By Brandon Hopp | Special to The Gazette

Despite a slow start, the Glenelg High football team was able to right itself in time for a 28-21 win over Howard County League foe Reservoir on Friday night.

Behind quarterback senior quarterback Gage Trawick's all-around performance and running back senior Shannon Maura's big second half, the Gladiators (5-0 overall, 5-0 Howard County) were able to overcome a 14-6 halftime deficit.

Trawick overcame a frustrating opening half to pass for 108 yards and two scores, while rushing for two TD's.

"Gage has done a tremendous job for us all year long," said Gladiators' head coach Butch Shaffer.

"He's been our starting quarterback for three years and it shows. I'm very happy how he kept himself together and handled the offense in the second half."

Maura sparked his team in the second half with a 50-yard kickoff return, which kick-started a drive that ended when Trawick hit junior running back Colin Osbourne for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Trawick then hooked up with Scott Wheeler to tie the game early in the third quarter.

"Shannon is the emotional leader of our team, he sets the tone and that kickoff return really got us flying, it was a big spark for us," said Shaffer.

"We came out flat in the beginning of the game and I knew that we had to make a big play," said Maura, who wrote the name of his late grandfather, Charlie Maura, under his eye black as inspiration.

"I wanted to score, I should have scored but we got it to the 35-yard line and it got us going."

Glenelg 28, Reservoir 21

The Gladiators (5-0) had a close call but kept their perfect record intact, prevailing over a scrappy Reservoir (1-4) squad.

Team W L
Atholton 4-0
Glenelg 4-0
River Hill 4-0
Long Reach 3-1
Howard 2-2
Mt. Hebron 2-2
Wilde Lake 2-2
Centennial 1-3
Hammond 1-3
Reservoir 1-3
Marriotts Ridge 0-4
Oakland Mills 0-4

Friday, Oct. 2 games
Oakland Mills at Atholton, 7 p.m.
Wilde Lake at Centennial, 7 p.m.
Reservoir at Glenelg, 7 p.m.
Long Reach at Marriotts Ridge, 7 p.m.
Howard at River Hill, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 game
Mt. Hebron at Hammond, noon

Sept. 25 results
Howard 26, Reservoir 13
River Hill 49, Mt. Hebron 13

Sept. 26 results
Atholton 34, Wilde Lake 30
Long Reach 21, Centennial 14
Hammond 28, Oakland Mills 19
Glenelg 40, Marriotts Ridge 0

The Gladiators got 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Shannon Maura and another 96 yards on the ground and two touchdowns from Colin Osborne in shutting out the Mustangs. Quarterback Gage Trawick added 88 yards passing and a couple touchdowns, one to Jake True and one to Shane Kellaher.

Standings (as of Sept. 22)

Team W-L
River Hill 3-0
Atholton 3-0
Glenelg 3-0
Mt. Hebron 2-1
Long Reach 2-1
Wilde Lake 2-1
Howard 1-2
Reservoir 1-2
Centennial 1-2
Marriott’s Ridge 0-3
Hammond 0-3
Oakland Mills 0-3

Friday, Sept. 25 games
Howard at Reservoir, 7 p.m.
Mt. Hebron at River Hill, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26 games
Glenelg at Marriott’s Ridge, 1 p.m.
Centennial at Long Reach, 1 p.m.
Atholton at Wilde Lake, 2 p.m.
Hammond at Oakland Mills, 2 p.m.

Sept. 18 results
Atholton 35, Centennial 14
Glenelg 28, Howard 12
Reservoir 33, Marriott’s Ridge 13
Mt. Hebron 33, Oakland Mills 10
Wilde Lake 18, Hammond 12
River Hill 37, Long Reach 0

By Darren J. Gendron | Staff Writer

Once the Glenelg High football team actually got a chance to put its feet on the ground, it had no trouble running off with a 28-12 win over host Howard on Friday.

The Gladiators (3-0, 3-0 Howard County League) held onto the Elgard Trophy for the second straight year, thanks to Shannon Maura and Colin Osborne, who rushed for two touchdowns each.

"That's where I like to see the offense," Osborne said. "The first two wins, we did it with defense, but it's nice to finally get things working."

The Elgard trophy, a bronze bull, is named after the last three letters in both school's names. The rivalry between the two oldest Howard County high schools dates back to the 1960s.The tradition of the trophy was recently re-introduced to the rivalry in 2007.

Initially, Glenelg's offense was limited by a lack of playing time. The Gladiators had only three drives in the first half, limiting head coach Butch Schaffer's squad to 4 minutes and 59 seconds of possession.

"We just didn't have a lot of opportunities in the first half," Schaffer said. "Howard's a real good team. They did a great job of controlling the clock."

Some of the initial Glenelg drives are scripted out ahead of time by coaches, but with only 16 plays from scrimmage in the first half that script was severely edited down.

The Gladiators' first drive, a modest three-and-out, was their longest time-wise. It was followed up by 7 minutes and 26 seconds of Howard offense covering 92 yards in 15 plays. And when the Gladiators were able to set up a 44-yard touchdown run from Maura in four plays, the Lions (1-2) followed with 16 plays, taking 7:57 off the game clock and traveling 80 yards for their second score. That forced Glenelg into a 1-minute drill, which resulted in a missed field-goal attempt.

When the Gladiators opened the second half with a 63-yard drive that ended only feet from the goal line, they could have lost their momentum. Howard, up a score, had the ball and was driving it back up the field. But a quarterback keeper from Calvin Ford turned into a fumble and sparked three gains from Maura and Osbourne. Maura opened with a short gain, then Osbourne went 39 yards on a sweep right, finishing out of bounds on the 1-yard line.

"I [bobbled] the ball for a second and I started to worry," Osbourne said. "I cut right, then I saw open field to the left and I just cut back that way."

Maura then punched in the score, giving Glenelg a 13-12 lead. Three minutes later, Osbourne broke out an 8-yard run for his first touchdown. In the fourth, he added a 57-yard scoring burst.

"It's real fun now. "It was fun last year because we were playing football, but winning is so much more fun," said Maura, a three-year starter.

"We knew going in that we had a lot of talent on the field," the senior added. "We've trained hard all off-season. It's been three [tough] years for us. We can only be bad for so long."

Maura finished with 94 yards rushing on 19 carries. Osbourne was named the Elgard Player of the Game after rushing for 133 yards on seven carries and catching two passes for 54 yards.

Glenelg quarterback Gage Trawick was nearly flawless in the second half, completing all five of his passing attempts. He finished 7 for 11 with 114 yards.

Glenelg 28, Howard 12

The Gladiators (3-0) joined River Hill and Atholton at the top of the county standings with their victory over the Lions (1-2). Glenelg's Colin Osborne rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, caught two passes for 54 yards and made seven tackles.

By Corey Bockhaus | Special to The Gazette

In a rain-soaked affair, the Glenelg High football team trampled host Oakland Mills, 32-7 in Howard County football action Friday night.

Glenelg senior running back Shannon Maura opened the scoring with a five-yard run over the left side of the line. Maura finished the game with 52 yards on 16 carries.

Glenelg's first touchdown would be it's last on the ground, as it chose the unconventional method of passing the ball through the rain.

"We can run and throw, but we're going to do what the other team gives us," said Glenelg head coach Butch Shaffer.

Senior quarterback Gage Trawick rolled out time and time again, finding a slew of open receivers, finishing 12 for 20 passing with 185 yards and four touchdowns.

Trawick completed his four touchdown scores to different receivers. Jake True, Jimmy Zito, Shane Kellaher and Colin Osborne all found the end zone for the Gladiators courtesy of Trawick's deliveries.

Osborne lead the way with three catches for 59 yards. Trawick found seven different receivers on the night.

"I didn't think I would be able to throw the ball that well [in the rain]," Trawick said.

The most intriguing stat of the night was Glenelg's ability to convert four of five fourth down situations. On back-to-back possessions in the second quarter, Trawick not only converted consecutive fourth down conversions, he did so by throwing for touchdowns.

Glenelg (2-0) scored on its first three possessions of the game, giving them an insurmountable 19-0 lead at the half.

From there it was up to the defense to control the line of the scrimmage. The Gladiators' defense held Oakland Mills (0-2) to 81 yards rushing and just 20 yards passing. Defensive end Ricky Hall anchored the defense, recording two sacks and three tackles for loss. Defensive back Scott Dziwulski picked off a pass for the winners.

"The defense played really well, they stopped a good offensive team and gave us great field position," Trawick said.

The Scorpions scored on their last drive of the night on a one-yard keeper by Jarrod Montoya.

After narrowly escaping last week with a 21-20 win over Centennial, the Gladiators were in control all night, playing with poise and control.

"A win is a win and we'll [take] them anyway they come," Shaffer said.

Hawks shut out rival Wilde Lake, 27-0

By Andrew Conrad aconrad@patuxent.com  

Glenelg 32, Oakland Mills 7

Glenelg improved to 2-0 with a convincing win over Oakland Mills (0-2). Quarterback Gage Trawick threw scoring passes to Shane Kellaher, Colin Osborne, Jake True and Jimmy Zito. Shannon Maura also rushed for a Gladiators TD.

