Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown & Coach of the Week

RAVENS RISE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN & COACH OF THE WEEK

During each week of the 2017 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 features the Broadneck (Annapolis, Md.) Bruins (5-0) at the Old Mill (Millersville, Md.) Patriots (4-1). Kickoff is scheduled for Friday evening (10/6) at 6:30 p.m. After squaring off twice in 2016, Old Mill was victorious in the regular season contest (34-10), while the Bruins found revenge in the postseason by edging their Anne Arundel County foe, 20-17.

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 attendance. Additionally, a $1,000 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. Bonus prizes will also be awarded for games that reach a significant total in the voting poll.

Voting is now open for next weekend's Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown and will close Tuesday (10/10). The games available for Week 7 are:

• Southwestern @ Lake Clifton (10/13 @ 3:45 p.m.)
• Reginald Lewis @ Forest Park (10/13 @ 3:45 p.m.)
• City College @ Mervo (10/13 @ 6:00 p.m.)

To vote, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/Showdown.

Brian Van Deusen, varsity head football coach of the River Hill (Clarksville, Md.) Hawks, has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 21st year of existence, Van Deusen is the fifth recipient of the award in 2017. This marks his second time being honored after also earning Coach of the Week in 2009.

Last Thursday, River Hill hosted the Long Reach (Columbia, Md.) Lightning in a matchup of undefeated Howard County foes. After rushing for more than 300 yards, forcing three interceptions and tallying six sacks, the Hawks kept their perfect record intact (4-0) with a 42-6 victory. River Hill jumped to an early 21-0 lead and did not allow a score until midway through the third quarter, and added an additional 21 points to close the game.

"It all starts with our 21 seniors. Those guys did an outstanding job this offseason and have led the way during the season for us too," Van Deusen explained. "Long Reach is a good team – especially on the offensive and defensive lines – but our guys were up to the challenge last week. We ran the ball well and made enough big plays on both sides of the ball to come up with the victory."

River Hill hosts Mt. Hebron this Friday (10/6) at 7 p.m. as the Hawks eye another victory over the Vikings following their 2016 win (42-7).

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-Colts game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 23 for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year.

These initiatives are just a piece of Ravens RISE, the team's football outreach program 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 go to www.BaltimoreRavens.com/RISE.

2017 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients: