterly recovered a Gregg Washington fumble in the end zone to take a two score lead in the third quarter. Easterly would force a fumble in the fourth, recovered by ‘The Lake at the Scorpions 4 yard line, followed by a 4 yard touchdown run by White.

In week 5, the defending state champions took on undefeated Howard, in what would turn out to be a slobber knocker, before the Cats pulled out a 10-0 win. George Bradford nailed a 38 yard field goal to give the Wildecats a 3-0 lead in the second quarter. White connected with Steve Alleyne on a 62 yard touchdown pass to give the Wildecats a 10-0,l lead, where the score would stay.

The Wildecats followed the Lions victory with two shutouts - a 42-0 win over Centennial, and a 28-0 victory over Hammond, to push them to 7-0.

Atholton would be the first team to score on the Cats in five weeks, but were defeated, 34-13. The Cats added their sixth and seventh shutouts of the season in weeks 9 and 10, trouncing Mt Hebron, 44-0, and pummeling Glenelg, 52-0.

The Cats won their fourth straight county title, and 7th in 8 years.

The Wildecats faced Easton in the 1A state quarterfinal. The Warriors were the first 1A opponent the Cats had faced all season, with five 3A opponents, and five 2A opponents making up their 10 game regular season slate.

The Cats dominated the 6-4 Warriors, trouncing the Eastern Shore opponents, 43-7, after taking a 43-0 lead and following a late Warriors touchdown. The Cats Andre Martin rushed for 126 yards, including a 71 yard score, while Hamlin gained 86 yards on the ground, scoring three touchdowns, leading a ground attack that gained 243 yards.

‘The Lake’ faced Milford Mill in the state semifinal, whose coach Bob Greene provided the two-time state champs compelling bulletin board material, stating shortly after the Millers 8-7 quarterfinal win over Perryville, “I have no doubt we can beat Wilde Lake. If they play that same defense, it’ll be hard to cover us. They have some big boys, but they’re not aggressive. That little team [Perryville] hit harder than them.”

That pronouncement would prove to be just as ludicrous after the game, as it did before it.

The Cats pummeled the Millers, 42-0, recording their 8th shutout of the year. The Wildecats defense, with nothing to prove to anyone, including the first-year coach for the Millers, limited Greene’s troops to 86 yards of total offense, while controlling field position throughout the state semifinal.

Seven of the Wildecats 12 possessions began inside the Millers 29 yard line. Meanwhile, the Millers began 8 of their 12 drives inside their own 20 yard line. Hamlin rushed for 86 yards and scored three touchdowns for the second time in two weeks, while Martin added 72 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns. Tony Farace recorded a safety, for good measure.

The Wildecats took on Carrol Reid’s Smithsburg Leopards, four-time state champions. The Cats led 7-3, midway through the fourth quarter in the defensive dominated game when the Leopards took the ball from Hamlin’s hands and sprinted 80 yards to give the four-time champs a 10-7 lead with 6:22 to play.

Following a Wilde Lake punt, the Leopards were forced to punt, and the Cats found great field position with the return and ensuing penalty that gave them the ball at Smithsburg’s 33 yard line. Hamlin redeemed his uncharacteristic mishap with a game-winning touchdown with 1:01 to go, and the Cats held on for a 13-10 victory, capping off back-to-back state titles, winning the 2A title in ‘90, and the 1A crown in ‘91.

The Cats finished #1 overall in the Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, the first, and only one of two Howard County teams to finish in the top spot in the poll that was created in 1990. Eight Wildecats were named to a All-Met team.

Brent Guyton (UCLA) was named both the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post’s Defensive Player of the Year, after registering 162 tackles, 4 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, and 3 sacks. Hamlin (Rutgers) was named to the All-Met 2nd team after rushing for 1,496 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns, 8 in the post-season.

