Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz felt he had a good team entering this season. But, he had concerns about opening the season against Old Mill, which defeated the Wildcats twice last year, including in the 4A East region final.
Junior quarterback Nick Elko made those worries disappear in a hurry as he went 17-for-25 passing for 255 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for a sixth as Arundel topped host Old Mill, 42-20 Friday night in Millersville.
Elko also received help from a number of receivers as five different players caught at least two passes, including Brandon Johnson-Farrell who had three catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns. Ryan McNeely added six catches for 49 yards while Brandon Lemon had four catches for 44 yards and a score.
“To be able to score 42 points in the first game against Old Mill, I?m pretty pleased,” Markiewicz said. “We?ve got kids that can catch it and I thought the offense looked good as we added a few new wrinkles.”
Arundel may have finished strong, but it allowed Old Mill to stay in the game early thanks to a number of costly penalties and fumbles in two of its first three possessions. Still, the Wildcats offense came on strong, especially in the second and fourth quarters when they outscored the Patriots, 14-6, in both frames.
Quarterback Kelian Stevens, who finished 17-for-26 for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception, led Old Mill, playing its first game under new coach Damian Ferragamo. He also rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries while Steven Jenkins led the Patriots rushing attack with 93 yards on 23 carries.
“It was fun to finally get out there and play and then beat a team like Old Mill,” Elko said. “We started out slow, but got into a groove toward the end.”
The win had added meaning for Markiewicz, who coached Ferragamo in the early 1990s when both were at North County.
“It?s a pretty big deal to coach against a former player,” Markiewicz said. “I?m very excited to be able to do that. I just hope they keep playing for him.”
