Southern Enjoys Being in Class of Its Own

Anne Arundel's Only 2A Program Plays Bigger Teams

The Southern Bulldogs care about what happens on the football field, not the size of their school. And they don't think one has anything to do with the other.

Southern's enrollment (1,268) is the lowest in Anne A rundel County, a school system with 12 public high schools: eight 4A schools, three 3A schools and Southern, the sole school in the 2A classification as determined by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. The Bulldogs' size doesn't make them any less of a football team in their minds, but it does give them something to prove.

"We play with heart and with passion, so . . . being the smallest doesn't really affect us," said senior Eric Foote, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound fullback and linebacker.

Senior defensive back-running back Derrell Brown echoed Foote's sentiments.

"Some of those 4A schools are overrated anyway," said Brown.

That's what Southern hopes to prove this season, as it begins a 10-game schedule that includes just one 2A opponent (Baltimore Polytechnic, in its season opener Sept. 8 in Baltimore). After that, nine games against bigger Anne Arundel schools await. And Southern Coach Russ Meyers likes that just fine. For a 2A team, there are big advantages to playing schools in higher classifications -- the MPSSAA's playoff point system rewards smaller schools for playing larger schools.

"If you're fortunate to win one of those games it's more points than beating a 2A school, so for the playoffs it's a benefit," said Meyers, entering his 12th season as coach at Southern.

Although the Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing 3-7 season that saw them go just 3-6 against county competition, they have a history of doing well against larger schools. In 2002 and '03, they were a combined 12-3 in the county and they went to the playoffs three straight seasons (2002-04).

Meyers still has his sights set on a county title. "We haven't won a county championship yet, " he said.