Howard County HS Football Almanac

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HoCo’s Top 50 Football Teams of All-Time

45 '12 Atholton Raiders (10-2, 9-1) - Coach Kyle Schmidt >>> The '12 Atholton Raiders followed the best three year period in school history, winning 28 games, recording two 10-win seasons, and making the post-season all three seasons. This, after never registering as much as a 9-win season, making the post-season just three times in its first 42 years of the program's existence, and winning one playoff game during that span.

This would be the last of Kyle Schmidt's four years at Atholton, a season after the Raiders won their first county title in 22 years, when the Raiders shared the county title with Wilde Lake in ‘89. The Raiders '11 title remains the only outright county championship in school history. The Raiders also were following two regular season shutouts of the 3A defending champion River Hill, though the two wouldn't meet during the 10 game slate in 2012.

The Raiders had to pull out a 14-12 win over Wilde Lake in week 1, following that with a 28-25 victory versus Reservoir (regional finalist in '12) in week 2. In week 3, the Raiders came back from 21-0 down to shock Howard, 35-34. A fourth quarter, seven minute drive by the Raiders that was punctuated by a 3 yard shovel pass from Luke Casey to Patrick Mullens for a score gave A-Town its first lead of the game, 35-28. . The Lions responded with a score, but their potential game-winning two-point conversion was thwarted, and the Raiders were 3-0.

After winning on a two-point conversion versus Wilde Lake in week 1, needing 369 yards of offense to outlast Reservoir in week 2, and a failed two-point conversion being the difference in week 3, the Raiders luck ran out the n week 4, with a 13-12 loss to Long Reach. From there, the Raiders would face just one more test during the regular season.

The week 8 matchup with Hammond proved to the toughest task, with the Raiders edging out a 20-18 win, surrounded by a 25-0 shutout of Centennial, a 48-6 blowout of Oakland Mills, a 20 point win at Hebron, a 35-0 shutout of Marriotts Ride, and a 28-14 win over Glenelg, closing the regular season winning 6 straight games.

The Raiders were 35-5 over the last four regular seasons, but still looking for their first regional title in school history. Assuredly, if the Raiders were to win a regional title, it would have to go through River Hill, provided they could beat Reservoir in the regional semifinal, in a rematch of their 28-35 week 2 matchup. Resi' would be making its first post-season appearance in school history, the first of what would be four straight appearances.

The Raiders held a 14-0 lead over the Gators in the third quarter of the opening round, before fumbling a punt return, and before the Gators capitalized with an 18 yard touchdown pass from Max Shuster to James Simms, to cut the lead to one score. The Gators tied it up with a 77 yard double-pass touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Neither team would score again in regulation, and overtime ensued.

The Raiders took a 21-14 lead on a 5 yard pass from Casey on second down. The Gators needed just one play to score, and in their first playoff game in school history, went for 2 and the win, but the Raiders held the Gators Avian White two yards short, setting up the first meeting of the season between the Raiders and River Hill in 2012, in the regional final.

The Raiders had beat the Hawks in two of their last three meetings, but the defending champs did win the last post-season meeting a year earlier, in a 30-3 rout in the regional final. This time though, the Hawks were 11-0, winning 18 straight games since getting shutout by the Raiders in '11. The Raiders held an early 7-6 lead, before the Hawks ripped off 29 straight points to take a 35-7 lead. The Raiders made a run with three straight touchdowns, falling short in a 35-27 loss. The Hawks would finish as undefeated state champions. The Raiders would finish 38-9 over Schmidt's four years, with three playoffs wins and three 10-win seasons.

Casey would be chosen to the All-County 1st team after throwing for 1,514 yards and 15 touchdowns, as would his receiver, Keyon Pinnock, who finished with 52 receptions for 823 yards and 10 touchdowns. Joining the pair on the All-County 1st team were be linebackers Mullens (93 tackles, 5 fumble recoveries) and Brandon Anthony, and offensive lineman Ben Matthews.


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44 ‘93 Howard Lions (9-2, 6-1) - Coach John Quinn 🏅 >>> At one point, the Lions program was the most prestigious program in the county, but that had changed by ‘93, with Wilde Lake having won three straight state titles, and having won four state titles in eight years. It had been 18 years since the Lions won a county or advanced to the post-season. To add insult to injury, every other one of the six other county teams had advanced to the post-season since the Lions last did.

Only one Lions player, Curtis McTavish, was born when the Lions last earned a playoff berth and giving the Howard faithful something to cheer about in November. Lions Coach Coach John Quinn was playing in the 1975 Sugar Bowl for the Penn State Nittany Lions versus the Alabama Crimson Tide, two months after the Lions last played in a playoff game.

The '93 season looked to have promise, as the Lions closed out the '92 season with five straight wins, coinciding with then sophomore DaLawn Parrish put in as the starting quarterback position. And that promoise held through the first two weeks of the ‘93 season, with a pair of blowout shutouts of Parkville (48-0) and North Carroll (42-0).

After a convincing win over Liberty, the Lions suffered their only loss of the regular season in their league opener to Centennial, losing in the final minute, when Brian Dowdell, throwing his first pass of his career, hit Dominick Dinusio on a 28 yard fly pattern for a 18-15 win.

The week after, the Lions pulled out an 8-7 win over Hammond, when Seth Etheridge recovered a Bears fumble on their 14 yard line. The following play, the Lions Guy Smith ran it from there. A high snap on the point-after forced a Carlton Fox throw which found Scott Strother in the end zone for a Lions one point lead, which held.

The Lions went on to beat Glenelg in the Elgard Bowl, then Oakland Mills, 28-6, then Atholton, then three-time defending champ Wilde Lake, 18-16, followed by a 46-0 shutout of Mt Hebron. The Lions won the outright county title, one game ahead of Hammond. The Lions had won 14 of their last 15 games over the last two seasons with Parrish at quarterback, with their only loss coming in the last 90 seconds of their week 4 meeting with Centennial.

The Lions were an 8 seed heading into the state quarterfinals, playing the #1 team in the Baltimore area, the undefeated Poly Engineers. The Engineers took a 15-0 halftime lead and went on to win, 28-6, despite being out-gained by the Lions, 251-248. Nonetheless, the post-season and county title monkey was off the Lions back.

