By Mike Loveday

Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh verbally committed to Kansas State, where his father is the defensive coordinator.

Cosh, who confirmed the commitment to MDVarsity.com today, set eight public school state records last year while leading Arundel to the Class 4A state semifinals. He was a Consensus All-State pick after passing for 3,913 yards.

By Mike Loveday

I just got off the phone with Good Counsel defensive line coach Kevin McFadden who informed me that defensive back Mike Wallace committed to Penn State about five minutes ago.

Wallace took an official visit to Happy Valley over the weekend and the Nittany Lions made the offer. 

Wallace held offers from New Mexico, Maine, Stony Brook, Towson, Army, Bryant, Stanford and Monmouth. 

Other recruiting news and notes

Old Mill junior Josh Furman received his first official offer. The University of Maryland offered the 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete.

It's been a busy week for Anne Arundel county. Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh received his first official offer last week. Kansas State offered the 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior set several state records last season - his first as a varsity starter.

Among the records he shattered are the most touchdowns in a season (56) and the most passing yards in a season with 3,909.

Billy Cosh's numbers are simply too hard to overlook.

The talented junior from Arundel passed for state records 3,913 yards and 56 touchdowns in 13 games, leading his team to the state semifinals.

He figures to be the lock Consensus quarterback.

But if there was a No. 2 QB, which sometimes happens due to the voting, who would it be? 

In anticipation of the release of this week's All-State ballot (with the All-State teams named next week), we are sharing a preview of the players being considered for the Consensus All-State squad.

More than 25 media members will vote on the Big School and Small School All-State teams. From those first-team selections, the top 30 vote-getters are named to the Consensus All-State squad - the highest honor for Maryland high school football players.

Today, we unveil a list of quarterback who are in the running for Consensus All-State and we invite your feedback. This list is not all inclusive. In fact, there are more than 35 quarterback under consideration. We have narrowed the field to five - other than Cosh - for online purposes. Select one from the list below:

Tom Chroniger, DeMatha: Chroniger committed, then de-committed from Eastern Michiga, ealving him back on the market. He is the only quarterback in the state to top 1,000 yards both rushing and passing.

Raymond Cotton, Meade: The one-time Auburn commit topped 2,000 passing yards helping Meade rebound from a 1-9 season with a 4-6 showing in 2008.

Leon Kinnard, Loyola: Sure, Kinnard went down to injury late in the season, but before then he successfully guided the Dons to a perfect season. He is committed to Connecticut.

Jonathan Perry, Dunbar: In the state final, Perry did not look like himself until the game matter most - the final two minutes. He drove the Poets 91 yards in 114 seconds to pull out the win. He finished the season with 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Zack Splain, Sherwood: Certainly one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the state this past season. While guiding Sherwood to a 14-0 record, Splain passed for more than 1,800 yards and 35 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions.

So who would you vote for? Or, is there another person you would consider? Leave your comments below and let us know who you think should make the All-state team.

By Mike Loveday
ESPNRISE.com

DeMatha head coach Bill McGregor said not much has changed since the WCAC title game in terms of recruiting interest. Quarterback Tom Chroniger has reopened his recruiting after verbally committing to Eastern Michigan as a quarterback. I have head the Maryland is interested in Chroniger as a safety and that Chroniger just wants to play major college football position will not matter a whole lot.

At least one bit of college coaching news that could affect who will come to Maryland to recruit is former Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley taking the head-coaching job at New Mexico.

Locksley graduated from Towson University and was the University of Maryland's running backs coach and recruiting coordinator from 1997 to 2002. Illinois has been a heavily recruited the Maryland area since Ron Zook took over as head coach and Locksley was spearheading the charge.

Another coaching change that is rumored is East Carolina head coach Skip Holtz taking over the job at Syracuse. What that means for former Northwest head coach Randy Trivers is unknown. Trivers has been recruiting Maryland heavily in his two years with the Orange and have received commitments from DeMatha's Raheem Cardwell and Arundel's Alec Lemon for 2009.

This is just me speculating, but I talked with Arundel's Billy Cosh a few weeks back and he told me that East Carolina was tops on his list of prospective colleges. With Holtz possibly moving it could have an effect on Cosh's school of choice.

I spoke with Joe Haden Sr. this week about his son and Friendly High School linebacker Jordan Haden. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior already holds 16 offers from major Division I-A colleges.

Florida, Boston College, West Virginia, LSU, UNC, Illinois, Rutgers, Michigan and Tennessee highlight the list, but according to Haden Sr. the younger Haden is leaning towards playing at Florida with his older brother and former Maryland Offensive Player of the Year, Joe Haden Jr.