Martin (Maryland) was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 1st team as a defensive back, while lineman Easterly (Georgia Tech) was named to both the Sun and Post’s All-Met Teams. Farace, the Cats valuable two-way lineman, made the Sun’s All-Met 1st team, recording 15 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks. George Bradford made the All-Met Honorable Mention team after leading the county in interceptions, with 8.

Joining that half dozen with All-Met honors were the quarterback White, and two-way lineman Blaze Connally-Dugan, both with Honorable Mention honors. Cedric Benning, a key cog for the Cats, made the All-County 1st team, and Lee Cotter (Johns Hopkins) fortified the Cats dominating line play.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

4 ‘90 Wilde Lake Wildecats (13-0, 7-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏆🏅 >>> The 1990 Wildecats are arguably the greatest of Wilde Lake’s six championship teams, and though they are #4 here, present an argument as Howard County’s greatest team with the greatest season of all-time, as well.

This was the first of the Cats three-peat trilogy that began the 90’s, and Coach DuVall’s second state title, following their first in ‘85. Punctuated with a state final win over one of the most legendary programs in Maryland high school football history, the Swarmin’ Hornets of Damascus.

A year earlier, the Cats had gone through their county slate unblemished, then shutout Aberdeen in the quarterfinals, 28-0, only to have a plethora of miscues derail their state title hopes, falling to the Swarmin’ Hornets in the semifinals, 20-12.

The 1990 Wildecats were built for this, as the majority of key Cats returned from their 10-win ‘89 team, while several others emerged.

Among the returners were running back Rafael Wall, who rushed for 1,536 yards as a junior, at 9.4 yards per carry. Ricky Rowe returned as well, the highly recruited defensive stalwart. Quarterback Phil White returned, as did his favorite target, Oba McMillian. Ben Casella and Darius Walters were back, as were the Guyton brothers, Joey and Brent. It was a great year to be alive for Cats fans.

The Wildecats began their ‘90 campaign with a 48-2 dismantling of Havre de Grace, and all systems were go. Wall rushed for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 10 carries.

The following week, the Cats faced Perry Hall, ranked #7 in the Baltimore Sun, and a Gators program that had given them their only regular season loss of the ‘89 season. This would be different, as the Wildecats scored 21 unanswered second-half points, breaking up a 7-7 halftime tie. Wall rushed for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns on another 10 carries.

In two games, Wall had carried the ball 20 times for 368 yards and 7 touchdowns. Ridiculous? Yes. Both 7 scores on 20 carries and 18.4 yards per carry. The 1990 rushing race between he and Oakland Mills workhorse Korey Singleton would be one for the ages.

The Cats would follow the Perry Hall win with a 34-0 shutout of Southern of Anne Arundel County, a Bulldogs program that would push the undefeated state champ Cats in a 7 point loss a year later, and hand the Cats their only loss in their state championship year of ‘92.

Wilde Lake started league play with a 34-7 rout of a talented Hammond team, followed by a pair of shutout performances - 36-0 v Mt Hebron, and 35-0 v Centennial.

Week 7 brought the Atholton Raiders, a program that had finished among the top 3 in the league for five straight seasons. Mattered little. The Cats destroyed the Raiders, 50-8, to move to 7-0.

Coach DuVall’s troops trounced Glenelg 33-6 in week 8, then shutout Howard, 42-0, setting up what was expected to be a game for the ages, matching a pair of 9-0 state title contenders, the Cats in 2A, and their arch rival, Oakland Mills, in 1A.

The stage was set, or so it was thought. The undefeated Wildecats and the undefeated Scorpions. Week 10. Like ol’ times sake. The #1 leading rusher in the state, Singleton, the only county runner to average more than 200 rushing yards per game, versus the eventual Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, Wall, being recruited by the likes of Notre Dame.

Then, a downpour. In the game, literally, and figuratively on the Scorpions running game and title hopes. Singleton, who was injured in the Scorpions week 9 64-12 win over Glenelg, was declared a no-go as running back, as was his backup Eric Graham, who was also put on the shelf. Gone were 276.4 rushing yards per game.