Guy Smith was named Howard County Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for 1,169 yards and 15 touchdowns, adding 71 tackles on defense. Parrish finished his junior season throwing for 727 yards and 7 touchdowns, rushing for 513 yards and 6 touchdowns, adding 5 interceptions and two fumble recoveries on defense. Etheridge finished with 10 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.

Defensive backs Carlton Fox and Brian Bush joined Parrish on the All-County 1st team Defense, with both picking off 4 passes apiece. Offensive lineman Matt Allen joined Smith on the 1st team Offense.


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43 '05 Long Reach Lightning (9-2, 8-1) - Coach Pete Hughes 🎖 >>> A year after falling one game short of winning their first county title to River Hill, who won their first county title, the Lightning shared their first with the Hawks in '05. The Lightning would make their first playoff appearance since earning a berth in their second year of existence in '97.

After a 40-0 shutout of Reservoir, the Lightning suffered their only regular season loss to Wilde Lake In week 2, 24-21. The game featured three scores of 70 yards or more, including the Lightning's Josh Brown's 70 yard reception to open the game. With the game tied at 14, Zach Brown gave the Cats a 21-14 lead on a 25 yard scoring run.

After a late field goal by the Wildecats, the Lightning's Keith Richardson returned the ensuing kickoff to the house, to cut the Cats lead to 3, 24-21, but the Cats held on to win.

The following week, the Lightning recorded a 28-13 victory over playoff-bound Atholton, 28-13. After relatively easy wins over Hammond, Howard, Oakland Mills and Glenelg, the Lightning would face 7-0 River Hill In week 8, who were carrying a +26.3 point differential. A loss for the Lightning would all but kill their chances for a share of the county title.

The Hawks looked to be moving to 8-0, when they had a 7 point lead late in the fourth quarter, before Richardson returned a punt 53 yards to the Hawks 19 yard line, setting up the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion with 46 seconds to play.

The Lightning would hold on and close out the season with a pair of routs over Bowling Brook and Mt Hebron, notching a share of the county title with River Hill, its first in school history.

The Lightning would face the Hawks in the regional semifinal, with both looking for their first playoff win in their school's respective histories. The Lightning were playing in their third playoff game, River Hill their fourth.

The Lightning took a 7-0 lead following Josh Brown's 60 yard touchdown run, and set up two other scoring opportunities inside the Hawks 15 yard line in the first half, but came up short. One drive ended on downs at the Hawks 12 yard line, the other, halted by an interception from the Hawks Nick Campanaro. Daniel Hostetler tied the game at 7, when he capped a scoring drive with a 1 yard plunge. Then, Hostetler connected with his cousin Josh Hostetler on a 23 yard touchdown pass in the waning moments of the first half to give the Hawks a 7 point halftime lead. The Lightning would fall short in the rematch, 21-13.

Brian Taylor was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, after recording 130 tackles, 94 of those solo tackles. Richardson made the All-County 1st team for a second time, and Brown joined him after rushing for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns.


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42 '99 Howard Lions (10-2, 9-1) - Coach Vince Purnell 🎖 >>> It had been 24 years since the Lions had last won a regional title, or won 10 games in a season, with just one playoff appearance to show since playing in back-to-bach state championship games in '74 and '75, winning the former. The ‘99 Lions were also following Oakland Mills winning a state title in '98, while Wilde Lake carried a 31 game win streak in league play.

The '99 Lions would go on to win 10 games that season, and go on to win the regional championships, both firsts in 24 years for the once proud program. The Lions would share the county title with Wilde Lake, snapping the Cats record-breaking 32 streak in league play.

After opening the season with wins over Woodlawn and Mt Hebron, the Lions faced the Wildecats, who hadn't lost to a county team since 1995. The Lions All-American Gerald Smith put the first points on the board with a 2 yard score, before the Cats Mario Merrills scored on a 36 yard run to even things up, and the subsequent point-after gave the Cats a 7-6 lead. In the third quarter, the Cats fumbled deep in their own territory, at their own 15 yard line. Two plays later, Travis Irving ran it in from 17 yards to give the Lions a 12-7 edge. The Cats countered again, with 1:34 left in the third, when John Quinn scored on a 1 yard run, which followed a 24 yard run from Merrills.

The Lions quarterback Anothony Durham scored with a 2 yard run, and the two-point conversion gave the Lions a 6 point lead, 20-14. Irving scored on a 49 yard run, two plays after the Cats attempted a fake punt. With three minutes left in the game, Jose Monzon took a 48 fumble recovery to the end zone l, and the Lions went on to a very convincing 33-14 win, snapping the Cats 3+ year streak.

In week 5, the Lions s faced defending state champion Oakland Mills, who were riding an overall 15 game win streak themselves. Played before 2,000 fans, Antuan Jones set the tone early, recovering a fumble on the third play of the game, the first of five Scorpions turnovers on the day., leading to a Lions 20-7 win. After thumping Hammond 42-6, the Lions were looking for their first win in four tries against cross-border rival Long Reach.

Before the game, Lightning Coach Pete Hughes told his charges, "There are three guarantees in life - death, taxes, and we don't lose to Howard". Hughes prophecy would hold true, as the Lightning capitalized on two Lions fumbles in the first quarter and won, 13-7, dropping the Lions to 6-1. The Lions would win out over their last 3 games, including a 17-7 win over River Hilli in the regular season finale, and shared the county title with Wilde Lake, finishing the regular season 9-1.

The Lions faced undefeated Middletown in the state quarterfinals, and a Knights team averaging 32 points per game. This slugfest would finish without an offensive touchdown by either team, with Louis Matthews' 58 yard fumble return on a mishandled snap on a field goal attempt being the only score of the game, coming with 2.8 seconds left in the first half. The Lions had won their first post-season game and regional title in 24 years.

The Lions faced their third undefeated team since October in the state semifinal, the Edmondson Redskins, who were scoring 40.5 points per game, allowing only 4.6 points per game. The Lions start was encouraging, staking a 7-0 lead, with a 25 yard from Gerald Smith, but the Skins high-powered offense scored 22 unanswered points in the third quarter, and went on to end the Lions season with a 37-14 win. The Skins scored all three of their third quarter touchdowns within the first three minutes of the second half, including a 90 yard kickoff return to open the third quarter.

