FOOTBALL: Previewing the playoffs, Thanksgiving edition

By Andrew Conrad
Posted: November 28, 2008

This Friday evening, after you’ve gone to shop at Kohl’s at 4 a.m., seen this year’s big Thanksgiving week blockbuster, and eaten a few leftover turkey sandwiches, you’ll have two state semifinal football games to choose from in Howard County: in the 2A, Century (12-0) at River Hill (12-0), and in the 3A, Hereford (10-2) at Wilde Lake (11-1).

Both games are at 7 p.m., so you’ve got to choose one and stick with it. I sure would like to see staggered start times in the football playoffs, but that’s another blog I guess … Last week the Wilde Lake game was scheduled to start an hour before the River Hill game, but the officials at Wilde Lake didn’t realize that and didn’t get out to the field until after 6:30, so you wouldn’t have been able to double dip anyway. No one was more peeved at having to stand around waiting in the freezing cold than Wilde Lake coach Doug DuVall, who was wearing shorts and bare hands. I saw coach DuVall at the football state tournament press luncheon Tuesday at M&T Bank Stadium, and I’m happy to report that he didn’t look like this.

This Hereford-Wilde Lake game looks to be a doozy. DuVall cautioned me that his team would not be able to run wild on Hereford like it did against Fallston in the region championship.

“I’m not sure we can stop (Hereford), but we’ve got a pretty good idea of what they’ll do … as you work your way up through the pyramid that’s the way it gets,” DuVall said. “It becomes a little bit more of a chess game rather than a poker game.”

Hereford runs a Wing T offense like River Hill, the only team to defeat Wilde Lake this season, 12-0. Hereford’s two losses are to Perry Hall, by three, and Douglass, by three. River Hill defeated Douglass in the region championship, so there is a common opponent chain that goes like this: Wilde Lake lost to River Hill (12-0) which beat Douglass (21-6) which beat Hereford (20-17) which plays Wilde Lake Friday night … for whatever all that is worth (that common opponent chain and 50 cents will get you half a can of soda).

Here’s the tale of the tape. Hereford senior running back Nick DePaola (jersey #10) has rushed for 1,466 yards and 14 TDs on 188 carries and caught nine passes for 179 and two.

Wilde Lake senior running back Jarrel Epps (#6) has rushed for 1,014 yards and 15 touchdowns on 121 carries and caught seven passes for 112 and two. DePaola has returned ten kickoffs for for 234 yards, Epps has returned 10 for 201.

Wilde Lake’s next two rushers, Danny March (#4) and Christian Hough (#2) have combined for 1,296 and 13 TDs. Hereford’s next two, Hasani Cromwell (#9) and Neil Deluca (#2) have combined for 933 and 13.

Hereford QB David Wood (#19) has thrown for 662 yards (31/74), 8 TDs and 5 INTs. March has 487 (25/46), 5 and 2.

Interceptions: March and Epps have 9, DePaola and Reilly Crosby (#21) have five. Sacks: Wilde Lake’s Chaz Cousins-Lee (#7) and Jackson Drury (#80) have 15, Hereford’s Scott Schmelz (#56) and Ron Rose (#99) have 16.

Punting and field goal numbers are nearly identical between the two teams.

Roster size. Wilde Lake: 46. Hereford: 47. The average Wildecat is listed at 5-11, 196 pounds; the average Bull is 5-11, 190 pounds.

Get the point? It’s going to be close.

“It’ll be whoever gets the ball last I’m sure,” DuVall says.

My pick: Wilde Lake, 22-14. Yes, I’m a homer and I want to see Coach DuVall on the sideline at M&T Bank Stadium for his last game.

Onto Clarksville. Although River Hill opened just over ten years ago, its got the edge on Century in terms of history. Century opened in 2000, and this is its first time in the playoffs. In fact, this is the first season the Knights have had a record above .500. River Hill, meanwhile, has gone to the playoffs six years in a row, won four straight region titles, and is the defending state champ.

“The impressive thing is how they’re getting better throughout the playoffs,” River Hill coach Brian Van Deusen said. “It’s their first time there, but you couldn’t tell.”

Century’s big three offensive weapons are bruising running back Cory Anderlik (#34, 6-0, 235) who has rushed for 1,139 yards on 163 attempts and 14 touchdowns; quarterback Josh Bordner (#12, 6-4, 190), who has thrown for 2,049 yards (125/217), 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions; and receiver Luke Wright (#4), who has caught 45 passes for 754 yards and ten touchdowns.

“They’ve got good balance on offense, real good quarterback, a very good receiver, and also in the backfield they’ve got a big running back … they’re a tough team to defend,” Van Deusen said.

Defensive backs Michael Campanaro (#5) and Malek Redd (#2) will have their hands full defending against the Knights prolific passing attack. They haven’t been tested too much this year, probably because they’re so adept at covering receivers that opponents don’t bother. But you can expect a quarterback who has averaged 18 pass attempts per game to at least give it a try.

Campanaro and Redd won’t just be toiling in pass defense, though. That duo has combined for 2,726 yards and 38 touchdowns (Campanaro: 186 rushes for 1704 and 26; Redd: 99/1022/12) in the running game. River Hill doesn’t pass it nearly as much as Century, but when they do, they’re efficient. Luke Hostetler (#11) has thrown for 472 yards (27/58) seven touchdowns, and one interception. Campanaro has caught 17 passes for 266 yards and seven scores.

“We’re hoping that our speed maybe can give them some problems, I don’t think they’ve seen a whole lot of teams with our speed,” Van Deusen said.

Wright is the man in the Century return game. He has returned 10 kicks for 296 yards (29.6 average) and a score, and 13 punts for 85 (6.5) and a score.

River Hill splits its return duties between its two best athletes. Redd has returned only four kickoffs for 216 yards (54) and two TDs. Campanaro has six punt returns for 170 yards (28) and two TDs. Give River Hill the edge on special teams.

River Hill has only had to punt ten times this season, so I won’t compare those numbers. But I will say that Century’s punter is averaging 32 yards per punt, which is good.

Sacks: River Hill’s Ryan Griffin (#27) has five, Century’s Bordner (the rare QB who also plays defensive end) and Zach Zile (#86) have eight sacks each. Edge on pass rush goes to Century, though the Hawk O-line has been pretty good and should hold up. I should also note that as a tight end, Zile has caught 25 passes for 498 yards and three scores, as Century’s second leading receiver.

Interceptions: Campanaro and Wright each have five. Campanaro returned two of them for touchdowns.

River Hill has seven shut outs. Century has two.

Scoring differential: RH: 505-40; C: 403-132.

Roster: RH: 37; C: 35. The average Hawk is 5-11, 188. The average Knight is 5-10, 180.

Century’s season has been impressive, going all the way to the state semifinals in their first playoff appearance (Tampa Bay Rays anyone?) But I don’t see their story ending with a state championship win (or appearance.)

River Hill, 35-13.

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