The Howard Lions have turned their equipment in by this time in each of the past eight years, including last fall, when they won just two games ? one of their worst seasons in school history.
But that?s all in the past. The Lions have emerged as one of the area?s most improved teams by going 7-3 and qualifying for the 3A East Region tournament ? not bad for a team that won nine games combined the previous three seasons.
Third-seeded Howard, which averages 25 points per game, will open the postseason at second-seeded Wilde Lake (7-3) in Columbia on Saturday afternoon at 1 in a rematch of a regular season game won by Howard, 21-14, on Oct. 27.
“Going in we didn?t know how good we would be,” Howard coach Al Feldblum said. “We felt we would be good, better than last year, but not in our wildest dreams we thought we would be in the playoffs.”
A win on Saturday and an upset in the region final would give the Lions their first berth in the state tournament since 1999, when it reached the 2A semifinals.
Howard is led by running backs Dionte Jones and A.J. Bonavitacola. Jones has 709 yards and 6 touchdowns, with Bonavitacola adding 731 yards and 9 touchdowns.
“I?d much rather play them having lost to them,” Wilde Lake coach Doug DuVall, who has won five state titles, said, “then beat them once and have to play them again.”
The Wildecats? double-wing offense, led by quarterback Danny March, scores nearly 30 points per game and is based on a grinding running game. March is one of four players on the team with more than 350 yards rushing, and has accounted for 751 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns.
“We?re calling the kids the ?foxhole guys,?” DuVall said. “They hunker down in there, they look out for each other. They aren?t an overly talented group, but they just play well together.”
But Feldblum has no fear of his team overlooking the Wildecats. Howard finished the regular season with losses to Long Reach and River Hill in which they were outscored, 69-13.
“After the last two weeks,” Feldblum said, “our guys aren?t taking anything for granted.”
