RAVENS RISE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN
Each week during the 2018 regular season, the Baltimore Ravens will recognize one local high school football game as its Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown.
In conjunction with the Baltimore Sun, a voting poll will be established each week to help select a game that will receive a visit from Ravens Cheerleaders and Poe, have the stadium outfitted in Ravens banners and flags and obtain Ravens giveaways for fans in attendance. Additionally, a $1,500 donation will be awarded to each participating school's respective athletic program, and following the matchup, each Showdown will be highlighted with a detailed game recap and photo gallery. Student-athletes will also receive t-shirts to commemorate their participation in the game.
This week's Showdown takes place Friday (10/19) and features the Annapolis Panthers at North County (Glen Burnie, Md.) Knights. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The Panthers currently hold a three-game winning streak over North County and most recently defeated the Knights, 56-37, in 2017.
Voting is now open for next weekend's Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown and will close Tuesday (10/23). The games available for Week 9 are:
- Winters Mill @ Century (10/26 @ 7 p.m.)
- Francis Scott Key @ Liberty (10/26 @ 7 p.m.)
- Manchester Valley @ South Carroll (10/26 @ 7 p.m.)
To vote, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/Showdown.
RAVENS HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE WEEK
Larry Luthe, varsity head football coach of the Liberty Lions (Eldersburg, Md.), has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 22nd year of existence, Luthe is the seventh recipient of the award in 2018.
Last Friday, Liberty (7-0) defeated the Westminster Owls, 28-20, to remain undefeated and avenge last season's 43-7 loss to their Carroll County foe. Racing to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, the visiting Lions took a 28-10 advantage into halftime. Westminster chipped away at the Liberty lead in the second half, but Lions junior CB Michael Spitz secured the victory with a key interception with less than one minute to play.
"We have a really close team this year," Luthe stated. "They enjoy being around each other, they play for each other and their chemistry has helped us get out of some tight spots so far this season. When Westminster's starting quarterback went out with an injury in the second half, they changed from a passing attack to more of a rushing offense. Our defensive coordinator, Will Bristol, quickly came up with a great plan and our kids executed it well to get the win."
Liberty visits the Manchester Valley Mavericks (Manchester, Md.) tonight (10/18) with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. The Lions have not lost to the Mavericks in Luthe's four years in charge of the Liberty program.
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-Buccaneers game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 16 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.