Still, the Scorpions weren’t going to get rolled over. Until they did. Without Singleton and Graham, the Scorpions could generate nothing offensively, and the Wildecats special teams and defense led them to a 18-0 shutout over their cross-town rivals, winning their third straight county championship, and completing their first 10-0 regular season in school history.

Amidst a downpour, the Cats opened the scoring following a Joey Guyton 35 yard punt return that put the ball at the Scorps 10 yard line, and two plays later, Wall scored his 25th touchdown of the season. Then, with 54 seconds left in the half, down 6-0, the Scorpions were forced to punt from their 13 yard line, before Tony Farace blocked the punt, and the ball bounced out of the end zone for a safety.

With momentum on its side, the Cats took a 6 point dogfight to a 15 point lead in less than a minute. Following the safety, junior Damon Hamlin, the Cats other star back, returned the ensuing kickoff to the Scorpions 45 yard line. Two Phil White passes later, the Cats held a 15-0 halftime lead, and went on to an eventual 18-0 win.

“We’ve been 9-1 six times, we’ve been trying to go 10-0 for 18 years. This is great,” Coach Doug DuVall told The Sun. “There’s not much we could do without number 22, said DuVall’s counterpart, Scorpions Coach Ken Hovet. The Scorpions quarterback Joe Coughlan was sacked four times, and the ‘Orange & Black’ managed just 17 yards offensively. The Cats too had problems offensively. Outside of the two throws from White in the final minute of the first half, the Wildecats managed just 58 yards offensively, with Wall limited to 42 yards.

It was off to the quarterfinals, where the Wildecats annihilated Chesapeake of Baltimore County, 43-6, producing 417 yards of offense. Wall scored three times, Hamlin once, as the pair rushed for 298 yards on 24 carries on a muddy track.

Douglass of PG loomed in the state semifinals, and the Wildecats would survive their toughest test of the season, getting outgained 205-104, but emerging with a hard-fought 14-12 victory over the Eagles. The Eagles struck on their first possession of the game, completing a 62 yard drive with a 2 yard Charles Tucker score to hand the Cats their first deficit of the year, 6-0, but the Howard County champs took a 7-6 lead just before halftime on a 4 yard by White two minutes before intermission.

With 7 minutes to go, and facing a 4th down on their own 22, the Eagles attempted a ill-advised fake punt that was stopped at their 24. Four plays later, Wall scored his 29th touchdown of the season, to give the Cats a 14-6 lead. Then, the fireworks began for the Eagles, as they capped off a 5 minute, 73 yard drive with a score with :27 to play, setting up an all important two-point conversion attempt.

And for ‘The Lake’s’ good sake, the Eagles were penalized after one of their players threw a punch, penalizing the Birds 15 yards, forcing them 18 yards from the end zone, and essentially a 4th-and-goal from the 18 for their two-point attempt. No dice, as Brent Guyton stopped the Eagles ‘sweep’ and dragged down Dan Fant for a 2 yard loss. On to the finals, barely or not.

The Swarmin’ Hornets were awaiting, again. The state title game was a slobber-knocker, one that would see each team score just once in regulation. Midway through the second quarter, Hamlin finished off a 53 yard scoring drive with a 15 yard touchdown, for a 7-0 lead for the Cats, and the only score between the two juggernauts before intermission.

The Swarmin Hornets would counter with a 12 play, 89 yard scoring drive that would begin at the end of the third quarter, and end with a 1 yard touchdown plunge from quarterback Matt Byrne, to even it up at 7. in the fourth. Neither team would score again in regulation, sending the title game to overtime. The Swarmin’ Hornets had first possession in the extra session, before Walters broke up a handoff exchange and Casella fell on the fumble. Three plays later, Wall took a ‘25-lead’ on third down in from four yards out to clinch the state title, and give Coach DuVall and his Cats their second state championship in the program’s history.

