With the 2024 season rapidly approaching, Howard County football teams are already eying taking the next postseason step.
Several teams will be in contention for the Howard County title including Atholton, Glenelg, Oakland Mills and Reservoir. Guilford Park also enters the fold as the county’s 13th varsity program after spending last year as just a junior varsity program.
While last year’s Offensive Player of the Year Coleman Hallums (Mt. Hebron) graduated, several first team All-County skill players are returning. Defensive Player of the Year Moses Bailey is back at Reservoir after a brief period at St. Frances. The Richmond University commit headlines several talented defenders back in Howard County for the 2024 season.
The county’s 13 teams are split between multiple regions. Howard, Long Reach and Reservoir are in Class 4A/3A East. Meanwhile, Atholton, Guilford Park, Marriotts Ridge, Mt. Hebron, Oakland Mills and River Hill are in 3A East. Centennial, Glenelg, Hammond and Wilde Lake are the county’s representatives in 2A West.
The postseason begins Nov. 7-9 with the state championships from Dec. 5-7 at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
Howard County is also implementing two six team-divisions, where the two division winners will face off to determine a county champion. Guilford Park will be part of the divisions once they are competing in all varsity sports next school year.
The Summit Division is Glenelg, Hammond, Marriotts Ridge, Mt. Hebron, Oakland Mills and Reservoir. The Sierra Division is Atholton, Centennial, Howard, Long Reach, River Hill and Wilde Lake. The football county champion will be determined by overall winning percentage.
Here is a look at the teams. (Note: Not all teams responded to requests for information.)
Atholton
Coach: Eric Woodson, fifth season
Last season: 7-4
Top returners: Seniors Owen Berngartt (C), Elijah Braxton (WR/S), Delbert Cowsette (WR/S), Gurtej Mann (K/P), Brody Pope (HB/TE/LB), Lawson Mungo (RB) and Ian Pope (TE/DE); junior Tyler Bell (QB).
Newcomers to watch: Seniors Bryce Inabinet (WR/DE) and Ja’Varr Stewart (RB/S).
On the field: Bell enters his second season as the Raiders quarterback after throwing for 1,453 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore, also adding 307 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns. Mungo leads the backfield as a physical downhill runner with 598 yards and six touchdowns last season, while Stewart will also be a factor after transferring from St. Frances Academy. Braxton, Cowsette and Inabinet give the Raiders dynamic speed at wide receiver, while Berngartt anchors the offensive line as a three-year starter. Ian and Brody Pope will be pivotal defensive players as Ian was a force off the edge last year. He finished with 65 tackles, five sacks, and 27 quarterback hurries as a junior.
Coach’s outlook: “I believe we are primed to regain the county championship this year as we also set our sights on getting past the quarterfinals as we stumbled in this contest in 2021 and 2022.”
Glenelg
Coach: Will Bell, second season
Last season: 7-4
Top returners: Seniors Nick Bilotto (QB), James Wescott (FB/LB), Ty Jenkins (WR/DB), Zach Coughlin (RB), Jack Magnolia (OL/DL), Joey McCann (OL/DL), Shane DuBois (DB), Ethan Sands (RB/LB), Collin Szczepanski (LB) and Andrew Lentscher (RB/LB).
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Matthew Keane (TE/DE), Adam Cole (WR/DB), Wesley Horsman (WR/DB) and Russell McIntyre (RB/LB).
On the field: Bilotto takes over as the Gladiators signal caller. Coughlin brings stability in the backfield in his second season starting, while Magnolia and McCann will be anchors on both lines. Glenelg has great depth and versatility at linebacker with Wescott, Sands, Szczepanski and Lentscher. DuBois is the veteran of the defensive back group, while Cole and Horsman are going to play increased roles.
Coach’s outlook: “We have a younger group this year filling in around a few returning starters. Our team is motivated for a strong season. Staying healthy will be a key to our success.”
