Area football schedule takes off this weekend; Dunbar and Mervo knock heads to start
No. 7 Milford Mill, with Makai Booker (left), Rishon Holmes, Skylar Baker and Khalil Scott, open the season Friday against No. 19 New Town in a matchup of Baltimore County 2A Division rivals.
by Derek Toney
The area high school football campaign officially kicks off Friday with public programs starting play. Each of VSN’s preseason Top 20 teams will be in action including the renewal of one of the area’s most intense rivalries and No. 2 Mount St. Joseph playing arguably the state’s biggest match.
Below is the top five games of the weekend, followed by the complete area schedule.
No. 19 New Town at No. 7 Milford Mill Academy
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
What you need to know: After sharing the Baltimore County Division I title last year, Milford Mill gets the chance to grab the upper hand in the new county 2A Division. New Town reached the Class 2A state semifinals last year and looks to be the Millers’ biggest challenge come region playoffs in November.
Long Reach at Woodlawn
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
What you need to know: This could be one of the more intriguing non-league matches of the weekend as both squads have offensive firepower. Both are likely to be Class 3A playoff participants come early November.
South River at Westminster
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
What you need to know: A pair of 2018 state region finalist squads kick off 2019 in Carroll County. The Owls (3A West finalist last year) expect to challenge for the Carroll league championship while South River returns a talent nucleus from last year’s run to the 4A East final.
Good Counsel at No. 2 Mount St. Joseph
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
What you need to know: After two easy road games, Mount St. Joseph opens its home schedule with one of the state’s best in Montgomery County’s Good Counsel, ranked No. 4 in the state media poll. The Falcons throttled St. Joe’s, 58-6, last season in a deluge.
Joshua Carr (left), Deon Crews-Harris and John Thomas will lead eighth-ranked Dunbar against No. 9 Mervo in a battle of Top 10 teams Saturday night at Poly.
No. 9 Mervo vs. No. 8 Dunbar
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Poly
What you need to know: The road to the Baltimore City Division I league championship may be decided in week one. A huge crowd is expected for the showcase of a city league triple-header (Carver vs. Lake Clifton, 1 p.m., followed by Patterson vs. City) at Lumsden/Scott Stadium.
FRIDAY
TOP 20
American Collegiate Academy (FL) vs. No. 1 St. Frances Academy (2-0) at Patterson Park
Atholton at No. 18 River Hill
Berks Catholic (1-1) at McDonogh School (1-0)
Delmar (0-0) at No. 15 St. Mary’s (0-1)
Georgetown Prep (1-0) at No. 16 Loyola Blakefield (1-0)
Linganore at No. 17 Liberty
Marriotts Ridge at No. 14 Glenelg
North Point at No. 12 Arundel
No. 4 Archbishop Spalding (1-0) at Bishop Moore (1-1)
No. 10 Broadneck at Potomac
Jordan Moore (5) and Loyola look to start 2-0 when they host Georgetown Prep, ranked No. 8 in the state media poll, Friday afternoon in Towson.
No. 13 Dundalk at Century
No. 19 New Town at No. 7 Milford Mill Academy
Reservoir at No. 11 Howard
NON-LEAGUE
Cambridge-South Dorchester at Rising Sun
Catonsville at Centennial
Century at Poolesville
Douglass-Prince George’s at Old Mill
Edgewood at Perry Hall
Fallston at Winters Mill
Largo at Chesapeake-Anne Arundel
Loch Raven at Joppatowne
Long Reach at Woodlawn
Manchester Valley at Williamsport
Mount Hebron at Northeast
North East at Kenwood
Oakdale at Wilde Lake
Parkville at Aberdeen
Patterson Mill at Pikesville
Paul Public Charter (0-1) vs. St. John’s Catholic Prep (0-1) at McCurdy Field
No. 19 Liberty, led by senior quarterback Nate Kent, opens its 2019 campaign against 2018 Class 3A state finalist and 2017 champ Linganore in Carroll County Friday evening.
Poly at Francis Scott Key
St. Vincent Pallotti (1-1) at John Carroll School (1-0)
South Carroll at C. Milton Wright
South River at Westminster
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
Annapolis at Meade
North County at Severna Park
Southern at Glen Burnie
BALTIMORE CITY
Douglass vs. Benjamin Franklin at Baybrook Park
Edmondson vs. Digital Harbor at Banner Park
Forest Park at Reginald Lewis
Southwestern at Poly
BALTIMORE COUNTY
Dulaney at Randallstown
Lansdowne at Sparrows Point
Owings Mills vs. Eastern Tech at CCBC-Essex
Patapsco vs. Western Tech at CCBC-Catonsville
HOWARD COUNTY
Hammond at Oakland Mills
Boys’ Latin, with Amare Conley (left), Matt Greaver, Justin Walters and JT Morton, opens its season at MIAA B Conference rival Severn School Friday afternoon.
MIAA
Archbishop Curley (1-0) at Annapolis Area Christian School (0-0)
Boys’ Latin School (0-0) at Severn School (0-1)
Concordia Prep (1-0) at St. Paul’s School (0-1)
UCBAC
Bel Air at North Harford
Havre de Grace at Perryville
SATURDAY
TOP 20
Good Counsel (1-0) at No. 2 Mount St. Joseph (2-0)
No. 3 Calvert Hall College (2-0) vs. St. Mary’s Ryken at Georgetown University (Cooper Field)
No. 5 Franklin at St. Anthony’s (NY)
No. 9 Mervo vs. No. 8 Dunbar at Poly
NON-LEAGUE
Gilman School (1-1) at Episcopal (0-0)
BALTIMORE CITY
Lake Clifton vs. Carver Vo-Tech at Poly
City vs. Patterson at Poly
BALTIMORE COUNTY
Hereford at Towson
Overlea at Chesapeake-Baltimore County
