By Sheldon Shealer and Mike Loveday

This week's high school football schedule features only nine games -- eight public school state semifinal contests and the 90th annual Calvert Hall vs. Loyola Thanksgiving Day game.

Friday, Nov. 27

Class 3A
* No. 1 Linganore 41, No. 4 Hereford 9

* No. 2 Huntingtown 10, No. 3 River Hill 7

Class 2A
* No. 1 Queen Anne's 48, No. 4 Middletown 33
No. 3 Douglass-PG vs. No. 2 Eastern Tech at CCBC-Essex, 7 p.m.

Class 1A
* No. 1 Joppatowne 20, No. 4 Allegany 13
* No. 2 Catoctin 13, No. 3 Dunbar 12

Saturday, Nov. 28

Class 4A
No. 3 Old Mill at No. 2 Sherwood, 7 p.m. [schedule change]
o. 4 Thomas Johnson at No. 1 Wise, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 26

MIAA
* Calvert Hall 47, Loyola 28

By Sheldon Shealer

Westlake won its playoff game Friday and apparently has survived an appeal process Monday, and is expected to continue in the playoffs this week.

At an appeals hearing Monday, Westlake might be forced to forfeit four contests, according to MPSSAA executive director Ned Sparks. However, Westlake lost two of the four games anyway and even with changing the other two wins to losses, the Wolverines still would have been the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A South playoffs. 

Therefore, Westlake's 30-12 playoff win over Potomac will stand and the team moves on to face Huntingtown in the region final. The game date is yet to be decided.

By Sheldon Shealer, editor

Although one first-round playoff game remains and another result is in question, the state association has set the details for this week's region finals.

OFFICIAL PAIRINGS

McDonough visits Gwynn Park on Monday in a contest that was held over due to poor field conditions from the weekend. Also, at this point, Westlake has advanced to the region final, but a hearing Monday could determine the team's fate. If the squad is forced to forfeit and the appeal is denied or not heard, Potomac -- a region semifinal loser to Westlake -- will advance.

By Sheldon Shealer, editor

The points have been tabulated and the official pairings set. Click here for the updated and OFFICIAL MPSSAA pairings and look for extended playoff previews later this week. OFFICIAL PAIRINGS

By Sheldon Shealer

The following is the projected playoff pairings. The official MPSSAA pairings will be available tomorrow at noon at the MPSSAA Web site.

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Class 1A

West: 1. Fort Hill (10-0), 2. Allegany (7-3), 3. Boonsboro (6-4), 4. Smithsburg (6-4).
North: 1. Catoctin (10-0), 2. Pikesville (7-2), 3. Sparrows Point (6-4), 4. New Town (5-5).
South: 1. Forest Park (9-0), 2. Dunbar (9-1), 3. Forestville (5-4), 4. Carver (6-4).
East: 1. Joppatowne (10-0), 2. Snow Hill (8-2), 3. Havre de Grace (6-4), 4. Bohemia Manor (7-3).

By Sheldon Shealer

By now, it's well-known that Crossland has opted to cancel the rest of its football season.

The Washington Post broke the story Wednesday within hours of the decision.

While Crossland's situation is rare, it's certainly not the first time that a Maryland public school has folded with games yet to be played.

In 1999, Sparrows Point, after spending most of the decade as Baltimore County's cellar dweller, called it quits after Week 7. The circumstances were certainly different than the current Crossland situation, but none-the-less, it did happen. Sparrows Point had dwindling numbers of players, the program was losing games by nearly a 40-point margin and the remaining schedule included two of the best programs in Baltimore County at that time.

When this occured, Sparrows Point officially forfeited its remaining games. At this moment, there is not a final decision if Crossland will forfeit or those games simply will be considered non-contests (thus causing a recalculation of the MPSSAA points based on nine-game schedules).

When Sparrows Point closed down in the 1999 season, it took years for the Pointers to recover. In fact, the school did not field a varsity team in 2000 [Sparrows Point had scrapped the varsity team in 1994, as well, on the heels of 1-39 run.]. The Pointers returned to varsity action in 2001 and went 0-10, followed by a 1-9 showing in 2002. It wasn't until 2004 when Sparrows Point, under then head coach Eric Webber, was able to post a winning record -- and the team even made the playoffs.