Haden is expected to commit by early April and will follow in the footsteps of both Joe (Florida) and Josh (Boston) by graduating in December and being on a college campus in January of 2010.

By Mike Loveday
ESPNRISE.com

In a game where the offenses set seven state records, three public school records and a Class 4A record, it was Linganore's defense that came up big to help the Lancers defeat Arundel 59-34 in the Class 4A state semifinals.

Linganore's defense held Arundel to only six points in the second half after giving up 28 in the first and the Lancers' Pat Balderson shredded the Wildcats defense for 247 yards and five touchdowns.

"I've never been a part of something like that," Linganore head coach Rick Connor said. "I can only tell you that our kids persevered. We still don't know what happened."

What happened is the Linganore defense started to gain more pressure on Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh. In the first half, Cosh completed 24-of-36 passes for four touchdowns. In the second half, the Lancer defense held the junior to 15-of-28 and one touchdown.

"With the way we were rushing we started rushing outside and jumping on the ball," Connor said of his team's second half performance.

Pressure cooker: As the game progressed the Linganore defense gained more pressure on Cosh.

Kyle Stewart and Colby Weierbach both had sacks in the game while Austin Scates, Kevin Myers and Stewart all got in Cosh's face at the line of scrimmage and deflected passes. Michael Johnson, Zach Zwinak and Austin Matthews each had an interception in the game.

The best defense is a good offense: The 93 combined points sets a Class 4A state record for most points scored. The previous record was 88 points by Lake Clifton and North County in 1996.

Balderson and Zwinak combined to average 11.7 yards per carry on their way to 424 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Balderson ran for 247 and five touchdowns on 23 carries while Zwinak ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

Quiet leader: With all the records falling and the yards getting racked up in the game, junior Nick Marth quietly put together a solid night with 239 total yards.

Marth completed 7-of-12 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown and ran for 51 yards on nine carries.

Walking the walk: I happened to be standing next to Zwinak with four minutes left in the half and the game tied at 28. The junior running back turned to his teammates after the defense held Arundel to a three-and-out and said. "It's our time to score. We have to score.

On the next snap, Zwinak took the handoff 63 yards for a touchdown that gave Linganore a lead they would never relinquish, 35-28.

Record setters: Arundel's Billy Cosh and Alec Lemon set 11 records in the loss.

Cosh set seven state records and one public school record with his performance.

He increased his record total for most touchdowns in a season to 56. He set the state record for most passing yards in a season with 3,909. He broke Nick Elko's record for total offensive yardage in a season with 4,074. Cosh completed the most passes in a game with 39, breaking former North County quarterback Mike Pfisterer's record of 38. He set the record for most passes attempted in a game, breaking Pfisterer's record of 58. He surpassed former St. John's at Prospect Hall quarterback Keith Ricca for most passes attempted in a season (448). He passed Elko for most passes completed in a season (292). Cosh broke the public school record for most passing yards in a game with 471 yards.

Lemon tied one state record and two public school records.  He tied former teammate Brandon Johnson-Farrell's state record for most catches in a season with 103 and the public school record for most touchdown receptions in a season with 23. He also tied Johnson-Farrell for the public school record of most receptions in a career with 174*.

Up next: Linganore will travel to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore where they will face Sherwood in the Class 4A state final. The game will be start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday Dec. 5.

*Denotes pending information about Marriott's Ridge receiver possibly breaking Johnon-Farrell's record for most career receptions earlier this year.

E-mail Mike at Michael.Loveday@espn.com

Linganore won the Class 4A state semifinal 59-34 over Arundel, but the Wildcats quarterback-receiver combination of Billy Cosh and Alec Lemon are breaking every record in sight.

Unofficially, Lemon ended with 16 catches and Cosh passed more than 60 times for 496 yards. During the contest, Lemon matched both the single-season reception record (103) and  touchdown reception mark (23), records that were set last season by Lemon's teammate Brandon Johnson-Farrell.

After the official numbers are tallied, Cosh will hold the record for passing yards in a season (nearly 4,000), public school passing yards in a game (496), passes attempted in a game (60+), passes attempted in a season (440+), passes completed in a season (275+), touchdown passes in a season (56).

By Sheldon Shealer

Class  4A

No. 3 Arundel (11-1) at No. 2 Linganore (12-0)

Game Details: Friday vs. Linganore at Oakdale High School, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Arundel is 9-11 in 13 appearances with a state title in 1975. Linganore is 21-8 in 13 appearances with state titles in 1989, 1991, 1995 and 2003.

