by Willie Sean Coughlan | Aug 31, 2022 | High School

Longtime Perry Hall coach Keith Robinson brought his up-tempo show to Fallston, after producing high-octane offenses for the Gators for so many years. Robinson began as a young assistant under the legendary Roger Wrenn at Patterson in the early 90s. Robinson spent six seasons as the head coach at Overlea, before donning the headsets at Perry Hall for 11 years. In 2010, Robinson instituted an up-tempo offense for the Gators, and over his last nine seasons there his teams averaged 33.9 points per game, and ranked among the top ten in scoring offenses in the MPSSAA in three of those seasons – ‘13 (38.3), ‘15 (39.0), and ‘17 (42.9). In each of those three seasons, Robinson had a high quality, senior quarterback, capable of running an offense at just short of a frenetic pace. 

In ‘13, 6’4 205 Jeff Iweh led the Gators, throwing for 2,112 yards, and rushing for 871 yards. Those Gators lost to Paint Branch in a wild 4A regional final, as the Panthers pulled out a 51-48 victory in the final seconds. In ‘15, Reece Wiseman led the Gators, and set a Baltimore County record with 31 touchdown passes in a season. Those Gators pulled out a 47-46 shootout with Milford Mill, with Wiseman throwing for 464 yards and six touchdowns. Two years later, Robinson had Tyler Holley at quarterback, and the senior not only broke Wiseman’s passing touchdowns record, with 34, but set the county’s passing yardage record, too, with 2,770 yards through the air.

After stepping down from Perry Hall in 2018, Robinson said he’d spend time watching his son Mikey play his freshman year at Fallston. Following Mikey’s freshman year, Robinson took the head JV job at Fallston, before Covid wiped out an entire season at Fallston. Cougars head coach Jimmy Grant stepped down in early ‘21, and Robinson was back in, serving his 18th season as head coach in the MPSSAA. 

Robinson would have a talented quarterback, a junior at that, and a top target that together would forge one of the two or three best ‘1-2’ combos in the state. Aiden Dixon (5’10 175) exploded on to the scene in his first varsity season, becoming the first player in MPSSAA history to throw for more than 2,500 yards and rush for more than 1,250 yards in the same season, all while throwing for 26 touchdowns, and running for another 15 scores. In all, Dixon accounted for 3,896 yards and 41 touchdowns. Dixon, along with all-state senior receiver Dylan Wheeler, helped lead the Gators to the second highest scoring offense in the MPSSAA last season, matching the ‘17 Holley-led Gators average of 42.9 points per game. 

Dixon could become the first player in MPSSAA history to throw for 5,000 yards, and rush for 2,500 yards, with 2,451 and 1,153, respectively. Ben Swartzendruber (5’10 185) a two-way player selected to the all-county team at linebacker last season returns, as does running back Evan Bradley-Dozier (5’8 N/A) . While Wheeler graduated, Kael Sturgis (5’11 170) and Ryan Murimi (5’10 158), Dixons’s next two top targets, return. The Cougars 9-2 season came to an end with a 49-21 loss to Elkton in the ‘Round of 16’. Robinson’s 130 wins ranks 11th among active MPSSAA coaches. 

After shocking Fallston, the Golden Elks of Elkton (8-4) were humbled a week later by Lackey, 56-28, in a 2A state quarterfinal. In the shadow of Dixon’s heroics in Fallston, Golden Elks quarterback Jayden Triplett produced an outstanding senior season, throwing for 1.585 yards and 17 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,247 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Golden Elks not only lose Triplett, but 96% of their rushing offense graduated this spring. Defensively, the Golden Elks return senior defensive end Jaden Nichols (6’1 200), who recorded five tackles for loss and four sacks, and 6’2 230 sophomore linebacker Adam Douglas, who made an impact as an edge rusher as a freshman. Senior receiver Isaiah Hufftsutler (5’10 160) caught 24 receptions and 348 yards and three touchdowns last season. Coach Matt Feeney will begin his tenth season at Elkton, holding a 64-22 record in eight full seasons, and a game in the fall of 2020. Feeney’s .744 win percentage ranks third among active MPSSAA coaches in the Baltimore area (min. 60 games), behind only Dunbar’s Lawrence Smith (.871), and River Hill’s Brian Van Deusen (.802).

Harford Tech (9-2) put together another successful season, before falling just short of South Carroll, 14-13, in the 2/1A state semifinal. Aside from a forfeit loss to Edgewood, the Cobras went unbeaten in the regular season, and hammered 8-3 Largo in a 2A state quarterfinal, 42-6. But, like Elkton, the Cobras lost their ‘game-changer’ to graduation. Despite having his junior season wiped clean because of a pandemic, Kelvin Mendez rushed for 3,729 yards and 41 touchdowns in twenty games over two seasons, averaging 186.5 rushing yards per game. The Cobras do return 6’3 262 AJ Baldwin, who stood out at left tackle, and 5’11 240 senior center Jake Walker. Junior Aderomileh (6’0 170) returns at receiver and cornerback, after nabbing three touchdown receptions on offense, and two interceptions on defense, as a sophomore. Coach Tim Palmer has built a solid program at Harford Tech, posting a 39-7 record in his four seasons with the Cobras. The Cobras have won nine or more games in each of Palmer’s four seasons with the program. 

