Crab Cakes and Football
BY ADAM CHASEN
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD - "Crab cakes and football. That's what Maryland does!" Most of us know this famous quote from the movie, Wedding Crashers. Never will it be more poignant than the ESPN's nationally-televised game this coming Sunday afternoon, August 29, at 3 p.m. The Good Counsel Falcons football program travels to the greater Cincinnati, Ohio region to take on one of the nation's historically elite teams, the St. Xavier Bombers.
First, a few disclaimers in the interest of being completely transparent; not only was I born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland but I've followed assiduously local football, including Good Counsel, since I began playing football as a fourth grader. In my tenure as Sports Director of GamedayMD.com, I have covered, interviewed, and meticulously studied nearly every game and individual player on the Falcons roster. I also broadcasted for Gameday almost every one of their 2009 games, which included their first-ever WCAC (the local private Catholic school league) conference football championship at Navy stadium last November.
We all know that Texas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and, of course, Ohio have long been known as the most talented high school football pools in the nation. There is no denying that these states have produced major college and NFL talent for decades. Less heralded, Maryland generally and the Washington to Baltimore corridor particularly have over the most recent decade produced as much or more per capita talent than any region in the country.
You may question my estimation here, but the two high school football programs which have produced the highest number of current NFL players, reside in Maryland. The school with the largest number of current NFLer's is Dematha Catholic, in Hyattsville, Maryland (Good Counsel's arch-rival). Eleanor Roosevelt High School, in Greenbelt, Maryland holds claim to the second most players in "The League". Elite players, not just roster fillers are littered throughout the NFL, including potential future hall of famer, Brian Westbrook (Dematha.) Visanthe Shiancoe, Shawn Springs, Dhani Jones, and possibly the most disruptive and best defensive lineman in all of professional football, Darnell Dockett, came from Montgomery County public school programs. Washington D.C. public schools have produced such talents in recent years as brothers Vernon and Vontae Davis, both first round picks, and likely college football's top defensive lineman in Marvin Austin (North Carolina.) Rising Florida Gator sophomore, Jelani Jenkins, a 2008 graduate of Good Counsel was considered to be among the top if not the top recruit in the nation when he was a senior. Jenkins, along with Austin, are both predicted to be very high first round draft picks when they reach draft eligibility.
So how will Maryland's Good Counsel match up against Ohio's St. Xavier this coming weekend? Nationally, the prevailing sentiment is that even this premier Maryland program is an automatic underdog because they are playing an "Ohio" powerhouse. Even some local message boards are predicting a struggle for the Falcons.
In 2007, Maryland high school football faltered in an attempt to remediate this reputation when Dematha fell badly to St. Xavier, 28-7. At the time, Dematha led by current University of Maryland star, Kenny Tate, was regarded by many as a favorite going into the game and one of the top few teams in the entire nation. Fortunately for the region, history and opinion will not be on the field this weekend. Instead, the 2010 Falcons and the 2010 Bombers will determine the outcome.
So let's break down how these two teams match up. Neither team is likely to have a major coaching edge because Bob Milloy of Good Counsel and Steve Specht of St. Xavier are considered to be in the exclusive fraternity of the best current high school football coaches.
In his 40 years on the sidelines, Coach Bob Milloy has won eight Maryland State Championships. In addition to these recognized championships, the 2009 Good Counsel Falcons, led by Milloy, captured the WCAC conference title while also being acknowledged as the undisputed number one team in the state by all media outlets, local and national. The WCAC conference extends from Baltimore, Maryland through Washington, D.C. and into Virginia but does not have an opportunity to compete in a state recognized tournament. Coach Milloy, as an active coach, was named to the Maryland Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007, a remarkable feat for a non-retired coach.
On the opposing sideline Sunday, Coach Steve Specht has won two Ohio state titles in his tenure at St. Xavier. Specht, known as a defensive guru, was named the head defensive coordinator as a part of the first-ever USA Junior National Football Team in 2009. He led the Bombers to the GCL conference title and was also named the league Coach of the Year last season.
