By Mike Loveday

Travis Hawkins, Quince Orchard's star football player, will attend the University of Maryland, he announced at a press conference today at noon.

	Mike Loveday
	Travis Hawkins will be playing on Saturdays for Maryland next season.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound athlete chose Maryland after narrowing his list to five schools in August.

"It came down between Maryland, Oregon, Penn State and Michigan," Hawkins said. "Maryland has been there since I was a sophomore. They offered me as a running back, but when I got on the defensive side of the ball and they saw how explosive I was they want me to play there."

Over the summer, Hawkins told MDVarsity.com that Oregon was his dream school and he would love to be a Duck, but when it came down to deciding, distance proved an important factor.

"Oregon was my dream school. I loved my visit, I loved everything about it, but the main thing was my mom," Hawkins said. "I felt like if I was there [Oregon] I wouldn't see her. And if anything happened with the family then I wouldn't be close. I woke up on Tuesday and felt it was time to make my choice."

"This is something that has weighed on his mind for a long time," Quince Orchard coach Dave Mencarini said. "He's handled this with a lot of class and dignity. It's hard for a 17-year-old kid to keep his composure and not get big-headed."

Hawkins told Mencarini on Tuesday that he was ready to commit to the Terrapins, but Mencarini told him to sleep on it for a night to make sure it was the right decision.

"He was absolutely certain," Mencarini said. "I think it's the perfect fit for him in my opinion. He can be the local guy who goes to the state school, just like Kenny Tate and Davin Meggett. He built the foundation of his success, now he can build the house on it."

Hawkins is Maryland's 21st commitment of the 2009 recruiting class and the 11th home state product to verbal.

Hawkins joins DeOnte Arnett (Forestville), Pete DeSouza (DeMatha), Eric Franklin (Archbishop Curley), Lorne Goree (C.H. Flowers), Avery Graham (Clarksburg), David Mackall (Edmondson), Caleb Porzel (Good Counsel), Isaiah Ross (Eleanor Roosevelt), Dave Stinebaugh (Perry Hall) and Marcus Whitfield (Northwest) in this year's recruiting class.

Hawkins has played mostly defensive back for Quince Orchard this season, but injured his ankle two weeks ago in a 14-6 loss to then No. 5 Sherwood. Early reports had him out for the season with a broken ankle, but the No. 12 cornerback in the nation according to ESPN's Scouts Inc. only suffered a mild sprain and has been cleared by doctors to resume playing. He is not expected to play Friday nigh against Northwest.

Hawkins was Mr. Everything for the Cougars last season -- rushing for 407 yards while making 25 catches for 700 yards. He also led the team through the first round of regional playoffs last year from the quarterback position when the regular starter was injured.

Hawkins took official visits to Oregon on Oct. 10 and Michigan on Oct. 3. He had an official visit to Maryland scheduled for Nov. 21.

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By Mike Loveday

One day after the electricity went out at the school, forcing a postponement of No. 1 Quince Orchard against No. 5 Sherwood, Sherwood used two first-quarter scores to turn the lights off on visiting Quince Orchard's undefeated season, 14-6

Sherwood's Zach Splain threw a 37-yard touchdown pass and Sosthene Kapepula returned a fumble 45 yards for the Warriors' only two scores of the game.

Tough Breaks: The bigger news from this game is the loss of two Cougars for the remainder of the season.

Quince Orchard quarterback Kevin Adams did not play in the second half after what is being reported as a broken collarbone. Athlete Travis Hawkins took over at quarterback in the second half and on a 3-and-goal play from the 1-yard line, broke his left ankle.

Hawkins was taken to a nearby hospital for X-rays and head coach Dave Mencarini said the full extent of both injuries are not yet known.

What this means for Quince Orchard: The injury to Hawkins hurts, obviously. He is a playmaker on both sides of the ball, but he has played sparingly on offense and the defense is talented enough to weather the loss of their star defensive back.

The tougher loss may be that of Adams. With Adams out, Hawkins would normally assume the role, but now that job looks to fall to senior Cody Schecter.

A starting defensive back, Schecter has not taken a snap from center since his sophomore year when he was quarterback of the junior varsity. The offense will rely on running back Dawuan Genies who has emerged as a star back for the Cougars.

No Fly Zone: The defensive secondary for both Sherwood and Quince Orchard were outstanding in this game.

The quarterback position for both teams combined to go 8-for-24 for 119 yards.

