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Area football teams enjoyed an immense amount of success this fall, as Urbana, Linganore, South Carroll and Glenelg all qualified for postseason competition.
The Hawks will compete in the Class 4A North, the Lancers are the second seed in the 3A West, and both South Carroll and Glenelg will compete in the 2A playoffs as No. 2 seeds in the West and South Regions, respectively.
4A North: No. 4 TJ (6-4) at No. 1 Urbana (8-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Not even 10 minutes after the official close of the 2009 regular season, the Patriots were talking about the one team that they wanted a rematch against-Urbana.
The Hawks won 10-7 on Oct. 9, using a fumble recovery inside the
Patriots' 20 to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown. For the rematch, expect the defenses to take over again. While each team has averaged roughly the same offensive output (25.0 points per game for the Patriots versus 24.8 points per game for the Hawks), it's clearly the defensive side of the ball that has been more consistent.
Urbana has allowed only 9.7 points per game, while Thomas Johnson is at 11.2 points per game.
3A West: No. 3 Damascus (8-2) at No. 2 Linganore (10-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
This old rivalry is experiencing some role reversal since the two teams went their separate ways. In 2006, Damascus won 9-7.
The Hornets didn't win the state championship that year, but it was bracketed by titles in 2005 and 2006. Last year, Damascus made it in, but was a first-round exit.
Linganore, meanwhile, is prepping for its fifth straight playoff appearance, after making it to the state championship last year.
The Lancers' status as the No. 2 is deceptive, as there is only a 1.44 point difference between Linganore at No. 1 Quince Orchard (10-0). The Lancers' 124.56 playoff points is the second-highest total in the state through all classes.
Meanwhile, the last time Linganore beat Damascus was in 2003. That year, both teams walked away with state crowns.
2A West: No. 3 Century (7-3) at No. 2 South Carroll (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Even though it's a comparison between only two options, the Cavaliers' 26-6 loss to the Knights on Oct. 2 was easily their most embarrassing of the year.
After South Carroll went up 6-0 on a blocked punt turned into a touchdown, the Knights came back with 26 points as senior quarterback Josh Bordner rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 207 yards and another score.
Since then, the Cavaliers have gone 4-1 for the second half of the season, but Century has been on a seven-game win streak.
The game will revolve around Bordner, who has thrown for 915 yards, completed 66 passes for nine touchdowns, and ran for six more scores.
If the Cavaliers' defense can shut him down, it opens up the chance for senior quarterback Alex Terpening to match Bordner's numbers.
Already, Terpening is up to five rushing touchdowns on 346 yards, and 636 yards passing on 64 completions, which have tacked on another four TD's.
Class 2A South: No. 3 Douglass-PG (8-2) at No. 2 Glenelg (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Douglass' leads the Eagles into battle with the Gladiators with 610 yards rushing in the first eight games of the season, while Emmanuel Smith, a sophomore running back, has added in 243 yards.
The duo have combined for 11 touchdowns this year.
Glenelg's offense will be led by senior running back Shannon Maura, who has 1,046 yards and seven touchdowns this year.
Junior back Colin Osborne creates a solid Plan B for the Gladiators, having accumulated 714 yards and another seven TD's.
Senior quarterback Gage Trawick has been able to hurt teams this season, completing 72 out of 120 passes for 1,017 yards with 14 TD's and only six interceptions.
