More News

It's exceedingly rare that the first round of any playoff series can be built up as the climax. But really, could you really ask for a better opening to the Class 3A playoffs than Damascus vs. Seneca Valley?

Forget that the Screaming Eagles have a record 12 Maryland state championships, while the Hornets are second in Montgomery County history with seven; that's ancient history.

The most relevant reason to talk about the county's preeminent arch-rivals on the gridiron is revenge. A year ago, in the 3A West Region playoffs, the host Hornets got the better of the matchup in a dominant 48-26 victory en route to a state title.

There's a ton of pressure on Seneca Valley to win it all this year, most of it self-imposed. Few schools would be unhappy with an unbeaten regular season, but at Seneca, after five-year drought long only by its own standards, anything less would be a disappointment.

But there's a valid reason for such lofty expectations; they're pretty good, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles have shut out six of 10 opponents this year, and allowed a paltry 4.1 points per game, a county low.

Playmakers are all over the place, especially in Seneca's outstanding secondary, featuring Division I recruit Xavier Hughes and shutdown senior cornerbacks Joe Rankin and Mark Henderson.

Rankin is also the Eagles' top rusher on the other side of the ball, but it's third-year starting quarterback George Lerch who makes the Seneca offense go. He's thrown for 1,270 yards and 16 scores, with the big-play Henderson nabbing 12 of them, including one in the Eagles' 49-0, season-ending victory over Einstein.

"Our big emphasis was to finish the season strong, and I think we did that," said Seneca Valley coach Fred Kim. "We didn't want to limp into the playoffs. … I think maybe I'd like to be a bit more solid on special teams and probably more consistent offensively; in the bigger games, we might drop a ball or an interception or something that would slow us down."

The Hornets lost the teams' Oct. 24 matchup, 13-7, but had one notable absence: quarterback Connor Frazier. It was his older brother Kyle, now at Monmouth (N.J.) University, that led the Hornets to last year's state title, and as the Hornets found out Friday, their precocious sophomore is every bit ready for primetime.

Returning from a broken collarbone that sidelined him for four games, Frazier returned for a win-or-go-home Week 10 matchup with Paint Branch, leading a game-winning drive that saw him complete three fourth-down passes, including a 29-yard touchdown to senior Kane Brenneman.

Frazier will also lean on his 200-pound workhorse in the backfield, junior Brian Lucas. And amongst a bevy of outside targets, he's developed a fast connection with sophomore wide receiver Brandon Phelps, who's no stranger to the spotlight, himself; he grabbed a touchdown in the team's playoff-meeting last November.

"We think we can play with them," said Damascus coach Eric Wallich. "They are clearly a great team; they're the favorite. But you get here, anything can happen."

No. 4 Damascus (7-3) at No. 1 Seneca Valley (10-0)

What: Class 3A West Region semifinal

When: Friday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m.

Where: Seneca Valley High School, Germantown

Last meeting: Seneca Valley 13, Damascus 7 (Oct. 24, 2008)

Location: Damascus

Nickname: Swarmin' Hornets

Head coach: Eric Wallich, 1st year (7-3; 2nd overall, 12-8)

League affiliation: Montgomery 3A

Last playoff appearance: 2007 (17th)

Last state title: 2007 (7th)

Leading rusher: Brian Lucas (131 carries, 984 yards, 12 TD)

Leading passer: Connor Frazier (76 of 101, 1,038 yards, 8 TD, 2 int.)

Leading receivers: Marc Magas (19 catches, 281 yards); three others with at least 200 yards

Leading defenders: LB Brad Harris, LB Zeke Gammil, DT Timmy Cosgrove

Points scored: 281 (28.1 per game)

Points allowed: 146 (14.6 per game)

Location: Germantown

Nickname: Screaming Eagles

Head coach: Fred Kim, 5th year (57-18 record; 7th overall, 46-10)

League affiliation: Montgomery 3A

Last playoff appearance: 2007 (24th)

Last state title: 2002 (12th)

Leading rushers: Jaiquan Moore (101 carries, 580 yards, 12 TD), Joe Rankin (57 carries, 532 yards, 7 TD)

Leading passer: George Lerch (72 of 120, 1,270 yards, 16 TD, 3 int.)

Leading receiver: Mark Henderson (25 catches, 451 yards, 12 TD)

Leading defenders: DB Joe Rankin, LB Thomas Best, DT Russell Main

Points scored: 356 (35.6 per game)

Points allowed: 41 (4.1 per game)