Based on how last season played out, it’s clear that preseason predictions don’t mean a lot when it comes to Carroll County football.
A year ago, not many predicted Winters Mill to be top contenders, yet the Falcons produced the best season in school history. They had a chance the final week to claim the county title, and were only a few yards short of earning a trip to the state semifinals.
But even regular-season success didn’t seem to matter once playoff time came. Despite running through the county undefeated, last year’s county champion Westminster was then completely outplayed by Manchester Valley in the opening round of the playoffs.
Regardless of where everyone finished, one thing was clear about each team last season: they were 10 times better at season’s end than before the first ball was kicked off.
For Westminster and runner-up Winters Mill, replacing key offensive pieces like Kyrece Walker, Paris Lee and Caleb Crouch wont be easy, but with morale high after last season, both teams are ready to return to the top of the standings.
Liberty and South Carroll are two teams that improved toward the end of the season and now boast the returning talent to make noise. The Cavaliers tout running back brother duo Anthony and Manny Rodrigues, both back, healthy and ready to produce. The Lions tout arguably the best pass catcher in the league, Tristian West, who joins Kevin Poole and Kevin Kern as three Lions that can make an impact on both sides of the ball.
Then there’s Manchester Valley, Francis Scott Key and Century. All three have made adjustments to both personnel and the coaching staff and are being slept on by no one as they are all expected to be much better.
The Mavericks look to ride the momentum from last year’s playoff upset win and get off to a better start. Meanwhile, FSK hopes new defensive coordinator Mike Kraus could instill some needed discipline into an Eagle squad that lost four games by single digits last season.
That sets the stage for a 2024 county title race where every team feels there’s a clear path for them to reach the top. Here’s how every team looks heading into the season:
Century
Coach: Dave Ferguson, fourth season
Last season: 1-9
Top returners: Seniors JT Ferguson, Dominic Damico, Alex Gernand and Dylan Broom.
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Jake Dexter and Jake Coonts.
Coach’s outlook: “Very excited for a good solid competitive season out of the team this year. Had a great off-season and start of practice for this year. Even though the last few years have been rough, looking for the seniors for the perseverance to succeed.”
Francis Scott Key
Coach: David Cunningham Jr., third season
Last season: 1-9
Top returners: Seniors Jermaine Dawson, Sam Andrews and Craig Hardsock.
Newcomers to watch: Senior Bryson Lookingbill
Coach’s outlook: “The culture has completely changed, we’re continuing to get better everyday by being mentally sharp and playing together.”
Liberty
Coach: Larry Luthe, 12th season
Last season: 5-6
Top returners: Seniors Chase Miller, Tristan West, Kevin Poole and Kevin Kern.
Newcomers to watch: Junior Danny Nelson, Sean Case and Ausin Safran; sophomore Matthew O’Donnell.
Coach’s outlook: “We will go as our offensive line goes. We are very talented at the skill positions offensively and defensively. We are extremely young on the offensive line, and must improve throughout the season.”
Manchester Valley
Coach: Bernie Koontz, sixth season
Last season: 6-5
Top returners: Seniors Braden Fritz, Jake Robinson, Cru Boog, Aiden Turner and Troy Letizia; juniors Declan Earhart and Colton Nunn.
Newcomers to watch: Senior Matt Foran. juniors John Day, Connor Stack and Walter Sallee; sophomore Ben Sodeinde.
Coach’s outlook: “We have a good mix of returners and new players who are working well together. The program is hoping to build off of a solid foundation put in place last year.”
South Carroll
Coach: Mike Crumley, second season
Last season: 3-7
Top returners: Seniors Caleb Evans, James Graham, Manny Rodrigues, Brayden Yeager and Angelo Marchany; juniors Anthony Rodrigues and Landon Hamper.
Newcomers to watch: Sophomores Jake Gillis, Jackson Kostos, Brayden Mazalewski and Davy Snyder.
Coach’s outlook: “We’re a young team yet again this year, but the seniors we have will be anchoring the line on both sides of the ball and help to provide in-game leadership.”
Westminster
Coach: Chris Bassler, sixth season
Last season: 8-2
Top returners: Seniors Rakim Warfield, Cooper Whitcomb, Hayden Turner and Ryan Dunne; juniors David Gerting, Xavier Howard and Brayden Trupe.
Newcomers to watch: Junior Rory O’Conner; sophomores Isiah Taylor and Gabe Lee.
Coach’s outlook: “We have a good mix of new players and veterans and have a great offseason. We are more athletic top to bottom and deeper than we were last year.”
Winters Mill
Coach: Matt Miller, 12th season
Last season: 9-2, state quarterfinalist
Top returners: Seniors Chris Schoonover, Tommy Hinkhaus, Austin Utz, Jesse Buckingham, Arthur Womack and Braydon Jones.
Newcomer to watch: Sophomore Jarell Baker.
Coach’s outlook: “If our young team can jell early, we’ll have a chance for success over the course of the season. We will have a lot of new players filling starting rolls, and the sooner they settle into these rolls the sooner we’ll see the positive benefits on the field.”