Smith was named HoCo Defensive Player of the Year by the Howard County Times, while finishing his Lions career with 3,681 rushing yards, more than 5,600 total yards, and 52 touchdowns. Smith would go to play at Penn State. Joey Tortella was named as Defensive Player of the Year by the Columbia Flier, recording 116 tackles and 3 interceptions. Irving was named to the All-County 1st team, as was Antuan Jones.


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41 '03 Glenelg Gladiators (10-2, 9-1) - Coach John Davis 🎖 >>> This was the third straight county championship (or share) for the Gladiators, and third straight 10-win season, the only three of its kind in Glenelg history, at the time. By this time, Coach John Davis' Double Wing T offense was running like a machine, and this was the third straight year the Glads averaged better than 30 points per game, also the only three seasons that had ever been achieved in school history. The Gladiators carried an overall 26 regular season game win streak into the season, as well as a 23 league game win streak.

All but one of the Gladiators victories were won by 15 points or more. The Gladiators rolled through September, beating Centennial, Reservoir, Hammond and Howard, by a total of 140 to 19, including a 21-6 win over the Lions in the Elgard bowl. The Gladiators smashed Southern-B, 56-16, then routed up-and-coming Long Reach, 47-21.

In week 8, the undefeated Gladiators, at 7-0, met undefeated Oakland Mills, also 7-0. Glenelg ran out to a 14-0 halftime lead, and cruised to a 21-6 win, their fifth straight win over the Orange & Black.

The Gladiators traveled to River Hill in week 10, with a chance to complete their third consecutive undefeated regular season at 10-0, which, at the time, had only been done once before, when Howard did it four straight years from '72-75. River Hill ('06-09) and Howard ('14-17) both achieved the feat later, both accomplishing the feat four years in a row.

With the scored tied at 7, the Hawks Tim Morgan's scored on a 18 yard run to put the hosts up 7. Late in the fourth quarter, Glenelg drove inside the Hawks 10 yard line, but was stopped on a 4th-and-2 at 6, and the 32 game county win streak came to an end. The overall 35 game win streak dated back to September 29, 2000, when the Howard Lions topped the Gladiators in the wildest Elgard Bowl game ever played, 40-38.

The Gladiators faced Southern of Anne Arundel County in the newly created regional semifinal (playoffs expanded to 16 teams per classification), but without their two-time All-County1st team, two-time 1,000 yard rushing back Tim Siders, who was injured in the second quarter of the week 10 loss to River Hill. The Gladiators didn't need Siders versus the Bulldogs, as Stephen Bullard stepped in and rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, and returned a blocked punt recovery for a score in the Gladiators 28-6 win.

In the regional final, the Glads met the Potomac Wolverines, 50-27 winners over Forestville in the opening round. The Wolverines held a 18-6 edge in the second quarter, before Joe Blodgett returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to the house, to cut the lead Wolves lead to 18-14. The Wolverines gained insurance with a score to go up 26-14, before Blodgett scored again, on a 27 yard touchdown reception to cut the lead to 5, 26-21. The Gladiators had two chances late, the last ending their hopes on an interception, with 48 seconds to play.

Siders made the All-County 1st team a second time, after rushing for 1,146 yards and 14 touchdowns. Three Gladiators made the All-County 1st team defensive unit - defensive back Scott Dunsmore (5 int), and linebackers Blodgett (93 tackles) and Justin Frederick, who led the county with 167 tackles, the second highest total in county history, was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year. Kicker Josh Isaacs made the All-County 1st team for a second time.


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

35 '83 Oakland Mills Scorpions (10-1, 7-0) - Coach Ken Klock 🥉🎖 >>> The '83 Scorpions were coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss in the Class B (2A) state title game in '82. Questions abounded of the '83 team, with just four starters returning to both the offensive and defensive units, and the transfer of All-County defensive end Ron Williams, who led the league in sacks in '82.

Those questions were alleviated early, as the Scorps ran through their trio of out-of-county contests, all played on the road, which was standard practice at the time on Kilimanjaro. After a 26-0 shutout at Frederick, the Scorpions followed that with a 9-3 victory at Good Counsel, then a 28-6 rout of Central.

The Scorpions received just one test before their winner-take-all week 10 showdown with Wilde Lake. That came in their Homecoming Game, where the Scorpions trailed 20-6 at halftime to Atholton. The Scorps hadn't allowed 20 points in an entire game in 24 games. The Scorpions responded with 21 unanswered points in the second half to go 6-0. The Raiders win followed a 35-12 rout at Glenelg, where the Scorpions uncharacteristically threw four touchdown passes, compliments of Oklahoma transplant Brian Small. The Scorpions handled Mt Hebron, then shut out both Centennial and Howard, heading into their prize fight at Wilde Lake, where they would be Homecoming guests.

The week 10 clash featured the Scorpions, with their punishing rushing attack, averaging 241 yards per game on the ground, led by Steve Payne, and complimented by Thomas Washington and Rodney Hall. Add to that, a defense that had allowed just 3 touchdowns in the 8.5 games, outside the first half with Atholton. Wilde Lake, meanwhile, also boasted an attacking defense, a sound running game, and a dangerous passing attack, led by the arm of Jimmy Bennett, who then held the county record for throwing 391 yards in a game.

The game was a slugfest on that blustery day on Trumpeter Road, one that remained scoreless deep into the first half, until the Scorps sophomore call-up Tom Arnett banged through a 32 yard field goal for the only points of the first half. In the third quarter, the Scorpions went for it on a 4th-and-8 inside the Cats 30 yard line, when Small hit Doug Green on a 27 yard touchdown pass to give the guests a 9-0 lead. The Cats blocked their second kick of the game on the extra point, after blocking a field goal attempt in the first quarter.

The Cats seemed to receive a gift, when back to punt, the Scorpions punter Jeff Bright felt pressure and never got off the kick, and the Cats had the ball on their rivals 20 yard line. Two plays later, after a 3 yard loss, Leonard Bluitt hit Scoop Parham on a 23 yard halfback-option pass for a score to cut the lead to 9-6, after the Scorpions blocked the point after.

