That's No Mistake -- McDonogh AND McDonough Are Ranked

By Sheldon Shealer

Their names are often mistaken, and the schools sometimes receive each other's mail.

But for most of the 1990s, there was no confusing McDonogh of Owings Mills and McDonough of Pomfret on the football field. At least, until today. McDonough surprised Westlake, 26-20, last week and earned the No. 20 spot in this week's Associated Press Top 20. It marks the first time that McDonogh and McDonough -- both 4-0 -- have been ranked at the same time.

McDonogh is a private school located just north of Baltimore. McDonough is a public school located in Charles County, in southern Maryland.

Oddly, both programs have experienced quite a bit of success over the last 15 years, but never at the same time.

McDonough won Class 3A state titles in 1983, 1985 and 1990, and lost in the state final in 1991. McDonogh boosted a state-record setting quarterback in the early 1990s, once strung together 14 straight victories and is 36-6 over the past five seasons.

McDonough was ranked in 1990, 1991 and 1992, reaching No. 2 for five weeks during the 1991 season before losing in the state final to Linganore.

McDonogh was ranked in 1993, 1994 and 1999, climbing as high as No. 3 to start the 1994 season. The Eagles failed to finish in the Top 20 that year.

McDonogh entered this year's Top 20 after a convincing victory over then state-ranked Mount St. Joseph in Week 2. For McDonogh, this week's No. 20 ranking is its first since being No. 10 after Week 6 of 1992. The Rams lost the following week and fell out of the poll, a streak that ended today, almost eight years to the week.


TOP PERFORMANCES

Mike Pfisterer, North County, Quarterback. Pfisterer completed 21-of-40 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns in the Knights' 41-35 loss to Broadneck. Pfisterer also rushed for two TDs. The third-year starting quarterback rates fourth all-time in passing TDs (53) and fifth in yardage (5,374).

Nick Carrington, McDonough, Running Back/Defensive Back. Carrington rushed for 115 yards, but his defensive effort is what made the difference as McDonough upset Westlake, 26-20. Carrington had a pair of interceptions, returning one 55 yards for a TD. He also finished with 11 tackles as the Rams defeated the Wolverines for the first time ever.

Matt Swanke, Lansdowne, Running Back. Swanke rushed for 212 yards and a touchdown as surprising Lansdowne (4-0) edged Western Tech, 14-13. Swanke has rushed for just under 700 yards this season.

IN CASE YOU WHERE WONDERING

Eighteen of the A.P. Top 20 teams won last week. One team had the week off, and only one suffered a defeat. The loss by Westlake allowed McDonough to enter the poll, but the other 19 teams stayed in the rankings. Since expanding to a Top 20 in 1993, there have been only five weeks were all Top 20 teams remained in the poll in consecutive weeks. On 21 other occasions, 19 of the 20 remained in the rankings for consecutive weeks.

STREAK BUSTERS

The following winning or losing streaks ended last week:

Montgomery Blair ended the state's longest active losing streak at 19 with a 16-8 victory over Thomas Wootton. The honor, which has already been passed from Northeast-AA to South Hagerstown to Blair, now belongs to Washington with 18 straight defeats.

AROUND THE STATE (Week 4 Notes)

Unlucky 13, again, for Northwestern-PG. Once again, Northwestern scored 13 points, this time dropping a 26-13 contest to Parkdale. Northwestern has scored 13 points in each of its four games this year, winning twice and losing twice. ... Coaches talk about league parity, yet the Monocacy Valley Athletic League has actually backed up the statement. To date, 15 MVAL contests have been played with seven decided by a touchdown, two decided by two scores and three more games decided by three scores. The only two teams in the 10-team conference have not been involved in a one-TD league contests -- FSK, which won a non-league game by seven points, and Smithsburg, which has not won a league game this year ... Carpe Deim? Not quite, Harford Tech's bid to seize the day and back-to-back wins for the first time since early in the 1998 season failed in a 28-0 loss to St. Andrew's (Del.), which is the school where Dead Poets Society was filmed. ... Looking for offense? Check a Bayside Conference game. Last week, the average score of games played involving the 13 Bayside schools was 33-14 (a number that includes a 12-8 contest). ... Rising Sun shook all the zeroes last week. Until the Tigers' 20-12 victory over Oxford (Pa.) last week, Rising Sun was winless and had not scored a point. ... Rough road ahead? Perhaps so for Bladensburg, which has only scored six points this year. Bladensburg still has to face Central (3-1), Friendly (receiving state poll votes), Douglass-PG (in the state Top 20) and High Point (a quality 4A team). ... Loyola's 13-6 victory over Gonzaga (D.C.) pushed the MIAA's record to 3-0 this year against Washington Catholic Athletic Conference teams. ... Georgetown Prep averaged more than 30 points a game during last year's 7-3 season, and the Little Hoyas appear well on the way of topping that figure this year. Georgetown Prep is averaging 35.0 points per game this year. ... Lake Clifton has allowed only six points this year, matching Gilman for the state's top statistical defense. ... River Hill is turning out to be this year's hard-luck team. The Hawks are 0-4 and have lose three games by seven points or less. ... Westlake's 26-20 loss to McDonough marked the first time that the Wolverines have lost back-to-back regular-season games since the program was started in 1993.

LOOKING AHEAD

Eastern Tech vs. Randallstown at CCBC-Essex, Friday, 7 p.m.: This Baltimore County 4A/3A showdown might determine the league champion. Both teams are 4-0 and are aiming for a Class 3A playoff berth. Randallstown is coached by Anthony Knox, who took over when then head coach Bruce Strunk left Randallstown for Eastern Tech last year.

Sherwood at Watkins Mill, Friday, 6:30 p.m.: The scheduling Gods were not good to Watkins Mill, which is facing its third state-ranked opponent in the past four weeks. Sherwood enters at 4-0. Watkins Mill, a 12-0 loser to No. 12 Gaithersburg last week, is 2-2. The Wolverines, which started the year with a Top 20 state ranking, also lost to Paint Branch.

Urbana at Liberty, Friday, 7 p.m.: Urbana puts its state-best 29-game win streak on the line against a 4-0 Liberty team. The Lions, winners of only five games last year, have won twice this year by less than a touchdown. Urbana, the two-time defending Central Maryland Conference and Class 2A state champions have gotten the running clock on all four of its opponents this year.