Keith Rawlings enters his second season at Edgewood (7-4), after having spent seven seasons at John Carroll, leading the Patriots to the MIAA B championship and an undefeated 12-0 season in 2015, with his son Kurt at quarterback. The Rams return junior Ali Torres (5’11 N/A), who caught 23 balls for 352 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver, and added an interception and four pass break-ups at defensive back. Torres also added 176 return yards and three two-point conversions. Brennan Gielner, the Rams 6’5 310 left tackle, a BTC Super 22 selection, headlines the offensive line. Senior Defensive end Trent Alexander (6’2 180) had a solid season in ‘21, registering 47 tackles – 34 solo, 11 tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hurries, five sacks, and a fumble recovery. Senior Isaiah Martin (6’0 175) stands out at receiver, but also made plays on special teams, and will likely make an impact on all three units. 

Havre de Grace (7-3) was upended by Joppatowne, 22-3, in the ‘Round of 16’ last year, after blanking the Mariners, 15-0, in week four. The ‘22 Warriors feature senior defensive end Quentin Daniels (6’0 230), and Dominic Hyman (6’0 155), who will play both receiver and cornerback. Hyman was an all-county selection last season. Brian Eberhardt has a 40-19 record in five seasons with the Warriors. 

Joppatowne (6-5) was humbled by Fort Hill in the state quarterfinals, after upsetting Havre de Grace in the regional final. The Mariners return a pair of All-County selections on defense in middle linebacker Steven Robinson (5’8 205) and defensive lineman Nikolas Webb (6’1 255), who recorded 11 sacks last season. Perryville (7-5) returns All-County selections Zach Ayers (5’8 160) and Zack Clarke (5’9 165). Bel Air (4-6) boasts one of the best all-around players in the league in Tre Dennis (6’1 170), who played receiver, safety, cornerback, quarterback, and kick returner for the Bobcats. Dennis recorded five touchdowns receptions on offense, picked off five passes on defense, and returned two kicks for scores. The Bobcats also return all-county linebacker Nate Furrow (5’10 195). Bohemia Manor (5-6) returns the Cecil County Defensive Player of the Year, safety Jake Koehler (6’0 195). All-County lineman Giavanni Barbarino returns for North Harford (5-5). 

The UCBAC state championship drought has run for 17 post-seasons now, since a pair of Harford County school programs won two state championships in 2003, with Joppatowne winning the 1A crown, and Aberdeen the 2A title. The UCBAC, made up of Harford and Cecil County schools, saw Elkton win the 1A in 2000, and Bohemia Manor winning the same title in 2002, giving the region four state championships in four seasons from ‘00 through ‘03. Havre de Grace won three state titles from ‘78 through ‘86, and played in four state title games from ‘85 through ‘88. Joppatowne played in three straight Class C (now 1A) state championship games in the first three post-seasons from ‘74-76, winning the state championship in ‘75. 

But, ever since ‘the Deen’ and the Mariners took the 1A and 2A sweep in ‘03, the UCBAC hasn’t won a state title since. During that time, Dunbar and Fort Hill took a stranglehold on the division, combining to win 14 of the 17 state titles in the classification since. The UCBAC has sent 21 teams to the state semifinals since the 2004 post-season, but all have come up short of state glory, with most being eliminated by the Poets or Sentinels, or some 13-0 or 14-0 juggernaut. Both Elkton and Havre de Grace have felt the wrath of the Baltimore City and Western Maryland powers. In 2006, Havre de Grace lost to Fort Hill in the state semifinals, and lost to Dunbar in the 1A state championship game in 2010, 22-12. The Warriors lost to Fort Hill in back-to-back 1A state championship games in ‘15 and ‘16, then the eventual state champion Dunbar Poets in the semifinals in ‘17, and the eventual state champion Sentinels in the semifinals in ‘18. 

In ‘06, Elkton fell to Dunbar and a young Tavon Austin in the state semifinals, 26-20. In ‘07, the Golden Elks ran into River Hill in the semifinals, as the Hawks began their 40 game win streak. In 2012, Elkton were stopped by another juggernaut in the semifinals – Middletown, who would win the second of three state championships, and go 14-0. In ‘16, the Elks lost to a 14-0 Walkersville team, 20-6, in the state championship game. In ‘18, the Golden Elks were shut out for a third straight time by an undefeated Frederick County school in the semis, before they went on to win the state championship. This time, it was Oakdale. In 2019, the Elks fell a second time to an eventual state championship Middletown team. In 2004, a year after winning the state title, the year the drought began, Joppatowne lost to Dunbar, 16-14, in the 1A state title game. Bel Air also advanced to the 2A state semifinals that year, but lost to Northwest, who was in 2A, 20-14, in the semifinals. Joppatowne was shut out by Fort Hill in the 1A state semifinals in ‘08. In 2011, Perryville, 13-0, advanced to the 1A state title game, and led Dunbar at half, before falling to the Poets.

Willie, a native of Chicago, and now a resident of Columbia for 40 years, is an educator at Homewood Center in Howard County, after spending 12 years as a real estate agent, following 10 years of running a small men’s retail company. Willie has contributed to Max Preps, Digital Sports, and Varsity Sports Network. Willie has produced MPSSAA top 25 rankings for both football and basketball for 15 years, across various platforms. From a large ‘sports family’, Willie’s brother Mike led Reservoir High to the 3A basketball state title game in 2018, while his nephew Anthony serves as the Indianapolis Colts College Scouting Coordinator.

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