Hereford (6-1, 4-0 Baltimore County 4A-3A Division) at No. 7 Franklin (7-0, 4-0)
When: Friday, 7
Coaches: Steve Turnbaugh, Hereford; Anthony Burgos, Franklin
Last meeting: Hereford, 31-15, 2009 regional final
Key players to watch:
Hereford — Vince DePaola, Sr., RB (144 carries for 879 yards, 10 TDs); Tim Bristol, Sr., RB, (46 carries for 505 yards, five TDs); Austin Brown, Jr., LB, (43 tackles, three sacks, one fumble recovery); Dave Eldridge, Jr., DE, (35 tackles — seven for a loss, three sacks, one forced fumble); Cory Nettleton, Sr., LB, (45 tackles, five sacks, three fumble recoveries, one INT).
Franklin — Joey Dorsey, Sr., QB (58-for-115 passing for 1,253 yards, 12 TDs); Mark Venable, Sr., RB/LB (93 carries for 521 yards, seven TDs, 63 tackles); Ian Thomas, Jr., WR (28 catches for 681 yards, 10 TDs); Navassa Brown, Sr., RB (second-team All-Metro player in fourth game back after shoulder injury; four TDs); Ryan Bacote, Sr., CB (28 tackles, one INT).
Keys to victory
Turnbaugh likens this matchup to the tortoise and the hare: "They've got all the rabbits and we plod along and we've got to keep the rabbits off the field." The Bulls grind out their points while Franklin can score quickly with a multitude of athletes capable of big plays on either side of the ball.
If you remember the fable, you know why Turnbaugh likes it — the tortoise won by plodding along while the speedy, overconfident hare napped. But Burgos' Indians won't be napping and they won't be overconfident. They haven't beaten the Bulls since 1994 and a lot is at stake. Not only could the game decide first place in the county's Class 4A-3A Division, but home field for the regional playoffs could also be on the line. Franklin stands in first place in the Class 3A North region with No. 10 North Harford second and Hereford, third.
Burgos is OK with the tortoise analogy: "That's pretty accurate. They play smash-mouth football and we've been kind of lucky to have some tremendous athletes in skill positions." He said a key for his team will be forcing the Bulls into long-yardage situations where they have to rely more on their skill players than just pounding the ball ahead.
The Indians showed off their quick-strike capability last week when Ian Thomas returned an interception 81 yards for the first touchdown in a 35-26 win at Perry Hall. Four of Franklin's scoring plays were 34 yards or more, including Thomas' interception return and his 52-yard punt return. The Indians have completed 64 of 124 passes — 20 more than the Bulls have thrown.
The Bulls, who returned just one starter and lost the season opener 31-21 to North Harford, live by long, sustained drives — and a defense that allows just 12.3 points per game. In last week's 14-6 win over Woodlawn, they had a 99-yard scoring drive that took nine and a half minutes. Hereford needs to dominate possession like that and play turnover-free ball to overcome Franklin's speed and athleticism.
Other games to watch:
• No. 10 North Harford (7-0, 4-0 UCBAC Chesapeake Division) at Havre de Grace (6-1, 4-0), Friday, 7
• No. 15 South Carroll (7-0, 4-0 MVAL Chesapeake Division) at Westminster (4-3, 4-0), Friday, 7
• Western Tech (7-0, 4-0 Baltimore County 1A Division) at Owings Mills (3-4, 3-0), Friday, 7
• Georgetown Prep (5-2, 2-1 MIAA A Conference) at No. 8 McDonogh (6-1, 1-1), Saturday, 3 p.m.
• Edmondson (5-2, 5-1 Baltimore City Division I) vs. Dunbar (6-1, 4-1) at Poly, Saturday, 6 p.m.