Guilford Park
Coach: Thomas Montag, second season
Last season: 8-1 (JV only)
Top returners: Juniors Lance Johnson (LB), Khadea McDonald (RB/DB), Tre’Von Johnson (DL) and Keenan Hall (OL); sophomores Andrew Adams (WR/DB), A’Yar Reed-Wright (QB) and DaMarcus Howard-Brown (WR/DB).
Newcomers to watch: Freshmen AJ Hicks (WR/DB) and Anthony Holliday (OL/DL).
On the field: The Panthers are in their first season as a varsity team and looking to build on their momentum from junior varsity last season. The offense is led by sophomore signal caller Reed-Wright, while McDonald leads the way in the backfield. Guilford Park has a lot of two-way versatility at wide receiver and cornerback with Adams, Howard-Brown and Hicks. Up front, Johnson, Holliday and Hall are going to be important players, while Johnson should be a factor for the defense at linebacker.
Coach’s outlook: “Entering our first season as a varsity program is going to definitely have its struggles as we move forward with no seniors. Our guys have worked hard this offseason to ensure we close the JV to varsity gap and are ready to compete. I believe we will be competitive each week this season as we continue to grow as a program.”
Hammond
Coach: Jonathan Bannister, second season
Last season: 0-10
Top returners: Senior Anthony Charity Quinn (WR); juniors Jaden Asah-Timothy (RB) and Xavier Nichols (RB).
Newcomers to watch: Seniors Amir Sensie (WR/DB) and Tavion Griffin (RB/LB); juniors Timmy Costa (WR/DB), Kyon Hairston and Jayden Monroe (RB/LB); sophomore Lazaro Ribalta.
On the field: The Golden Bears return three key pieces of last year’s offense. Asah-Timothy ran for 922 yards on 93 carries, while Nichols will be another playmaker in the backfield. Charity Quinn showcased his dynamic speed last year, averaging 20.8 yards per reception. Hammond brings in several other newcomers at the skill positions and quarterback who are expected to make an impact.
Howard
Coach: Ross Hannon, eighth season
Last season: 6-4
Top returners: Seniors Cam Demma (HB/LB), Dylan Kimmel (QB), Gus Rocha (OL) and Kenny Stevens (DL); junior Darius Moore (RB).
Newcomers to watch: Seniors Shawn Myers (WR/DB) and Alex Reeb (WR/DB); sophomores Donte Jones (WR/DB) and Jayson Allen (RB/LB).
On the field: Demma will be the anchor in the middle of the Lions defense at linebacker. He finished with 91 tackles last year, including 16 for loss. Moore brings added depth to the linebacking corps and headlines the running back group. First team All-County as a junior, Moore was dynamic and finished with 1,182 total yards and nine touchdowns. Kimmel is entering his second season as the starting quarterback after throwing for 748 yards and seven touchdowns last season, adding 207 yards on the ground. Rocha brings experience up front on the offensive line, while Stevens will be a key player on the defensive line after 41 tackles last year, including 10 for loss.
Coach’s outlook: “We have a talented, hard-working group of players. We have big shoes to fill replacing eight starters on offense and eight starters on defense, however we’ve had a great summer and love the chemistry of this young group.”
Long Reach
Coach: Jamie Willis, 12th season
Last season: 6-4
Top returners: Seniors Donovan Bailey (DL), Josue Jimenez (LB), Chase Hopkins (RB), Robert Hicks (QB) and Dylan Clark (OL); juniors Brett McKinnon (LB), RJ Samuels (TE) and Reece Thimote (RB/WR/S).
