Atholton Raiders
1993 record: 5-5. Coach: Don Van Deusen (21st year).
Top players: Adam Martiny, Sr., OT/DT; Ricky Trott, Jr., RB/LB; Jamie Burford, Sr., QB/DB; Matt Radik, Sr., C/DE; Joe Garrison, Sr., LB; Ed Chang, Sr., WR; Mel Enderes, Sr., G/DE; Mike Radford, Sr., WR/DB; Jon Sanford, Jr., RB/LB; Matt Robinson, Sr., OT/DT.
Outlook: The Raiders return three offensive starters (Chang, Enderes and Martiny) and four defensive starters (Burford, Trott, Radik and Garrison).
Trott, an All-County kick returner, rushed 47 times for 246 yards as a backup RB. Burford, a backup quarterback last season, will start as quarterback, defensive back and punter. Robinson is a transfer from Kansas. Martiny (6 feet, 262 pounds) was an All-County offensive tackle.
Depth at running back might find the Raiders operating less from last season's run-and-shoot offense and more from an offset I. The secondary is the defense's strength and encouraged a switch from last season's 4-4 defense to a 4-3-4. Nine players will start two ways.
Atholton appears improved enough to take a step up from last season's 2-5 league record.
Centennial Eagles
1993 record: 4-6. Coach: Ed Holshue (fifth year).
Top players: John O'Connor, Sr., T; John Coles, Sr., G; Kevin O'Connor, Sr., TE/DE; Brian Dowell, Sr., QB; Rob Hauff, Sr., RB/LB; Dominic Dinisio, Sr., WR; Steve Puckett, Sr., FB; Chris Cochran, Sr., DE; Jeff Conner, Sr., LB; Joe Lowrance, Sr., DB.
Outlook: The Eagles return seven offensive starters and five defensive starters -- the most of any county team.
Centennial might be the heaviest team. It features 13 players who weigh more than 200 pounds -- topped by John O'Connor at 290. "I've never had a team this big," said Holshue, who spent nine years as head coach at Mount Hebron. He also will have the county's deepest team with 40 varsity players.
An offense that relied upon one running back (Don Culbreth, 1,098 yards) last season will enjoy three this year with sophomore Scott Bross and senior Mansa McQueen, two
speedsters, joining Hauff in what Holshue calls a "three-headed monster." Hauff, mainly a blocking back a year ago, gained 274 yards on 50 carries.
Centennial, the only county team to beat Howard last season, would like to throw more often. Dowell completed 28 of 86 passes for 303 yards. His top targets will be Dinisio and senior wide receiver Kevin Heywood. Kevin O'Connor caught 10 passes at tight end.
The defense will sport a five-man front line instead of four, and the secondary is inexperienced. But the Eagles have more team speed and should improve upon last season's 2-5 league record. They might be improved enough to contend for the county title.
Glenelg Gladiators
1993 record: 8-2. Coach: Ed Ashwell (fourth year).
Top players: Sean Lookingbill, Sr., QB; Mike Deming, Sr., FB; Phil Stanton, Sr., OT; Zach Guerra, Sr., LB; Brian Frederick, Sr., WR; Jeremy Goetz, Sr., DB; Frank Brosenne, Jr., OT; Paul Marick, Jr., B; Jeremy Lignelli, Soph., RB; Steve Dulaney, Jr., WR/DB.
Outlook: The Gladiators graduated five All-County players and are young and rebuilding. Lookingbill, Deming and Stanton are the only returning offensive starters and Guerra is the only returning defensive starter.
Glenelg will have good size with Stanton (225 pounds), Brosenne (240) and Marick (225), but it will have less speed than last season.
A pro-set offense and 5-2 defense remain in place, but Ashwell is having to spend more time teaching fundamentals this season.
Lookingbill is a strong passer and a third-year starter. The secondary is young but should be a team strength.
"We're unproven, but just because we're young it doesn't mean we'll be bad," Ashwell said.
Hammond Bears
1993 record: 7-3. Coach: Joe Russo (16th year).
Top players: Jim Weston, Sr., C/NG; Tim Spruill, Sr., QB/DB; Joe Cullen, Sr., DT; James Rumman, Sr., OG/DT; Dave Friedman, Jr., TE/LB; Ron Gamble, Jr., RB/LB.
Outlook: Spruill is a sensational athlete who gives the Bears a constant offensive threat. He's also the punter, kicker and kick returner.
But, he lacks an experienced offensive line -- one reason the Bears have gone to a shotgun formation after running a multiple I last season. Gamble, at 225 pounds, should help offensively.
Hammond graduated three All-County defensive players and lost another to a transfer. Weston is an All-County returnee who hopes to keep the defense playing aggressively.
The Bears have only 19 players, and a lack of depth and experience should make it difficult to match last season's 5-2 league record.
Howard Lions
1993 record: 9-2. Coach: John Quinn (ninth year).