Football standings
Atholton: 1-0 (1.000), 43 points scored - 21 points allowed
River Hill: 1-0 (1.000), 41-6
Howard: 1-0 (1.000), 35-3
Wilde Lake: 1-0 (1.000), 25-6
Glenelg: 1-0 (1.000), 21-20
Long Reach: 1-0 (1.000), 31-28
Mt. Hebron: 0-1 (.000), 28-31
Reservoir: 0-1 (.000), 21-43
Centennial: 0-1 (.000), 20-21
Marriotts Ridge: 0-1 (.000), 6-25
Hammond: 0-1 (.000), 6-41
Oakland Mills: 0-1 (.000), 3-35

Friday, Sept. 11 games
Howard at Atholton, 7 p.m.
Glenelg at Oakland Mills, 7 p.m.
Marriotts Ridge at Mt. Hebron, 7 p.m.
Long Reach at Hammond, 7 p.m.
River Hill at Wilde Lake, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 12 game
Reservoir at Centennial, 7 p.m.

Sept. 4 results
Atholton 43, Reservoir 21
River Hill 41, Hammond 6
Howard 35, Oakland Mills 3
Wilde Lake 25, Marriotts Ridge 6
Long Reach 31, Mt. Hebron 28 OT
Glenelg 21, Centennial 20 OT

Wilde Lake, Howard, Atholton, River Hill and Long Reach also win

By Andrew Conrad aconrad@patuxent.com

 Glenelg senior Shannon Maura uses a stiff arm to keep Centennial's Kyle Young at bay.  Glenelg protected its home field with a 21-20 overtime win Friday night. (Staff photo by Drew Anthony Smith)

 In his varsity debut, Centennial junior Matt Habinson runs back one of his two interceptions Friday night at Glenelg as Jimmy Zito prepares to make the tackle.  (Staff photo by Drew Anthony Smith)

(Please see video at original article link)

After scoring a touchdown in overtime to answer Centennial's score, Glenelg had an option. Play it safe and kick the extra point to force a second overtime, or go for the win right then and there.

Glenelg went for the win and defeated Centennial Friday, 21-20, on opening night of the Howard County football season.

Glenelg coach Butch Schaffer said it was his players who made the call to go for two.

"Our kids made a decision. They put the time in in the summer, and I’m going to go with them. I have a lot of belief in them and ... and they executed," Schaffer said.

Senior quarterback Gage Trawick passed to Colin Osborne for the decisive two-point conversion.

"We wanted to go for two ... we wanted to win, we knew we could," Trawick said. "Coach called a perfect play; he trusted me. Colin got behind the (line)backer and I lobbed it in for the win."

Trawick credited his linemen — Nathan Coe, Robbie Shekletski, Kyle Emanuel, Willy DeBlase and Nick Hoyt — for giving him time to make the pass.

In fact, the game could have been over before Glenelg even had a chance for a two-point conversion if it weren't for the offensive line. Moments earlier, on fourth-and-goal from the seven-yard line, Trawick rolled right, saw no one open, scrambled left, and scrambled right again before finally spotting Shane Kellaher waving his arms in the back of the end zone.

"I just rolled out right, no one looked open and I knew we had to get a touchdown. Luckily, my line blocked for me, and I came back around. They all set up blocks. They didn’t stop blocking, and I found Shane in the back of the end zone with his arms up," he said.

The loss was not without its positives for Centennial. Quarterback Greg Edmonds and wide receiver Marcos Ocadiz connected for 72 yards on four completions, including a 17-yard touchdown on fourth down.

"He’s a big guy. He’s got good hands ... It’s a good thing to have on the team," said Edmonds, who twice completed long passes on fourth down from midfield. Edmonds also ran for more than 100 yards, including a 74-yard scamper on the first drive of the game.

And junior Matt Harbinson, in his varsity debut, made two interceptions and — entering the game as a backup quarterback after Edmonds had to leave late in the fourth quarter with a sore shoulder — scored the first touchdown in overtime on an option run.

Centennial led, 13-7, with just under four minutes left when Osborne caught a Centennial punt at the 40-yard line and ran it back 60 yards for the tying score. Each team missed an extra point and was unsuccessful on a field goal attempt.

Osborne and Centennial's Kyle Young each had rushing touchdowns to make the score 7-7 at halftime. Osborne's five-yard touchdown was set up by an 80-yard march down the field led by Shannon Maura, who had 61 yards on seven carries on the drive.

Centennial's Frank Bloom tackled Trawick behind the line of scrimmage for a 10-yard sack, and Lee Lucas made a five-yard sack for the Gladiators, as well as blocking an extra point and making another tackle for a seven-yard loss.

Maura, who led all rushers with 125 yards and recovered a fumble, wore the word CHARLIE on his eyeblack as a tribute to his grandfather who died a week before the season began.

"He’s been to every game since second grade," Maura said.

Centennial 0 7 6 0 7 - 20

Glenelg 0 7 0 6 8 - 21

C: Ocadiz 17 pass from Edmonds (Hugel kick)

G: Osborne 5 run (Russo kick)

C: Young 1 run (kick blocked)

G: Osborne 60 punt return (kick failed)

C: Harbinson 8 run (Hugel kick)

G: Kellaher 7 pass from Trawick (Osborne pass from Trawick)

By Darren J. Gendron | Staff Writer

The Glenelg High football team has accidentally been building towards the 2009 season.

Injuries, shallow rosters and rough seasons plagued the Gladiators for the past two years, resulting in a 4-6 2008 campaign where a hefty amount of sophomores were thrown in the action.

Now Glenelg has an ironman group of seven starters back, and all are looking to have to swing double-duty.

Shannon Maura, a 5-foot-7, 175-pound senior, was one of the emotional leaders of the team last year. He'll start at running back and defensive back.

Junior Gage Trawick (6-1, 190) is growing into his leader status, as he returns at quarterback. He'll also be part of the defensive backfield. Junior Colin Osborne (5-9, 180) was one of the quicker impact sophomores of last year. This year, he returns as a starting running back and defensive back.

The line will have two key veteran anchors in senior Nathan Coe (6-0,

270) and junior Nick Hoyt (5-11, 250). Senior Robbie Sheklelski (6-0, 200) will also start on the offensive side of the line, but will be a linebacker on defense. Senior Kyle Emanuel (6-1, 250) and junior Willy Dehlase (6-0, 270) will start on the line.

"We should be improved from last year," head coach Butch Schaffer said.

The Gladiators have some size in their receiving corps with seniors Jay Diamond (6-0, 200) Jimmy Zito (5-9, 175) and Scott Wheeler (5-9, 180). Wheeler is also slated to play linebacker on defense.

One change that's really more cosmetic than anything is that Glenelg is reclassified as a Class 2A school this year. Schaffer is unconcerned about the change.

"Going from 1A to 2A means nothing to us. Zero," Schaffer said. "We still play the same [Howard] county schedule that we always play."

In a battle for pride, the Glenelg High football team had it ego bruised up in a 28-14 homecoming loss to visiting Atholton on Saturday.

With both teams at 2-5 now, neither is bothering to think about playoffs or Howard County championships. Instead, it's more of a game-to-game focus..

For Atholton, running back Nick Aloi said that the team is still shooting for a .500 record. He helped them get started on that effort, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown burst in the first half. He also capped the Raiders scoring in the second half, running in an 8-yard score - a result of Aloi taking every carry on a 6-play, 54-yard march.

"Right now, we're not going to make the playoffs," Aloi said. "We're just playing for pride." Glenelg did have the game tied at 7-7 in the second quarter, when Gage Trawick threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Brittain.

But by halftime, things were starting to misfire for the Gladiators. After that touchdown, they couldn't get the ball past the Raiders 35. Atholton's running game continued unchecked, setting up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jon Gardenhour to Matt Robinson. Jake Stull also rushed in a touchdown.

Down 28-7, Glenelg started more of a passing attack. While it had some big plays, the receiver corps was quickly thinning out. Brittain was forced into the role of spectator after an ankle injury, adding to the list of walking wounded for Glenelg's season.

In the final five minutes of the game, a charged-up Gladiators' team began to show signs of life. They forced two 4-and-outs on defense, while Shannon Maura found a seam for a 45-yard touchdown run to daylight.

"We have to find our heart," Maura said. "We have to come out and punch someone in the mouth."

With 1:34 left to play, the Gladiators started what would be their final drive with a beautiful hook-and-ladder, with Trawick passing to the hook of Casey Altiei, who then tossed a lateral to Maura for a total gain of 29 yards.

But two plays later, Atholton recovered a fumble and ran out the clock.

The Gladiators are now in seventh in the Class 1A South Region. Baltimore's Dunbar (6-1) and Reginald Lewis (6-1) have already clinched spots, while fellow city school W.E.B. Dubois (5-2) is moving in on a third. The only shot Glenelg has would be for a meltdown by Forestville (3-3), while winning out the rest of its schedule. Outside of these four teams, all other 1A South teams are below .500.

For Glenelg head coach Butch Schaffer, the playoff picture is not one worth looking at.

"Our goal is to play as good as we can play, and compete as much as we possibly can," Schaffer said. "We're missing some players, but we're just not playing well. It is what it is."

Atholton won its second game of the season, 28-14, by knocking off a reeling Glenelg team on the Gladiators homecoming turf. Nick Aloi starred for the Raiders, gaining 178 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns. Atholton also scored on a seven-yard run by Jake Stull and a 10-yard pass from Jon Gardenhour to Matt Robinson.