Newcomers to watch: Junior Thomas Lowe (OL); sophomores Justin Jones (OL), Bryce Atkins (OL), Kenny Dobbs (QB) and Arnaz Megginson (CB/WR); freshmen Kameron Jennifer (WR), Chris Smith (WR) and Jordan Etheridge (CB)
On the field: Bailey and Jimenez will be key players defensively for the Lightning. Bailey finished with four sacks and 11 tackles for loss as a junior, while Jimenez had 62 tackles. McKinnon brings added experience to the linebackers with 47 tackles last year. Hicks is entering his second season as the signal caller after throwing for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. He’ll have a plethora of returning targets including Samuels, Hopkins and Thimote. Long Reach welcomes in several new young skill players and offensive linemen who will bring another dimension to their offense.
Coach’s outlook: “My thoughts on our team this year are that we are very young and have a lot of positions we need to figure out. But we should have good senior leadership and like always we will take one game at a time and try to get better each week.”
Marriotts Ridge
Coach: James Holzman, third season
Last season: 4-6
Top returners: Seniors Richard Mills (QB), Ashton Clark (RB), Bredon Payne (LT), Peyton Eby (RG), Lucas Tran (S), Luke Holland (ILB) and Arha Depshande (WR).
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Markus Hollis (DE) and CJ Nyorkor (OLB).
On the field: The Mustangs return a wealth of experience on both sides of the ball. Mills will look to take the next step as a signal caller after completing 50.7% of his passes last year and throwing for seven touchdowns. Clark averaged 7.7 yards per carry last year and scored six touchdowns. Tran and Holland headline the veterans on defense that will look to anchor that unit.
Coach’s outlook: “I really like our group of young men. They have been a tremendous amount of time and dedication into the off-season and have had an excellent start to camp. It will be important for us to stay healthy and start the season on a positive note. It is a very senior-led team.”
Mt. Hebron
Coach: Shawn Frederick, sixth season
Last season: 8-3, 3A state quarterfinalist
Top returners: Senior Ben Blackerby (RB/DE); junior Adam Thompson (FS).
Newcomers to watch: Senior Damon Robinson (RB/DB); junior Owen Duda (TE/MLB).
On the field: The Vikings graduated several top performers from last year’s team including Hallums and Aidan Hauf, their lethal running back tandem. With their departure, Blackerby and Robinson are expected to shoulder the rushing load offensively. Thompson and Duda give Mt. Hebron experience in the secondary and linebacking corps.
Coach’s outlook: “I believe we are a young team that will be competitive in the county.”‘
Oakland Mills
Coach: Thomas Browne, 14th season
Last season: 5-7, 3A state quarterfinalist
Top returners: Seniors Isaac Ramsey (QB/DB), Kaiden Lee (RB/LB), Ayo Adeniyi (DL) and Olise Ndekwu (OL/DL); junior Taamir Oliver (RB/DB).
Newcomer to watch: Sophomore Kaleb Wells (WR/DB).
On the field: The Scorpions won five straight games to end last year’s regular season and will lean on their returners to sustain that momentum. Ramsey is an experienced signal caller and was a first team All-County defensive back in 2023 with a team-leading 63 tackles. Lee is a veteran four-year starter, also named a first team All-County linebacker last year with 50 tackles. Oliver was a first team All-County defensive back last year, disruptive in coverage with 15 pass breakups. Up front, Adeniyi and Ndekwu will be key players with Adeniyi in his second year playing football.
Coach’s outlook: “It’s nice to have a bunch of guys that return for us. If we stay healthy, I think we could be pretty good.”
Reservoir
Coach: Matt Banta, second season
Last season: 8-3, Howard County champion
Top returners: Seniors Timi Osibodu (OL/DL), Sammy Patraut (OL/DL), Moses Bailey (TE/DL), Brandon Mulira (WR/DB), Brandon Hester (DB) and Erix Abreu (RB/LB).
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Cruz Tsabang (RB/LB) and Rolando Carballo (RB/S); sophomore Lorenzo Foster-Franklin.
On the field: Bailey, the 2023 Howard County Times DPOY will anchor the Gators’ front seven. Osibodu and Patraut bring added experience to that front and will also be integral pieces of the offensive line. Mulira and Hester will lead the backend of the Gators defense. Offensively, the Gators will look to replace first-team All-County performers Jordan Tate and Adrian Alvarado. The running back quartet of Abreu, Tsabang, Carballo and Foster-Franklin will shoulder the load in doing that.