Phillip Durity had the lone interception in the game for Sherwood.

Running Wild: While the passing game did not provide many big plays for either team, the running game helped grind out the tough yards.

Genies rushed for 134 yards on 24 carries. The senior picked up six first downs on the night and scored the Cougar's lone touchdown of the game a six-yard jaunt with 2:42 to go in the game.

Dominique Davis was equally impressive on the ground tonight. The senior rushed for 90 yards 16 carries and picked up two first downs.

Other notes: Sherwood did not turn the ball over once in the game. While Splain did not have a great game, the senior kept his composure under pressure to throw the only offensive touchdown of the game for Sherwood. He also rushed for 26 yards in the game.

Big Picture: Sherwood is now the favorite in Class 4A West, but do not expect Quince to lose again this year. They play at home against Walter Johnson next week and while the game against Northwest will be anything but easy, the Cougars coaching staff has two weeks to come up with a new game plan. Their final game of the year is against Richard Montgomery.

Sherwood should run the table with Richard Montgomery, Gaithersburg and Walt Whitman left on the schedule.

If the playoffs started today Sherwood would play Springbrook and Quince Orchard would play Churchill, a team they handled easily, 25-6 in Week 5. Sherwood won a tight game against Springbrook earlier this year 35-27..

Expect a 4A West region meeting between these two schools.

By Sheldon Shealer

For 10 minutes, it appeared there was no denying Good Counsel should be the No. 1 team in Maryland.

Then, DeMatha came back and made it a game.

Good Counsel's nationally televised 42-21 victory over DeMatha on Thursday led to one state poll voter switching allegiance from reigning state No. 1 Quince Orchard to Good Counsel, but it was not enough to alter the order of the top spots. Quince Orchard responded to Good Counsel's victory by running up a 35-point first half en route to a 35-0 victory over Gaithersburg on Friday.

The Cougars collected nine first-place votes and edged Good Counsel by three points for the No. 1 spot this week.

There will be plenty of debate between which of these Montgomery County schools should be No. 1 in Maryland, but it iis likely the situation will be resolved on the field in the next few weeks. While Good Counsel's victories provide ample argument for No. 1 consideration, the flip-side is QO is about to enter its most telling part of the schedule. Games with Sherwood and league rival Northwest figure to be serious challenges. In addition, once the playoffs start, QO likely will have to survive a second meeting with Sherwood, not to mention the possibility of playing the top remaining teams from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick and/or Prince George's counties.

Good Counsel appeared well on its way to wrestling the state No. 1 away from QO as it jumped out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead over DeMatha. Had the Falcons won the game by that margin - or even gotten the running clock of the Stags (which has never happened to DeMatha) - it would have been difficult not to vote this private school power as No. 1. However, DeMatha twice cut the lead to 14 before GC put the contest away with a fourth quarter scoring drive for the final margin.

MDVarsity.com High School Football Media State Poll

FREDERICK -- The Maryland High School Football State Poll, in its 19th year, is based on a statewide voting by sports reporters. Schools are ranked by points received. The number in parenthesis reflects first-place votes. LW is last week's ranking. The rankings are compiled by Sheldon Shealer.

Rank, School, Record, Points, LW

1. Quince Orchard (9), 5-0, 294, 1
2. Good Counsel (3), 5-0, 291, 2
3. River Hill, 5-0, 271, 3
4. Loyola, 6-0, 267, 4
5. Sherwood, 5-0, 246, 5
6. Eleanor Roosevelt, 5-0, 232, 6
7. Gwynn Park, 5-0, 220, 9
8. Seneca Valley, 5-0, 217, 10
9. Gilman, 4-1, 208, 7
10. Suitland, 5-0, 203, 11
11. Dunbar, 4-1, 178, 12
12. Linganore, 5-0, 171, 14
13. DeMatha, 3-2, 154, 8
14. Flowers, 5-0, 145, 16
15. Old Mill, 5-0, 128, 18
16. Clarksburg, 5-0, 103, 21
17. Eastern Tech, 5-0, 98, 20
18. Westminster, 5-0, 75, nr
19. Wilde Lake, 5-0, 65, 22
20. Urbana, 4-1, 59, 15
21. Lackey, 4-1, 54, 19
22. Damascus, 4-1, 48, 24
23. Arundel, 4-1, 38, 25
24. Landon, 5-0, 34, nr
25. Perry Hall, 5-0, 28, nr

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Douglass-PG (4-1, 21), Joppatowne (5-0*, 18), Friendly (4-1, 13), Allegany (4-1, 9), Century (5-0, 7), Churchill (4-1, 3), Mount St. Joseph (3-1, 2).