The most recent non-MPSSAA school to shut down during the football season was Mount Zion Baptist in 2005.

By Sheldon Shealer

Class  3A 

No. 3 Hereford (10-2) at No. 2 Wilde Lake (11-1)

Game Details: Friday at Wilde Lake, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Hereford is 22-7 in 11 appearances with state titles in 1997, 2001 and 2002. Wilde Lake is 20-9 in 15 appearances with state titles in 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1997.

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

Key Players:

Hereford: FB Nick DePaola, 1,466 rushing yards, 14 TDs; Brent Kluge, 74 tackles; Mike Aiello, 63 tackles; Richie Nodonly, 55 tackles.

Wilde Lake: RB Jarrell Epps, 1,014 rushing yards, 15 TDs; Danny March, 107 tackles, five interceptions, 686 rushing yards, nine TDs; E.J. Gilman, 101 tackles; Mike Fields, 99 tackles.

Key Matchup:

Hereford RB/FS Nick DePaola vs. Wilde Lake RB Jerrell Epps.

Keys to Victory:

Talk about looking into the mirror! That will be the case when Hereford takes on Wuilde lake. Between them, the programs have completed only 56 passes all season. Both teams run wing offenses and prefer to ground out their victories. Both squads have more than 2,300 rushing yards this year. Therefore, the key for both team is the same - control the offensive line of scrimmage.

Story Line: This will be the first and last meeting between coaches who have brought their schools into state prominence. Doug DuVall, who went over 300 career wins this year, has accounced his retirement following this season. Hereford has been the class of Baltimore County starting shortly after Steve Turnbaugh took over 13 years ago.

No. 4 Westlake (10-2) at No. 1 Seneca Valley (12-0)

Game Details: Friday at Seneca Valley, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Westlake is 6-9 in 10 appearances. seneca Valley is 41-11 in 24 appearances with state titles in 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002.

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

Key Players:

Westlake: RB Devon Smith, 1,606 rushing yards, 20 TDs; QB Chris Istvan, 883 passing yards, eight TDs; Evan Harris, 119 tackles; Marcus Anderson, 76 tackles; Jerell Wilson, 47 tackles, five sacks; Antoine Reese, 45 tackles, five interceptions.

Seneca Valley: QB George Lerch, 1,540 passing yards, 17 TDs; RB Joe Rankin, 764 rushing yards, eight TDs; Thomas Best, 103 tackles; Pierre Hinton, 76 tackles; Ryan Phillips, 51 tackles.

Key Matchup:

Westlake RB Devon Smith vs. Seneca Valley corner backs.

Keys to Victory:

Devon Smith turned heads at combines as a receiver. As a runing back at Westlake, he's showing an even more explosive side to his game. Smith has more than 2,300 all-purpose yards, nearly 2,000 of it between rushing and receiving. For Westlake to be successful, it must get the ball in the hands of Smith. ... seneca Valley needs a big performance from quarterback George Lerch, who the Westlake coach labels as "very opportunistic." At times, the secondary has been Westlake's weakness, so if Lerch is on, the Screaming Eagles could be playing for a 13th state title in two weeks.

Story Line: Little-known fact - Seneca Valley has never won a state title without Terry Changuris on the sidelines (either as assistant or head coach). Changuris is back with Seneca Valley this year working with the quarterbacks. ...

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.

By Sheldon Shealer

No. 3 Eastern Tech (12-0) at No. 2 Queen Anne's (12-0)

Game Details: Friday at Queen Anne's, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Eastern Tech is 10-9 in 10 appearances. Queen Anne's is 4-6 in seven appearanaces.

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

Key Players:

Eastern Tech: RB Emmanuel Gbor, 872 rushing yards, 13 TDs; RB Darian Conners, 670 rushing yards, 14 TDs; QB/DB Joe Jones, 603 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, 77 of 1167 passing for 1,030 yards and 11 touchdowns; three interceptions as DB; Jeff Kryglik, 94 tackles; Aaron Wilson, 78 tackles, nine sacks.

Queen Anne's: Dyrell Wilson, 1,643 rushing yards, 24 TDs; Matt Fitzgerald, 797 rushing yards, seven TDs; OL J.D. Costello; OL Chhris Barrett; Logan Higgs, 87 tackles.

