Now that Anne Arundel County has its first state football championship since 1978, thanks to North County's 23-6 victory over Largo of Prince George's Friday night in the 4A final, let's take a look at some of the state and county individual records county players own.
North County's Topper Ellis set a state record for total all-purpose yards (2,478) this season. The old record was 2,424 by Bryan Blessing of Seneca Valley in 1992 and the Anne Arundel record was 2,157 in 1992 by Frank Brown, another North County athlete.
Broadneck's Jason Smith, who owns the overall state record for most receptions (75, 1993) in a season, set state public school records for career receptions (149) and career yards (2,286). Dennis Badham of McDonogh owns the overall career marks of 154 receptions for 2,878 and 38 touchdowns.
Smith, who is being recruited by Nebraska and Penn State, owns the county record for touchdown catches in a season (12), but is second in yards to North County's Lou Brown. Brown caught 74 passes for 1,120 yards in 13 games, as opposed to Smith's 1,065 in 10 games last year.
Here are other state offensive records Anne Arundel County owns:
* Most points scored in a game -- 42, Lou Carter (Arundel), 1970 RTC against Southern-Harwood; and Frank Brown, 1992 against Chesapeake.
* Most touchdowns in a game -- 7, by Carter against Southern (1970) and Frank Brown, 1992 against Chesapeake.
* Most career field goals -- 16, Mark Kiefer (St. Mary's, 1991-93), overall; public school -- 13, Jason Bloom (Perry Hall, 1992-94).
* Most passing yards in a season -- 2,356, Eric Howard (North County, 1992).
* Most career completions -- 254, Howard (1991-92).
* Most season completions -- 163, Howard, 11 games in 1992; 161, Johnny Ray (North County, 10 games in 1990).
* Most touchdown passes in a season -- 28, Howard (1992) and Jason Boseck (Pallotti, 1992).
Anne Arundel County records set this season:
* Most points scored in a season -- 170, John Vereen (Severn); the old record was 161 by Bob Stach of Southern, 1966.
* Most touchdowns in a season -- 27, Vereen, old record was 24 by Frank Brown (1992).
* Most yards rushing in a game -- 340, Jason Lilly in St. Mary's 39-20 victory over Calvert Hall; old record was 336 by Frank Brown against Chesapeake, 1992.
Questions without answers
Now that Navy has said adios to football coach George Chaump, why shouldn't it take a chance on a high school coach like North County's Chuck Markiewicz?
Have you heard the rumor that Navy might get Virginia's George Welsh (former Navy coach) and his offensive coordinator, Tom O'Brien, in a package with Welsh becoming the Mids' athletic director, O'Brien head football coach and current athletic director Jack Lengyel stepping down?
Markiewicz was offensive coordinator for the Maryland team that defeated Virginia with his run-and-shoot attack in the Chesapeake Classic for seniors this year, then led his Knights to state, region and county titles.
Didn't Markiewicz describe Ellis very well in his late Sunday night appearance on WMAR-TV's "Sports Extra" with Keith Mills? "Topper has a Division III body [5-foot-8, 150 pounds] with a Division I heart," said Markiewicz.
The joke around the county is that "the light rail was the best thing that happened to North County," meaning that football players are coming in from Baltimore to play at the Ferndale school.
Envious people and coaches are asking, "How come there were never so many great athletes when it was Brooklyn Park and Andover [which merged to form North County] up there?"
Shouldn't North County principal Bill Wentworth be applauded for hiring Markiewicz? It was that move that put North County on the map.
* Did you know that Del Hughes was fired as football coach in typical Archbishop Spalding fashion (without an official announcement) after three seasons (6-24) and replaced by assistant Paul Terhes?
Spalding athletic director Domenic Pachence and principal Barbara Schweitzer said the program was not making progress.