In the fourth, Small fumbled, and the Cats had the ball on the Scorps 33 yard line. Two players later, the Orange & Black got the ball back on a fumble recovery. After milking the clock to 1:39 remaining behind runs from Payne, the Cats had one shot left to give their Homecoming faithful something to cheer about. It wasn't to be as the stingy Scorpions defense stopped the Cats on four downs, finalized by an interception by Derek Faison, and the guests held on, 9-6.

The Scorpions faced fellow undefeated Milford Mill in the state semifinals, with the Millers featuring future NFL & MLB pro, Brian Jordan. The Millers scored on their first drive, going 76 yards, largely behind Jordan, to take a 6-0 lead. Defense on both dides dominated the rest of the half, and the score stood at 6-0 at intermission, with the Scorpions receiving the ball in the second half.

Then, the turning point in the game, when the Scorps fumbled the kickoff at their own 18. Six plays later, the Millers capitalized, to go up 14-0. The Scorpions got on the board with a 27 yard pass from Small to Mike Todd, to cut the lead to 7 in the fourth, but couldn't find the end zone again. The Scorpions defense came through again, but the offense didn't deliver. Following the first drive, the Scorpions held Jordan to 46 yards on 15 carries.

The Scorpions fell short in their third playoff appearance, but were the first county team to go 10-0 in the regular season since the ‘78 Scorpions did, 5 years earlier. The Scorpions 6.5 points allowed ranks 16th best, all-time in county history.

Two-way Lineman Terrence McMillian was named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year, while being named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 2st team on offense. Two-time All-County 1st team defensive end Kenny Hoff was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 2nd team, after leading the league in sacks, with 12.5, adding 4 blocked kicks. Two-way lineman John Bates was named to the Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention team.

Joining the trio of lineman on the All-County team were the Scorpions leading tackler, inside linebacker David Pritchett, the Scorpions leading rusher, Steve Payne, and safety Mike Todd, who grabbed 7 percent interceptions.

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34 '04 River Hill Hawks (10-1, 9-0) - Coach Brian Van Deusen 🎖 >>> This Hawks team led to the succession of titles the program would capture shortly thereafter, and would be the first in school history to register a 10-0 regular season, and the first of five that would accomplish the feat over the next six seasons. ‘04 would be the the first of seven straight county titles or shares for the Hawks.

The Hawks handled the county competition rather easily, as Mt Hebron was the only team in the league to come within single-digits, in a 19-17 contest. The week before the Vikings scare, the Hawks routed then 7-0 Long Reach, 52-21. The Lightning, who came in looking to take the county lead, had allowed just six touchdowns in their seven games, before the Hawks 52 point outburst.

The Hawks sprinted out to a 28 point lead in the second quarter, thanks to a pair of Davonl Smith touchdown runs, one from 31 yards out, and another from 49 yards out. The Lightning scored twice in the second quarter, but the Hawks found the end zone again, taking a 35-14 halftime lead. The Hawks added their fifth, sixth and seventh touchdowns of the day in the 52-21 romp to take control of the county race, at 8-0.

The Hawks week 9 showdown also paired of unbeaten teams, the Hawks and Mt Hebron, with both looking to go 9-0 for the first time in the histories of either of the programs. The Vikings held the Hawks out of the end zone in the first half, and led 10-3 at intermission. The Vikes took their lead to 17-3 following Chris Eccleston's 60 yard scamper. The Hawks clawed back when Tyler Martin caught a 22 yard touchdown pass from Ben Hostetler to cut the lead to 7.

The Hawks added another touchdown with 38 seconds left in the third quarter, but missed the extra point, and trailed, 17-16. But Ryan Dieter made up for his missed extra point by banging through a game-winning 39 yard field goal to win it 19-17.

Following their first unbeaten regular season in school history, the Hawks faced Douglass of Prince George's County in the regional semifinal. The Hawks and Eagles saw a wild first half, one that saw 6 touchdowns scored. For every Eagles touchdown, the Hawks matched, though the Eagles carried a 22-20 lead at half, after converting two of three two-point conversions.

Davon Smith caight a 25 yard touchdown pass from Hostetler midway through the third quarter, to give the Hawks a 26-22 advantage. The Eagles countered this time, with a 49 yard touchdown run to retake the lead, 30-26, late in the third quarter. The Eagles added another score in the fourth, and the Hawks couldn't muster any more points, losing 36-26.

Eight Hawks made the All-County 1st team. Remarkably, all on offense. Ben Hostetler made All-County 1st team as a QB, All-Met 2nd team as a DB. Hostetler threw for 16 TD, ran for 8 TD, and picked off 10 INT. Tyler Martin gained 1,221 rushing yards, scored 13 times, and registered 6 sacks. Greg Nowak had 37 receptions for 604 yards and 6 TD.

Lineman BJ Benning, David Erdman, and Kevin Biegel all made the All-County 1st team. Tight end John Pattillo had 26 receptions for 307 yards and 4 TD. Kicker Ryan Dieter hit 5 FG, including game-winner v Mt Hebron.

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33 '02 Wilde Lake Wildecats (10-1, 8-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🎖 >>> After having advanced to the playoffs in 12 of 15 years, the Cats had been shut out of the post-season in 2000 and 2001. It also had been five years since 'The Lake' had won a playoff game. Meanwhile, in those five years, Oakland Mills had won a state title in '98, and finished as a runner-up in '01, while both Howard and Glenelg had won regional titles.

The '02 Wildecats were fortified with the main ingredients that had propelled them in the past, a crushing defense, and a dominant run game. The Cats opened the season by beating Howard and Atholton by a total of 92-0.

Then the Cats annihilated Oakland Mills, giving their cross-town rivals their worst loss in the rivalry series, 47-7, since it first began in the early 70's. The Cats jumped out to a 27 point halftime lead and cruised, with AJ Case running for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and Austen Marrills rushing for 131 yards on 14 carries. Case added a 36 yard interception for a score.