Top players: DaLawn Parrish, Sr., QB/DB; A. J. Durham, Sr., TE/DE; Corey Curtis, Sr., RB/LB; Turrae Jones, Sr., RB/LB; Frank Tortella, Jr., C; Letam Biira, Sr., G/NG; Shawn Sherman, Sr., G; Rusty Miller, Sr., FB; Chris Harrington, Sr., T.
Outlook: The Lions return eight starters from a team that won the Howard County title and then lost to Poly in the state quarterfinals.
Howard graduated six All-County players and returns just one -- Parrish, a preseason All-America pick. Parrish can pass and run and is an excellent free safety.
Other offensive returning starters include Tortella, Biira, Sherman and Durham.
Two of the backs in Howard's I formation will be seniors -- Curtis and Jones. The fullback will be Miller, a transfer from Cardinal Gibbons who is also a kicker and punter.
Defensive returning starters include Curtis, Jones and Parrish.
Howard will be much bigger than last season with the influx of Harrington (a 6-3, 280-pound senior transfer from Louisiana), junior 215-pound linemen Jeremy Utley and John Miller and sophomore 250-pound linemen Brian Neal and Carroll Burley.
"The key to our season is how quickly those kids become seasoned," Quinn said.
Mount Hebron Vikings
1993 record: 2-8. Coach: Mark Cates (third year).
Top players: Brad Black, Sr., TE; Mike Titsworth, Sr., RB; David Jaeger, Jr., OT/DT; Jeff Machiron, Sr., G; Peter Yim, Jr., OG/DT; Jeremy Besor, Jr., OT/LB; Mike Machiron, Soph., RB/DG; Keith Radcliffe, Jr., RB; John Smith, Soph., QB.
Outlook: The Vikings return eight starters, and although they look much improved over last season they lack depth and are inexperienced at some key positions, such as quarterback.
"We are athletic at every position and we like to hit, but numbers may be our Achilles' heel," Cates said.
Returning offensive players include Black, who has moved to tight end after starting two seasons at center.
"He has great hands, has gained 20 pounds and has had an outstanding camp," Cates said, who is enthusiastic about Smith and Radcliffe.
Titsworth (broken collarbone), Jaeger and Machiron, a three-year starter, are also returning. Defensive returnees include Yim, Jaeger, Besor and Mike Machiron.
Oakland Mills Scorpions
1993 record: 5-5. Coach: Ken Hovet (second year).
Top players: Jake Daft, Sr., RB/LB; Sam Smith, Sr., WR/DB; James Johnson, Sr., OG/LB; Irving Conwell, Jr., QB/DB; Brad Matulevich, Sr., OT; Matt Rollman, Jr., C; Lang Wethington, Sr., FB; Paul Brown, Jr., RB/DB; Fardan Carter, Soph., RB; Tayuan Hall, Sr., RB/LB; Juan Esguarra, Sr., OT; Eamon Gallagher, Sr., OG; Ryan Hughes, Sr., TE.
Outlook: The Scorpions, with 10 returning starters and four outstanding new players, should contend for the Howard County title.
Oakland Mills will field its best team in several years with a wing-T offense and improved 4-3 defense.
Two transfers, All-County defensive back Conwell from Hammond and 4.4 speedster Carter from Mount St. Joe, add to an already solid returning offense that includes Daft (733 yards) and Wethington (565 yards).
Other offensive returning starters include Rollman, Johnson, Matulevich (6-2, 240 pounds) and Smith. Denny Cole, the backup quarterback last season, is competing with Conwell for the starting job. Senior newcomer Esguarra (225 pounds), Hughes and Gallagher round out the offensive line.
The defense will be much improved, said Hovet. It has four returning starters, including Daft, Smith, Paul Brown and James Johnson. Hall is a newcomer who figures to be the team's hardest hitter, a definite impact player.
Wilde Lake Wildecats
1993 record: 5-6. Coach: Doug DuVall (21st year).
Top players: Allan Anderson, Sr., RB; Paul Sokol, Sr., C/DL; Bubba Gerstenfeld, Sr., OG/DL; Mark Lee, Sr., OG/DL; Brian Bassett, Sr., WR; Dain Lewis, Soph., LB; Antonio Lewis, Sr., LB; James Simmons, Sr., LB; Tony DeSantis, Sr., DB; Tony Jackson, Soph., WR/DB; Mark Manly, Sr., FB/DT; Will Edison, Sr., DB.
Outlook: The Wildecats have a strong senior nucleus and a talented group of six sophomores.
Returning offensive players include three linemen -- Gerstenfeld, Lee and Sokol. Others are Bassett and Anderson.
Defensively there are seven returnees, including linemen Sokol, Gerstenfeld and Lee, linebackers Dain Lewis, Antonio Lewis and Simmons, and back Tony DeSantis.
Other sophomore starters include tackle Josh Vanderwagon, tackle Donald Wallace and wide receiver Barrett Wragg. Freshman defensive end Garth Herdrich will start.
The quarterback situation is unsettled with three players seeking to start, including last season's backup, senior Frank DeSantis, and two juniors, Dante Benning and Jeff Johnson.
DuVall thinks that speed and defense will be the team's strengths, and lack of depth its weakness. The Wildecats will run a wishbone offense.