Although Shannon Maura got loose for a 45-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, the Raiders held Glenelg to just 94 rushing yards on the day. Glenelg's Gage Trawick completed 13 passes for 78 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown to Tyler Brittain. Robbie Shekletski had 14 tackles for Glenelg.

School W L Pct. PF PA
River Hill 6 0 1.000 319 15
Wilde Lake 6 0 1.000 169 92
Marriotts Ridge 5 1 .833 208 57
Howard 4 2 .667 191 114
Centennial 3 3 .500 103 143
Reservoir 3 3 .500 89 135
Long Reach 3 3 .500 98 132
Glenelg 2 4 .333 159 147
Mt. Hebron 2 4 .333 94 204
Atholton 1 5 .167 107 167
Oakland Mills 1 5 .167 68 226
Hammond 0 6 .000 46 231

Friday, Oct. 10 results
River Hill 55, Reservoir 0
Centennial 42, Glenelg 21
Mt. Hebron 49, Oakland Mills 12
Wilde Lake 27, Howard 13

Saturday, Oct. 11 results
Marriotts Ridge 48, Hammond 18
Long Reach 27, Atholton 12

Friday, Oct. 17 games
Hammond at Mt. Hebron, 7 p.m.
Wilde Lake at Oakland Mills, 7 p.m.
Marriotts Ridge at River Hill, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18 games
Long Reach at Centennial, 1 p.m.
Atholton at Glenelg, 1:30 p.m.
Reservoir at Howard, 2 p.m.

The Eagles (3-3) had a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter when Glenelg scored twice as Gage Trawick tossed scoring passes to Ricky Dubois (who also scored a rushing touchdown) and Taylor Sones..

Glenelg started to get a bit of momentum at the end of the first half when Shannon Maura broke off a 35-yard run and Trawick completed two passes, but the Gladiators' drive stalled and went into halftime down, 13-0. Dubois' short TD run was set up by a 20-yard, Trawick-to-Sones connection and a 40-yard run by Maura. Trawick also completed a 35-yard pass to Colin Osborne to set up Glenelg's final score..

The Eagles try to move above .500 for the second time this season when they host Long Reach Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. Glenelg will try to snap a two-game losing streak when it hosts Atholton Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m..

For more on these games, read Thursday's editions of the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier..

CENTENNIAL 42, GLENELG 21
Centennial (3-3) 7 6 15 14 - 42
Glenelg (2-4) 0 0 7 14 - 21
Scoring Summary
First quarter
C: Young run (Hugel kick)
Second quarter
C: Young 17 run (kick failed)
Third quarter
C: Young 5 run (Young run)
G: Dubois run (Rosenthal kick)
C: Jaeger run (Hugel kick)
Fourth quarter
G: Sones 20 pass from Trawick (Rosenthal kick)
C: Young 5 run (Hugel kick)
G: Dubois pass from Trawick (Rosenthal kick)
C: Young run (Hugel kick)

By Darren J. Gendron | Staff Writer

Spotting a difference in the Glenelg High football team's offensive attack is only a matter of looking up in the sky.

The Gladiators have been throwing the ball enough to demand air-raid sirens. They've also been mixing in plays with off-balance lines, shovel passes and direct snaps. There have even been onside kick sightings.

But if Glenelg head coach Butch Schaffer is to be believed, we should pay no attention to the team in front of the curtain.

"That's unusual, though," Schaffer said. "We run very few unbalanced lines, and traditionally we only throw 15 times a game. We do different things every week."

The complex creativity of the Gladiators' attack had both positives and negatives in a 28-20 overtime loss to visiting Marriotts Ridge on Friday.

Mustang lineman Austin Carroll picked up a loose ball in the first overtime and ran it into the end zone for a controversial game-winning touchdown. On the play, the Gladiators' defense felt they had a stop when Scott Wheeler wrapped up quarterback Tim Blair and drove him to the ground. It would have been a sack for a loss of four yards on fourth down, but instead it was ruled that Blair fumbled the ball, thus allowing Carroll's winning score.

"We've played hard every game," said Glenelg head coach Butch Schaffer. "Unfortunately, we've played some very good teams and had some close losses."

On the Gladiators' next possession, four running plays were stopped short of the goal line.

Initially, neither offense produced in the first half. Glenelg (2-3) took a 7-0 halftime lead on the 40-yard fumble recovery return by Colin Osbourne.

And while not a direct result of the offense, two turnovers and a kickoff return burned the Gladiators in the third quarter.

The Mustangs (4-1) had three drives in that quarter, all three starting in Glenelg territory, and all three ending in touchdowns.

The first drive began at the 18 yard line courtesy of a 56-yard kickoff return by Matt Banta. The second began 42 yards away because of an interception by Kyle Williams. And the third was only 30 yards away with an interception from Paul Lee.

The visitors took what looked to be a commanding lead, as Blair ran in touchdowns of 4 and 2 yards, and threw a 20-yard pass scoring pass to Derek Coleman.

The Gladiators would wound itself with another interception and a fumble before they finally opted to attack back in the final five minutes of play.

After getting sacked back to the Glenelg 23 yard line, Shannon Maura broke loose on a 22-yard run and Gage Trawick hit a 35-yard pass to Ricky Dubois.

The big burst of plays helped set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trawick to Casey Alteiri.

With 2 minutes and 20 seconds left to play, the Gladiators forced the Mustangs to punt in just 77 seconds. They got to the Mustangs 40 yard line before facing a 4th and 10 with 26.3 seconds left to play.

It was then that a happy accident tied up the game, as Trawick's pass, intended for Dubois, was deflected. Taylor Sones snagged it out of the air and found 40 yards of open daylight for the score.

Glenelg is traditionally known for its run attack. But in the second half, they called 31 pass plays to the seven run attempts.

Shaffer noted that the team only threw 34 times total, and the heavy passing attack was in direct response to being down two scores.

"All of our games have been like [this], and the rest of them are probably going to be like that too," Schaffer said.

"We play a tremendous schedule."

However, the schedule the Gladiators play is both their bane and their chance at redemption.

In the Class 1A South Region, there's only two 4-1 schools pulling away from the pack, Baltimore City's Dunbar and Reginald Lewis.

Glenelg is still within a win of Prince George's County's Forestville (3-2) and Baltimore's W.E.B. Du Bois (3-2), and is in a pack of four teams with 2-3 records.

Meanwhile, the Gladiators' schedule offers up three straight 3A schools, which can allow them to catch a load of playoff points if they can beat league foes Centennial (2-3), Atholton (1-4) and Howard (4-1).

The Gladiators then finish the season with two 2A schools in Oakland Mills (1-4) and River Hill (5-0).

School W L Pct. PF PA
River Hill 5 0 1.000 264 15
Wilde Lake 5 0 1.000 142 79
Howard 4 1 .800 178 87
Marriotts Ridge 4 1 .800 160 39
Reservoir 3 2 .600 89 80
Glenelg 2 3 .400 138 105
Long Reach 2 3 .400 71 120
Centennial 2 3 .400 61 122
Atholton 1 4 .200 95 140
Oakland Mills 1 4 .200 56 177
Mt. Hebron 1 4 .200 45 192
Hammond 0 5 .000 28 183

Friday, Oct. 3 games
River Hill 50, Long Reach 7
Reservoir 27, Oakland Mills 10
Wilde Lake 22, Atholton 21
Centennial 21, Mt. Hebron 14
Howard 47, Hammond 6
Marriotts Ridge 28, Glenelg 20 OT

Friday, Oct. 10 games
Mt. Hebron at Oakland Mills, 7 p.m.
Howard at Wilde Lake, 7 p.m.
River Hill at Reservoir, 7 p.m.
Glenelg at Centennial, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 11 games
Hammond at Marriotts Ridge, 1:30 p.m.
Long Reach at Atholton, 2 p.m.

By Andrew Conrad
aconrad@patuxent.com

MARRIOTTS RIDGE 28, GLENELG 20 OT

At Glenelg, A recovered fumble for a touchdown in overtime gave Marriotts Ridge the win over Glenelg. On a fourth-down play in overtime, Marriotts Ridge quarterback Tim Blair fumbled the ball into the end zone, but it was recovered by a Mustangs' lineman to give Marriotts Ridge the lead. They then held Glenelg without scoring on its overtime attempt to seal the victory.

Glenelg tied the game at 20 in the fourth quarter when Taylor Sones caught a tipped pass from Gage Trawik and ran it in for a touchdown.

The win improves Marriotts Ridge to 4-1 on the season. Glenelg falls to 2-3 with the loss. Next week, Marriotts Ridge will host Hammond Saturday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. in its homecoming game. Glenelg plays Friday, Oct. 10 against Centennial at 7 p.m.

MARRIOTTS RIDGE 28, GLENELG 20 OT

Marriotts Ridge (4-1) 0 0 20 0 8 - 28
Glenelg (2-3) 7 0 0 13 0 - 20
Scoring summary
First quarter
G: Osborne fumble recovery (Rosenthal kick)
Third quarter
MR: Blair 5 run (conversion failed)
MR: Coleman 20 pass from Blair (Coleman pass from Blair)
MR: Blair 2 run (conversion failed)
Fourth quarter
G: Dubois pass from Trawik (kick failed)
G: Sones pass from Trawik (Rosenthal kick)
Overtime
MR: Fumble recovery (Dunn pass from Blair)

The Gladiators, who fell to 2-3 overall and in the Howard County League, initially took a 7-0 halftime lead on a 40-yard fumble recovery return by Colin Osbourne.

