FOOTBALL PREVIEW: OUT OF DOORS?

The losers of games involving Franklin at Milford Mill, and, Perry Hall at Parkville face possible playoff elimination, despite all boasting some of the Baltimore County 4A-3A League’s premiere players.

The race for a Class 4A North Region playoff berth is a tight one between five quality programs

In order, the teams are, Linganore (7-0) of Frederick County; North Carroll (7-0) of Carroll County;
Perry Hall, Parkville and Thomas Johnson (5-2) of Frederick County.

North Carroll visits Linganore in a critical game on Friday night.

Both North Carroll and Linganore have beaten Thomas Johnson, which has remaining games against
Middletown (4-3) and Fredrick (7-0).

North Carroll’s remaining games, after Linganore, are against Urbana (3-4) and Westminster (1-6).

Linganore isn’t likely to lose against Francis Scott Key (2-5) or Urbana (3-4).

The Gators’ Dave Stinebaugh, a 6-5, 200-pound tight end-linebacker-defensive end prospect, is getting looks from recruiters, despite being only a junior.

Stinebaugh has scored 27 career TDs over the past two seasons.

This year, Stinebaugh has 36 receptions for 708 yards and 10 TDs; a rushing TD; and has thrown a TD pass for the game-winning score with 1:08 left to play in a victory over Franklin.

Stinebaugh has returned one of two interceptions for a score, as well.

The Knights are more balanced, with RB Ian Sadan, RB Tai-Jee Glen-Akles, RB C.J. Bianchi and QB Asa Laboo.

Franklin (3-4) at Milford Mill (4-3)
Time: 1 p.m. Saturday
Outlook: Each of these teams is coming off of what was perhaps its best effort of the season.

	The visiting Indians (2-4) upset Baltimore County Class 4A-3A Division rival, Parkville, 23-14, last week, handing the Knights their second straight loss. Meanwhile, the Millers (4-2 league) nearly upset unbeaten Hereford (6-0 league), falling,17-14, after taking a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. The Millers’ Charles Blue rushed for a TD and had a sack, and both University of Maryland-bound Teddy Dargan and Brandon Ragin recovered fumbles as part of a defense which held the Bulls, who averged 45 points entering the game, to their lowest point-total of the season. The Indians, meanwhile, received balanced efforts from a lot of different players against Parkville. RB-QB-DB Carl Fleming rushed for 110 yards and a 41-yard touchdown; Keith Ford threw for 157 yards, mostly on a fourth-quarter, 91-yard scoring pass to Ryan Mays (three receptions, 119 yards). Ron Greene scored on a 5-yard run, had 12 tackles, and a half of a sack; Leo Roberts made 10 tackles and forced a fumble; and Emery Pressman had a sack and a fumble recovery. But it is Fleming (6-1, 190) who makes the Indians go.                                                             Fleming has thrown two TDs; rushed for 861 yards and 10 TDs; and, defensively, made two INTs.
“We’re going to the playoffs, believe me,” Maryland-bound two-way lineman, Teddy Dargan (above) said after his Millers narrowly lost, 17-14, to unbeaten Hereford last week. “And when we get there, Hereford is going to see us again. Trust me on that.” The Millers , however, will likely have to get past Saturday’s game with Baltimore County 4A-3A League rival Franklin to secure a Class 3A North Region playoff berth in what is a tight race.

But with a loss, both Milford Mill and Franklin could be out of the Class 3A North Region playoff picture, this, despite the Indians being the defending regional champs, coming off of last year’s Class 3A state semifinal berth and a school-record 10-3 season.

Trailing Hereford in the chase for one of the four berths in the regional playoffs are Catonsville (5-2),  Mervo (5-2) of Baltimore City, Patapsco (5-2), Milford Mill and Franklin in what is a tight race for the final three spots.

Although Hereford is unlikely to lose, Catonsville, Mervo and Patapsco still have difficult games remaining to be played on their respective schedules.
                                                                                                                                             

Milford Mill still has remaining games against Parkville (5-2) and Perry Hall (6-1), and Franklin closes with Woodlawn (3-4) and Dulaney (1-6).