The Wildecats finished #3 in the Maryland Football Writers Medial Poll, #2 among publics, just behind undefeated 4A champ Randallstown. The Cats 4.3 points allowed ranks tied for 5th best in county history, while their +28.6 point differential ranks 9th, and their 32.9 points per game ranks tied for 18th best. This would be the first of the Cats three-peat run.

Wall would be named Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, and be acknowledged as the state’s all-time leading rusher when he finished his career, which spanned 4 years and 40 starts, with 5,095 yards. Rowe would be named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, and was selected to the Sun’s All-Met 1st team, after registering 138 tackles, 8 sacks, and 6 interceptions. Wall would head to College Park, Rowe to Happy Valley.

Joining Wall and Rowe on the All-Met 1st team was the standout lineman Walters. Oba McMillian and Joey Guyton would be named to the All-Met 2nd team, with the former catching 8 touchdowns and posting a 25.1 yard per catch average, and the latter recording 83 tackles and 5 interceptions. Juniors Hamlin and lineman Tony Farace were adorned with All-County honors, as was lineman Len Cotter. Casella, and juniors White and Brent Guyton, all received post-season accolades.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion


[Re ‘90 WL/OM - 6 degrees of separation. The Scorpions QB Joe Coughlan is my youngest brother, Rafael Wall was my former next-door neighbor for 4 years before moving to Wilde Lake, and my great friend Coach Hovet was my housemate from ‘87-89. That November day was a bit long for this Scorpion. Joe did get a state title earlier that Spring with the Scorpions on the hardwoods, and was a knee (Korey’s) away from a hardwood-gridiron sweep in 1990. The baby bro’ did earn All-County 1st team honors as a pitcher, the following Spring. Wall, for his part, averaged 39.4 yards per carry (across his lawn and mine) and scored 58 touchdowns in our backyard pee-wee division in ‘81. ‘Hoagie’, what can I say, I loved the guy. RIP]

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

3 ‘74 Howard Lions (12-0, 5-0) - Coach Bill Caudill 🏆🏅 >>> The ‘74 Howard Lions would become the standard bearer of excellence and success for Howard County football, one of which every champion that followed would be measured. A state title team that dominated in every phase of the game.

The Lions of the early 70’s were a dynasty, a dynasty that would go on to set a state record for consecutive wins, and the ‘74 Lions were the best of lot.

Coach Bill Caudill’s Lions were so successful, that he found few suitors that would would play his teams. For one, they were a Class B (now 2A) team, and the more successful larger schools found the risk overweighed the reward. Bonus points were fewer, and the risk of a loss was very real, as talented and sound the Lions had become.

The ‘74 Lions carried an overall 24 game win streak into the season, where its last loss was week 7 in 1971. In ‘72, the Lions went 10-0, but were denied a berth in the then District III title game, as they finished third, behind Randallstown and Westminster, based on the very point system Caudill and his troops had to battle against.

The ‘73 Lions rolled through their regular season unbeaten for a second year in a row, earned a post-season berth, then posted their 8th shutout of the season in a 14-0 victory over North Harford in the district title game. The ‘73 Lions allowed just 3 touchdowns all season, allowing 2.0 points per game.

The ‘74 Lions did lose a pair of All-State selections from their ‘73 team to graduation, linebacker Dave Fadrowski and kicker Jim Fink, but returned 18 starters from their ‘73 team, a cast that carried huge expectations with them into the MPSSAA’s inaugural season.

Scott Swope, considered one of the best quarterbacks in the area, was back, after missing the ‘73 season due to injury. All-everything Dan Hottowe, who replaced Swope in ‘73, returned as well, and shifted back to his wingback position. Splitting carries with Hottowe were two very talented backs, senior Wayne Wilson, who would go on to have a 9-year career in the NFL, and junior John Overbey, who may have been the most talented of the three. To add, 10 players that had started on defense at one time or another in ‘73 returned on defense, a defense that registered 8 shutouts in 11 games.