*-Joppatowne will forfeit three games effective in the next ranking week.

By Sheldon Shealer

Former No. 3 DeMatha's loss to Gilman last week leaves a two-team race for No. 1 in the latest media state poll Top 25.

A week after the closest three-way vote for No. 1 in the 19-year history of the state rankings, Quince Orchard again barely retains the No. 1 spot by two points ahead of Good Counsel, despite a heavy edge in first-place votes.

Good Counsel was ranked No. 1 or 2 on 11 of 12 ballots while Quince Orchard's range was 10 first-place votes, a No. 5 and a No. 6 - leading to the close call for the top spot.

DeMatha settles in at No. 8.

The newcomers to this week's Top 25 are Old Mill and Eastern Tech. Old Mill, an honorable mention last week, knocked off former No. 11 Arundel. Eastern Tech, meanwhile, climbs back into the Top 25 after winning its 15th game in its last 16 outings.

MDVarsity.com High School Football Media State Poll

FREDERICK -- The Maryland High School Football State Poll, in its 19th year, is based on a statewide voting by sports reporters. Schools are ranked by points received. The number in parenthesis reflects first-place votes. LW is last week's ranking. The rankings are compiled by Sheldon Shealer.

Rank, School, Record, Points, LW

1. Quince Orchard (10), 2-0, 291, 1
2. Good Counsel (2), 2-0, 289, 2
3. River Hill, 2-0, 271, 4
4. Loyola, 3-0, 264, 5
5. Sherwood, 2-0, 232, 7
6. Eleanor Roosevelt, 2-0, 229, 6
7. Gilman, 2-0, 219, 17
8. DeMatha, 1-1, 208, 3
9. Gwynn Park, 2-0, 206, 9
10. Seneca Valley, 2-0, 201, 8
11. Suitland, 2-0, 190, 12
12. Dunbar, 1-1, 178, 10
13. Douglass-PG, 2-0, 158, 13
14. Linganore, 2-0, 153, 14
15. Urbana, 2-0, 139, 16
16. Flowers, 2-0, 119, 19
17. Mount St. Joseph, 2-0, 94, 25
18. Lackey, 1-1, 91, 18
19. Wilde Lake, 2-0, 64, 22
20. Damascus, 2-0, 61, 23
21. Old Mill, 2-0, 57, NR
22. Hereford, 1-1, 51, 20
23. Clarksburg, 2-0, 33, 24
24. Eastern Tech, 2-0, 31, NR
25. Arundel, 1-1, 23, 11

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Joppatowne (2-0, 8), Polytechnic (2-0, 8), Thomas Johnson (1-1, 8), Edmondson (1-1, 5), Oxon Hill (1-1, 5), Northwest (1-1, 4), Westlake (2-0, 4), Parkside (2-0, 2), Cambridge-S.D. (2-0, 1), Wootton (1-1, 1).

By Mike Loveday

	Mike Loveday/ESPNRise
	Quince Orchard looks to run back to the Class 4A state title game this year.

                                                                                                                                                      Last Year: 14-0, Class 4A state champions

Key losses: Thomas Addison (RB), Zach Kerr (DL), and Jason Morrison (QB).

Key returnees: Travis Hawkins (ATH), Terrence Stephens (DL), Jason Ankrah (DL), Cody Magill (TE/DL), Dake Williams (OL/DL).

Impact newcomer: Kevin Adams (QB), Mitch Carney (WR/DB).

Most Improved: According to head coach Dave Mencarini, Kaevon Morgan has done a great job of improving this year. The 5-foot-7, 140-pound receiver did not play last year and now is expected to be one of the starters.

Names to watch: Ben Sasu is another running back that could help ease the load on Hawkins.

My take: Quince Orchard does have a few question marks this season. Will they be able to fill Kerr's role at defensive tackle? Who will take over at quarterback with the graduation of Morrison? How will the team respond to winning the title last year?

Even with those questions, the Cougars are still the preseason favorite to head back to the Class 4A title game. Hawkins is one of the state's most talented athletes and will make plays on offense and defense.

Quince Orchard dominated the trenches last season and with Ankrah, Stephens and Magill back on the defensive line they should again this year.

