Seven could be the new lucky number for quarterbacks Duke Etchison, of Westminster, and Tyler Martin, of Hammond.
The two seniors each had a hand in seven touchdowns Friday night, and while Etchison's seven tied a state record, Martin's did not, because only six of his were passing touchdowns. Martin, however, came awfully close to two other state records.
Etchison, in his first season with the Owls, threw seven touchdowns in the team's 51-22 win over Century, joining a crowded field of Maryland quarterbacks tied atop the single-game passing touchdown list.
He is the fifth player to throw seven in one game, joining Kennedy's Melvin Harris (2006), Arundel's Billy Cosh (2009), Century's Ryan Throndset (2010) and former Owls teammate Deryk Kern, who did it twice last season. Etchison completed 24-of-30 passes for 308 yards against Century.
Martin, a third-year starter, threw for six touchdowns and ran for the other in a 47-38 Bears win that ended River Hill's 30-game winning streak, the longest active run in Baltimore-area high school football. He threw for 441 yards – just 34 shy of the state record set by Cosh in 2008 -- while completing 31-of-41 passes.
The state record for most touchdowns in a game – scored in any fashion – is eight set by Eastern Tech's Dietrich Wright and Loch Raven's Quentin Burley, both in 2003.