Published on: Friday, September 03, 2010

The high school football season is finally here. Hip-hip hooray, hip-hip hooray. Did you see Good Counsel beat St. Xavier on national television the other day?

The Falcons not only beat one of Ohio’s top high school football programs, but also they manhandled the Bombers. Let’s just say the Bombers got bombed on their home turf no less.

Who says Maryland can’t play high school football on the national level? Good Counsel’s win over St. X spoke volumes and perhaps quieted the critics who say Maryland can’t compete with elite teams from states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“I think it was a huge statement for Maryland,” said Good Counsel senior Vincent Croce, about the state’s high school football programs. Croce has verbally committed to the University of Virginia.

The Falcons face one of their toughest schedules in recent memory — in fact, Coach Bob Milloy said it’s the hardest schedule the school has ever had.

Good Counsel travels to Towson University this weekend to compete in the inaugural I-95 Kickoff Classic against a Gilman team that boasts a talented Division I prospect in senior quarterback Darius Jennings.

In last weekend’s 41-14 season-opening victory over Spalding, Jennings scored five touchdowns and rushed for 180 yards. Two of his touchdowns were kick returns of 90 yards and 87 yards. He also scored on runs of one yard, 39 yards and 56 yards.

Fans will certainly get their money’s worth watching Jennings and Good Counsel junior Stefon Diggs take turns making highlight reel plays throughout the game.

The county public school schedule kicks off this weekend with a handful of intriguing matchups including Clarksburg at Seneca Valley and Gaithersburg hosting Churchill.

Who will ever forget last year’s Clarksburg versus Seneca Valley game?

It was a nail-biter as the Coyotes rallied from an 8-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to earn a 15-8 victory over the Screaming Eagles in the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between the two schools.

You can bet that Seneca Valley hasn’t forgotten about last year’s game and will be seeking to exact some revenge on the team’s neighborhood rival.

This year’s game will be played in Germantown with an overflow crowd on hand to watch the Coyotes and Screaming Eagles battle for local bragging rights.

Meanwhile, Gaithersburg plays host to Churchill in a key early season matchup between 4A title contenders.

Both teams return talented players on offense and defense. The Trojans could have the county’s most potent aerial attack with quarterback Zach Fetters and wide receivers Sylvester Oni and Kris Westphall among his top targets.

Meanwhile, Churchill looks to rebound from a disappointing 7-3 finish after last year’s surprising 7-0 start. The Bulldogs boast a backfield that includes quarterback Kyle Shilling, along with running back Curtis Kamara and slot back Marcus Brown. You might also want to keep a close eye on sophomore wide receiver Dominique Williams, who figures to be among the team’s top offensive weapons.