The Lions began the ‘74 season with a 35-0 shutout of Southern of Baltimore, their 9th in 12 games, holding the Bulldogs to 2 yards net rushing. Hottowe rushed for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries. The Lions followed with a 40-point shutout of the MSA’s Cardinal Gibbons, followed by a 47-2 thumping of Catonsville, the 11th time the defense hadn’t allowed a score in 14 games. The Lions held Catonsville to -27 net rushing yards. The Lions routed one-time power Edgewood, 42-9, setting up a week 5 showdown with 4-0 Aberdeen.

The Lions defense dominated the Eagles, holding their opponent to 21 yards of offense, helping deliver a 28-0 shutout. The Lions clobbered Oakland Mills, playing in its first season, 46-0, with Wilson rushing for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 6 carries, while Hattowe and Overbey added 94 and 93 rushing yards, respectively.

The Lions were at 7-0 when they faced their first legitimate test of the season in week 8, in what would turn out to be their toughest game of the season, and the only game where they faced a deficit. That test was Wilde Lake, a program in just its third year, but one that Coach Doug DuVall had at 7-0, too, and ranked #6 in the Baltimore Sun.

The stage was set, and this stage still stands as the largest stage to ever host a Howard County sporting event, as an estimated 5,500 (including this 8 year old) witnessed one of the most noteworthy games in the history of the county.

The Lions winning streak of 31 games were on the line, as well as a playoff berth in the very first MPSSAA playoffs, where one team in each region of the four classifications would receive a berth. The Wildecats entered averaging 34 points and 375 yards of offense per game, while the Lions were averaging 41 points and 336 yards of offense per contest.

The Cats started the fireworks before many of the 5,500 had either settled or arrived, as the Wildecats All-Met quarterback Tony Tsonis hit Michael Burgess on a 83 yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage, handing the Lions their first deficit of the season, 6-0. The Lions struck back on their second possession, when Wilson scored on a 2 yard touchdown, and with Hottowe’s point-after, took a 7-6 lead.

In the second quarter, kicker-lineman Chuck Johnston blasted a 36 yard field goal that would be the only scoring in the second stanza, as the Cats took a 9-7 edge into intermission, the first time the Lions had faced a halftime deficit in three years.

Early in the third, Hottowe kicked a 26 yard field goal through the uprights to give the hosts a one point lead, 10-9, before the now settled thousands in the stands and on the grounds.

After punting, and on the ensuing Lions drive, the Cats took momentum back, when Bruce Williams intercepted Swope at the Lions 38 yard line, and following a penalty on the play, had the ball on Howard’s 23 yard line. After a 7 yard completion, on 2nd down, the Cats appeared to re-take the lead when Tsonis found a wide open Burgess in the end zone, but the All-Met uncharacteristically mishandled the ball.

One penalty and one play later, Johnston lined up for a potential game-leading 48 yard field goal attempt, before the Lions blocked the kick, and had the ball on their 20 yard line. The Lions went 35 yards on 6 plays, before Swope hooked up with Craig Harrington on a 45 yard scoring pass to give the home team a 17-9 lead, where the score would stay.

The Lions defense limited the Cats to just 3 points following their opening play theatrics, and kept Tsonis, to 10-34 passing for 105 yards, outside the strike to Burgess. Wilson rushed for 112 yards and a score on 20 carries, while Overbey rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries.

The Lions closed out the regular season with a pair of shutouts, finishing their third straight 10-0 regular season, and a 34 game win streak. The Lions posted 7 shutouts in their 10 regular season games, and another where the defense didn’t allow a point in the 47-2 rout of Catonsville.

The Lions dominance continued in the state semifinal, as they smashed Cambridge-South Dorchester, 40-0, registering their 16th shutout in 22 games, dating back to the 1973 opener, and 18th in 22 games that the defense did not allow a touchdown. Overbey rushed for three touchdowns.

The Lions earned a state title berth, the first of its kind, taking on 10-1 Paint Branch, at Paint Branch (pre-College Park), coached by former University of Maryland Head Coach Ray Lester, who was fired as the Terrapins head four years earlier.

The Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the Panthers, as the Lions capitalized on a Panthers fumble, recovered by Bill Rosser at their opponents 31 yard line. Seven plays later, Wilson scored on a 11 yard touchdown run. Overbey added another score, before the Panthers got on the board in the second wuarter, following a 16 play, 80 yard drive to cut the lead to 14-6, where it would stay into intermission.

In the third, the Lions took control, when Swope threw his 16th touchdown of the season when he hit Leslie McNutt on a 20 yard score, then followed that on their next drive with a 31 yard Swope-to-Hottowe pass that set up an Overbey touchdown to move the lead to 27-6 after three quarters. Swope would hit Harrington on a 46 yard touchdown pass to make it, 33-6, early in the fourth quarter, and make the outcome all but academic.

Swope would connect with Harrington for another score, his third of the day, and county-record 18th of the season. Swope threw 7-10 for 164 yards, while Overbey and aHarrington each added a pair scores in the 40-14 rout on the Panthers home field.

The Lions finished #2 in the Sun, behind nationally renowned Poly, and outscored it’s opponents 488-34 in their 12 games. The Lions 40.7 points per game ranks 4th all-time in county history, while its 2.8 points allowed per game ranks 3rd all-time, and its +37.8 point differential ranks 2nd, one-tenth of a point short of the ‘07 River Hill Hawks.

Hottowe was selected to the Baltimore Sun’s All-Met 1st team, leading the area in scoring with 152 points, including 15 touchdowns, 47 extra points, and 5 field goals. Caudill called him, “the most talented football player I ever coached”. McNutt was also selected to the All-Met 1st team as a defensive back, while adding 33 yards per catch on 11 receptions. Linebacker Pat Cavanaugh was selected to the 2nd team, as was the two-way star Harrington, who was selected at defensive end.

Swope finished with 18 touchdowns, averaging 22.6 yards per completion. Wilson would go on to Shepard, before a 9-year NFL career, playing for the Saints, Redskins and Vikings, including rushing for 965 yards and 11 touchdowns with New Orleans in 1983. Overbey would lead the Lions to the state title game in 1975, with a 1,000 yard season. Rosser joined McNutt, Harrington and Cavanaugh on the Lions dominating defense, as did defensive backs Shawn Carter and Moochie Chambers.

Caudill would take a job at WT Woodson VA the following year, finishing with a 60-21-2 record in his 8 years at Howard, winning 43 of his last 44 games, including a state record 36 game win streak. The Lions streak would end the following year in the Class B title game rematch at 47 games, as the Panthers punished the Lions, 28-3. Like the Lions, who returned 18 starters in ‘74, the Panthers returned 19 starters in ‘75.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion

[BSLWillieSeanCoughlan]

2 ‘07 River Hill Hawks (14-0, 10-0) - Coach Brian Van Deusen 🏆🏅 >>> The ‘07 Hawks, like the ‘74 Howard Lions and ‘90 Wilde Lake Wildecats, could make a strong argument as to being the best high school football team in county history, with a resume to back it up. In many measurables, no one dominated like the ‘07 Hawks.

By the Fall of 2007, coach Brian Van Deusen’s Hawks program had legitimized itself as the top team in the county at the time, as well as a state championship contender, finishing as 2A runner-up in ‘06, losing to the Joe Haden-led Friendly Patriots in the state title game.

The progression of the program was clear, after a 10-0 regular season in ‘04, only to lose in the newly minted regional semifinal, 36-26, to Douglass PG, after two late touchdowns from the Eagles. Following the Hawks first 10-0 season, the Hawks took the next step, winning their first post-season game in school history, avenging a 15-14 loss to Long Reach in the regular season, with a 21-13 regional semifinal victory, moving on to the regional final.

The next step was taken the following week, with a 34-28 regional title win over Severna Park, pushing the Hawks to the state semifinal, where they fell to Gwynn Park, 30-21, after holding a 12 point lead.

