By: Gabe Kamins, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Unfortunately, the River Hill varsity football team didn’t play this week. That’s because a reported positive COVID-19 test from a Long Reach player knocked out Atholton, who scrimmaged Long Reach the week prior and was scheduled to face the Hawks this Friday, for two weeks. But there were still football games taking place in the county this week, and River Hill players and coaches were taking advantage of the newly added live streams of games to scout future opponents, as well as following along with live scoring updates online. Some coaches and players were even able to scout their opponents at the games, whether they were outside the fence or were able to get tickets. The three games this week saw Hammond hosting Wilde Lake in a matchup of two teams with high aspirations for this year, Howard battling Reservoir in a rematch of last season’s 21-16 victory for the Lions, and a developing rivalry in Howard County between Centennial and Mt. Hebron.
Hammond entered the spring season with a lot of hype, and for good reason. They return very talented players on both sides of the ball, and their passing game is up there with the county’s elite. But Wilde Lake once again played spoiler, something that River Hill fans are all too familiar with. After an early Hammond touchdown to make it 6-0 Golden Bears, the Wildecats responded with three straight field goals from kicker Grant Gladden, including the game-winner with three seconds left. River Hill wide receiver and defensive back Christian Myers, who attended the game, noted that there were a ton of fumbles and there was a very “aggressive” style of play going on. One glance at the box score will confirm this, as the teams combined for 13 fumbles, 10 punts, and nine turnovers, according to Baltimore Sun reporter Jacob Calvin Meyer. River Hill will travel to Wilde Lake next week, and it’s safe to say that ball security will be key in that one.
With both teams coming off of disappointing 2019 seasons, the week one matchup between Howard and Reservoir was very important. The old saying that “big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games” proved true, as Curtis Eley started off the scoring with a 68-yard reception from Kyle Colbert to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. Howard would later add 10 more points and stifle the Gators’ offense, resulting in an impressive 17-0 victory. This win should give a Lions team that rarely tasted victory last season a lot of confidence.
Neither Centennial nor Mt. Hebron have seen too much success on the gridiron these last few years, which is why whenever they match up, both teams know that they have a real shot at victory. This year, the Vikings scraped by with a 14-12 victory, avenging their defeat from last season. A competitive week one game should hopefully give both teams confidence for next week, and they will need it. Centennial travels to Marriotts Ridge, while Mt. Hebron heads to Oakland Mills. Both Marriotts Ridge and Oakland Mills return a lot of talent and are fresh after not playing this week.