During each week of the 2016 regular season, the Baltimore Ravens will recognize one local high school football game as its Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown.
This week's Showdown will feature the North Harford (Pylesville, Md.) Hawks (4-1) at the Havre de Grace Warriors (4-1). Kickoff is scheduled for Friday (10/7) at 7:00 p.m. The Hawks enter the contest on a four-game winning streak, while the Warriors hope to repeat last year's 21-19 victory over their Harford County foe.
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 mascot Poe, have the stadium outfitted in Ravens banners and flags and obtain Ravens giveaways for fans in the stands. Additionally, a $1,000 donation will be awarded to each participating school's respective athletic program. Following the matchup, each Showdown will be highlighted with a detailed game recap and photo gallery.
Voting is now open for next week's Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown and will close Tuesday (10/11). The games available for Week 6 are:
- Middletown at Catoctin (10/14 @ 7:00 p.m.)
- Boonsboro at North Hagerstown (10/14 @ 7:00 p.m.)
- Brunswick at Smithsburg (10/15 @ 2:00 p.m.)
To vote, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/RavensRISEShowdown.
Kyle Schmitt, varsity head football coach of the Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.) Cavaliers, has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 20th year of existence, Schmitt is the fifth recipient of the award in 2016. He has also been recognized as the Coach of the Week on three previous occasions (2009, 2010 and 2012) when he led the Atholton (Columbia, Md.) Raiders program.
Last Friday, Spalding (4-1) opened conference play in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) with a decisive 63-24 victory over the Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.) Dons. Leading 28-24 early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers rattled off 35 unanswered points to earn their sixth win over Loyola in the last seven years.
Senior quarterback Evan Fochtman led the way for Spalding, throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Fochtman was just as effective on the ground, adding 149 rushing yards and two additional scores. Defensively, sophomore cornerback Brevin Easton secured two interceptions, while junior defensive end Chris Ford recorded four sacks to stifle a Loyola offense that had scored 40-plus points in each of their three games leading up to the showdown with the Cavaliers.
"We were able to rip off some explosive plays in the fourth quarter," Schmitt explained. "The interception by Brevin [Easton] was a huge turning point in the game, and we were able to score quickly afterwards. With our senior quarterback and more playmakers on both sides of the ball, we have the ability to score from anywhere on offense, and our ability to create turnovers defensively has been game changing for us."
Spalding hosts Calvert Hall (4-2) this Friday (10/7) and looks to build off of last year's 42-7 victory over the Towson school.
Each week during the season, the Ravens honor a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his student-athletes. Each winner will be in attendance for the Ravens vs. Eagles game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 18 for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year. In addition, each coach receives a $2,000 donation to the school's football program and an award from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
These initiatives are just a piece of Ravens RISE, the team's football outreach initiative presented by Wendy's. The program 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 about Ravens RISE, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/RISE.
2016 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients:
|
Week 1 |
Carlos Dunmoodie |
Centennial High School |
|
Week 2 |
Matt Miller |
Winters Mill High School |
|
Week 3 |
Ray Wright |
Randallstown High School |
|
Week 4 |
Justin Payne |
Parkville High School |
|
Week 5 |
Kyle Schmitt |
Archbishop Spalding High School |