Two weeks later, the Cats would face the quickly emerging River Hill program, which was 4-1. The Hawks was on the scoreboard first, and maintained a 13-7 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, quarterback Derek Bell took a 6 yard into the end zone to give the Wildecats a 14-13 lead. The Hawks added a field goal in the third to retake the lead, 16-14. In the fourth, the Cats countered with a 13 play drive, but couldn't punch it in, and a potential go-ahead three-point try from 21 yards away was no good.

The Cats stopped the Hawks on the ensuing drive and had the ball with 4:28 remaining in the game. Case then punctuated a 7 play, 61 yard drive with a 20 yard touchdown run to put the Cats up 20-16 with 1:18 to play. But a Chris Martin fumble recovered by the Cats Garth Hendrick sealed the deal for the Hawks, to put the 'Green and Yellow' at 5-0.

In week 10, with the Cats standing at 9-0, Coach Doug DuVall won his 250th game in a 43-22 victory over Mt Hebron.

The Cats had to face Montgomery County's Northwest in the state quarterfinal (the MPSSAA playoffs would expand to 16 teams per classification a year later). The Cats started out with a 13 play, 82 yard drive, but resulted in a 29 yard field goal attempt that fell short. The Jaguars mounted their own 13 play, 87 yard drive in the second quarter and capitalized on a 2 yard score by Travis Jackdon to take a 6-0 lead, that would carry into halftime.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Jackson fumbled on the Jags own 15 yard line and the Cats pounced. Four plays later, Case scored on a 2 yard run, and with a successful kick, the Cats took a 7-6 lead. After a pair of back-and-forth punts, the Jags went ahead with a 47 yard run from Jackson, 12-7, late in the third quarter. Jackson added a 33 yard interception for six in the fourth to put the Cats away, 19-7. Case rushed for 132 yards and a score on 22 carries, but the Cats would score just once.

Case and Merrills became the first pair of teammates to both gain over 1,200 rushing yards in the same season. Merrills rushed for 1,312 yards and 18 touchdowns, and Case gained 1,227 yards on the ground, scoring 17 touchdowns. Case was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 1st team, while Merrills was named to the 2nd team.

Defensive lineman Doug Smith was named HoCo Defensive Player of the Year. Joining that trio on the All-County 1st team was defensive end Jeff Woodson (93 tackles, 13 tfl), defensive lineman Dane Randolph, lineman Colin Queen and Shawn Frederick, and quarterback Hemp Fields.

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32 '96 Wilde Lake Wildecats (10-1, 7-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🎖 >>> It had been four years since winning a county title, after four years of unusual mediocrity from the Cats, and four years after their predecessors had won or shared 8 of the prior 9 county banners. This Cats group turned everything around, producing one of the most dominant regular seasons in county history.

The '96 Cats outscored their regular season opponents by a count of 372 to 44, or 37.2 to 4.4 per game. Like old times, these Cats possessed a stout defense and a punishing running game. The '96 Cats, despite coming up short in the playoffs, delivered a 35.1 scoring average, which currently ranks as 12th best in county history, allowed just 6.2 points per game, 9th best in county history, with a +28.9 point differential, also 9th best in county history.

The closest anyone in the county came to the Cats were the Atholton Raiders, who suffered a 21-7 defeat. The Wildecats dominated their arch rival, Oakland Mills, 27-3, where the four-time champs outplayed their villains in all facets of the game, including the running game, with star back Dain Lewis gaining 163 yards and scoring four touchdowns on 26 carries.

Lewis, who had accounted 186 points himself through the first 10 games, was one half of the Cats pair of backs that rushed for 1,000 yards. After going 10-0, the Cats were intent on winning their fourth state championship in seven years, and fifth overall. A run of three straight playoff victories would equal that state title, and give the legendary coach his 200th win in the title game.

The Cats closed out the regular season not having allowed a touchdown in their last three games.

The Cats faced Middletown in the quarterfinals, and things looked rosy almost immediately, when the Cats Matt Shannon recovered a Knights fumble on the opening kickoff, to give the hosts the ball on their opponents 29 yard line. The Cats faced a 4th-and-6 on the Knights 8 when Derek Bell hit a wide open Warren Bragg in the back of the end zone before bouncing off the receivers pads. The Knights responded with an 8 play, 92 yard drive to go up 7-0. Following an interception by Brandon Finney, the Cats tied it up when Bell connected with Anthony Jackson on a 37 yard touchdown pass, with 11:24 remaining in the first half. The Cats and Knights traded interceptions, but it was the Knights that capitalized, taking a 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

The Cats struck quickly, shortly thereafter, when Dain Lewis two yard scoring run followed a Bell to Jackson 38 yard completion to tie it at 14. The Knights added a field goal in the waning moments of the first half to take a 17-14 lead into intermission. The Knights stuffed the Cats prolific running game in the second half and added another touchdown to win 24-14.

Lewis was named to the Baltimore Sun All-Met 1st team after rushing for 1,571 yards and scoring 27 touchdowns, while adding 114 tackles (61 solo) and 10 tackles for loss. Safety Tony Jackson and tackle Josh Vanderwagen joined Lewis on the All-Met 1st team. Jackson recorded 124 tackles (68 solo), 10 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions, while adding 23 receptions for 485 yards and 5 touchdowns. Vanderwagen was a big part of their running game that accumulated more than 3,000 rushing yards. A 6'6, 265 pound big part.

Sean Jefferson was one of the eight Cats named to the All-County 1st team, joining the three above, after rushing for 1,111 yards and adding 5 interceptions on defense. Center Pat Chamberlain, safety Quentin Collins (6 interceptions, 2 TD), and linebackers Kyle Liebe (115 tackles) and Pat North (117 tackles, 25 tfl) rounded out the eight Cats on the All-County 1st team.

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31 '89 Wilde Lake Wildecats (10-2, 7-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🥉🎖 >>> This '89 Cat pack was the precursor to the three straight state champions of '90-92, a team that had very few challenges during league play, and one that led to the first of four post-season classics with the Swarmin' Hornets of Damascus. This would be the fifth county title in six years for the Cats, and the second in which the Cats scratched through league play unbeaten.