The 2006 Hawks would take the third step. The Hawks notched their second 10-0 regular season in three years, with a point differential of +37.4 over its last five games. The Hawks trounced Severna Park in the regional final this time, 48-10, before demolishing Franklin in the state semifinal, 56-7, to reach their first state title game, and having the fate of facing a talent like Haden and his Patriots.

This 2007 squad returned a good amount of key contributors from the ‘06 team, including a handful of rising juniors that many felt had the Hawks one year away from a state title. In addition to the juniors, the Hawks Zach Martin returned, looking to put an exclamation point on his illustrious career.

The Hawks came into the season having won 28 of its last 29 games versus county competition, with the aforementioned 1-point loss to Long Reach in ‘05 - rectified three weeks later in the regional semifinal - as its only blemish, and a 34-4 overall record over the last three seasons.

Martin had earned All-State honors as a junior, and was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year in ‘06, after registering 154 tackles, 18 for loss, while rushing for 1,598 yards and scoring 25 touchdowns. Rising junior Mike Campanaro led the talented quartet of his junior class - Malek Redd, Leron Eaddy and Sean Hull, after rushing for 1,044 yards, with 26 receptions for 601 yards, and scoring 18 touchdowns as a sophomore.

The prospects for ‘08 looked outstanding, with the Hawks version of the ‘Four Horseman’ set to return, but this was ‘07, and a leader like Martin was there to remind anyone and everyone that the ‘07 Hawks were ready for the next step now, and that ‘08 could wait.

The Hawks began ‘07 running roughshod on Mt Hebron, shutting out the Vikings, 48-0, rushing for 491 yards and 7 touchdowns on just 25 carries, averaging 19.6 yards per carry. Campanaro rushed for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns on 8 carries, Redd rushed for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 5 carries, and Martin added 135 yards on the ground and a score on 12 carries.

The Hawks followed with a 44-0 shutout of Centennial, with Campanaro scoring 3 touchdowns, including a program record-setting 87 yard punt return for a score. In week 3, the Hawks made it three shutouts in three games with a 35-0 win over Glenelg. Campanaro ran for two scores, caught one, and threw for one, while Martin added 135 rushing yards on 11 carries, adding 16 tackles (12 solo), with a sack.

Hammond would be the fourth shutout victim in a row, as the Hawks demoralized Hammond, 57-0, as Campanaro rushed for 205 yards on 15 carries, and scored 5 touchdowns - 3 rushing, 1 receiving, 1 punt return. Finally, in week 5, someone scored a point on River Hill, but not before the Hawks took a 18-0 halftime lead over Wilde Lake.

Redd scored the first two touchdowns, one on a blocked punt, and Campanaro (22-171-2) score the last. The Cats Jerrell Epps scored on a 4 yard run in the third quarter, before Campanaro scored again in the fourth in the 25-8 win. Wilde Lake would go on to win a 3A regional championship.

The Hawks went back to their shutout ways in week 6 and 7, clobbering Long Reach, 44-0, before throttling playoff-bound Atholton, 41-0. In the Lightning rout, Redd rushed for 125 yards and a score on just 8 carries, while Campanaro and Martin combined for 172 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. Seven weeks in, six shutouts, winning by an average margin of 42.0-1.1.

In week 8, the Hawks routed 5-2 Marriotts Ridge, 49-6, with Redd rushing for 135 yards and 3 touchdowns on 5 carries, Campanaro compiled 295 all-purpose yards, and Eaddy added 2 sacks and a touchdown. The Hawks followed with a 48-0 shutout of Reservoir, as Campanaro rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Martin added 3 touchdowns and 15 tackles.

The regular season finale saw another shutout, as the Hawks routed playoff bound Howard, 49-0, as Redd rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and Campanaro rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns.

The Hawks finished the regular season with a record 8 shutouts, while scoring 41 or more points in 8 of 10 games. The Hawks regular season point differential was 42.0-1.4.

