No. 5 ANNAPOLIS (9-0) @ No. 4 OLD MILL (9-0)
When: Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Coaches: Nick Good-Malloy, Annapolis; Chad McCormick, Old Mill
Last meeting: Old Mill won, 36-8, last season
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
Annapolis: RB-LB Cameron Hough, Sr.; WR-DB Trey Gross, Sr.; QB Justin Williams, Sr.; SB-DB Omarod White, Jr.; DB Nyonjae Spriggs, Sr.; RB Ahmon Middleton, Soph.; LB Dayshawn Womack, Jr.; WR-DB Tyson Queen, Sr.; OL-LB Avery Groft, Sr.; OL-DL Jack Cowger, Sr.
Old Mill: TB Sirus Gay, Sr.; TE Devin Purvis, Sr.; DT-DE Jamal Boadu, Sr.; LB Mason Grim, Sr.; OL Stanley McCombs, Sr.; QB Blaise Fisher, Sr.; DB Tyre Deale, Sr.; HB-FB Mason Clarke, Sr.; LB Miguel Brent, Sr.; CB Cameron White, Jr.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Meetings between undefeated public school football teams are rare this late in the season: The Patriots-Panthers clash is one of just two statewide this weekend along with Fort Hill-Allegany in Cumberland. The Anne Arundel County championship hasn't come down to two undefeated teams in at least 30 years.
"To have a Week 10 game between two 9-0 teams in the same county, obviously takes a little bit of luck, I guess, in the scheduling to work out that way, but I don't think that's something that you typically see, so it's pretty cool for the county, kind of just putting a spotlight on us. It should be exciting," Good-Malloy said.
The defending county champion Patriots, with 31 seniors on the roster, are aiming for their second straight undefeated regular season and their 28th straight regular-season win. Annapolis, which hasn't won the county crown since 2002, hasn't beaten the Patriots since 2005. Old Mill has won 11 straight in the series, including two last fall, one in the Class 4A East regional playoffs.
The teams are also battling for the top seed in 4A East. Old Mill, the 2009 and 2011 state champion, has earned its 18th straight trip to the regionals. Annapolis, which won its only state title in 1978, is headed back to the playoffs for a second year and the fifth time since 2000.
This fall, they boast two of the highest-scoring offenses in the Baltimore area. The Panthers average 48.2 points and haven't scored fewer than 40 all season. The Patriots average 41 points and their lowest output was 33.
Gay leads the way for the Patriots with 1,478 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns while Fisher has passed for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns. For Annapolis, Hough has run for 941 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 11 yards per carry while Williams has thrown for 1,124 yards and 13 touchdowns and run for 405 yards and eight touchdowns.
Defensively, the Patriots have been the stingier team, giving up just 73 points — 105 fewer than the Panthers. Annapolis, however, has forced 24 turnovers, leading to 10 defensive touchdowns.
"We've scored a lot of points this season," Good-Malloy said, "and lot of times people look at that — and understandably so — as an offensive statistic. Our offense has been doing a great job scoring, but we've scored quite a few non-offensive touchdowns, so it's really been a team effort as far as the amount of points we put up."
McCormick said the Panthers defense has a lot of speed and he's looking forward to seeing how Old Mill's offensive speed matches up.
This game likely won't have too many surprises. The Panthers will try to speed it up and the Patriots will try to slow it down.
"We're not going to come out and try to trick anybody," McCormick said. "We're going to play our style of football. I don't believe in trying to change philosophy based upon an opponent. You have to play the way you're successful playing, and we've been very successful running the ball and play-action passing, and on Friday it's going to be a very similar formula."
Both coaches agree that turnovers will be a key factor, and if Annapolis can get a few, that could keep Old Mill from grinding away the clock.
"In any game turnovers are a big deal — who can take care of the ball and who can force the other team to turn over the football," Good-Malloy said. They do such a nice job of controlling the football every possession is extremely critical."
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
•No. 11 Dundalk at No. 8 Franklin, tonight, 7
•Liberty at Century, tonight, 7
•City vs. Poly at M&T Bank Stadium, Saturday, noon
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•No. 1 St. Frances at No. 6 Mount Saint Joseph, Saturday, 2 p.m.