Head-to-Head: The teams have not met in postseason play.

Key Players:

Arundel: QB Billy Cosh (Jr.), 253 of 364 with 3,438 yards and 51 TDs; WR Alec Lemon, 87 cathes for 1,339 yards, 21 TDs; WR R.J. Harris (Jr.), 67 catches for 973 yards, 17 TDs; LB Bobby Partilla (Jr.), 106 tackles; LB C.J. Rice, 87 tackles; LB Rob Gant, 79 tackles.

Linganore: RB Zach Zwinak (Jr.), 1,270 rushing yards, 17 TDs; RB Pat Balderson, 964 rushing yards, 11 TDs; WR Ryan Dixon (Jr.), 41 catches for 806 yards, 13 TDs; LB Canaan Metz, 71 tackles, six sacks; DL Kyle Stewart, 63 tackles.

Key Matchup:

Arundel QB Billy Cosh vs. Linganore DBs Cory Bishop and Ricky Conner.

Keys to Victory:

Arundel will complete passes - that's a given. With state record-setting quarterback Billy Cosh and receiver Alec Lemon, Arundel is one of the state's most prolific offenses. Linganore, also averaging more than 40 points a game, gets the job done with a combination of running and passing. expect a lot of points. The outcome may rest of Linganore's ability to play defense at Arundel's offensive pace. The Wildcats' hurry-up offense aims to get 15 possessions a game. Linganore needs to limit the catch-and-run plays. Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz says Linganore's defense is a cross of severna Park and Broadneck - Severna Park's quickness, Broadneck's power. For Arundel, the outcomes rests with its ability to get the ball in the hands of Lemon, who has 2,216 all-purpose yards and 28 touchdowns.

Story Line: Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz is known as one of the state's best offensive minds. Linganore coach Rick Conner is known for great defensive schemes that helped Urbana to four straight state ttiles in the late 1990s. ... Most of Linganore's key players are juniors, and a strong showing in this year's 4A state tournament could land the Lancers with the favorite label when it returns to Class 3A next season. ... Billy Cosh has shattered the public school passing records held by his predecessor Nick Elko, and he eyes the last private school single-season mark of passing yards in a season, which is held by St. john's at Prospect hall's Keith Ricca at 3,633.

No. 4 Wise (7-3) at No. 1 Sherwood (12-0)

Game Details: Friday at Sherwood, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Wise is 2-0 in its first playoff appearance. Sherwood 22-11 in 14 appearances with state titles in 1995 and 1996. Sherwood has been the state runenr-up four times this decade.

Head-to-Head: The teams have not met in postseason play.

Key Players:

Wise: RB Anthony Wright, 1,654 rushing yards, 22 TDs; LB Deontre Johnson (Jr.), 80 tackles; OLB Lumbus Burrell, 69 tackles; SS Corey Barby, 66 tackles.

Sherwood: QB Zach Splain, 1,531 passing yards, 28 TDs; RB Dominique Davis, 1,180 rushing yards, 11 TDs; PK Andy Estrain (Jr.), six FGs, perfect on PATs; DB Phillip Durity (Jr.), 84 tackles; LB Steven Gamble, 80 tackles; DB/WR Chris Everett, 72 tackles; nine TD catches; OL/DL Andrew Midgette.

Key Matchup:

Sherwood OLs Andrew Midgette and Oliver Pettenati vs. Wise DL Joe Creek and OLB Lumbus Burrell.

Keys to Victory:

Wise needs to keep this a low-scoring affair in order to improves its chances of victory. The team's offense hinges on Anthony Wright, and he needs to deliver a big performance for the Pumas. Sherwood feels the key will be its line play - needing to push forward for four to five yards per carry to help set up the apssing attack. Wise coach DaLawn Parrish, the first former Consensus All-State player to coach a Maryland high school team to the state semifinals, said another key will be preventing Sherwood from short-field opportunities. "The reason i say that," Parrish said. "They kick field goals! We don't see that in our league."

Story Line: Wise is the surprise of the 4A state semifinals. The team lost to the "Big Three" of P.G. football during the regular season - Suitland, Flowers and Roosevelt. In Week 10, Wise defeated Oxon Hill just to qualify for postseason play, then took out undefeated and favored Eleanor Roosevelt in the region semifinals before ousting snake-bitten Flowers in the region final. [Flowers has been the region runner-up the four times it has qualified for postseason play.] ... Sherwood is coming off an emotional victory of Quince Orchard, the preseason 4A state favorite. If the Warriors are not focused on the Pumas this week, this P.G. County team could surprise yet another state-ranked opponent.