The Hawks defense took control in the regional semifinal, posting its 9th shutout in 11 games, picking off 5 interceptions, in a 34-0 win over McDonogh. The Hawks faced another SMAC foe in the regional final, and registered their 10th shutout, with a 35-0 victory over Patuxent, as Campanaro rushed for 117 yards, and Martin, 111. This was the Hawks third straight regional crown.

Elkton would be the next victim, in the state semifinals, as Redd scored on touchdown runs of 70 and 56 yards in the first half, and finished with 163 yards on 12 carries, and Campanaro gained 95 of his 130 rushing yards after intermission in the 28-0 win. The Hawks matched the 1977 Seneca Valley Screamin’ Eagles with their 11th shutout of the season, for most in a single-season in MPSSAA history.

The Hawks looked to take that final step, and clinch a state title, but first it must get past another undefeated team, 13-0 Eastern Tech, just as it had to a year earlier with Friendly, but fell short. The Mustangs were averaging 37.7 points per game, and allowed 8 points or less in 12 of their 13 games.

The Mustangs gave the Hawks all they could handle, but fell just short of handing the Howard County champs something they couldn’t, coming up 5 yards short of possibly tying it up on the last play of the game.

After a Hawks punt, the Mustangs scored on their first drive of the game, going 87 yards on 14 plays, capped off by an 8 yard touchdown run from Travis Crane. The remainder of the half would go scoreless, as the ‘Stangs limited the Hawks to a season-low 53 first-half rushing yards, and Campanaro to 9 yards on 6 attempts.

The Hawks would even things up when Luke Hostetler hit Redd on a 68 yard scoring pass midway through the third quarter. Redd would break the tie with a 6 yard score with 4:02 to play. After a three-and-out, the Hawks received the ball with the intentions to bleed the clock out, before the Mustangs came up with a fumble recovery with 2:17 to play, giving them one more shot.

The shot went awry, after the Mustangs had moved inside the Hawks 10 yard line, leaving themselves one last play. Crane dropped back and had to scramble, and dumped it to Derryck Davis at the 5 yard line, who was wrapped up by Alex Turner, and the Hawks held on for their first state title in school history.

The ‘07 Hawks have the greatest point differential in county history, at +37.9 per game, while also posting the best points allowed per game average in county history, allowing only 1.5 points per game. The Hawks allowed three scores in 14 games. The Hawks 39.4 points per game ranks 5th best in county history. The Hawks finished #3 in the Maryland Football Writers Media Poll, 2nd among publics.

Martin finished his Hawks storied career earning All-Met 1st team honors for a second year in a row, as well as being named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Martin finished the ‘07 season rushing for 1,152 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns, while leading the county in tackles for a third year in a row, with 143 tackles, including a league-leading 21 for loss.

Martin is the county’s all-time leading tackler, with 476, and posted 3 of the top 11 single-season marks in league history, including a single-season best 169 as a sophomore in ‘05. Martin also hold the county’s all-time tackles for loss mark, with 62. Martin finished as the county’s 5th (now 12th) all-time leading rusher, with 3,156 yards, and scored 38 touchdowns in ‘06 and ‘07.

Campanaro joined Martin on the Sun’s All-Met 1st team after rushing for 1,884 yards, scoring 30 touchdowns in all, and producing 2,881 all-purpose yards. Campanaro scored 22 touchdowns on the ground, 6 through the air (13-278-6), and returned two punt returns for scores.

Redd was named to the All-Met 2nd team after rushing for 1,301 yards and 19 touchdowns, and holds the county’s single-season mark of 12.2 yards per carry. Redd scored 25 touchdowns overall in ‘07. Lineman Ryan Bounds joined Redd on the All-Met 2nd team.

Eaddy, a junior like Campanaro and Redd, was named to the All-County 1st team after recording 101 tackles, while linebacker RJ Murray and linebacker Jon Hill were also named to the All-County 1st team. Coach Van Deusen was named Coach of the Year by both the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post.

🏆 - State Champion
🥈 - State Finalist
🥉 - Regional Champion
🏅 - County Champion