Key Matchup:

Eastern Tech OL Alex Kirsch vs. Queen Anne's OL/DL J.D. Costello.

Keys to Victory:

It sounds cliché, but this is a game that will be won in the trenches. The teams have combined for nearly 5,000 rushing yards this season, by in vastly different styles. Eastern Tech favors the running back-by-committee approach, and Gbor has led the way. Conners, who received all-state mention last year, has been slowed by injury, but coach Marc Mesaros says his senior standout will be ready for Friday's state semifinal. Queen Anne's features a one-back set led by Wilson, who runs behind talented center Costello and Barrett. If Eastern wins the battle on the line, Queen Anne's will be in trouble. However, if Queen Anne's dominates line play, Eastern Tech has the ability to pass.

Story Line: Marc Mesaros' trip to Queen Anne's on Friday, he says, will be only the second or third time he's ever crossed the Bay Bridge. Eastern Tech will be aiming to reach the state final for the second straight year while Queen Anne's will be vying to become the first Bayside team to reach the state final in a classification higher than 1A since 1984 (Cambridge-S.D. in then Class B, now 2A).

No. 4 Century (12-0) at No. 1 River Hill (12-0)

Game Details: Friday at River Hill, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Century is 2-0 in its first playoff appearance. River Hill is 11-3 in four appearances.

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

Key Players:

Century: QB Josh Bordner, 125 of 217 passing for 2,049 yards, 17 TDs; RB/LB Cory Anderlik, 1,139 rushing yards, 14 TDs, 94 tackles as LB; WR Luke Wright, 45 catches, 754 yards, 10 TDs; Mike Conway, 76 tackles.

River Hill: RB/DB Michael Campanaro, 1,704 rushing yards, 26 TDs, 17 catches, 266 receiving yards, seven TDs, two punt return TDs, five INTs as a DB; Malek Redd, 1,022 rushing yards, 12 TDs; Kevin Moore, 91 tackles; Patrick McCleaf, 84 tackles, Ryan Griffin, 78 tackles; Leron Eaddy, 71 tackles.

Key Matchup:

Century WR Luke Wright vs. River Hill OLBs Leron Eaddy and Thomas Neuberth.

Keys to Victory:

Century will need to get the ball in Luke Wright's hands and he will spend time in the slot and in the backfield. & River Hill's strength is its pass defense led by Wake Forest commit Michael Campanaro. That said, River Hill coach Brian Van Deusen has a simple desire if the Hawks can stop the run, he feels confident in his secondary.

Story Line: For the first time since the recent expanded playoff format, four teams have reached the playoffs with 12-0 records. & A possible overall state No. 1 could be on the line for River Hill. Good Counsel's loss in the WCAC final has opened the door for the Hawks, winners of 26 straight and 39 of their last 40 games, to make a case for the No. 1 ranking. & Century is the story of the year. The eight-year-old program did not have a winning season until this year's team, which stands at 12-0.

By Sheldon Shealer

Over the next 24 hours, we will size up the eight MPSSAA football semifinal matches, starting with Class 1A.

No. 3 Joppatowne (9-3) at No. 2 Fort Hill (10-1)

Game Details: Friday at Greenway Ave. Stadium on the Fort Hill campus, 7 p.m.

Playoff History: Joppatowne is 21-13 in 16 appearances with state titles in 1975 and 2003. Fort Hill is 25-19 in 24 appearances with state titles in 1975 and 1997.

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

Key Players:

Joppatowne: RB/LB Epe Henriques (So.), 1,560 rushing yards, 17 TDs on 153 carries, 84 tackles; ZB Dominick Harper (Jr.), 690 rushing yards, 201 receiving yards; RB Chris Wright (So.), 743 rushing yards; LB Jake McGinnis (Jr.), 131 tackles, 12 sacks; DT Jules Forney, 82 tackles, nine sacks; DE David Miller(Jr.), 78 tackles.

Fort Hill: RB Marcus Lashley, 1,130 rushing yards, 14 TDs; QB Eric Howser 802 passing yards, 479 rushing yards; TE Jordan Helmick, 15 catches, 313 yards; LB Garrett Dolly (So.), 95 tackles; LB Dakota Welsh (Jr.), 92 tackles; DL Caleb Morris, 81 tackles.

Key Matchup:

Fort Hill fullback Marcus Lashley vs. Joppatowne DLs Jules Forney and Roges' Butler.

