OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jimmy Meetre
South Carroll
Perhaps the defining moment of this senior's season came in one of the only two losses for the Cavaliers.
Facing a Linganore team with the stingiest defense in the Central Maryland Conference, Meetre reeled off 226 yards and two touchdowns, shredding the previously impenetrable unit. Then again, it was pretty much a typical performance for the running back.
Though not flashy, he gained a county-best 1,352 yards on 200 carries and scored 18 touchdowns. With speed under 4.6 seconds in the 40, Meetre showed the ability to burst through holes, as well as the tendency to bounce off would-be tacklers.
In a season-ending win over Westminster, he opened the game with an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, then ended all drama with a 50-yard touchdown run up the middle, giving him both the single-season and career (2,099 yards) school rushing records.
FIRST TEAM
Brad Baer
Westminster
The senior earned his second straight first-team selection by completing 75 of 142 passes for 1,133 yards, with 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions. A leader by example, Baer also rushed for three scores, leading his team to 27 or more points four times.
Chris Bassler
Francis Scott Key
The West Virginia-bound Bassler used his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame to dominate at tight end, throwing key blocks that opened holes for an offense that gained more than 2,400 yards rushing. The senior also caught seven passes, including three for touchdowns, and had 91 tackles and two sacks as a linebacker.
Nick Caprarola
Francis Scott Key
The senior guard did his best work on pulls, sweeps and traps, helping through key blocks on a team that gained more than 3,200 yards of total offense and 2,400 yards of rushing. He also excelled on special teams, operating as a precise long-snapper.
Brandon Costley
Westminster
Costley, a junior, had a breakout season for the Owls, carrying the ball 175 times for 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught seven passes out of the backfield for 103 yards, playing a pivotal role as his team reeled off five straight wins during one stretch.
Mike Guerra
South Carroll
The senior wide receiver excelled at making big plays for the Cavaliers all season, including in a late-season win over North Carroll in which he caught a pair of touchdown passes. For the year, Guerra had 28 catches for 463 yards and nine touchdowns.
Mike Haughton
Bowling Brook
The 5-11, 260-pound senior lineman excelled at both pass and run blocking for the Thoroughbreds. Haughton played a key role on a team that relied on the ground game on more than three-quarters of its plays, with running backs consistently following his lead to daylight.
Tom Ingham
Francis Scott Key
Ingham, a 6-2, 251-pound senior center, anchored one of the area's top offensive lines. The Eagles gained more than 2,400 yards rushing, and more than 3,200 yards in total offense. He did some of his best work on traps, helping open huge holes up the middle.
Mike Kincaid
South Carroll
At 6 feet, 205 pounds, Kincaid may not have been the largest center in the county, but his technique was unsurpassed. On a balanced offense that used multiple formations, the senior always got the job done, and even handled long snaps on the punt team.
Steve Loughry
South Carroll
An overwhelming choice for first-team All-Central Maryland Conference, the 6-foot, 210-pound Loughry excelled on both sides of the ball for the 8-2 Cavaliers. Coach Gene Brown called the senior tackle "the best blocker on the team," playing a key role in South Carroll's potent running game.
Jim Milesky
Francis Scott Key
A transfer from North Carroll, Milesky gave the Eagles a potent weapon on fourth down, connecting on five field goals and 30 extra points to lead the Monocacy Valley Athletic League in both categories. The senior also booted a pair of touchbacks and made two touchdown-saving tackles on kickoffs.
Josh Rutter
Francis Scott Key
Coach John Baugher calls this junior "the best all-around player I've ever coached," and the numbers bear that out. Rutter led the county with 19 touchdowns, gaining 1,048 yards on 149 carries for an average of 7 yards per carry. He also had 123 tackles and a pair of sacks at linebacker.
Jason Stone
Westminster
Despite only getting an average of five to 10 touches per game, the lightning-quick senior led the team with 98 points scored. Stone, a senior, finished with 52 catches for 827 yards and 16 total touchdowns. He also averaged more than 10 yards on punt returns and 35 on kickoff returns.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dan Mann
South Carroll
Though not particularly big, Mann time and again came up huge for the county champion Cavaliers.
