Maryland high school football state championship recaps, top stories
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - The final day of the Maryland high school football season featured two “backyard brawls,” a battle of recent state champions, a scoring breakout and a reference to a popular comic book and movie franchise.
And, almost forgot, there was fog as well. Saturday’s state public championships at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium did not disappoint.
Here are highlights from Saturday’s three title matches.
What a difference a day made
Only four touchdowns were scored in the two title games (Class 2A/1A and 4A) in the rain Friday.
In Saturday’s opening contest with Western Maryland rivals Mountain Ridge and Fort Hill in the 1A finale, two touchdowns were scored inside the first 35 seconds. Fort Hill won its third straight crown, 45-21, in the third-highest scoring outcome in 1A finals history.
In a match-up of Frederick area foes, Oakdale outlasted Linganore, 42-35, in 3A to complete an undefeated campaign. The 77 combined points are the most in history in what was once the state’s second largest classification.
The Maryland Public Secondary State Association football tournament went from four classifications to six in the 2021-22 school year.
In the 4A/3A championship, Mervo scored twice in the second half to end previously undefeated North Point’s reign with a 14-7 decision.
The game, as well as the Linganore/Oakdale 3A title tilt was played under a light fog. It didn’t affect the play on the field, but visibility was poor from the Navy stadium press box.
Fort Hill’s Jabriel Daniels had a day, and then some
Jabriel Daniels wears No. 3 for Fort Hill as his brother did a few years ago.
Saturday, Saiquan Jenkins’ little brother made him proud. Daniels made history Saturday as Fort Hill (13-0 overall) continued its reign in 1A.
The junior running back ran for 301 yards and five touchdowns. He finished 94 yards shy of the record for a state title game, set in 1996 by Darnell Dennis of Cambridge-South Dorchester. Dennis dashed for 395-yards in a win over Kent County.
Despite sitting for most of the second half, Fort Hill's Jabril Hill ran for state championship game record of 301 yards. He also rushed for five touchdowns.
Photo courtesy of Fort Hill Athletics
Daniels easily out-distanced Funk’s state mark in the first half against Mountain Ridge (11-2) with 231 yards on scoring runs of 63, 64, 42, 3 and 59 yards. He finished the opening 24 minutes with 18 carries for 292 yards.
Daniels’ five touchdowns pushed his season total to 34, establishing a new single-season school mark previously held by current Buffalo Bills back Ty Johnson, who also played collegiately at Maryland.
Daniels gave all the credit to his blockers including linemen Camron Brooks, Carter Hess, Brayden Sines, Logan Vanmeter, Riley Williams, tight end Bryson Metz and lead back Carson Bender.
“Five yards, 10 yards, I come back to the huddle and thank them and do it all over again,” Daniels said. “The best offensive line I’ve seen in person.”
A year ago, Daniels had 27 yards as a reserve as Fort Hill won its second straight 1A title. He was promoted to the varsity before the 2021 postseason.
A few weeks earlier, Jenkins died from stab wounds during a fight outside of Fort Hill. Jenkins would’ve graduated this past May.
His No. 3 jersey is on the sidelines for every Fort Hill game.
“Before the game I touch the jersey and talk to him through that,” said Daniels, whose other brother Gamiel, also a junior, had an interception Saturday. “I told him be with me today and he sure was.”
Triumph over tragedy for Mervo
Bobby Johnson admits everyday is a challenge.
“I’ve been through a lot, serious traumatizing stuff that broke me,” said Johnson. “I still hurt til this day. There’s pain I can’t get over.”
Like many of his teenage teammates who have experienced unimaginable adversity the last couple of years, football brings clarity and peace. The Mustangs (13-1) won the 4A/3A state championship with a come-from-behind effort against North Point (13-1).
Trailing at halftime, Mervo rallied in the second half to defeat previously undefeated and defending champ North Point in the Class 4A/3A state final at Navy. It’s the second 4A/3A title in three seasons for the Baltimore City program. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (center in blue) was on hand to join in the trophy presentation celebration.
Photo by Derek Toney
Johnson caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Raymond Moore with 2 minutes, 17 seconds left in regulation, giving the Baltimore City program its second title in three seasons.
The Mustangs won the 4A/3A title in 2021, completing an improbable journey. In September, Elijah Gorham, a senior wide receiver/returner, suffered a head injury after landing in the end zone during the third quarter of a league game against Dunbar at Poly.
Gorham died three weeks later. Last year, Jeremiah Brogden, a Mustang varsity player, was gunned down outside the school, hours before the team’s regular season debut.
Jekai Smart, one of Brodgen’s best friends, reversed momentum for Mervo Saturday, stripping the ball from North Point running back Isaiah Coleman and recovering it inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line. Johnson efforted across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown with 2:40 left in the third.
Johnson, a 5-foot-11 senior, went high to grab Moore’s pass in the flat before sprinting into the end zone for the lead score. He added a 2-point conversion run.
“I just strived everyday, my brother and coach Nixon welcomed me back to the team, it was so much going on,” said Johnson, a three-year varsity player. “To get here now and be a big part of the game, I feel so blessed.”
Inevitable for Oakdale
Oakdale coach Kurt Stein called Evan Austin, Dominic Nichols and Hunter Thompson, “The Avengers.” After losing in last year’s 3A state final, the senior trio got redemption Saturday.
“They promised me when we walked out those doors that it would never happen again,” Stein said, referring to last year’s 21-14 loss to Damascus. “That’s what everything has been about for 365 days.”
Only “Thanos” could’ve stopped Oakdale’s destiny to perfection and the scintillating offensive tango of Thompson and Austin Saturday evening. Thompson, who’s committed to Ohio, caught 15 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns.
Evan Austin holds up state 3A trophy while taking a selfie after game. The Charlotte commit accounted for 464 yards in 42-35 win over Linganore, completing a 14-0 season for Oakdale.
Photo by Derek Toney
Austin, a Charlotte pledge who’s slated to play wide receiver, threw for 279 yards and the four scoring hookups with 6-foot-3, 210-pound Thompson. Austin added 185 yards rushing on 25 carries.
“I knew it was my last (high school football) game,” said Austin. “I was going to give it everything I got.”
It was the first all-Frederick County state championship match. Oakdale defeated Linganore, 21-14, during the regular season.
The Lancers (12-2), who despite being down 21 points in early fourth were onsides kick recovery away from potentially tying or taking the lead in the final 90 seconds, had few answers defensively Saturday especially against Thompson.
He failed to make a catch only once out of 16 targets.
“Seemed like it didn’t matter at times,” said Linganore coach Rick Conner.
Inside the numbers
North Point had its 18-game winning streak snapped Saturday…Oakdale scored on its first seven possessions against Linganore in the 3A title game…Mervo allowed just two touchdowns in its five 4A/3A playoff matches…Linganore lost for a fourth straight time in the state final (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023)...Fort Hill has won 21 consecutive games and eight of the last 10 1A titles…Mountain Ridge is the first school to lose in a state championship game in three consecutive years since Smithsburg, which lost in the 1A final in 1989, 1990 and 1991…All three Southern Maryland Athletic Conference representatives in this weekend’s state final - Calvert (2A/1A), Huntingtown (2A), North Point (4A/3A) - lost.