Coach’s outlook: “We return some talented defensive linemen and skill players. We will be young, but brought up many kids from an 8-1 JV team that should provide quality depth.”
River Hill
Coach: Brian Van Deusen, 25th season
Last season: 5-5
Top returners: Seniors Shane Schrecengost (QB/LB), Yusuf Shabazz (RB/DB) and Josh Newman (RB/LB); junior Jonathan Norwood (TE/LB); sophomore Andres Contreras (RB/LB).
Newcomers to watch: Senior Lewis Robertson III (TE/LB); sophomores Landen Araojo (RB/DB), Logan Shatzer (RB/DB), Tony Galanakos (OL/DL) and Nicolas Robertson (SE/DB).
On the field: The Hawks offense will look different this season after the graduation of quarterback Omar Hassan. However, Schrecengost brings experience to the position after starting last year when Hassan missed time due to injury. He rushed for 340 yards last year and will be the anchor of the Hawks’ defense with 72 tackles last season. Contreras headlines a versatile rushing attack with 539 yards and four touchdowns last season with Shabazz, Araojo and Shatzer all involved in the running back group. Newman and Norwood bring further experience to the linebacking corp while Robertson III is another senior expected to be a key piece of the defense.
Coach’s outlook: “We have a good mix of returners and new sophomores that we think can contribute. Schrecengost started several games at QB last year and will be one of our key defensive players.”
Wilde Lake
Coach: Brian Henderson, sixth season
Last season: 6-6, 2A state quarterfinalist
Top Returners: Seniors Kwadwo Boampong (RB/LB), Da’Shawn Powell (RB/WR/DB), Aamir Stewart (RB/LB), Xavier Exantus (OL/DL) and Afton Davis (QB/SS/P); sophomores Jaydin Gore (WR/DB) and Andrew Coleman (OL/DL)
Newcomers to watch: Senior Makensy Miles (OL/DL); juniors Ethan Willard (WR/SS) and Thaddaeus Landers (K).
On the field: The Wildecats defense lost Howard County sack leader Chris Martin, but bring back several key defenders. Boampong is the heartbeat of the defense at linebacker, first team All-County last year with a county-leading 137 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Stewart, Exantus and Coleman will be other key factors in the front seven. There is great versatility at the skill positions with Powell, Gore and Stewart with Davis stepping into a new role as Wilde Lake’s signal caller this season.
Coach’s outlook: “We have a really great group of young men, though we will be very inexperienced we are excited to get better each week and see how far this group will take the lake.”
![South Carroll wrestling, Francis Scott Key softball, Manchester Valley girls lacrosse and last but not least: Manchester Valley field hockey. Few teams have been as dominant against county competition the past couple of years and Denean Koontz’s program is no exception. Entering her 31st season, Koontz once again enjoys an embarrassment of riches as she glances at her roster. Now a sophomore, Taylor Fique is back along with fellow Player of the Year candidates Sophie Baer and Amanda Herrold to lead one of the county’s deepest lineups. The Mavericks are back and ready defend their undefeated county championship. After a […]](https://www.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2023/11/08/QT6FPF3NJZD65EEDR2CNSU4VMI.jpg?w=535 "South Carroll wrestling, Francis Scott Key softball, Manchester Valley girls lacrosse and last but not least: Manchester Valley field hockey. Few teams have been as dominant against county competition the past couple of years and Denean Koontz’s program is no exception. Entering her 31st season, Koontz once again enjoys an embarrassment of riches as she glances at her roster. Now a sophomore, Taylor Fique is back along with fellow Player of the Year candidates Sophie Baer and Amanda Herrold to lead one of the county’s deepest lineups. The Mavericks are back and ready defend their undefeated county championship. After a […]")