Though just 5 feet 10 and 190 pounds, the senior played with the dominance of a much larger middle linebacker, using his strength, determination and nose for the ball to consistently deliver key hits.
He led South Carroll with 92 tackles, including two sacks. What's more, he tackled seven running backs in the backfield, and recovered a fumble.
In a season-ending, 28-7 win over Westminster with the county title on the line, Mann was consistently in the face of Owls quarterback Brad Baer, delivering several big hits.
A first-team All-Central Maryland Conference selection, he always rose to the occasion in his team's biggest games, playing a lead role on the defensive side of the ball as South Carroll rolled to an 8-2 record and nearly qualified for the Class 3A state playoffs.
FIRST TEAM
Aaron Bell
South Carroll
A captain and team leader for the county champion Cavaliers, Bell was a consistent force on the defensive line. The 6-foot, 215-pound senior finished the season with 51 tackles, four sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries, helping his team to an 8-2 record, including 4-0 in county play.
Mike Bryson
North Carroll
At 6-3, 285, Bryson was a dominating force on the defensive line for the Panthers, averaging five tackles a game. Just 15, the junior earned first-team All-Central Maryland Conference honors, and also started and excelled as an offensive tackle.
David Cockey
North Carroll
The senior outside linebacker was always around the ball for the Panthers, using his quickness to average nine tackles a game. A standout lacrosse defenseman in the spring, Cockey also excelled at fullback, where he scored seven touchdowns. Off the field, he ranked No. 1 in his class with a 4.0 GPA.
J.C. Hutchins
Westminster
Westminster coach Scott Tobias describes Hutchins as "a tough kid," and the senior went about proving that throughout the season. Playing at defensive tackle, Hutchins had 73 tackles, three sacks and an interception. At 6-2, 210 pounds, he showed the kind of explosiveness rarely seen in a lineman.
Tyler Kraus
South Carroll
The converted JV quarterback used his offensive smarts to become one of the county's top defensive backs this season. Kraus, a junior, finished with 44 tackles and six interceptions, and also gained a reputation as a bruising hitter while playing on all of South Carroll's special teams.
Norman Montgomery
Francis Scott Key
A senior lineman, Montgomery played a pivotal role on a defense that held opponents to under 14 points a game, ringing up 46 tackles, four blocked passes, two interceptions and two sacks from his positions at defensive end and outside linebacker. The second-year starter also played a backup role at tight end.
Doug Polites
Liberty
A consummate overachiever, Polites took advantage of camps and offseason conditioning to make himself a better player. The 6-1, 185-pound senior middle linebacker collected a team-high 95 tackles for the Lions, and also won conference honorable mention as a tight end.
Matt Pow
North Carroll
This strong-legged senior helped give his upstart team a huge boost in field position all season, averaging 45 yards a punt and placing 11 punts inside the 20. Also a first-team selection last season, he had three punts of more than 60 yards.
Melvin Rudisill
Bowling Brook
The senior improved throughout the season in his first year of varsity football. An impact player at middle linebacker, Rudisill had two interceptions and several key sacks for the Thoroughbreds, who defeated Liberty in September to win their first-ever county game.
Ralph Stambaugh
Francis Scott Key
Just a sophomore, the 6-foot, 260-pound Stambaugh dominated at defensive tackle for the Eagles. He collected 43 tackles and a sack while playing in a defensive scheme not designed to be statistic-friendly to linemen. Just as importantly, he gave opposing linemen fits all season.
T.J. Swanson
South Carroll
The backup quarterback played the primary role of making opposing quarterbacks miserable. The junior defensive back had six interceptions, including four in a game against Frederick. He also had 34 tackles and recovered a fumble for a touchdown against Thomas Johnson.
Alan Walker
North Carroll
The senior played well on both sides of the ball for the Panthers. Defensively, he averaged seven tackles a game at cornerback, playing with the aggressiveness of a linebacker yet rarely missing a tackle.