I think the only thing that could stand in the Cougars way this year is themselves. They are talented and experienced and have an outstanding coaching staff. Going undefeated could be the biggest challenge with Sherwood and Damascus both on the regular season schedule and fellow 4A teams Arundel and Thomas Johnson boasting talented rosters too.

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

Email Mike at Mike.Loveday.ESPN@gmail.com

	Photo by: Mike Loveday
	Hawkins has narrowed his list of schools down to five.

GAMBRILLS, MD - I just got back from Quince Orchard's scrimmage down at Arundel high school and had the chance to talk with Travis Hawkins who told me he narrowed his list and the date when he plans to commit.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Hawkins said he trimmed his list of prospective schools down to five last week with Maryland, Penn State, Georgia, Tennessee and Oregon all making the cut.

Hawkins said he has an official visit to Georgia set for Sept. 27, when the Bulldogs play Alabama. Hawkins added the he plans to visit Penn State on Oct. 18 when the Nittany Lions play Michigan.

Hawkins played multiple positions for the Cougars last season and totaled over 1,100 yards of offense. The last time high school football fans saw Hawkins in pads; he racked up 117 yards receiving in the Class 4A title game, including the go-ahead touchdown.

Since that game, the nation has been buzzing about when the senior will commit. Hawkins said he plans on committing by Nov. 3, after he has finished the last of his official visits.

Hawkins held over 20 offers at the time he narrowed his list, with schools like Oklahoma, Ohio State and Florida missing the final five.

By Mike Loveday

oloveday5@yahoo.com

Almost every team that makes it deep into the state playoffs have one thing in common, underclassmen that contribute.

Those underclassman help augment the senior leadership. Let's look at the teams that made the championship games last year.

Quince Orchard had senior Thomas Addison, but Travis Hawkins, Terrence Stephens, Jason Ankrah and Cody Magill were all juniors. Arundel had two outstanding seniors, but Alec Lemon and Sean Fitzgerald were the perfect compliment to Brandon Johnson-Farrell.

River Hill had the trio of Michael Campanaro, Malek Redd and Leron Eaddy to help senior Zach Martin go out a champion. Dunbar was led by juniors Tavon Austin, Sean Farr and Jonathan Perry on offense and Tevin Brown on defense. Allegany put their running game on the shoulders of offensive lineman Justin Hymes.

Hereford and Damascus seem to be the exception to this rule as both teams relied heavily on seniors to get them to the title game, but state semifinalists Lackey, Wilde Lake, Clarksburg and Thomas Johnson counted on their juniors.

With this in mind I'm continuing my look at some of the rising juniors that I expect to make an impact on their respective teams this season. This is the third and final story in the series.

Robbie Havenstein, Linganore: At 6-foot-7, 300-pounds, Havenstein is an imposing presence on the line. The offensive tackle not only has the size, but also the agility to anchor the Lancers this season.

J.D. Hook, Allegany: As a running back, Hook will be looked to as a replacement for Jake Twigg and Brian Matthews. As a linebacker, the junior will pair with fellow junior Dustin Wharton as leaders on the defense.

Evan Pittman, Calvert Hall: (pictured above) Pittman impressed coaches with his size, mobility and strong arm at the Bullseye combine. As a Super 100 member, Pittman proved that he could lead his team during 7-on-7 games.

E.J. Scott, Good Counsel: A look at 2010 athletes is not complete with Scott. The receiver and defensive back is not only an impact player on the Falcons, but will be one of the most highly recruited athletes in the state.

Tyler Lardy, Gaithersburg: Lardy ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the Bullseye Combine and showed his explosiveness with a 25-8 vertical and a 29-2 kneeling power ball toss.

Troy Gloster, Good Counsel: (pictured right) Gloster is another Falcon that will be highly recruited. The 5-11, 209-pound linebacker has a rock-solid frame and runs a 4.7 40.

Joseph Kirby, Kent Island: As a sophomore, Kirby rushed for 441 yards and seven touchdowns. At the Bullseye Combine, the running back ran a 4.68 40 and did 14 repetitions of 155 pounds.

Kyle Tucker, Linganore: The Lancers line will be tough to get through with Havenstein and Tucker. Tucker broke the Bullseye Combine bench press record when he did 38 reps of 155 pounds.

Devante Stamps, McDonogh: Stamps could be the perfect compliment to fellow receiver Javarrus King. Stamps has 4.8 speed and has a 6-foot-2, 183-pound frame, similar to that of King.