The offense that helped Arundel's (Gambrills, Md.) Billy Cosh become Maryland's high school single-season touchdown leader (48) is the same offense that almost kept him from attending the school.

To read the complete story CLICK HERE.

By Mike Loveday

Arundel's Bill Cosh threw five touchdown passes Friday in the Wildcats' 49-15 victory over North County, giving the junior standout a state-record 48 TD passes this season.

Cosh entered the game with 43 TDs, tied for the public school state record set last season by Nick Elko. Cosh's Friday outing moved him past Elko and also vaulted him past former St. John's at Prospect Hall's Keith Ricca, who had 46 touchdown passes in 2004.

"I was gaining more confidence as the year went on getting better and better every week. I felt like I could get it [the record]," Cosh said. "I'm really appreciative of the record. After our Old Mill I feel like i was getting better."

Cosh's five touchdown performance marks the fifth straight game the junior has thrown for at least five in a game.

"I'm in a great system with a great coaching staff, coaches that really care about you and puts you in the right situation to make big plays for you," Cosh said. "It's a quarterback friendly offense and I'm proud to be in it. It's fun, I love it."

Check back next week for a more in depth interview with Cosh. 

QUESTION OF THE NIGHT: This is a two part question. Is Billy Cosh the best junior quarterback in Maryland history? Is Cosh the Maryland offensive Player of the Year?

Leave your comment below and let us know what you think.

	Mike Loveday/ESPNRise
	Cosh is MDVarsity.com's Player of the Week.

In his first varsity start, Arundel's Billy Cosh stepped up and led the Wildcats to county rival Broadneck. For his performance, Cosh has been named MDVarsity.com's Player of the Week.

Cosh threw for 169 yards and three touchdowns, leading Arundel to a 28-13 victory over Broadneck.

Cosh is taking over the quarterback reigns from the graduated Nick Elko who threw for over 3,000 yards and accounted for 43 touchdowns last season.

Arundel reached the Class 4A state title game last season and Elko was named to the 2007 Consensus All-state team.

	Photo by: Mike Loveday
	Arundel's passing game should be strong with two receivers returning this season.

 By Mike Loveday

Key losses: No other team in the state can say they lost two state record holders. With the graduation of Nick Elko (QB), Brandon Johnson-Farrell (WR) the Wildcats lose the state's total offensive yardage (Elko) and receptions (Johnson-Farrell) leaders.

Key returnees: Alec Lemon (WR) and Sean Fitzgerald (WR) move up the depth chart and know the offense.

Impact newcomer: The biggest name in this list is Billy Cosh (QB) who steps into Elko's shoes. Blake Alderman (LB), Corey Lavender (DL), Bobby Partilla (LB).

Most Improved: R.J. Harris had the physical tools last season and the coaching staff thought he could be good, but this year Harris has improved his knowledge of the game and is expected to provide a spark at split end, according to head coach Chuck Markiewicz.

Names to watch: Markiewicz said they coaching staff challenged Scott Green and the junior responded.

My take: Honestly, if I wrote this three months ago my thoughts would not have involved Arundel being in the Top 25. But after seeing junior Billy Cosh at the Quarterback Tune -up event along with the Wildcats at their recent scrimmage I think they have the chance to be very good this year.

Cosh has the advantage of having two receivers, Lemon and Fitzgerald, returning to the offense, which should help the learning curve. Add Cosh's inherent football knowledge that comes with being the son of a coach and I think Arundel will not take as big a hit this season.

I expect another playoff run for Arundel and nine to 10 wins when all is said and done.

That said, it is difficult to believe the loss of Elko and Johnson-Farrell will not affect the team's record at all and with rival Broadneck on tap for the first game of the year I do not expect Arundel to get off to another 13-0 start this year.

Quick quote: "Last year was last year. We have to do everything we did last year again this year. These kids have to find the strength.

 

By Mike Loveday

Billy Cosh has some large cleats to fill at quarterback this season. Last year's starter, Nick Elko threw for 43 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards, helping lead Arundel to the Class 4A title game. But the 6-foot, 190-pound rising junior looks to have all the tools to step in and succeed.

Cosh attended the Quarterback Tune-up event on Sunday, July 27 and showed why Arundel fans have not been worried about the offense this season.

Cosh had one of the strongest arms of any signal caller at the event and his footwork was very polished for someone who has yet to start a high school varsity game. Also attending the event were two quarterbacks who are already committed to Division I colleges, Loyola's Leon Kinnard (UConn) and DeMatha's Tom Chroniger (Eastern Michigan).