But the Mustangs (4-1, 4-1) had three drives in the third quarter, all three starting in Glenelg territory, and all three ending in touchdowns.

The first drive by the visitors began at the Gladiators 18-yard line, courtesy of a 56-yard kickoff return by Matt Banta. The second began 42 yards away because of an interception by Kyle Williams. And the third was only 30 yards away off an interception from Paul Lee.

To take the 20-7 lead, Marriotts Ridge quarterback Tim Blair ran in touchdowns of 4 and 2 yards and threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Derek Coleman.

Glenelg would hurt itself with another interception and fumble before the Gladiators finally opted to strike back in the final five minutes of regulation.

After getting sacked back to the Glenelg 23 yard line, Shannon Maura busted out a 22-yard run and Gage Trawick connected with Ricky Dubois for a 35-yard pass. The big plays helped set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Trawick to Casey Alteiri.

With 2 minutes and 20 seconds left to play, the Gladiators forced a four-and-out that ate up only 77 seconds. They got to the Mustangs 40-yard line before facing 4th and 10 with :26.3 left to play.

It was then that a happy accident tied up the game, as Trawick's pass, intended for Dubois, was deflected. Taylor Sones snagged it out of the air and found 40 yards of open field to paydirt. Known for its ground game, Glenelg called 31 pass plays while only running on seven occasions during the second half.

In the first overtime, the Gladiators' defense felt they had a stop on Marriotts Ridge when Scott Wheeler wrapped up Blair and drove him to the ground. Initially thought to be a sack for a loss of four yards on fourth down, it was instead ruled that Blair fumbled the ball. A collection of whistle-less confusion ensued, with the Mustangs' Austin Carroll, a lineman, running into the end zone with the ball. They also converted the 2-point conversion.

Glenelg's effort consisted of with four running plays, but was stopped in a pileup just short of the goal line.

Football standings (as of Sept. 30)

School W L Pct. PF PA

River Hill 4 0 1.000 214 15

Wilde Lake 4 0 1.000 120 58

Marriotts Ridge 3 1 .750 132 19

Howard 3 1 .750 131 81

Reservoir 2 2 .500 62 70

Glenelg 2 2 .500 118 77

Long Reach 2 2 .500 71 70

Atholton 1 3 .250 74 118

Oakland Mills 1 3 .250 46 150

Centennial 1 3 .250 40 108

Mt. Hebron 1 3 .250 31 171

Hammond 0 4 .000 22 136

Friday, Sept. 26 results

Atholton 20, Centennial 19

River Hill 63, Mt. Hebron 0

Glenelg 42, Hammond 0

Saturday, Sept. 27 results

Wilde Lake 7, Marriotts Ridge 6

Long Reach 32, Reservoir 0

Howard 47, Oakland Mills 26

Gladiators roll, 42-0, to even mark at 2-2.

Last week, in a showdown with No. 5 Wilde Lake, Glenelg did everything but win a 38-35 serback, but the Gladiators got well in a hurry, Friday night, as they routed Hammond, 42-0, in a Howard County contest.

The win allowed Glenelg to even its record at 2-2, while Hammond remained winless in four games this year.

GLENELG 42, HAMMOND 0

The Gladiatos (2-2) jumped back to the .500 mark with a convincing victory over winless Hammond (0-4). Glenelg's next game is Friday, Oct. 3 at home against Marriotts Ridge. Hammond will try for its first win at Howard Friday. Both games have 7 p.m. kickoffs.

By Darren J. Gendron | Staff Writer

It's tough to see just looking at the standings, however, after a good long look, one can see that there's a world of difference between the Glenelg High football team's 0-4 start in 2007 compared to this year's 1-2 start.

Take the case of Friday's 38-35 loss to visiting Wilde Lake, where the Wildecats head coach Doug DuVall cashed in his 299th career win. The Gladiators were within 19 seconds of victory before an interception dashed their last hope.

Down 31-14 in the third quarter, Glenelg rallied back with plays ranging between improbable to almost impossible. Gage Trawick threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Brittain, and Shannon Maura ran in three touchdowns for Glenelg.

"I've had good games, but this was pretty big," Maura said.

But even with the effort, it looked grim for Gladiators when Wilde Lake quarterback Danny March scored on a 14-yard touchdown gallop with 3 minutes and 41 seconds left to play. It was the end of a drive that started on the 18 yard line, and featured eight carries from March for 87 yards.

It took all of one play for Glenelg to steal all the momentum in the stadium, when Colin Osbourne returned the kickoff for a 90-yard touchdown.

A.J, Rosenthal booted his second onside-kick attempt of the night. The second time was the charm, as Ricky Dubois was able to knock it away from the Wilde Lake receiving line and into the hands of Lee Lucas.

The Gladiators made it all the way down to the Wilde Lake 15 yard line before things fell apart. With 37 seconds left, the first pass attempt was overthrown, while the Wildecats defense scored a sack on the second attempt.

The third throw was the disaster, as March, Glenelg's natural enemy, caught the pass in the end zone. One knee later and Wilde Lake walked away with a win.

Maura ran in touchdowns of 3 and 4 yards in the second quarter. Rosenthal was 5-for-5 on extra point kicks.

"I've got more gas in the tank," Osbourne said. "We couldn't put it in when we needed it. We're going to work hard this week in practice and get it back next week."

The prospect of getting back to the grind is less painful this year.

"This year, we're close in the games," Rosenthal said. "We're not getting blown out."

While the 1-2 start to the season has shades of last year's 0-4 start, the record is deceptive.

"It was rough last year," Maura said. "This year, we're a lot better as a team. We play together. Last year we were individuals."

In all three games so far, Glenelg has either won or been on the cusp of victory. In week 2, they were up 21-12 at halftime before host Long Reach came back to win 32-21.

The Gladiators opened the season with a 20-7 conquest of Mount Hebron. This Friday, they travel to Hammond. And going into Week 5, Glenelg wouldn't mind repeating their finishing feat of 2007 when it closed out the year with six straight wins.

Football

Glenelg's Colin Osbourne scored on a 95-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, but Wilde Lake (3-0) held on to win 38-35 Friday night at Glenelg (1-2). Danny March made an interception for a touchback with 19 seconds left to secure victory. March's teammate, Jerrel Epps, had two interceptions, one of them returned 75 yards for the first touchdown of the game. March led the Wildecats with 155 yards rushing on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Epps and Christian Hough also scored rushing touchdowns for Wilde Lake.

Glenelg's Shannon Maura scored three touchdowns, each one from three yards out, and Glenelg quarterback Gage Trawick threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Brittain. Both kickers -- Wilde Lake's Graham Spicer and Glenelg's A.J. Rosenthal -- were a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points, and Spicer also kicked a 27-yard field goal to open the scoring.

No. 5 Wilde Lake holds off host Glenelg in close victory.

Danny March ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns and also made an interception on defense, Jarrell Epps rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown and also returned one of his two interceptions 75 yards for another score, and Graham Spicer kicked a 27-yard field goal as well as five extra points as Wilde Lake escaped Howard County rival Glenelg on the road, 38-35, on Friday night.

March's interception quelled the Gladiators' final drive with 19 seconds left on the clock, allowing the Wildecats to run out the remaining time in the game for career win No. 299 of the 36th and final season of Wilde Lake coach Doug DuVall. Christian Houg ran for a 3-yard score and 81 yards as the Wildecats remained unbeaten on the year. The Wildecats, ranked fifth in the DigitalSports Top 20, improved to 3-0 overall and in Howard County.

Next Saturday at 2 p.m., the Wildecats will play host to 16th-ranked Marriotts Ridge, which rose to 3-0 with its 35-6 victory over Reservoir.

The Gladiators trailed, 10-0, heading into the second quarter, and, 24-14, at halftime, but mounted a comeback behind Shannon Maura, who scored three, rushing touchdowns -- all of which were from three yards out.

The Gladiators also received an 11-yard scoring pass from Steve Tarwick to Tyler Britt, and a fourth-quarter, 95-yard kickoff return from Colin Osbourne that was the game's final score.

No. 5 Wilde Lake 38, Glenelg 35 Wilde Lake 10 14 7 7 -- 38 Glenelg 0 14 7 14 -- 35

Scoring

WL- GRAHAM SPICER 27 YD FIELD GOAL

WL- JARREL EPPS 75 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN-SPICER KICK

GL- SHANNON MAURA 3 YD RUN-AJ ROSENTHAL KICK

WL- EPPS 37 YD RUN-SPICER KICK

GL- MAURA 3 YD RUN-ROSENTHAL KICK

WL- CHRISTIAN HOUG 3 YD RUN-SPICER KICK

WL- DANNY MARCH 7 YD RUN-SPICER KICK

GL- TYLER BRITTAIN 11 YD PASS FROM STEVE TARWICK-ROSENTAL KICK

GL- MAURA 3 YD RUN-ROSENTHAL KICK

WL- MARCH 11 YD RUN-SPICER KICK

GL- COLIN OSBOURNE 95 YD KICKOFF RETURN-ROSENTHAL KICK

School W L Pct. PF PA

River Hill 3 0 1.000 151 15

Marriotts Ridge 3 0 1.000 126 12

Wilde Lake 3 0 1.000 113 52

Howard 2 1 .667 84 55

Reservoir 2 1 .667 62 38

Glenelg 1 2 .333 76 77

Long Reach 1 2 .333 49 70

Mt. Hebron 1 2 .333 31 108

Centennial 1 2 .333 21 88

Oakland Mills 1 2 .333 20 103

Atholton 0 3 .000 54 99

Hammond 0 3 .000 22 92

Friday, Sept. 19 results

Marriotts Ridge 38, Reservoir 6

Wilde Lake 38, Glenelg 35

River Hill 55, Centennial 0

Howard 37, Long Reach 8

Mt. Hebron 28, Atholton 21

Saturday, Sept. 20 result

Oakland Mills 9, Hammond 7

Football: Long shots pay off for Lightning in win

Long Reach rallies to beat Glenelg, 32-21

By Andrew Conrad aconrad@patuxent.com

Posted 9/18/08

Long Reach football coach Pete Hughes likes to get his money's worth. The rules say he has four downs to get 10 yards and darn it, he's going to use all four.

