Press Release: Ravens Name 2018 High School Coach of the Year

Glenelg's Butch Schaffer Named 2018 Ravens High School Coach of the Year

Butch Schaffer, varsity head football coach of the Glenelg Gladiators, has been named the 2018 Ravens High School Coach of the Year. Schaffer is the 22nd recipient of the annual award.

After finishing the season with a 13-1 record, Schaffer led the Gladiators to the most single-season victories in program history and the school's first-ever trip to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Class 2A state championship game.

Glenelg advanced to the MPSSAA semifinals for the third time in four seasons and defeated the New Town Titans 35-0 in the "Final Four." The Gladiator defense notched its eighth shutout of the season, securing the school's first trip to the state title game in its 60-year history.

"The senior leadership we had on this team was absolutely tremendous this year," Schaffer stated. "From the start, the kids bonded extremely well together, worked for each other and that all came together to get us to the championship game."

In his 13th year at the helm of the Gladiators, Schaffer led his undefeated squad into the championship contest against the Oakdale Bears. Racing to an early 7-0 first quarter lead, senior RB Wande Owens provided a 10-yard rushing touchdown to open the scoring for Glenelg. The Gladiators carried a 7-6 advantage into the second quarter, but Oakdale took a 13-7 lead before halftime. The Bears would not relinquish their advantage, ultimately defeating the Howard County school, 35-7.

"The team we had this year was a really special group of kids," Schaffer proclaimed. "I am unbelievably proud of the hard work, dedication and commitment they put in on the field, in the classroom and in the community."

The 2018 campaign also marked Schaffer's last as Glenelg's head coach. The long-tenured coach will continue to teach at the school but plans to devote additional time to his family and high school-aged children in the absence of his football duties.

"I've been extremely fortunate to work at a place that values athletics and has fantastic kids, parents and community support," Schaffer said. "I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity to have led the Glenelg football program the last 13 years, and to work with not only great football players, but even better people throughout my tenure."

Wande Owens (Senior RB/DB) – "Coach Schaffer is a tremendous leader who keeps us on the right track and helps us see the opportunities we have both individually and collectively as a team."

Michael Doughty (Senior FB/LB) – "All my older brothers played for Coach Schaffer, and as long as I can remember, coach has embodied everything Glenelg stands for. He has built the culture for Gladiator football moving forward."

Sam Alsheimer (Senior FB/LB) – "Coach Schaffer truly cares about every person on our team. When I got hurt last year, he was always checking up on me and making sure I was alright. He does that for every single player that gets hurt in the program, and that really means something to us."

Eric Gruber (Senior WR/DB) – "He really leads this program by example. Seeing how Coach Schaffer balances coaching, teaching and managing his family has been a great life lesson for me."

Each week during the season, the Ravens honored a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his student-athletes. Each winner was in attendance for the Ravens-Buccaneers game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 16 for the naming of the Ravens High School Coach of the Year. In addition, each coach received a $2,000 donation to his school's football program and an award from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

As the 2018 Ravens High School Coach of the Year, Schaffer received an additional $2,000 donation toward Glenelg's football program, and a trip to attend the Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla. as the Baltimore Ravens nominee for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year award.

The Ravens High School Coach of the Year Award has been a fixture in youth athletics since 1997. Previous recipients include: Augie Waibel of Poly (1997), Nick Arminio of Eastern Technical (1998), Pete Pompey of Edmondson-Westside (1999), Dominic Damico of McDonogh (2000), Steve Turnbaugh of Hereford (2001), Dave Eubank of Dundalk (2002), Gene Brown of South Carroll (2003), Ben Eaton of Dunbar (2004), Brad Wilson of Westminster (2005), Dante Jones of Edmondson-Westside (2006), Lawrence Smith of Dunbar (2007), Tony Shermeyer of Century (2008), Rick Conner of Linganore (2009), Damon Bomar of Forest Park (2010), Roger Wrenn of Poly (2011), Reggie White of Milford Mill (2012), Elwood Townsend of Douglass (2013), Thomas Browne of Oakland Mills (2014), Sean Sandora of Dundalk (2015), Joe Polce of Walkersville (2016) and Tim Palmer of Harford Tech (2017).