The Cats quest for an overall unbeaten season came to an abrupt end early in September, when Perry Hall, ranked #6 in The Sun, knocked off the Cats, 14-8, winning on a go route on the last play of the game. The Cats opened with a 32-6 win over Havre de Grace, a team that had played in four straight 1A state title games. The Cats toughest test in league play came against Atholton, where the Cats needed last minute heroics of their own to knock off the Raiders. Down 10-7, Cats quarterback Phil White found Ronnie Brooks going down the right sideline for a 46 yard game-winning touchdown pass with less than 30 seconds to play to win it.

They would play the next two toughest opponents in the county in weeks 9 and 10, Hammond and Oakland Mills. In week 9, the Cats took a 10-0 lead on the Bears, before Hammond evened it up at 10 in the second quarter. Then, with 1:14 left in the first half, the Cats used six plays to go 72 yards, punctuated by White's 9 yard scramble to put the Cats ahead, 17-10, at halftime. The Cats held the Bears scoreless in the second half and held on, 20-10.

In the week 10 finale against the arch rival Scorpions, the Cats started out with a bang. Junior Rafael Wall broke off a 80 yard touchdown run on the first play of the game and never looked back, Wall would score on a 9 yard run in the second half to give the Cats a 21-6 lead, where it stayed. The Cats would make their fourth playoff appearance in five years.

These Cats had the same ingredients their '85 state title team possessed, a run heavy offense, with a suffocating defense. There was a time when the Cats possessed an aerial attack on their better teams, such as the '74 team with hurler Tony Tsonis, the '77 and '78 teams with record-breaking quarterback Jim Traber, and the '83 team with Jimmy Bennett, who would throw 391 yards in one game. But the '89 team mirrored the '85 title team, and the Cats '90, '91, '92, and '97 title teams that would come down the road, led by a punishing rushing attack, led by the junior Wall, and the senior Brooks.

The Cats faced Aberdeen in the state quarterfinals, and disposed of 'The Deen', with a 28-0 shutout. Wall rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, and Brooks added 84 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. The line play on both sides of the ball had been instrumental all year, led by All-County 1st teamers CJ Johnson and Ken Gray. Lineman Pat Grace, junior junior Ricky Rowe, and Danny Tregar added to the stout defense that held the Eagles scoreless, and all were named to the All-County 1st team.

In the state semifinal versus the Swarmin' Hornets, things got off to a rocky start for the Cats, when Brooks fumbled on the third play of the game. Three plays later, the Hornets cashed in with a short 3 yard pass to take a 7-0 lead. Brooks redeemed himself by taking the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown. After a missed extra point, the Cats trailed 7-6. But the following possession, the Swarmin' Hornets produced an 11 play, 64 yard touchdown drive to go up, 14-6. The Cats clawed back with a touchdown score in the second quarter, but couldn't add anything with a failed conversion, and trailed 14-12.

The Cats running attack was stymied in the second half, and the Hornets capitalized on a drive where the Cats were penalized for three unsportsmanlike plays, and would add a final score to win 20-12. Cats were doomed by 14 penalties, costing them 115 yards.

Both Wall and Brooks made the All-County 1st team after amassing just short of 2,500 yards on the ground, collectively. Wall and Rowe would return the following year beginning the run of the Cats three straight state titles.

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

Mamba this is great stuff, I have really enjoyed reading

These are the 12 teams (first 12 out) that didn’t make the final cut of HoCo’s Top 50 Football Teams of All-Time.

‘84 Wilde Lake Wildecats (8-1) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏅 >>> The Cats missed the playoffs, one year before the MPSSAA expanded to 8 teams per classification. The Cats 5.4 points allowed ranks 10th best in county history, though they averaged a modest 22.9 points per game themselves.

The county champs suffered their only loss to Hammond, 9-7, with a 12-6 overtime win over Glenelg. The Wildecats shut out Oakland Mills, 21-0, in week 10, to clinch their first outright county title in school history.

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‘09 Atholton Raiders (10-2, 9-1) - Coach Kyle Schmidt >>> The Raiders were the only 10-win team in county history to not make the top 50, landing just outside. The Raiders finished second to regional champion River Hill has n the county standings. Won 10 games with a +6.6 point differential.

The Raiders rolled out to an 8-0 record, before meeting the 8-0 Hawks in week 9. The Raiders held a 14-7 halftime lead, before the two-time defending champs scored 28 unanswered points. In the regional final, the Hawks routed A-Town, 30-3.

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‘04 Long Reach Lightning (9-2, 9-1) - Coach Pete Hughes >>> The Lightning finished a game behind River Hill in the county race. The Lightning’s only league loss was a 52-27 defeat to the Hawks. The Lightning were 7-0 going into the week 8 meeting.

In week 10, the Lightning took on 8-1 Mt Hebron, with a playoff berth going to the winner. The Bolts came back from 19-7 down, before knocking off the Vikes, 22-19, to send the Lightning to their second playoff appearance in school history. The Lightning lost to Gwynn Park in the opening round of the playoffs, 20-19.

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‘94 Oakland Mills Scorpions (8-3, 7-0) - Coach Ken Hovet 🏅 >>> After losing two tough out-of-county games in the first three weeks to Thomas Johnson and Linganore, the Scorpions ripped off 7 straight county wins, joining the ‘78 and ‘83 Scorps as the only three teams to go undefeated in county play in the program’s first 21 years.

The Scorpions trounced Wilde Lake, 27-7, the came back to knock off the defending county champs, Howard, 19-18, in week 9. The Scorps trailed 18-6 in the second half. The Scorpions fell to Fort Hill, 33-19, in the state quarterfinals, despite gaining 419 yards. The Scorpions The Scorpions posted a +27.6 point differential in league play.

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‘86 Wilde Lake Wildecats (9-2, 7-0) - Coach Doug DuVall 🏅 >>> The Cats followed the ‘85 state champion Cats, and were the first team in school history to finish undefeated in league play. After a week 1 loss to the area’s top ranked team Gilman, 8-0, the Wildecats won their next 9 games.

The Cats edged Oakland Mills, 7-0, for the county title. The Cats lost to Anne Arundel’s Northeast, 20-14, in the state quarterfinals. The ‘86 Cats 7.5 points allowed ranks 22nd best in county history. The Cats went 9-2, averaging just 16.1 points per game.

