High school football preseason Top 5: A look at No. 3 Broadneck

We've reached the rollout midpoint of The Baltimore Sun's preseason football Top 5. Today, we head back to Anne Arundel County, where the battle is always fierce for Class 4A East playoff berths.The countdown continues for the next few days, leading up to No. 1 on Thursday. You also can take a look back at No. 5 Old Mill and No. 4 Mount Saint Joseph. The entire Top 15 poll will be published with the full football preview Friday in The Sun and online.And now for ...No. 3 BroadneckCoach: Rob HarrisLast season: 10-3, No. 5; Class 4A state semifinalistFirst game: At South River, Friday, 6:30 p.m.Last meeting: South River won, 20-17, last seasonPlayers to Watch: DE Darnell Creek, Sr.; WR-RB Chris Watts, Sr.; QB Shane Davis, Jr.; OL Ryan McNeal, Sr.; OL Ryan Fitzgerald, Sr.; LB George Shively, Sr.; DB Zach Doyle, Jr.; CB Keonte Coates, Jr.Outlook: The Bruins pulled off the upset of the playoffs last fall when they slammed the season shut on an undefeated Old Mill team averaging 38 points per game. The Patriots had scored at least 29 in every game until Broadneck shut them down and won, 7-0. The only score was Coates' game-opening 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.The Bruins return the most proven talent in Anne Arundel County but they have to patch a few holes left by graduation, especially at quarterback, where Davis takes over for his brother, Emmett Davis, who graduated.It helps to have Watts in the backfield. Last fall, he rolled up more than 1,700 all-purpose yards, averaging 17.7 yards per catch and 7.1 per carry. He scored twice in Broadneck's 20-14 regional-semifinal win over North Point.Harris held Watts out for most of the Bruins' last scrimmage to keep him healthy, but when games start, he'll get the ball a lot.Robert Schwob, a 6-foot-6 wide receiver, also will be a target, and Harris expects a breakout year from Ephron Williams, a speedy sophomore who scored twice in the state semifinal loss to Howard.&quot;The line's really coming together, and I'm really excited about it,&quot; Harris said. &quot;They're starting to understand schemes and stuff like that, because we do have three new starters, and that takes some time. They did a good job of pass protection in the last scrimmage and they did a decent job in run protection, so the 'O'-line question is gone.&quot;I think with Shane at quarterback, the big question is, how quickly can he adapt himself to the varsity speed of the game? And the sooner he does that, the sooner we're going to be a darn good team. He's getting there.&quot;Defensively, the Bruins also look solid with new defensive coordinator Mike Pfisterer taking over.Creek, an All-Metro first-team selection last fall, returns to the defensive line, joined by Ian Wexler, Noah Genovese and Matt Ristaino.Defensive captain and three-year starter Shively will be the leader at linebacker. Safety Doyle, who started every game last season, and cornerback Coates will lead the way in the secondary.Broadneck faces the usual competition in Anne Arundel County with Old Mill, Annapolis and Arundel, but it slipped up in its opener last season against South River and spent the rest of the year battling for a playoff position. The Bruins eventually earned the No. 3 seed, behind Old Mill and North Point, in Class 3A East.This fall, Broadneck would rather not follow that route to the playoffs as it aims for its first state title and seventh trip to the final four. Even with some parts of their team still coming along, the Bruins could get off to a fast start.&quot;We definitely have talent. We definitely have the potential to be a very good team. We've got to prove it though,&quot; Harris said. &quot;Every year is a new year, and you've got to prove it, and that's something you stress to your kids. We're pretty excited about it.&quot;

High school football preseason Top 5: A look at No. 3 Broadneck

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