Published on: Thursday, August 12, 2010

By Brandy L. Simms

The start of a brand new football season is upon us, and the diehards — including yours truly — are chomping at the bit.

Can Good Counsel retain its elite status and repeat as champion of the WCAC?

The nationally ranked Falcons boast perhaps the most talented roster in the state and welcome the return of numerous key players including Virginia recruit and defensive lineman Vince Croce, quarterback Zach Dancel, tailback Wes Brown, defensive back Blake Countess and kick returner Stefon Diggs.

However, the Falcons face a murderous schedule that could put them in an 0-3 hole before league play even begins.

Good Counsel opens the season Aug. 29 with a nationally televised game on ESPN against St. Xavier in Cincinnati. It’s a home game for St. Xavier, so the Falcons will be playing in a hostile environment in front of a sold-out stadium, not to mention a national television audience.

The Falcons travel to Towson on Sept. 4 to compete against Baltimore powerhouse Gilman in the I-95 Kickoff Classic before hosting State College (PA) at Kline Stadium on Sept. 17.

Good Counsel has four straight home games against league opponents O’Connell, McNamara, DeMatha and Paul VI before going on the road to face St. John’s, Gonzaga and Carroll.

The Falcons are the odds on favorite to capture back-to-back league titles, but DeMatha is still a title contender. However, don’t sleep on Gonzaga, who will break in new head coach Aaron Brady (formerly of Bullis). The Purple Eagles also boast gun-slinging quarterback Kevin Hogan, who recently gave a verbal commitment to Stanford.

Bullis enters the season with new head coach Pat Cilento eager to turn around a football program that has struggled in recent years. The Bulldogs have won only seven games over the past four seasons, so Cilento and his staff certainly have their work cut out for them.

Also on the private school front, Jerry Sarchet, the head coach of Avalon enters the season stepping up to a stronger conference which includes Sidwell Friends, and hopes to  improve upon last year’s 3-7 record.

On the public school front, Damascus returns a talented cast of characters, including quarterback Connor Frazier and wide receiver/defensive back Brandon Phelps, who verbally committed to Virginia earlier this summer.

Sherwood’s first-year head coach Marc Thomas will welcome the return of standouts Jamal Merritt, Alex Cole and A.J. Pignone. As juniors, the talented trio helped lead the Warriors to a 10-3 mark, including a state semifinal berth. This group has even higher expectations this season.

“This is a big year for us,” Merritt said. “We’re all excited for this upcoming season.”

The Warriors seek to capture the school’s second state title in three years. However, they will have to do so without speedster Cyrus Britt, who has transferred to Seneca Valley.

“I honestly think we can reach the state championship game or go deep into the playoffs,” Merritt said.

There are a handful of county teams that realistically have a shot to win a state championship this year, including Whitman. The Vikings boast one of the county’s top passing tandems in quarterback Henry Kuhn and wide receiver Michael Flack. The dynamic duo should provide fans with plenty to cheer about this season.