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‘00 Oakland Mills Scorpions (9-2, 9-0) - Coach Ken Hovet 🏅 >> The Scorpions would rank among the top 25 if the list were limited to the regular season, averaging 34.7 points per game, with a +25.3 point differential.

The Scorpions outstanding season came to a halt in the quarterfinals, as their offensive machine was shut down by Glenelg, ending their season with their first loss of the season, 14-7. The ‘00 Scorpions remain the last team to win a county title on Kilimanjaro.

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‘14 Glenelg Gladiators (9-4, 7-3) - Coach Butch Schaffer 🏅 >>> Though the Gladiators finished third in county play, they did beat second place Oakland Mills, 35-6, and were the only team to shut the Scorpions potent offensive attack down.

The Gladiators went on to win the regional title, beating City College, 41-6, then River Hill, 21-6, in the regional final, before losing to eventual state champion, Damascus, 33-0, in the state semifinal.

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‘95 Oakland Mills Scorpions (8-3, 7-0) - Coach Ken Hovet 🏅 >>> These Scorpions capped off back-to-back undefeated seasons in league play, suffering a 3 point loss to Thomas Johnson, and a 7 point loss to Frederick power, Linganore, in our-of-county play.

The Scorpions held six of their seven county opponents to 7 points or less, with Wilde Lake scoring 15 in a 29-15 loss to the Scorpions. The Scorps lost at Linganore in the quarterfinals, 24-21, after leading 21-0.

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‘13 Glenelg Gladiators (9-2, 9-1) - Coach Butch Schaffer 🏅 >>> The ‘13 Gladiators were county champions, finishing a game ahead of Howard, and two ahead of River Hill. The Glads outdueled second place Howard, 35-20, in the Elgard Bowl.

Only one regular season opponent scored double-digits on the Gladiators - the Lions, in their loss. The Gladiators were stunned by Reservoir, in the regional semifinal, 34-13.

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‘14 Oakland Mills Scorpions (9-2, 9-1) - Coach Tom Browne >>> These Scorpions finished a game behind 4A regional champion Howard in league play, with their only loss coming to regional champion, Glenelg.

‘The Greatest Show on Turf’, led by David Pindell, averaged the second most points per game in county history, at 42.5 points per game, a touchdown from averaging the most in county history. The Scorpions lost to Patuxent, 60-41, in the regional semifinal, after leading 35-25 at halftime.

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‘79 Glenelg Gladiators (8-2, 7-0) - Coach Neil Callahan 🏅 >>> Coach Callahan’s Gladiators were the first to win an outright county title in school history, but were denied a playoff berth, based on points.

The Gladiators only losses were to Fort Hill, 15-6, and Fairmont Heights, 22-13. The Gladiators held 7 of their remaining 8 opponents to 8 points or less. The Gladiators allowed just 6.8 points per game, 17th best in county history.

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‘00 Glenelg Gladiators (8-4, 6-3) - Coach John Davis 🥉 >>> These Gladiators started 1-3, before winning their last 6 league games, leading to a 32 game county win streak, tied with Howard ‘13-16, as the second longest in county history.

The Gladiators shocked county champion Oakland Mills, 14-7, in the state quarterfinals, their first post-season victory in school history.

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The only state finalist not to make the top 50.

‘01 Oakland Mills Scorpions (8-5, 6-3) - Coach Ken Hovet 🥈 >>> These Scorpions improbable post-season run came 2 points short of winning a state title, despite losing their first 3 games, falling to Allegany, 27-26.

The remaining 7 regional champions not listed in the top 50, or the 12 listed above.

‘77 Glenelg Gladiators (9-2, 6-1*) - Coach Neil Callahan 🥉🏅 >>> The Gladiators were awarded the regional title and playoff berth after it was determined Wilde Lake used an ineligible player. The Gladiators had lost to the Cats 41-6. The aGladiators lost to Cambridge-South Dorchester, 33-19, in the state semifinal.

‘80 Centennial Eagles (9-2, 6-1) - Coach Jack Walsh 🥉🏅 >>> This stands at the Eagles only county title in school history, sharing the crown with Wilde Lake. The Eagles lost to Elkton, 45-23, in the state semifinal. The Eagles went 9-2, despite a paltry +4.3 point differential.

‘80 Mt Hebron Vikings (8-3, 5-2) - Coach Ed Holshue 🥉 >>> This was the first, and remains just one of the two regional titles the Vikings have won. The Vikes lost 45-0 to Snow Hill in the state semifinal. The Vikes went 8-3 despite averaging just 12.7 points per game, thanks to their 8.6 points allowed.

‘84 Oakland Mills Scorpions (7-4, 4-3) - Coach Ken Klock 🥉 >>> Despite going 4-3 in league play, this was the third straight regional title for the Scorpions, the first time the feat was accomplished in league history.

‘15 Reservoir Gators (9-4, 7-3) - Coach Brian Cole 🥉 >>> This was the first and remains the only regional title in school history. The Gators got past JM Bennett and Glenelg in the regionals, before getting dispatched by Damascus, 48-7, in the state semifinal.

‘17 Glenelg Gladiators (8-4, 6-3) - Coach Butch Schaffer 🥉 >>> The Gladiators won a regional title despite going 6-3 in league play, tied with three others for third. The Glads topped River Hill and Thomas Stone in the regionals, before getting dismissed by Damascus, 42-7, in the state semifinal.

‘17 Long Reach Lightning (8-4, 6-3) - Coach Jamie Willis 🥉 >>> This remains the only season that the Lightning won a playoff game, winning two, before losing to Milford Mill in the state semifinal, 33-6.

HoCo’s Top 50 Football Teams of all-time will resume tomorrow, with #21-25. Wednesday, #16-20. Thursday, #11-15. Early next week, top 10.

Photo credits, news archives; Baltimore Sun

25 ‘82 Oakland Mills Scorpions (9-2, 6-1) - Coach Ken Klock 🥈🏅 >>> Four years after going 10-0, reaching its first post-season and traveling to Allegany for the state semifinal, these Scorpions would win the region again, and again face the almighty Campers in another state semifinal. Where the ‘78 team would flaunt the highest scoring team in the programs first 40 years, this unit registered the fewest points allowed in the program’s entire 45 years of existence.

