Oct. 3, 2019
For Immediate Release
RAVENS RISE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN
For five weeks during the 2019 regular season, the Baltimore Ravens will recognize one local high school football game as their Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown.
At each contest, a current or former Ravens player will be in attendance for a pre-game visit with each team, to help administer the opening coin toss and then to mingle with fans around the stadium. Ravens Cheerleaders and Poe will also attend, and both teams will be awarded apparel to wear during the game. Each participating school will receive a monetary donation from the Ravens, with the home team earning $1,500 and the visiting team $750 to help enhance their respective programs.
The Ravens will also bring elements of their iconic pre-game introductions from M&T Bank Stadium to the high school for student-athletes to run through the glowing red Ravens' eyes, a billowing smoke curtain and pyrotechnics. Following the matchup, each Showdown will be highlighted with a detailed game recap and photo gallery by The Baltimore Sun.
This Week's Showdown
The fourth of five Showdown's takes place Friday (10/4) and features the Oakdale (Ijamsville, Md.) Bears at the Elkton Golden Elks. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest will be a rematch of the 2018 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class "2A" state semifinal game, which was won by Oakdale, 38-0. The Golden Elks enter this year's game 4-0, while the visiting Bears currently stand at 3-1 on the season.
*What: *Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown (fourth of five)
Who: Current or Former Ravens Player, Cheerleaders and Poe
Where: Elkton High School
110 James Street
Elkton, MD 21921
When: Oakdale Bears vs. Elkton Golden Elks
Friday, Oct. 4, 2019
Kickoff at 7 p.m.
Note: The Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown winners were selected based on voting polls conducted through The Baltimore Sun and Twitter, which ran Aug. 14 – Sept. 6. Eighty (80) Maryland high schools were included in the voting process and placed into one of five 16-team brackets based on the school's geographic location. The winner of each bracket was awarded a Showdown for the season.
Marcus Lewis, varsity head football coach of the Marriotts Ridge (Marriottsville, Md.) Mustangs, has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 23rd year of existence, Lewis is the fourth recipient of the award in 2019.
Last Friday, the Mustangs (3-1) hosted the River Hill (Clarksville, Md.) Hawks, and secured their first victory over the Howard County school in program history, 15-14.
Trailing 7-0 with less than two minutes remaining in the contest, the Marriotts Ridge defense forced a turnover deep in River Hill territory. The Mustangs offense took advantage of the field position to even the score when sophomore QB Casey Pung found senior WR Jaylin Moore for a 5-yard touchdown toss to force overtime.
The Hawks tallied the first points in extra time to take a 14-7 lead, but Marriotts Ridge was able to answer on their possession with a touchdown run from 10 yards out by Moore. Eschewing the extra point attempt in favor of a two-point conversion, Lewis' play call got the ball back into the hands of Moore, and his senior playmaker answered the call by hauling in the game-winning pass from Pung for a thrilling victory.
"This win is a big morale and confidence booster for the kids," Lewis stated. "In the end though, it's just one game, and hopefully we're able to use this as a springboard for the rest of the season."
Marriotts Ridge visits the Reservoir (Fulton, Md.) Gators this Friday (10/4), with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. The Mustangs defeated their conference foe in the last meeting between the schools two seasons ago, 28-13.
Each week during the season, the Ravens honor a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his student-athletes. All 10 Coach of the Week winners receive a $2,000 donation to their school's football program and an award from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. In addition, each coach will attend the Ravens-Jets game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 12 for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year.
These initiatives are just one piece of Ravens RISE, the team's football outreach program presented by MedStar Sports Medicine. Ravens RISE impacts a range of area football players from youth to high school, providing them with a year-round opportunity to "Play Like A Raven" through clinics, tournaments, grants, ticket donations and exclusive opportunities to play at M&T Bank Stadium and interact with Ravens players and coaches.
To learn more, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/RISE.
2019 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients:
Week 1
Marquise O'Neal
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Week 2
Chad McCormick
Old Mill High School
Week 3
Anthony Zehyoue
Loyola Blakefield
Week 4
Marcus Lewis
Marriotts Ridge High School