Twice in the fourth quarter of Friday night's 32-21 win over visiting Glenelg, Hughes' Lightning went for it on fourth-and-long and came up big both times.

Both teams were having trouble stopping each other's offenses in the first half. Glenelg backs Shannon Maura and sophomore Colin Osbourne combined for more than 180 yards and two touchdowns as Maura ripped into the Lightning secondary for big-play gains of 33, 22 and 14 yards.

"Shannon played a great game. He's a little man but he plays big. He's strong and real quick," said Glenelg linebacker Tyler Brittain, who also scored a first-half touchdown.

Osbourne had five carries of at least 10 yards in the first half.

The Lightning were running the ball well themselves, as 300-pound tackles Mike Franklin and Aaron Dailey opened lanes for Javaugh Walker and Kwasi Sarpong each scored first-half touchdowns.

"We felt all night that we could move the ball at anytime. ... It's just that we couldn't stop them," Hughes said.

With kicker John Stifler on crutches with a sprained ankle, Long Reach missed both its extra-point attempts and trailed Glenelg, 21-12, at halftime. But in the second half, both teams adjusted on defense to stuff the run. Osbourne, who ran for 92 yards in the first half, mustered only nine in the second. Long Reach struggled too, as Sarpong found only 16 second-half yards.

The two defenses appeared to be battling to a stalemate until junior transfer Rashon Sanders broke open a 17-yard touchdown scramble to close the Lightning deficit to three late in the third quarter.

"We stayed as a team, we stayed as a family, we didn't let anything get between us," said Walker, who continued to run effectively into the fourth quarter, gaining 47 second-half yards.

Still, the Glenelg defense held strong, forcing Long Reach into a fourth-and-11 jam on the Glenelg 27-yard line on its first drive of the final quarter. With Stifler out of commission, the Lightning decided their best bet was to go for the first down.

"We felt like the way we were playing defense we could go for it and (if we didn't convert) still keep them down at that end," said Hughes, whose team outscored Glenelg, 20-0, in the second half.

Two plays earlier, Long Reach had failed on a pass play for sophomore quarterback Dajon Modeste. On a fourth-and-long, they tried it again.

"We just missed it the first time," Hughes said. "We just told (Modeste) to concentrate and throw a better pass, and he did; he threw a dart."

The dart hit its target -- a diving Pat Blackmon -- who landed on the 1-yard line with the ball in his hands. Walker punched it in from there, and Long Reach had its first lead of the game with just over six minutes left.

On Glenelg's ensuing drive, Joey Montag intercepted a pass that bounced off a Glenelg receiver's chest, giving the Lightning a chance to put the game away.

That's when Glenelg mounted a defensive stand that nearly gave the Gladiators one last drive for victory. On third-and-goal from the 9, the Glenelg front stuffed Long Reach for a 1-yard gain and another fourth-and-long situation. This time, sophomore fullback Scott Korzeniowski charged through the middle for a back-breaking touchdown with just over a minute left.

"We played strong down on the goal line," Brittain said. "A big stop on third down is a big uplift. But that (fourth-down conversion) just takes the momentum straight out of you."

Lightning score 20 straight points for a 32-21 win

By Andrew Conrad aconrad@patuxent.com

Posted 9/13/08

Long Reach converted twice on fourth-and-long plays in the fourth quarter to defeat Glenelg, 32-21, Friday night on a rain-slicked field at Long Reach High School.

Down, 21-12, at halftime, Long Reach (1-1) scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to pick up its first win of the season. Glenelg (1-1), which opened the season a week ago with a win, suffered its first loss.

The Lightning were down, 21-18, with 6:50 left in the game and found itself with a fourth-and-11 on the Glenelg 27-yard line when sophomore Dajon Modeste rolled out and connected with a streaking Patrick Blackmon for a 26-yard gain down to the Glenelg 1-yard line. Javaugh Walker then punched the ball over the goal line for the go-ahead score and eventual game-winner as Long Reach led, 24-21.

I was a little worried," Modeste said of his pass. "But I know my receivers have good hands."

Blackmon leaped horizontally and caught the ball, then held on to it as he hit the ground for the reception that set up the game-winning touchdown.

"I just concentrated, put my hands out and came up with the ball," Blackmon said.

On the ensuing possession, Long Reach's Joey Montag intercepted a tipped pass to give the ball back to the Lightning. Fullback Scott Korzienski then put the game out of reach with an 8-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down play with 90 seconds left in the game.

I'm so short, when I get low they can't see me," the 5-foot-8 sophomore said.

Long Reach had seven backs rush for positive yardage, led by Walker with 83 yards on 16 carries and Kwasi Sarpong, who had 72 yards on 15 carries. Glenelg had two 100-yard rushers: Shannon Maura (110 yards on 13 carries) and Colin Osbourne (101 yards on 17 carries). Both runners also scored touchdowns for Glenelg.

Long Reach's next game is Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at Howard. Glenelg will host Wilde Lake at 7 p.m. that same day.

For more on this game, read Thursday's editions of the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier.

LONG REACH 32, GLENELG 21

Glenelg (1-1)       14  7  0  0 - 21

Long Reach (1-1)   6  6  6 14 - 32

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

   G: Osbourne 4 run (Rosenthal kick), 8:19

   LR: Sarpong 20 run (kick failed), 6:04

   G: Brittain 1 run (Rosenthal kick), 1:32

Second Quarter

   LR: Walker 10 run (pass failed), 7:15

   G: Maura 1 run (Rosenthal kick), 2:18

Third Quarter

   LR: Sanders 17 run (pass failed), 3:40

Fourth Quarter

   LR: Walker 1 run (kick failed), 6:31

   LR: Korzienski 8 run (Beahm run), 1:12

Glenelg made it seven wins in a row, dating back to last season, with a 20-7 win over Mt. Hebron. Jon Iwaskiw scored the Vikings touchdown on a one-yard dive. Mt. Hebron not only lost the game but also one of its best players. Jackson Jordan tore his ACL and MCL ending his senior season. Jordan was the state champion in hurdles last spring, and will also miss indoor and outdoor track season.

Jordan was "a three year varsity player and our most physical player," coach Ross Hannon said.

Glenelg

(6-4, 6-4)

Coach: Butch Schaffer, third season.

Top players (offense): Seniors Ricky Dubois (RB/WR/DB) and Taylor Sones (WR/DB); juniors Shannon Maura (RB/WR/DB) and Gage Trawick (QB).

Top players (defense): Seniors Tyler Brittain (LB/RB), Billy Hall (DL/OL) and Jon Mullinix (LB/RB).

What you need to know: Positions don't mean much at Glenelg, where a running back is just as likely to go deep to catch a pass as he is to take a handoff. And just about everyone plays both sides of the ball. Brittain and Dubois are those kinds of players and Trawick should be even more efficient hitting receivers Sones and Maora as a junior. Last year's record was misleading; after starting the season 0-4 against teams that eventually made the playoffs, Glenelg finished 6-0. With size, speed, strength and seasoned players, Glenelg should pick up where it left off and make a playoff run.

Key number: 31.8 (Average points scored the last five games of 2007, compared to 6.2 over the first five).

By Jack Lambert | Special to The Gazette

It is often debated in football whether it is better to have talent or experience. Luckily for the Glenelg Gladiators and head coach Butch Shaffer, the Gladiators have both this season.

The Gladiators return many of their players from a 6-4 season last year, a season that saw the Gladiators run the table with six wins after starting out 0-4. It's that experience of success that Shaffer is counting on during the 2008 season.

When asked what will be the team strength this year, Shaffer said, "I think it's our experience. Most of the guys have played last year."

"I think we'll go as far as our seniors will take us."

The Gladiators return four seniors on the offensive line, a line that paved the way to scoring 20-plus points in five straight games last season. Seniors John Mullinix (6-foot, 215 pounds), Garret Abadoms (6-0, 235), Victor Abadoms (6-0, 235), Billy Hall (6-1, 270) and junior Nathan Coe (6-0, 270) hope to open up big holes for the Gladiators this season.

"It's pretty much important to have experience everywhere," said Shaffer, noting that most of the lineman of played together for four years.

Behind the line, junior Gage Trawick (6-1, 180) will call the plays for the Gladiators. Shaffer said his offense consists of multiple sets and is counting on Trawick to be a leader on the field.

