Breaking down this weekend’s region finals
Thirteen local high school football teams will play in this weekend’s region championships, with the winners advancing to next weekend’s state semifinals. The four teams in each region that make it to the state semifinals will be reseeded according to their points averages, with the two higher seeds hosting games next Friday or Saturday. The state championships are scheduled for Dec. 1, 2 and 3 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Class 4A North NO. 11 MERVO (9-2) @NO. 8 HOWARD (10-1) When: Tonight, 7 Coaches: Patrick Nixon, Mervo; Bruce Strunk, Howard Last meeting: Howard won, 20-0, last year Outlook: In a rematch of last year’s region semifinal, Howard aims for a third straight trip to the final four. The Mustangs, however, come into the game with a lot of momentum. They’ve won eight straight games and last week pulled off one of the playoffs’ biggest upsets, defeating top-seeded and previously unbeaten Sherwood, 30-20, for their first playoff win in program history. Last year, the Lions defense dominated the game against Mervo, intercepting three passes and making seven sacks to hold the Mustangs to four first downs. Mervo’s defense also played well, holding the Lions’ top running back to 46 yards, but the offense couldn’t contend with Howard’s defense. The Lions, who suffered their only loss, to Glenelg, three weeks ago, rolled over Bel Air, 41-14, in last week’s semifinal. Class 4A East NO. 6 BROADNECK (8-3) @NO. 4 ANNAPOLIS (10-1) When: Tonight, 7 Coaches: Rob Harris, Broadneck; Nick Good-Malloy, Annapolis Last meeting: Annapolis won, 40-19, on Sept. 16 Outlook: A state semifinalist last season, Broadneck upset previously unbeaten Old Mill for the second straight year in the playoffs. Now, the Bruins, who lost their regular-season game to Old Mill, will try to turn things around on another Anne Arundel County foe. Broadneck will have to stop running back Cameron Hough, who rushed for 209 yards and scored four Broadneck stops Annapolis’ Omar’od White in September, when the Panthers won, 40-19. The two schools meet again tonight at 7 in the Class 4A East final. touchdowns in the Panthers’ 45-21 win over North Point last week. The Bruins needed double overtime to beat Old Mill, winning on Shane Davis’ 10-yard pass to Robert Schwob. While Broadneck is aiming for its first state title, Annapolis is going for its second, but hasn’t won since 1978. Class 3A North NO. 6 FRANKLIN (9-1) @NO. 10 MILFORD MILL (10-1) When: Saturday, 1 p.m. Coaches: Anthony Burgos, Franklin; Reggie White, Milford Mill Last meeting: Franklin won, 24-20, on Oct. 7 Outlook: The western Baltimore County rivals square off in the region playoffs for the fourth time in five years. The Indians won in 2013 and 2014 and went on to win the Class 3A championship. The Millers won in 2012 — their last win over Franklin, which has won six straight games since. Their regular-season game in October, secured on Indians quarterback Josh Turner’s 2-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes to go, was the closest between the two in six years. Three turnovers, penalties and a few fumbled snaps doomed the Millers, who have the big-play potential to match Franklin. Both teams are coming off big wins in the semifinals. Franklin avenged last year’s playoff loss to Dundalk, 39-0, while Milford Mill rolled over North Harford, 54-0. The Indians are aiming for their third state title while the Millers would like to add a second to their 1987 crown. Class 2A North DUNBAR (8-3) @NO. 15 HEREFORD (11-0) When: Tonight, 7 Coaches: Lawrence Smith, Dunbar; Ric Evans, Hereford Last meeting: First meeting Outlook: Dunbar and Hereford are two of the most successful programs in state history, but they’ve managed to avoid each other until now. The Poets have made the playoffs 21 times while the Bulls have been in 18 times. Most of the time they’ve been in different classifications. Dunbar, which has nine state titles, is coming off a 48-0 win over Randallstown, while Hereford, which has three state titles, rallied from a 12-0 deficit to beat Overlea, 14-12. The Bulls will be without several key players, including quarterback Jon Marchinek and running back Kahlil Rich, who suffered concussions last week. The Poets will be without their top running back, Da’Shawn Darien, ejected from last week’s game after a brawl. Class 3A East RIVER HILL (7-4) @NO. 14 GLENELG (9-2) When: Tonight, 7:30 Coaches: Brian Van Deusen, River Hill; Butch Schaffer, Glenelg Last meeting: Glenelg won, 49-7, on Sept. 9 Outlook: River Hill reversed a 20-10 regular-season loss to beat top-seeded Long Reach, 20-14, in last week’s region semifinal. The Hawks, however, will have their hands full with the Gladiators’ running game. Sophomore Wande Owens Class 1A North SURRATTSVILLE (6-5) @HAVRE DE GRACE (8-2) When: Tonight, 7 Coaches: Cornell Wade, Surrattsville; Brian Eberhardt, Havre de Grace
First meeting A state finalist last season, Havre de Grace won a back-and-forth game of big plays against Fairmont Heights, 48-34, to advance to the region final. That’s the only opponent the Warriors and Surrattsville have in common this fall. The Hornets, from Prince George’s County, won their regular-season finale over Fairmont Heights, 32-21, two weeks ago. The Warriors have a strong passing game led by quarterback Mike Flosser, who threw for 254 yards against Fairmont Heights last week. Surrattsville, a 1A semifinalist in 2013 and 2014, scored 20 points in the first 13 minutes to spark its 20-16 win over McDonough in its regional semifinal. Havre de Grace is aiming for its fourth state title and its first since 1986. Class 1A South EDMONDSON (5-6) VS. REGINALD LEWIS (11-0) When: Tonight, 6 Where: At Poly Coaches: Corey Johnson, Edmondson; Elwood Townsend, Reginald Lewis Last meeting: Edmondson won, 36-0, in 2014 Outlook: These programs have met only twice before and Edmondson won both times, by a combined 70-0, but the Falcons have come a long way in their 15th year. They finished the regular season unbeaten for the first time, winning Baltimore City’s Division II. Last week, they won their first playoff game in program history, 24-0 over Friendship Academy of Engineering and Technology. Reginald Lewis has the area’s stingiest defense, having allowed 24 points with eight shutouts. The Red Storm, who won a state title in 2006, had an up-and-down season but played in the city’s tougher Division I and played a couple of private-school teams. Edmondson also won its region semifinal handily, 34-0 over National Academy Foundation. katherine.dunn@baltsun.com twitter.com/KDunnSun