Kyle Schmitt, varsity head football coach of the Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) Cavaliers, has been named the 2022 Ravens High School Coach of the Year. Schmitt is the 25th recipient of the annual award.
For 10 weeks during the 2022 season, the Ravens honored a high school coach who made a significant impact on his student-athletes. On Dec. 24, each winner was in attendance for the Ravens-Falcons game at M&T Bank Stadium for the selection 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 a commemorative framed award.
As the 2022 Ravens High School Coach of the Year, Schmitt received an additional $2,000 donation toward Spalding's football program and is the Ravens nominee for the NFL's 2022 Don Shula High School Football Coach of the Year.
Schmitt led the Cavaliers to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) "A" Conference title this season with a 34-10 victory over the Calvert Hall (Towson, Md.) Cardinals. It marked Spalding's first football championship in the top division of the MIAA.
"When I was hired by Spalding, the program had a really strong foundation," Schmitt stated. "There was pride in the football program, and the school had recently moved up to the 'A' Conference. Our goal was to pick-up where former head coach, Mike Whittles, left off and continue to move forward."
"We wanted to build a program, not just a team," Schmitt added. "To do that, it takes time, but alongside the players, coaches, administrators and parents, we have accomplished that, and we want to keep it going."
Averaging over 36 points per game and holding opponents to 10 points or less in half of their contests, the Cavaliers were dominant in all three phases of the game in 2022.
"In my time at Spalding, I thought this team was the strongest all-around team we have had," Schmitt said. "Our defensive group rebounded from a poor start to the season and became one of the best units in the area. On offense, we responded to the ups and downs of games and finished off opponents. On special teams, our kicker, punter and coverage teams were really good all season long, and our senior leadership carried us through the tough moments you face every year, too."
After a season opening loss, Spalding won 11 consecutive games to finish the year 11-1. Schmitt characterizes his 2022 team with the word 'resilient.'
Taking over the program in 2013, Schmitt has led the Cavaliers for the past 10 seasons. A former starting center at the University of Maryland, Schmitt was a graduate assistant at his alma mater prior to beginning his high school coaching career with the Atholton (Columbia, Md.) Raiders before arriving at Spalding.
In addition to Schmitt's work on the football field, he also serves as a Social Science teacher at the school.
"Spalding is a place you come to and don't ever want to leave because of the people who are here," Schmitt stated. "From the previous administration of president Kathy Mahar and athletic director Jeff Parsons to the current leaders with president Brian Kohler and athletic director Jon Mellinger, it's a special place. And I have been fortunate to come to a program with a great foundation that was built by former head coach, Mike Whittles."
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), Tim Palmer of Harford Tech (2017), Butch Schaffer of Glenelg (2018), Justin Payne of Parkville (2019), Emanuel Glover of Reginald F. Lewis (2020) and Lawrence Smith (2021).
2022 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients:
| Week | Recipient | School |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Messay Hailemariam | St. Frances Academy |
| Week 2 | Chris Bassler | Westminster High School |
| Week 3 | Todd Sommerville | Crofton High School |
| Week 4 | Keith Rawlings | Edgewood High School |
| Week 5 | Larry Hurd, Jr. | Walter Johnson High School |
| Week 6 | Eric Woodson | Atholton High School |
| Week 7 | Darrell Alt | Green Street Academy |
| Week 8 | Eric Siegel | Bel Air High School |
| Week 9 | John Walter | Hereford High School |
| Week 10 | Kyle Schmitt | Archbishop Spalding High School |