IS FRANKLIN BACK IN THE HUNT?

Even at 3-4, an explosive and dangerous Indians’ football team signals its intent to return to the Class 3A North Region playoffs following  Friday night’s upset of Parkville.

Down by six points in the first quarter following a 63-yard touchdown run by Parkville’s Ian Sadan, the Indians scored the next 23 points and gave up only eight more in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s 23-14 upset of Parkville in Baltimore County 4A-3A League action.

Carl Fleming rushed for 110 yards and a 41-yard touchdown, and Keith Ford threw for 157 yards, mostly on a fourth-quarter, 91-yard scoring pass to Ryan Mays (three receptions, 119 yards).

Also playing well was Ron Greene with a 5-yard scoring run, 12 tackles, and a half of a sack; Leo Roberts with 54 rushing yards, 13 receiving yards, 10 tackles and a forced fumble; Jamal Jones (four receptions, 25 yards); and Emery Pressman with a sack and a fumble recovery.

The Indians are coming off of their best season ever at 10-3, when their best player, Scott Noble, was named Baltimore County’s Offensive Player of The Year as well as a first-team All-Metro selection.

Last year, the Indians upset defending county 4A-3A League champ, Perry Hall, and handed two-time Baltimore City champion, City, its lone loss on the way to winning the Class 3A North Region crown.

Until Friday night, however, it appeard that the Indians wouldn’t get a chance to defend their region title.

But now, the Indians (3-4, 2-4) are back in the hunt for a playoff berth, with games remaining against Milford Mill, Woodlawn and Dulaney.

“Our focus is to come out every week and try to play Franklin’s best football.  We demonstrated that we can do that against Parkville,” said Franklin coach Anthony Burgos, whose Indians entered last week trailing Hereford, Patapsco, Milford Mill, Catonsville and Mervo in the chase for one of the top four qualifying seeds in the chase for a regional berth.

“If we can focus one week at a time for the next three weeks on how great we can be, teams will need to watch out for Franklin,” said Burgos. “We are a very talented team with many big playmakers.”

The most talened of the Indians may well be Fleming,  whom Burgos calls, “one of the most explosive players in the Baltimore metro area.”

A 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior, Fleming sees action as a running back, quarterback and defensive back.

So far this season, he has completed seven passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

Fleming also has rushed for 861 yards and 10 touchdowns, and, defensively, has two interceptions.

Fleming had his best game in a 20-13 victory over Kenwood, during which he rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

“Carl has great size and speed and can play many positions,” said Burgos, whose Indians “are very young,” starting three sophomores and 11 juniors.

“Despite our youth, we’ve given teams fits, losing three games by a total of less than 10 points,” Burgos said. “We gave Hereford all they could handle in the first half, but our inexperience and depth has hurt us in the second half.”

The Indians, for example, lost to Catonsville after leading, 28-6, at halftime. They lost a five-point lead to Perry Hall with two minutes left to play, and, said Burgos, “didn’t show up to play” for another loss to Towson.

“Our inexperience has hurt us tremendously this year. Since last season we lost 19 seniors,” Burgos said. “But on top of that, we lost a lot of leadership and players who had a great knowledge for the game.”
 

“I tell my guys all the time that we have the personnel on this team who could make this team better than last year’s team,” Burgos said. “We have more big play-makers who can go the distance in a hurry.”

Franklin 23, Parkville 14

F- 0   7   9   7      23   
P- 6   0   0   8      14   
 
P-Ian Sadon 63 run (kick failed)
F-Carl Fleming 41 run (Joe Gibson kick)
F-Ron Greene 5 run (kick failed)
F-FG 25 Joe Gibson
F-Ryan Mays 91 pass from Keith Ford (Joe Gibson kick)
P-TJ Glenn-Akles 6 run (TJ Glenn-Akles run)

INDIANS OUTLAST LOCH RAVEN

Overtime victory keeps Franklin in Baltimore County finals’ picture

Franklin 1, Loch Raven, 2 OT
Goal: Franklin-Yates. Assists: Franklin-Reiss. Saves: Franklin-Hans 9; Loch Raven-Jack 4.

-Derek Toney