If it’s offensive production could match its defensive production, this team would be state champions, and be in the top 10 on this list. The ‘83 Scorpions only regular season blemish was a 6-0 loss to county co-champ and fellow regional champion Mt Hebron, 6-0, in a game where its offense committed five turnovers.

The Scorpions defense recorded 5 shutouts, but like its ‘78 predecessors, it would need a win in week 10 over Wilde Lake in a winner-take-all showdown to capture an outright county title, a regional championship, and its second playoff berth.

The Scorpions crushed Frederick, 54-0, in week 1, then shut out Franklin, 19-0, in week 2. The Scorpions defense allowed just five touchdowns all season, before heading into their week 10 showdown with the Cats.

The Scorps responded with their 5th shutout of the season, blanking the Cats, 13-0, as Steve Payne scored on 12 and 40 yard runs. The Cats entered the Scorpions ‘red zone’ four times, largely because of great field position, and they were denied all four times of any points.

That presented another shot at the Allegany Campers, this time on Kilimanjaro. The Allegany faithful filled the visitors bleachers an hour before kickoff, with the help of 10 bus loads shuttling some of the Campers faithful in from the west.

Again, the Scorpions defensive unit came up huge. After an early Allegany score, the Scorpions defensive held the powerful Campers running attack scoreless the rest of the way. Following the score, the Scorpions Joey Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 7-6, after a failed two-point conversion.

Later, in the second quarter, the Scorpions Kenny Hoff recorded one of his two blocked punts on the day, and the Scorpions had the ball on the Campers 25 yard line. Two plays later, Tariq Shane connected with Eric Miller on a 26 yard touchdown pass, to give the Scorpions a 13-7 lead. Like clockwork, the Scorpions defense stymied ‘Big Blue’ and the Orange & Black were on their way to their first state championship game.

The Scorpions faced a daunting task in the state final, taking on undefeated JM Bennett, who had allowed just 2 touchdowns in 11 games, out scoring their opponents, 377-16. After a scoreless first half, the Clippers Cam Carte found Willie Shepherd on a 61 yard touchdown pass with 1:01 to go in the third quarter, to go up, 7-0.

The Scorpions defense came through again in the fourth, when sophomore Eddie Gough picked up a fumble and rambled 31 yards to put the ball at the Clippers 17 yard line, with 2 minutes to play. Six plays later, the Scorpions scored the third touchdown of the season with on the Clippers to tie it at 7, and send the state title game to overtime.

The Clippers won the coin toss and elected to start on defense. On third down, Shane was intercepted, and the Scorpions chance to get any points, evaporated. The Clippers capitalized on their third down from the 7, as Don Williams slipped through for a score and the win.

Defensive ends Ron Williams (13.5) and Kenny Hoff (11.5) ranked #1 and #2 in the county in sacks, while inside linebacker John Rynn, the Scorpions leading tackler, was selected to the All-Met 2nd team and named Howard County Defensive Player of the Year. Payne finished with 1,135 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while Miller registered 6 touchdown receptions. The Scorps 6.3 points allowed rank 13th all-time in county history.

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

23 ‘75 Howard Lions (11-1, 5-0) - Coach Ned Sparks 🥈🏅 >>> The ‘75 Lions had huge shoes to fill, following the ‘74 team, who won the state title in the MPSSAA’s inaugural season. The ‘75 team were also caretakers of a state record 36 game win streak coming into the season.

Bill Caudill, who left following the ‘74 season for WT Woodson (VA), had built the Lions program into a state powerhouse, going 55-6-2 in his last 6 seasons. His assistant, Ned Sparks, took over the program. Gone also were All-Met Dan Hottowe, future NFL running back Wayne Wilson, quarterback Scott Swope, and playmakers LaVelle McNutt and Craig Harrington.

The Lions went through the regular season 10-0 again, for a state record fourth year in a row, though four were one-possession games.

Then, in the state semifinals, the Lions needed late game heroics again, to upend Cambridge - South Dorchester. The Lions climbed back from a 18-3 deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points, and extending their winning streak to 47 games. That, a week after pulling out an 11-8 overtime win over Mt Hebron on the road, before 3,000 fans, on a Jim Hillman field goal.

The Lions had to travel to the Eastern Shore to face Cambridge, where the Vikings raced out to a 12-0 lead, behind scoring runs of 91 yards and 65 yards, respectively. After a Hillman field goal to cut the deficit to 9, the Vikings Craig Linthicum, who scored on the 91 yard run, ran for his second touchdown of the day to give the hosts an 18-3 halftime lead.

But the Lions weren’t done, capitalizing on five second half turnovers by the Vikings, behind the running of Lions John Overbey, who finished with 127 rushing yards on 32 carries. Jim Hillman connected on his second field goal of the game, giving the Lions their first lead of the game, 21-18. Quarterback Kevin Mullarkey took in a 1 yard run to make it 28-18, capping off the Lions 25-0 second half, to run the streak to 47.

The Lions would face Paint Branch in the state final game, a year after pasting the Panthers 40-14 in the state title game the year before. This would be a different Panthers team, who returned 17 starters from their runner-up squad of ‘74, including their entire backfield, including quarterback Tyree Hill.

The Panthers struck first, to take a 6-0 lead, before a Hillman field goal cut the deficit in half. From there, it was all Hill, as they added another score before halftime, then adding two more in the fourth quarter for a 28-3 win, and snap the Lions state record win streak. Hill finished with 124 rushing yards on 23 carries. The Lions, meanwhile, managed just 135 offensive yards. The ‘75 Panthers mirrored the ‘74 Lions, posting 8 shutouts that season.

This was the first defeat the Lions had suffered since a 16-0 loss to Edgewood in 1971. The Lions did post their first win over a AA (now 4A) school in the season opener, with a 20-14 victory over Glen Burnie. The 47 game win streak would hold as a state record until Urbana snapped the mark in 2000.

Overbey was named All-Met after rushing for 1,086 yards and 18 touchdowns. Linebacker Rick Lewis was also named to the All-Met team. Hillman, Mullarkey, Kevin Wynne and Brian Clapp were all key contributors for the state runner-up.

Coach Sparks would go on to be the Maryland Public School System Athletic Association’s Executive Director for 34 years, until retiring in 2015.

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