Severna Park/Severn School Football Matchup Sets Stage For Upcoming Season

Last fall marked a stellar football season for Broadneck, Severna Park and Archbishop Spalding high schools. Broadneck advanced to the state’s semifinal playoff round only to lose against eventual state champion Quince Orchard. Archbishop Spalding won a fourth consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference championship and Severna Park secured the school’s first playoff win in 17 years.

This year should deliver great competition within the county and private school leagues as well as the first game between Severna Park and Severn School.

Falcons Aim To Build On Recent Gridiron Success

Severna Park is coming off of a 7-4 record and a playoff win over Crofton.

“We had a great senior class and 10 of those players are continuing their playing careers this fall,” said Severna Park head coach Nick Marks.

Marks will miss the departing seniors’ leadership and athletic abilities, but he trusted his plan of developing those players in their sophomore years. He is excited about this year’s squad.

“First of all, our players are really pumped to play Severn the first week of the season,” Marks said. “To my knowledge, Severna Park and Severn have never played in the regular season. It should be fun and the players can’t wait. We hope to keep this game going on a yearly basis.”

Three athletes are vying for the starting quarterback spot left by Blake Howell, who took his talents to Salisbury University.

On offense, Marks is counting on running back Lucas Zyvoloski, wide receiver Caden Guerra and two-way lineman Bubba Mullervy to guide the Falcons to a winning record. Defensively, Marks is counting on senior linebacker Logan Moran and safety Charlie Cavanaugh to stop opponents.

Bruins Will Attempt To Finish Season On Top

Every year, Broadneck’s goal is to win the 4A state championship.

The Bruins consistently advance in the playoffs, and they continually battle Montgomery County schools for that elusive title. That was the scenario last year as the Bruins beat Paint Branch before succumbing to the eventual state champion, Quince Orchard.

“In the championship game, we turned the ball over the first two times we had the ball,” said Broadneck head coach Rob Harris.

This is Harris’ 15th season as head coach, and he is eager to see what his tenacious team will do this year.

“Our offensive line will be the strength of our team,” Harris said. “We’ll be a very physical team up front as we have some big and athletic linemen.”

That offensive line averages 280 pounds. Those players will create holes for their running backs and protect quarterback Nate Kropkowski. Those linemen include tackles Marcus Forsythe and Riley Baker, guards Christian Guzman and Will DiCandilo, and center Joey O’Connor.

Kropkowski will lead the Bruins’ high-octane offense with accurate passing skills and option running ability. The senior quarterback also has a talented wide receiver ensemble to throw to including Aiden Tupper (a Monmouth University commit), Max Fresty, Liam Sabo and Josh Simons.

On the other side of the ball, Harris has some holes to fill due to graduation.

“We’ll have nine new starters on defense,” Harris said. “But we’re looking into a competitive fall camp to fill those openings.”

Linebackers Grayson Boone and David Townes and defensive backs Preston Gordon and Amir Proctor will lead the defense.

Severn School Anticipates Turnaround

Severn School’s football team will be young, but the players have put in countless hours since last fall to compete in the MIAA B conference.

“This has been the best offseason in the weight room by far,” said Severn School head coach Demetrius Ballard. “Our opening game against Severna Park has helped our motivation all offseason and we expect a dog fight that Friday night.”

Last year, Severn finished 4-6, but the Admirals experienced major injuries that affected their depth.

The Admirals will rely on many sophomores to start as they have only eight seniors on the team.

“We have some young but talented players in key positions, but overall, this will be our best defense since I’ve been here,” said Ballard, who is entering his fifth year as head coach.

The Admirals will be led by quarterback Landyn Hardnett, who has the physical prowess to run or pass. Hardnett’s top passing target could be senior tight end Lincoln Watkins, who has committed to William & Mary. The Admirals will also deploy sophomore tight end Tristan Gale, whom Ballard called “the strongest kid in the program.”

The strength of the offense may be the massive offensive line, which features freshman Mason Wade and junior Nate Mitchelski.

On defense, Ballard is counting on many fast and athletic players to roam the field including defensive back Myles Goger, who is committed to play lacrosse at Johns Hopkins; defensive lineman Bubba Hamilton; and linebacker J.J. Frankl.

New Coach Leads Archbishop Spalding

Last fall, Archbishop Spalding won their record-setting fourth consecutive MIAA A Conference championship. This year, the Cavaliers will be missing a key element of that winning chemistry.

Former head coach Kyle Schmitt accepted an assistant coach position at the University of Maryland, his alma mater.

To fill this void, Spalding chose Naval Academy cornerback coach Robert “R.B.” Green, who played at Navy and was a coach in Annapolis for 13 years.

“My ultimate goal is to get these kids into colleges to continue their education and hopefully playing days,” Green said. “Spalding has definitely put itself on the map of the recruiters as we had 68 colleges visit us last spring.”

This year, Spalding will battle the best teams in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The Cavaliers’ first three games are against D.C. powerhouses DeMatha, St. John’s and Good Counsel before they face the gauntlet of MIAA A Conference opponents.

This year’s Cavaliers team will be a high-intensity squad on both sides of the ball.

“Our strength will be our offensive line that features four seniors,” Green said.

That offensive line will consist of seniors Alek Giddens, Mike Byrne, Owen Rickard and Tucker Lapriola. Junior tackle Bryce Smalls fills out the starting five.

The Cavaliers will also have a group of high-level wide receivers for sophomore quarterback Brian Snowden. Leading that group is senior Myles McAfee, who is committed to Maryland, along with Kam Miller, David Ledbetter and Drew Hall.

Headlining the defense is defensive tackle Brock Frisby, who has committed to Virginia Tech, and lineman Nomue Duncan. Linebackers include Kevin Thompson, Brandon Hicks and David Robinson, and the defensive backfield features Joseph Cowsette, Chase Smith, Torre Massenburg and Nisaiah Glass.

“Coach Schmitt built a legacy at Spalding, and my job is to keep the train going,” Green said.