Arundel High School coach Chuck Markiewicz is one of the first to admit that football in Anne Arundel County isn?t as strong as some of their counterparts in Montgomery and Prince George?s counties. But, at the same time, that doesn?t mean that there isn?t plenty of quality football to be found among the 12 schools.
Markiewicz feels this may be one of the most wide-open county races in years, with any one of six or seven teams capable of coming out on top, depending on injuries and which team is able to best fill the holes left from graduated players.
“I think there is going to be a lot of parity in Anne Arundel County this year,” Markiewicz said.
Markiewicz, in his sixth year running the Wildcats? program, should have another solid season after going 9-3 and advancing to the Class 4A East Region final. For Arundel to succeed, it will need to continue to put up points in bunches like it always has under Markiewicz?s spread offense, while also finding some balance on defense.
Arundel will be able to see how good it is on the first week of the season when it travels to Millersville to take on Old Mill, which beat the Wildcats in the 2005 playoffs, 19-0. The Patriots will have their usual talented team, but they have a number of question marks. The team must replace star running back Ryan Callahan. They will also have a new coach in Damian Ferragamo, who replaces Mike Marcus.
Ferragamo is no stranger to the county. He graduated from North County and played under Markiewicz in the early 1990s. The first-year coach expects to throw the ball more than Marcus did in previous years but won?t forget about the rushing attack that has been so successful there.
“I?m not going to make change just for the sake of it, but I think the kids are capable of passing the ball more,” he said.
Severna Park is the defending county champs after a 10-2 season, in which they advanced to the 3A East final. The Falcons lost quarterback Greg Zingler, who is now at Navy, but coach J.P. Hines said not to ever count his kids out.
“We?re getting no respect, and I love it,” Hines said. “People think we won?t be good because Greg?s gone, and that just won?t be the case.”
North County is the other county playoff team after going 6-5. The Knights have improved every year under coach Gary Liddick.
Other teams to watch out for are Broadneck, which won the regional title in 2003 and 2004 before going 4-6 last year, and Annapolis (7-3 in 2005). South River, Southern, Meade and Northeast are all capable of pulling off an upset.