Trawick will be responsible for getting the ball to junior tailback Shannon Maura (5-9, 170) and senior fullback Tyler Brittain (6-0, 205), as well as sophomore wide receiver Colin Osborne (5-9, 170) and senior wide receivers Tyler Sones (6-1, 170) and Ricky Dubois (5-10, 170).

On the defensive side, the Gladiators will play a 5-2 alignment. Mullinix, Garret Abadoms, Victor Abadoms, Hall and Coe will also make up the defensive line.

Shaffer said he expects his linebacking core of Brittain and Maura to be one of the strengths of the defense this season.

Osborne, Sones, Dubois and junior Jimmy Zito (5-9, 170) make up the Gladiators defensive backfield. Senior A.J. Rosenthal (6-1, 270) will handle all punting and kicking duties.

Last season, after winning six straight games to close the season, Glenelg finished 1.1 points behind Forestville for the fourth spot in the 1A South playoffs.

Shaffer hopes a schedule against opponents from larger schools 3A and 2A schools will help his team in the 1A playoffs.

"I think we'll be competitive size wise with most of the schools we play…but we'll play 3A schools all year long, so we won't see any 1A schools until the playoffs," said Shaffer.

Glenelg Head Coach Butch Schaffer will try to capture yet another winning season in 2008 following a solid 2007 year, going 6-0 in their final six games.

Glenelg Gladiators This preview is proudly presented by ProSports Care.

Facts: Class 1A South;

Howard County Last Year: 6-4 overall; 6-4 Howard County

Last Playoff Appearance: 2006, Class 2A South Region Semifinalist

Highest State Poll Ranking: 19, Week 10, 2002

Coach: Butch Schaffer, 3rd season (14-7)

Offense: Multiple

Defense: 50

Returning Starters: Offense 6; Defense 6

Players to Watch: Tyler Brittain (Sr., RB/LB, 6-0, 200), Billy Hall (Sr., OL/DL, 6-0, 270), Ben Schiner (Sr., OL/DL, 6-1, 250), Ricky Dubois (Sr., RB/DB, 6-0, 170), Taylor Sones (Sr., WR/DB, 6-1, 170), Jon Mullinix (Sr., OL/LB, 5-10, 215), Shannon Maura (Jr., RB/DB, 5-9, 165), Gage Trawick (Jr., QB/DB, 6-2, 185).

Breakdown: Head coach Butch Schaffer enters his third season after two successful years, including a playoff berth during his first season. This year with 12 starters returning, Schaffer could have a team to challenge Wilde Lake and River Hill for the top of Howard County.

Two years ago, Glenelg finished 8-3 and made the South Region semifinals for the fourth straight year, but last year's team was recovering from the graduation of 20 players and missed the playoffs entirely.

"We have the same coaching staff we had for the last year," Schaffer said. ?I think the continuity will help us. We are getting more familiar in working together and that is only going to help the kids."

The team's 6-4 record from last year is somewhat deceiving. The team lost four straight games to start the year, not too surprising for a team trying to find starters early in the year, but rebounded with six straight wins.

That streak to end the season could continue this year, with several starters returning and the addition of a couple underclassmen that could make an impact.

"Our returning players provided great leadership in the offseason," explained Schaffer. "They know our system like the back of their hand, and we are really looking forward to this season getting started." The underclassman to watch on the Gladiators could be Maura, who ran a 4.97 40-yard dash at the Nike Maryland Combine. Maura should push Brittain and give the Gladiators a solid one-two rushing attack on offense.

"Our kids definitely understand the system from last year, and it's a little easier when every year they come back with a little more knowledge," Schaffer admitted. "I think we are ahead of schedule than when where we were a year ago. Hopefully our results will show that."

Playing in Howard County means there will be two tough games, Wilde Lake and River Hill, but with five more teams huddled around one another last year, experience could help push Glenelg into the top three and give it a shot at another playoff berth.

"We want to get better each and every game,? said Schaffer. ?We have a lot of returning players, so our expectations are very high."

11/16/07
by andrew conrad

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Glenelg, which started the season 0-4, won its next six games, including a 42-14 win over Reservoir Nov. 9, but finished just 1.1 points behind Forestville for the fourth spot in the 1A South playoffs.

"We thought with a win we were in," Glenelg coach Butch Schaffer said. "It was disappointing, but it was a good season, hopefully the kids learned some lessons. It was good to see them fight back."

Last season Glenelg and River Hill were the county's only playoff teams.

E-mail Andrew Conrad at Andrew Conrad@patuxent.com

Football

Final county standings: River Hill, 10-0; Wilde Lake, 8-2; Atholton, 7-3; Howard, 7-3; Glenelg, 6-4; Marriotts Ridge, 6-4; Long Reach, 5-5; Reservoir, 4-6; Oakland Mills, 3-7; Centennial, 2-8; Hammond, 1-9; Mt. Hebron, 1-9.

With Urbana's final two regular season games on the road, there didn't seem much harm in beginning to prepare the Hawks' stadium field for the winter. Although Urbana remained in contention for a playoff berth in the season's final few weeks, the Hawks still seemed unlikely to qualify for the postseason, needing several games to fall in their favor just to have a chance to advance.

So when a maintenance crew recently seeded Urbana's field for the offseason, no one gave it a second thought -- until Friday, when it was announced that Gwynn Park had forfeited its six victories.

Gwynn Park was the sixth Prince George's County team to be found using an ineligible player this season and its forfeits reverberated around the state.

Not only did Urbana qualify for the playoffs -- knocking out Frederick -- the Hawks earned the second seed in the Maryland 3A West Region and will host a postseason game Saturday against Seneca Valley. The forfeits also allowed Forestville to qualify for the Maryland 1A South Region postseason instead of Glenelg.

Gwynn Park's forfeits had a domino effect. Urbana had lost to Gwynn Park, 33-26, on Oct. 20. Turning that loss into a victory was enough to bump the Hawks past Frederick, which earlier had forfeited its season-opening victory for using an academically ineligible player.

Urbana Coach Joe Polce and Frederick Coach Vince Ahearn both scouted Damascus's 48-6 victory over Paint Branch on Friday night and learned separately of Gwynn Park's predicament. While the decision gave Urbana new life, it cut short a celebration among Frederick coaches who thought their team had qualified for the playoffs upon hearing the results of other games.

"For about five or 10 minutes there, we thought we'd be okay. We said, 'Hey, we can sleep tonight,' " said Ahearn, who learned of the forfeits somewhere around the time he passed Glenelg on Route 32 westbound. Glenelg also was bounced, as Forestville's 27-6 loss to Gwynn Park on Oct. 6 became a victory and the Knights were in when they beat Fairmont Heights, 20-7, this past Saturday.  Forestville Coach Charles Harley planned this week to watch game videos of Dunbar-Baltimore as a favor to Surrattsville Coach Tom Green, in case Surrattsville played Dunbar in the Maryland 1A South Region final. Now, Harley will watch those videos for his own team, which plays Dunbar on Saturday.

"As fate would have it, I'll be using those same tapes," Harley said.

Where: Reservoir H.S., Fulton

Last week: Reservior (L), to 19-0; Glenelg (W), over Hammond, 35-0

Outlook: Butch Schaffer feels as though his team will be looking in the mirror when they go on the road to face the Gators.

‘‘They are very similar to us,” said Glenelg’s head coach. ‘‘We basically lost to the same teams, they are a balanced team offensively. They run multiple sets and have a lot of talented players. Defensively they run a whole lot of different things. They are building a strong program over there.”

After a rough and uncharacteristic 0-4 start, the Gladiators will attempt to complete their schedule with six straight victories. A win would keep them mathematically alive in the Class 1A South Region, but with too many strong teams in their region, would more than likely still be shut out of the playoffs.

‘‘We’ve seen a lot of improvement [recently] with our team,” Schaffer said. ‘‘We have to play hard every week [in the Howard County League]. Unfortunately, we had a really tough early season schedule and we started out slow. We wish we could have played better starting out, but we have to take one game at a time and try to improve each time we come out.”

In last week’s shutout win, the Gladiators were paced by the legs of Payton Loyd, and the accurate arm of Gage Trawick. They were also opportunistic defensively.

‘‘We played well early on, and got good breaks when we needed them,” said Schaffer. ‘‘We got a couple of turnovers early that really got us going and we just took it from there.”

Schaffer is also proud of the way his team pulled its way out of adversity during an uncharacteristic slow start out of the game. With its five game streak, the Gladiators have fought their way past a rash of injuries and inexperience.

‘‘I’m happy with the way we have rked,” Schaffer said. ‘‘Our kids practice hard every week.”

—John Harris III

Glenelg (5-4) continued its five-game winning streak with its most dominant performance of the season, a 35-0 win over Hammond (2-7).

Nick Walker led Hammond with 50 rushing yards, while Kenyatta Drake caught four passes for 53 yards. Drake also had eight solo tackles, while teammate Nate Gant recorded two sacks. The Gladiator defense intercepted Samuel Plazak twice.

"They beat us up pretty good and we did not come to play," Hammond coach Tim Cullen said.

In: Dunbar-Baltimore, Surrattsville, Digital Harbor

In with a win: Forest Park (Md.)