Keys to Victory:

Both teams have a run-first, pass-if-needed approach to offense. Both teams need to establish a ground game in order to win. If Fort Hill is forced to the air, the game swings in Joppatowne's favor with DBs Dominic Harper and Anthony Hall, who has 12 interceptions this year.

Story Line: Joppatowne's record reads 9-3, but the team is undefeated on the field. The squad had to forfeit its first three contests for using an ineligible player. & Fort Hill has endured a wild ride this year under first-year head coach Todd Appel. The squad received a forfeit win early in the season when Dunbar (D.C.) left the field in response to alleged racial slurs. That situation prompted a flurry of media activity focused on racial issues in this Western Maryland community. McKinley (D.C.), in the same league as Dunbar (D.C.), was forced to drop its game with Fort Hill, leaving the Sentinels with nine contests, while Dunbar's claims were being investigated. & The Mariners are making their second straight state semifinal trip to Cumberland, having lost to Allegany last year.

No. 4 Catoctin (8-4) vs. No. 1 Dunbar (11-1)

Game Details: Saturday at Poly Complex, 1 p.m.

Playoff History: Catoctin is 4-5 in six playoff appearances. Dunbar is 28-7 in 13 playoff appearances with state titles in 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

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

Key Players:

Catoctin: QB/RB Bryce McGuire, 884 rushing yards, nine TDs; RB Nathan Lenhart, 863 rushing yards, 14 TDs; DL Jake Fields, 88 tackles; LB Kyle Vaughn, 84 tackles.

Dunbar: RB Tavon Austin, 2,043 rushing yards, 28 TDs, 855 return yards on 16 attempts; QB Jonathan Perry, 1,606 passing yards, 17 TDs; RB/DB Davon Muse, 859 rushing yards, 12 TDs, eight interceptions; WR Sean Farr, 24 receptions, 602 yards; LB Gary Ouenkwusi, 130 tackles; LB Horace Miller, 115 tackles, 26 sacks; LB Nathan Ayers (Jr.), 101 tackles; DB Courtney Bridget, eight interceptions.

Key Matchup:

Catoctin QB Bryce McGuire vs. Dunbar LB Gary Ouenkwusi.

Keys to Victory:

Catoctin will be outmanned in pretty much every aspect of this contest, therefore, the Cougars' hopes rest with sustaining long drives to keep the ball away from Dunbar. & Catoctin moved running back Byrce McGuire to quarterback, giving the Cougars four running backs in the backfield, in hopes of grounding out yardage against the Poets. & The Poets simply need to get adequate blocking from OLs Antonio Brown and Anthony Watters to allow Tavon Austin, Jonathan Perry, Davon Muse and Sean Farr to do what they do best run in the open field.

By Sheldon Shealer

MDVarsity.com has just learned that Joppatowne officially submitted paperwork to forfeit its first three games of the 2008 season, endin the Mariners' 5-0 start.

The MPSSAA confirmed the forfeits and this week's playoff point standings will be altered to reflect that situation.

North Carroll, Havre de Grace and North East-Cecil will all receive a victory over Joppatowne.

Joppatowne had a commanding lead in the Class 1A East Region with a 5-0 record. Now, at 2-3, the Mariners slide to No. 5 in the region, behind Havre de Grace (5-0), Snow Hill (4-1), Cambridge-S.D. (3-2) and Perryville (3-2).

By Sheldon Shealer

A scheduling snafu has three Maryland high schools scrambling, including
Class 1A West region title challenger Fort Hill.

It came to the attention of the new Fort Hill coach that a scheduled contest
with Cambridge-South Dorchester is the root of the problem. Fort Hill has
C-SD scheduled for Week 5. C-SD has the game set for Week 4.

Southern Garrett is being pulled into the mix because one possible solution
is if Fort Hill can remove Southern from the Week 4 slot and replace it with
the C-SD contest. At that point, Southern will need a Week 4 game, and Fort
Hill remains idle in Week 5.

Under MPSSAA rules, schools cannot add opponents to the regular-season
football schedule after the first football play date, meaning Fort Hill,
C-SD and any other involved school has until Friday afternoon to resolve
this issue.

At this point, it is possible that Fort Hill and C-SD simply will not play
and both have nine-game schedules.