Dylan Acab, Poly: Acab showed good speed with a 4.6 40-yard dash and was one of several Engineers to impress during the Bullseye Combine.

Justin Handley, Patuxent: Handley has 4.67 speed and as a third receiver in the Patuxent offense, could be the perfect slot receiver compliment to Eric Farmer and Justin Ford.

Antione Goodson, Poly: Goodson was primarily the running quarterback for Poly last season, but during the Bullseye Super 100 he showcased one of the strongest arms of any participant.

Nick Bonhag, River Hill: Bonhag plays tight end for the Hawks and made a run at the Bullseye Super 100 MVP with highlight reel catches during 7-on-7 games.

Kevin Johnson, River Hill: Johnson played quarterback on the junior varsity, but could see time as a defensive back for the Hawks this season. With 4.65 speed and a 35-inch vertical, there has to be some place for this athlete to play.

Malik Cross, Oxon Hill: Cross along with receiver Brandon Felder will be a player to watch on Oxon Hill's offense. As a sophomore, Cross rushed for 1,653 yards and nine touchdowns.

If you want more information about the upcoming season and all the players you can order your copy of the Preseason Football Magazine Here

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By Mike Loveday

I spoke with Quince Orchard head coach Dave Mencarini today to check in on his remaining three athletes: Travis Hawkins (pictured), Cody Magill and Jason Ankrah. All three athletes have narrowed their list of schools and while rumors have swirled about Hawkins commitment, I hate to disappoint.

Defensive end Jason Ankrah is still in the process of checking out schools, but has narrowed his list to seven schools. Penn State, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Michigan and N.C. State are all still in the running for the 6-foot-4, 248-pound Ankrah.

Tight end and defensive end Cody Magill has also narrowed his list with Syracuse, Ohio, Richmond, Delaware, East Carolina, James Madison and Vanderbilt making the cut. According to Mencarini, Vanderbilt only recently made the cut and both the school and Magill are showing increased interest.

Hawkins name has surfaced lately as many have speculated that the defensive back has committed to the University of Maryland, but Mencarini assured me that is not the case and added that Hawkins is currently on vacation.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Hawkins has narrowed his choices though. Maryland, Georgia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Tennessee, Michigan and Oregon are the seven schools Hawkins will choose from.

As to when Hawkins will commit, Mencarini said he does not think his star athlete has a timetable.

 

 

Posted by Mike Loveday

With MDVarsity.com's transfer to the ESPN platform underway and a new beginning on the horizon, I think this is a good time to look ahead to the upcoming football season. This year could be one of the most exciting seasons in years, with several individual records preparing to go down and personal landmarks ready to be reached.

Of course, DeMatha makes a bid to win the WCAC for the sixth straight season and eighth overall this decade, but overshadowed in the Stags dominance is head coach Bill McGregor's personal landmark. McGregor enters his 27th season as head coach and his next win will be his 250th. McGregor has a career record of 249-34-3.

Quince Orchard is vying to become the first Class 4A school to go 14-0 in back-to-back seasons and the first since Seneca Valley to go undefeated two years in a row. The Screamin' Eagles went 13-0 in 1997 and 1998.

Damascus' Mark Magas will break the career record for most extra points in a season this year. The rising senior has 139 for his career, three shy of Jon Dinkins (Hereford) record of 142 from 2001 to 2003. Not only is Magas making a run on the Maryland record books, but could have his name in the national books by the end of the season. If Magas kicks 49 extra points this year he will break into the National Top 10, surpassing Bill Manolopoulos (Hobart, Ind.) 187 set from 1988 to 1991. The National record is 350, set by Tyler Lewis (Albemarle, N.C.).

The biggest record that is expected to fall this season is the career rushing record by Dunbar's Tavon Austin.

Austin ranks fifth all time with 5,287 yards, 634 away from breaking Ben Tate's (Decatur/Snow Hill) record of 5,920. The rising senior already holds Maryland's career touchdown record and could break into the national Top 10 with another stellar season.

Two players, Troy Fleming (Franklin Battle Ground Academy, Tenn.) and Hubert Bobo (Chauncey-Chauncey Dover, Ohio), are tied for 10th place with 132 touchdowns. Austin needs 41 touchdowns to break into the top 10. Nedrow Onondaga's (N.Y.) Michael Hart holds the No. 1 spot with 204 career scores.