Cosh, who is the son of University of Maryland's defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, knows he wants to be in Kinnard's and Chroniger's position once he reaches his senior season.

"Watching Tommy, he's got great arm strength and Leon just has that quickness and speed. I just want to take their techniques and try to be like them one day, Cosh said.

As for replacing a Consensus All-State quarterback, Cosh confessed he was slightly nervous, but ready to get the season started.

"I'm just a little nervous, but I'm more anxious just to get on the field. I've really been waiting for this for a long time. I'm just excited to play and put that Wildcat jersey on, Cosh said. "Just watching him (Elko) play I picked up some techniques from him. Alec (receiver Alec Lemon) and I are working out all the time. We've gotten better over the summer. Watching Nick do everything he did was amazing. I just want to try and emulate that this season.

Cosh took several snaps from under center last year, going 17-for-26 (65 percent) for 160 yards and one touchdown.

To improve his speed, which is essential in Arundel's spread offense, Cosh has been taking part in the Wildcats offseason workout program, which calls for running 10 100-yard sprints. Elko led Arundel in rushing last season with over 700 yards and 10 touchdowns.

For the past three seasons, Cosh has also been working with Quarterback Factory founder Chris Baucia, who he credits for helping improve his arm strength and footwork.

So with Arundel looking to get back to the title game and having to replace Elko and receiver Brandon Johnson-Farrell, what are Cosh's expectations for this season?

"I just want to win as many games as possible. We have great talent around us, our receiving corps and some good running backs coming back and three offensive linemen coming back, Cosh said. "I don't care about stats, I just want to win as many games as possible for my team.

Make sure to leave your comment below and let us know how we're doing.

email Mike at oloveday5@yahoo.com

By Mike Loveday

Oloveday5@yahoo.com

COLUMBIA: The ninth annual Quarterback Tune-up event showcased athletes who are committed to Division I colleges, several who are vying for scholarships and even a few who will be heading to college in a few weeks.

Quarterback Factory founder Chris Baucia hosts the event and among the athletes in attendance were Leon Kinnard (committed to UConn), Tom Chroniger (Eastern Michigan), St. Mary's Ryan Hart, Tuscarora's Josh Marshall, Damascus' Connor Frazier, Sherwood's Zach Splain, Arundel's Billy Cosh and even former high school quarterbacks Kyle Frazier and Scott Barnes.

"He (Baucia) truly taught me about improving my mechanics, my footwork and making the reads, said Kinnard who has trained with Baucia several times over the past three years. "Without him it would have been a lot harder to get a scholarship offer and play quarterback at D-I.

The consensus from the athletes in attendance was that the event was the perfect way to get ready for the season.

"It was the best training I ever went through. He pushes us and he don't let us quit, Trevon Bennett of Paul VI said.

"It was good. I learned a lot. It was a great way to come out here and polish up and get ready for the season, St. Paul's quarterback Troy Jones added. "It's a great way to fix some of the minor things that you may not see yourself and get a viewpoint from someone outside of your coach, your dad or whoever you train with.

The event had 80 athletes in attendance and took quarterbacks through a series of drills including throwing on the run, keeping the ball in the correct spot during drops and improving their accuracy.

"We've averaged about 60 to 70 kids each year, but the good thing is the talent level is coming, Baucia said. "Now they're seeing the value of the fundamentals and revisiting those fundamentals and sort of tightening their game up before you go in to two-a-days and making sure they understand the proper things to do and not do.

"I'm just trying to sharpen things up and get better for the season and make another run at a state championship, Eastern Tech's Joe Jones said. "I'm learning some basic things.

"I learned how to stop without hitching up on my drop step and my three step drop, North County's Travis Delizo added.

The event gave the high school athletes a chance to see the payoff for their hard work as rising college freshman Kyle Frazier and Scott Barnes also attended the event to prepare for their seasons.
Frazier has been working with Baucia at the Quarterback Factory for the past three seasons and is heading to Monmouth on a football scholarship while Barnes, who helped lead Paint Branch to a near playoff berth, will head to Guilford.

Several signal callers in addition to the above mentioned impressed during the day. Sherwood's Splain, St. Mary's sophomore Ryan Hart, Loyola's Mike Smith and Damascus' Andrew Konieczka all drew attention.

Good Counsel's Zachary Dancel along with Tuscarora's Josh Marshall are two quarterbacks who look ready to lead a team today.

Be sure to check MDVarsity.com all week, as we will have interviews with Kyle and Connor Frazier and Arundel's Billy Cosh.