High School Football 2005
Robinson at Good Counsel, 7:30 p.m.: The first matchup ever between these two powerhouse programs is candidate for game of the year. Both teams are coming off title-game losses that spoiled undefeated seasons, but they bring back many key players. Good Counsel LB Akeem Hebron will keep close tabs on Robinson RB Lucas Caparelli.
Sept. 16
Northwest at Seneca Valley, 6:30 p.m.: Annual battle for bragging rights in Germantown diminished slightly by Northwest's move to Montgomery 4A this season.
Sept. 17
Douglass at Suitland, 2 p.m.: Eagles move up to Prince George's 4A league and get early chance to prove themselves. Both teams have excellent defenses, and the matchup of Douglass's run-oriented offense against Suitland's physical defense will be key.
Sept. 23
Ballou at Dunbar, 3:30 p.m.: D.C. public schools champion Dunbar could get its toughest league test as it tries for its 12th consecutive victory in the series.
Westlake at Lackey, 7 p.m.: Part I? Teams have met twice in each of the past two seasons, with Lackey beating the Wolverines in the past two Maryland 3A South Region finals.
Sept. 30
Broadneck at Old Mill, 7:15 p.m.: Two of the top teams in Anne Arundel County play in a rematch of last year's Maryland 4A East Region final, which Broadneck won, 27-24, in overtime.
Oct. 7
Sherwood at Seneca Valley, 6:30 p.m.: This one ought to bring back memories for Sherwood Coach Al Thomas and assistant Terry Changuris, who led Seneca Valley to 11 state titles but now will be on the visiting sideline opposite Seneca Valley Coach Fred Kim, who played on the Screamin' Eagles' 1987 championship team.
Oct. 14
Strasburg at Manassas Park, 7:30 p.m.: The two strongest programs in the Virginia A Bull Run District in recent years meet in league opener. Strasburg Coach Glenn Proctor is in his 42nd year with the Rams (7-4 in 2004); Manassas Park is coming off a 14-0 season that culminated with the Division 2 state title.
Oct. 15
Potomac (Md.) at Gwynn Park, 2 p.m.: A scheduling quirk allowed the teams to miss each other the past two seasons. Yellow Jackets are coming off their second undefeated regular season in three years; Potomac begins the season with a 14-game winning streak.
Oct. 21
Long Reach at Glenelg, 7 p.m.: Two of Howard County's top running backs - Long Reach's Keith Richardson and Glenelg's Stephen Bullard - meet in game that should impact the county standings as well as the 3A and 2A playoff pictures.
Oct. 28
Warren County at Liberty, 7:30 p.m.: The Eagles, who have three all-Region II selections back on defense, were the only team to hold Warren County RB H. B. Banjoman (2,026 yards rushing) under 100 yards last season.
Oct. 29
St. Albans at Georgetown Prep, 1 p.m.: After being booted out of the Interstate Athletic Conference and joining the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, this is the only game against an IAC team for the Little Hoyas.
Nov. 4
Northwest at Damascus, 6:30 p.m.: A rematch of last year's 27-24 Northwest victory pits last year's Maryland 3A champion Jaguars (now in 4A) against the 4A runner-up and 2003 champion Hornets.
Nov. 5
Good Counsel vs. DeMatha at Parkdale, 2:30 p.m.: Imagine the buildup if both teams are able to come into this one undefeated, with the top seed in the WCAC playoffs and No. 1 ranking at stake.
Nov. 12
Urbana at Linganore, 2 p.m.: Annual battle for Frederick County bragging rights also carries Maryland 3A West Region playoff implications. Linganore won, 18-15, last season, its third victory in four meetings.
For the first time, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association's B Conference will have a title game. Washington area teams Spalding, St. Mary's-Annapolis, St. John's/Prospect Hall and Severn all compete in the B Conference's South Division. ...
Hylton Coach Lou Sorrentino, who guided Culpeper to an 84-29 record in his 10 years there and led the Blue Devils to the Virginia AAA Division 5 state title in 1999, will face his old school Sept. 16 at Hylton. Culpeper has gone 11-21 since Sorrentino left. ...
For the sixth time in the past seven seasons, a Hostetler will be under center at River Hill. Junior Daniel Hostetler takes over for brother Ben, who guided the team to the past two Howard County titles after older brother Matt was the starter from 1999 to 2001. Doug Hostetler, the boys' father, was a quarterback in high school and played at Penn State. Doug's brother Jeff played the position at West Virginia before a 14-year National Football League career. ...
Four of the 10 schools in the Virginia AA Dulles District could be considered "new." Heritage, Dominion, Freedom-South Riding and Briar Woods all have opened within the past five years, with Freedom and Briar Woods playing their inaugural seasons this fall. ...
Three of Frederick County's most successful teams enter the season with a new coach after Urbana's Dave Carruthers, Middletown's Tim Ambrose and Walkersville's Hal Grau stepped down during the offseason. The threesome compiled a record of 583-245 in 82 seasons coaching in the county. They are replaced by Joe Polce (Urbana), Lorne Ridenour (Middletown) and Ryan Hines (Walkersville). ...
-- Loudoun Valley Head Coach Bruce Sheppard, whose Purcellville-based team's move from the AA Dulles District to the AAA National District will have the Vikings racking up 350 total miles in its four league road games alone.
"If we could finally get a home playoff game, we could go as far as anybody."
-- Arundel Coach Chuck Markiewicz, whose team has lost a road playoff game each of the last two seasons.
Returning all-district players in the AAA Patriot District this season. With Robinson moving to the Concorde District and several talented players graduating district-wide, T.C. Williams MLB Dominque Roulack is left as the sole all-district returner.
3
Maryland schools seeking to play in the state championship game for the third straight season: Damascus (2003 4A champion, 2004 runner-up), Lackey (3A runner-up in both 2003 and '04) and Potomac (2003 2A runner-up, 2004 champion). Springbrook holds the state record for making five straight state championship games from 1985 to '89, winning titles in 1985, '88, and '89.
14
The magic number for Potomac (Va.). The Panthers are 14-2 the past three seasons when scoring 14 or more points.
8
Nationalities represented on Rockville's roster. The Rams have players from the U.S., Brazil, Cameroon, Grenada, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mali, and Sierra Leone.
54
Career touchdowns for Westfield senior All-Met running back Evan Royster. He needs 11 more to match the total his brother, Brandon, compiled while playing at Fairfax.