No doubt the coaching staffs of these two teams have been preparing their players to be as sharp as possible for this opening game. St. Xavier, having graduated five first-team all-conference selections last year, including star defensive back Will Carroll, will look to a less-experienced group to step up. The cupboard, however, was not left bare for Coach Specht returning three first-team all-conference selections, including team captains, LB/RB Steven Daniels and lineman Jack Woodall and perhaps, most significantly, junior running back Conor Hundley. Hundley has reportedly grown from a few pounds shy of 200 last season into a thicker 205-plus man child.
Good Counsel who returns sixteen of their twenty-two starters from last year, including all five offensive linemen, senior starting quarterback Zach Dancel, and ultra-dynamic skill position players in running back Wes Brown and all-purpose athlete Stefon Diggs already know what their team is capable of.
Both sides will rely upon prodigious lines on both sides of the football. St. Xavier's offensive scheme is likely to employ a "road-grading" running game for Conor Hundley behind its massive offensive line. Whether the Bombers can balance their attack with a passing game is the team's biggest question mark. After losing two-year starting quarterback Luke Messa to graduation, the 2010 starter, yet to be named, will come from a talented pool of underclassmen. Good Counsel lost a pair division I edge rushers to graduation, but will need to prove they can stop the Bombers running game before getting a shot to rush the quarterback.
Good Counsel is overflowing with athleticism in the secondary spear-headed by the hard-hitting Blake Countess and two-way star Diggs. Diggs, a varsity starter since freshman year, played sparingly on defense in 2009, but looked at times like the best player on the field at the free safety position. Current Wisconsin Badger Frank Tamakloe, played almost exclusively at the free safety position last year until going down late in the season with a leg injury, so Diggs was rarely called upon defensively. He is a suprisingly physical presence with his lanky build and a vicious hitter. What makes him so special and why many major colleges are scouting the young man, at a variety of positions, is without a doubt his combination of blazing speed and elusiveness.
The Falcon's front seven will have quite the task to slow down the Bomber running assault, but the depth of the front four should allow Milloy's team to stay fresh. Vince Groce has moved from the defensive line into the middle linebacker position to help the Falcons run defense. The match-up between the 6'5" 265 lb. Groce and running back Conor Hundley will be one of the most important to watch. Groce in the middle is as imposing as any linebacker at Good Counsel since 2008 grad and current starting Florida Gator Jelani Jenkins. During the heyday of former mammoth 290lb Pittsburgh Steeler middle linebacker Levon Kirkland, it appeared a defensive tackle was able to man the position and cover from sideline to sideline. Groce has very similar attributes. Hundley will need to display patience and demonstrate the kind of speed and power that he showcased when he burst onto the scene as a sophomore last year. Big things are expected of the junior back, and whether another back can help shoulder the load and provide a spark, remains to be seen.
Good Counsel will attempt to use its power running game led by highly underrated junior Wes Brown. Brown will be assisted by the much-ballyhooed sophomore Dorian O'Daniel, and secret weapon fullback Michael Jefferson. Jefferson, now a senior, saw limited action last year behind Mike Nittoli, but expect to see the part-time track star play a big role. The solidly built 205-pounder will have a tough task attacking linebackers with the iso blocks that the Falcons love to run, not to mention blitz pickup assignments. In short spurts last season, Jefferson looked more than up to the task against stout competition, but where he is likely to make the most noticeable impact to the casual observer will be rushing the football. Milloy's offense utilizes the fullback quite a bit carrying the football with trap plays and often in the past looked to Nittoli in the red zone.
The Bombers will be bringing intense pressure with blitz packages both for run and pass situations which is known as Coach Specht's specialty. Exceptional linebackers, Steven Daniels, Sean Duggan, and Nathan Gervis will have to be disruptive forces all game long to stop the Falcons attack. The Falcon's bookend offensive tackles, Michael Madaras and Ryan Watson, will need to play well physically, of course, but maybe even more importantly, will need to stand up mentally to Coach Specht's blitzing schemes. The left-handed Dancel has playmakers galore at his disposal but will need to avoid negative plays that the Bomber's defense consistently creates.
When you have two teams with such great athletes on both squads, any given special teams play could be a game-changer. Maybe the game will turn on one play or perhaps we will see a lopsided blowout by either squad. In either case, Sunday may be the day Maryland's high school football reputation will become what locals have known for a little more than a decade. The litmus test for Maryland high school football should not be decided by one game but with a national ESPN audience the rest of the country might finally appreciate the serious impact this region has on both major college football and the National Football League.