Needs help: Forestville, Glenelg

The skinny: Dunbar-Baltimore is the team to beat and will have home-field advantage on the artificial turf complex at Poly. Surrattsville has clinched its first postseason berth ever and will play Digital Harbor in a first-round game; the game will be at Surrattsville if it beats Crossland or Digital Harbor loses to W.E.B. DuBois. Forest Park (Md.) has the inside track for the fourth playoff berth, but must beat Walbrook. After losing to Crossland last week, Forestville must beat Fairmont Heights and have Glenelg lose to Reservoir and hope for no upsets in four games in Baltimore.

In the Class 1A South Region, Forestville would improve to 4-3 with the forfeit victory over Friendly, giving the Knights an outside chance for the playoffs if they can beat Crossland and Fairmont Heights to close the regular season. Baltimore City’s Forest Park, at 6-2, holds the fourth seed in the 1A South Region. Forestville is sixth in the region, but moves up into playoff position alongside 4-4 Glenelg after Thursday’s ruling.

The regional playoffs will be played Nov. 16-17.

On Saturday, Mt. Hebron (0-8) gave Glenelg (4-4) all it could handle, but fell, 21-14. The win allowed the Gladiators to even up their record after starting the season 0-4.

The Vikings scored on the two-minute drill to end the first half down, 14-7, on a three-yard carry by quarterback Ricky Schultz. Brad Wandell scored Mt. Hebron's other touchdown.

"We've gotten better throughout the year, but we're frustrated," Mt. Hebron coach Larry Luthe said.

Payton Loyd (168 rushing yards) and Ricky Dubois (touchdown reception) led the Gladiator offense, while Mike McCabe (12 tackles), Bruce Richardson (eight tackles, three sacks) and Tyler Brittain (eight tackles, one sack) led the defense.

Thursday, October 25, 2007; Page HO12

Mount Hebron at Glenelg, Saturday, 2 p.m.: Glenelg (3-4, 3-4) couldn't have picked a better time to play winless Mount Hebron (0-7, 0-7). The Gladiators have won three in a row, including last week's come-from-behind victory over Oakland Mills. They have moved up to fifth place in the race for four playoff spots in 1A South, and should win out over Mount Hebron, Hammond and Reservoir (combined 4-17 record), they have a decent shot at making the postseason for the eighth straight year. Running back Payton Loyd is the team's best weapon. He gained 108 yards and caught the go-ahead 29-yard touchdown pass last week.

Glenelg High always possessed the physical attributes of a winning football team — what the Gladiators lacked was confidence.

Not anymore. On Saturday, the visiting Gladiators won their third straight with a come-from-behind 30-16 victory over Howard County League foe Oakland Mills.

‘‘We have a little more confidence and have got some of our players healthy,” head coach Butch Schaffer said. ‘‘We’re finally playing as a team.”

Payton Loyd epitomizes Glenelg’s newfound confidence. In the third quarter the senior linebacker-running back’s interception and, on the opening play of the Gladiators subsequent offensive series, 43-yard dash set up his team’s second touchdown and changed the course of the game. Trailing 16-14 with 3:11 remaining sophomore quarterback Gage Trawick connected with Loyd for the go-ahead score on a 29-yard reception.

‘‘I was loving it,” Loyd said about the touchdown. ‘‘I’m really proud of our team. We’re doing good.”

The Gladiators had ample opportunity to lose their focus and composure. A questionable call awarded the Scorpions a critical two-point conversion and put Glenelg behind by two points midway through the third quarter. On their ensuing drive the Gladiators had a touchdown called back due to a holding call. Two plays later they responded with Loyd’s score.

Oakland Mills kicked off the scoring with a 7-yard keeper from quarterback Justin Sottilare and two-point conversion by Maurice Hockaday in the first quarter. Glenelg answered with scores from Trawick and Tyler Brittain in the second and third quarters. Sottilare found Mike Brown on a three-yard pass, and then personally added the two-point conversion at 7:57 in the fourth. Cornerback Ricky Dubois wrapped things up for the winners with a 20-yard interception return to pay dirt with 3:01 remaining. Trawick plowed ahead for the two-point conversion

‘‘Our kids are growing as the year goes along,” Schaffer said. ‘‘We’re trying to get better each week as the season progresses. That’s what we’re trying to do and that’s what we are doing.”

Dropping their initial four games by a combined score of 127-24, the Gladiators began rounding into form with a 7-6 victory over recent nuisance Long Reach on Oct. 5. Two weeks ago they downed Centennial 31-16 and will look to extend their winning ways tomorrow night against winless Mount Hebron. At 3-4 they reside in sixth place in Howard County League and fifth in the MPSSAA’s Class 1A South points standings.

‘‘Next week we’re going to have another challenge,” Schaffer said. ‘‘Mount Hebron does a lot of things really well. We’re just trying to move one step at a time, continue to get better and give the kids a great experience.”

Glenelg (3-4) defeated Oakland Mills (2-5), 30-16, in the Scorpions' homecoming game, but the game was a lot closer than the score indicated. Oakland Mills led, 16-14, with a little more than three minutes left, but then Glenelg came up with two big plays. On third-and-26 from the Oakland Mills' 30-yard line, Payton Loyd caught a pass from Gage Trawick to give his team the lead. Then, on the first play of Oakland Mills' attempt to regain the lead, Ricky Dubois intercepted a pass and took it in for another score.

"We had them third and 30 and were on cover three, and we let someone behind us. That's just basic football, like shooting a lay up in basketball. That should never happen and it did," Oakland Mills coach Seth Willingham said.

Mike Santiago and Jimmy Speake led a strong Scorpion defense.

For Glenelg, Bruce Richardson, Charlie Bosse and Jon Mullinex applied pressure on defense, and Mike McCabe churned out some tough yardage on the ground.

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Mike McCabe of Glenelg attempts to tackle Centennial running back Kyle Young during their Oct. 12 game at Glenelg. The Gladiators won, 31-16.

Where: Oakland Mills H.S., Columbia

Last week: Glenelg (W), over Centennial, 31-16; Oakland Mills (W), over Mount Hebron,

Outlook: The Gladiators-Scorpions matchup features two teams striving to get to .500 by the end of the season meet in Columbia on Saturday.

Oakland Mills is gaining momentum after winning its second straight game of the season. The week before, the Scorpions broke a 25-game losing streak with a 43-27 victory over Hammond.

‘‘Like us, they’ve won their last two games and they are playing very well,” said Glenelg head coach Butch Shaffer. ‘‘They are finally buying into what [head] coach [Seth] Willingham is doing. They have a great quarterback and a couple of skilled wide receivers there who will present a challenge to us.”

Scorpions quarterback Justin Sottilare busted up the long losing skein in style two weeks ago, connecting on 24 of 42 deliveries for 358 yards and a touchdown. He also used his legs to rush for four touchdowns that day. Wide receiver Lyle Williams had 114 yards receiving and fellow wide our Adam Reed hauled in a 25-yard pass for a score.

Last week, the Gladiators spread the wealth offensively in their victory over the Eagles. Payton Loyd busted loose for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Tyler Britton (coming off of injuries) and Mike McCabe combined for 170 yards and two touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback Gage Trawick enjoyed an efficient day, connecting on six of nine passes for 75 yards. Defensively, defensive end Bruce Richardson (11 tackles) and McCabe (10 tackles), who also plays linebacker, led the way.

‘‘We finally have some guys back from injury, so that is helping us too,” said Shaffer.

‘‘[Against Oakland Mills] we are going to have to limit our errors, tackle well, and play good team defense. We are just now starting to find ourselves in the right positions [to make plays].”

—John Harris III

Glenelg won its first game of the season, 7-6, over Long Reach. The Gladiators scored in the first quarter and connected on the deciding extra point. Long Reach scored in the second quarter on a Kwasi Sarpong run, but missed on the two-point conversion attempt. Both defenses held strong from that point on.

Glenelg (1-4)vs. Centennial (1-4)

When: Friday, October 12, 7 p.m.

Where: Glenelg H.S., Glenelg

Last week: Glenelg (W), over Long Reach, 7-6; Centennial (W), over Mount Hebron, 21-20

Outlook: With both teams winning its first game of the season this past week, either Glenelg or Centennial will achieve its first winning streak of 2007, while the other will be left wonder how could they have better prepare themselves to build on the momentum of a victory. ‘

‘We were fortunate to win, we dodged a couple of bullets by making some plays on defense,” said Glenelg head coach Butch Shaffer.

Indeed, the Gladiators got two huge interceptions from Ben Dzwulsky and Jon Selfridge in order to secure the win over the Lightning. After sophomore quarterback Gage Trawick connected with Tyler Brittain on a 12 yard pass play to take the lead in the first quarter, Long Reach came right back with a score of its own. However, the Lightning failed on their two-point attempt.

Centennial also held on as Mount Hebron failed to convert its two-point try, in this case near the end of the game. Linebacker Mickey Albornoz was able to distract a Viking receiver just enough to break up what could have been the game winning extra point.

‘‘I think both teams got much needed wins last week,” said Centennial head coach Jeremy Wagner. ‘‘This will help us with our confidence and with our believing in the things that they are being taught [by the coaching staff]. I think we are evenly matched—we are both relatively young, but they are starting to get some of their better players healthy again.”

Wagner expressed concern over Glenelg’s relatively new style of offense. The Gladiators have shown a more diverse offense in the last couple of years, contrary to their own smash-mouth run first offensive thrust that propelled them to a string of playoffs earlier in the decade. The Eagles now employ a variation of the Gladiators old smash-mouth offensive strategy, behind the running of 5 foot 11, 215 pound sophomore fullback Kyle Young. Defensively, Centennial is led by senior cornerback Tsusa Matsui (5-9, 175), who Wagner says maybe the best shutdown corners in the Howard County League.

—John Harris III

Glenelg (0-4)vs. Long Reach (3-1)

When: Friday, October 5, 7 p.m.

Where: Atholton H.S., Fulton

Last week: Glenelg (L), to Atholton, 28-7; Long Reach (W) over Mount Hebron, 27-7

Outlook: It’s tough being a part of the Glenelg High football program at this point of the 2007 season.

The Gladiators, whose student population has dwindled to the Class 1A level, find themselves running a gauntlet of good teams in the Howard County League, filled with Class 2A and 3A schools. Last week, head coach Butch Shaffer saw his team go through yet another bout with inexperience and inconsistency.

‘‘Once gain, we ran up against a good team, and we showed some good signs but we were just too inconsistent,” said Shaffer, whose team averted a shutout thanks to a five yard touchdown run by Carl Mack. ‘‘We need to stop making penalties at crucial times. We’ve been doing things at the worst [possible] times. The penalties, bad snaps, turnovers—I think people maybe pressing a little bit.”

This week, the conga line of competitive teams keeps moving, as the Lightning are on a three-game winning streak with a corps of young and talented skill players. In the last three games, 5 foot 10, 160-pound tailback Kwasi Sarpong has rushed for 368 yards, while classmate Javaughn Walker dropped 125 yards on Mount Hebron last week.

‘‘Both of them were JV players last year, and in their first varsity game [against Reservoir] they were like a deer in headlights,” said Long Reach head coach Pete Hughes. ‘‘Now, they are running the ball well for us.”

 Defensively, the Lightning are led by a trio of seniors—linebackers Alvin Thomas (6-0, 240) and Josh Randal (6-0, 185), and cornerback Divaughn Furby (5-9, 140). Hughes says Randal is an all-league talent even after not playing football in his sophomore and junior seasons.

‘‘We aren’t looking past Glenelg at all,” Hughes said. ‘‘We know that they are a well-coached team that always prepares his players well. I know they are going to play hard and I know they are going to play well.”

—John Harris III

Atholton (2-1) vs. Glenelg (0-3)

When: Friday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.

Where: Atholton H.S., Fulton

Last week: Glenelg (L), to River Hill , 35-0; Atholton (W) over Howard, 17-6

Outlook:There is a noticeable disappointment in the voice of Glenelg head coach Butch Schaffer these days.

With the Gladiators almost being a shoe-in for postseason action for the better part of a decade, the Gladiators 0-3 start clearly has him bothered. But he refuses to offer up any excuses, especially with another tough Howard County foe lying in wait.

‘‘We’re just struggling right now, I don’t want to give any excuses,” Schaffer said. ‘‘We just have to play better, and play more soundly. We knew our schedule was going to be extremely tough in the beginning of the year, and I think things may smooth out later on, but right now, we’ve got our hands full. Atholton is another good, well-coached team we have to play against.”

Schaffer is concerned with the Raiders ground attack, led by 5 foot 8, 170-pound senior speedster Kelichi Odocha. Odocha, who runs the 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds, has rushed for 498 yards in the first three games this season, including 250 in last week’s win. He is complemented by bruising fullback Brian Nance, a 5-10, 215-pound senior.

‘‘They’re running backs are exceptional, and we are going to have to watch out for them,” said Schaffer.

Atholton head coach Chuck Fales is guarding his team against overconfidence, especially after handling a team that handled Glenelg quite easily two weeks ago.

”You know how kids are, they figure Howard beat Glenelg, so we beat Howard, so we should be all right,” Fales said. But I know better. That doesn’t mean anything. Glenelg is good and physical, and we aren’t that physical. I think we have the advantage in team speed, but they’ve got plenty of size and power.”

The run-oriented Raiders don’t pass very much, but when they do, their main target is sophomore Matt Robinson (6-2, 185), who has six receptions thus far. Defensively, Atholton is led by Nance at linebacker, senior defensive end Jeffrey Easterling (6-0, 195) and senior cover cornerback Brandon Baker (6-1, 185).

—John Harris III

Glenelg (0-1) vs. Howard (1-0)

When: Saturday, Sept. 15, 2 p.m.

Where: Glenelg H.S., Glenelg

Last week: Glenelg (L), to Wilde Lake, 24-6; Howard (W), over Oakland Mills, 41-29

Outlook: In Howard, Glenelg will face a team that has no shortage of good individual athletes. To be successful, the Gladiators will have to win the battle of the line of scrimmage, and handle the Lions’ skill players as well.

‘‘We just gave up two big plays against Wilde Lake,” said Glenelg head coach Butch Shaffer. ‘‘We had two interceptions runback for touchdowns. But we did a lot of things well. The offensive line actually did a good job. ”

Shaffer is impressed with Howard quarterback Jeff Kalski, who only needed to throw on six occasions in last week’s win over Oakland Mills, the 6 foot 3, 170-pound senior only completed two of his delivers, but both were touchdowns to his main target, 6-3, 205 pound Ivy League recruit Jeff Javier, a senior who is being courted by both Harvard University and Dartmouth College as well as the University of Delaware.

‘‘Jeff runs tremendous routes and has very good hands,” said Howard head coach Al Feldblum. ‘‘He’s pretty fast too. Last year he caught 36 passes for over 500 yards, but he also threw for 150 yards on trick plays.”

The Lions also feature two solid running backs that both went over the 100-yard mark last week. A.J. Bonavitacola is a 5-10, 175-pound sophomore who gained 120 yards and scored a touchdown. Junior Dionte Jones (6-0, 185) was a key member of Howard’s state title winning track team last spring. He picked up 100 yards and a score against the Scorpions last Friday.

Defensively, the Lions are led by undersized linebacker Justin Guy (5-10, 160), fellow linebacker Chris Keenan, and junior defensive tackles Corey Forbes and Brandon Yurechkour.

Shaffer said defensive end Bruce Richardson, linebacker Mike McCabe and defensive back Chris Gotshall played well against Wilde Lake.

— John Harris III

By Darren J. Gendron | Staff Writer

It only took one season for head coach Butch Schaffer to create some high expectations around the Glenelg High football program.

The Gladiators cranked out an 8-3 season last year, their best campaign since 2003. They closed out the regular season with a six-game win streak, but lost 30-20 to eventual Class 2A state champ McDonough of Charles County.

Three starters made first-team All-Gazette, along with a second-teamer and an honorable mention. And all of them graduated.

With only six returning starters, Schaffer is still piecing together his team’s identity for the 2007 campaign.

‘‘We just don’t know where we’re at right now,” Schaffer said. ‘‘We have to take every game on separately.”

The best source of depth looks to be at linebacker, with three seniors back. Payton Loyd, a 5-foot-6, 160-pounder, Carl Mack, a 5-9, 165-pounder, and Mike McCabe, a 5-11, 180-pounder, are all back from last year’s lineup. They also are working in as part of a committee of running backs, trying to replace the 1,604 yards rushed last year by Brandon Dever.

Though one of the bigger keys to Dever’s ground dominance was trench support, and 40 percent of that line is back. Seniors Jake Isaacs (6-1, 225) and Matt Shehlelski (6-2, 210) return. Derek Patrick (6-2, 270) and Billy Hall (6-1, 250) along with Eric Heidhausen (6-0, 200) make up the rest of the starting linemen.

The bigger replacement issue for the Gladiators is from Billy West. It’s leaving holes on offense, defense and special teams. At quarterback, senior Jon Selfridge (6-0, 175) will take over. He has already some varsity experience playing under center. He’ll also have a familiar returning target, with senior Chris Gotschall (5-9, 170) back as a wide receiver.

A.J. Rosenthal is being tapped for place kicking and punts.

Ben Dzwulski, a 5-9, 160 senior, has worked his way up to starting status, working in at running back and linebacker. He’ll also be the main kick returner.

Glenelg also brought up two sophomores for this year. Shannon Maura, at 5-8, 150, has already worked his way into some starting time, either as a wide receiver or defensive back. Gage Trawick (5-9, 175) is on as a back-up quarterback and defensive back.

The biggest change for the Gladiators is a move from Class 2A to 1A. Glenelg didn’t actually get any smaller, but with a suburban population boom, a lot of previously 1A schools have more students to draw from than Glenelg nowadays.

‘‘The 1A doesn’t mean much to us, because football has a limited number of playoff spots,” Schaffer said.

While the road through the playoffs is now against smaller schools, the road to the playoffs is still the same path—right through Howard County, where Glenelg is still the smallest of the bunch.

‘‘Our schedule is absolutely brutal,” Schaffer said.

The biggest traditional challenge for Glenelg is in week No. 5, when they face Long Reach. The Gladiators are only 1-3 against them in the past four seasons. They also still have to play against River Hill, which has beaten them twice in the past four years, and Mount Hebron, which has split them 2-2 since 2003.

But Glenelg still has Oakland Mills, Centennial, Howard, Hammond and Reservoir on its schedule, a five-team platter that the Gladiators have gone 20-0 against in the past four seasons. All five are counted as bigger schools for playoff considerations, with Class 3A Centennial, Howard and Reservoir giving even more bonus points for wins.

But first, Glenelg has to win those games.