Time To Break Out The Calculators

By Sheldon Shealer

As the season enters Week 7, it's time to give an official visit to the MPSSAA points standings.

Although the MPSSAA standings are updated weekly starting with Week 1, seldom does it merit a look until after the midway point.

So here's who's hot and who's not, class-by-class:

Class 4A

Looking Good: Eleanor Roosevelt, Sherwood, Gaithersburg, Broadneck, Lake Clifton

In Position: Parkdale, Suitland, Old Mill.

Notes: Roosevelt has already played and defeated Suitland, and the Raiders' next three opponents have combined for only nine wins. Roosevelt does play undefeated Parkdale in the season finale, a game that could decide the South region title. The Sherwood/Gaithersburg winner will be in the driver's seat of the West region title. Patterson's surprising loss to City College last week leaves Lake Clifton clearly ahead in the North race. Broadneck's victory over Old Mill puts the Bruins ahead in the East region. However, Broadneck still must face Annapolis. Mervo, Patterson, Bowie, Old Mill and Northwestern-PG are in the running for at-large playoff positions. Severna Park and Watkins Mill, playoff teams a year ago, are just about eliminated.

Class 3A

Looking Good: Randallstown, Damascus, Paint Branch, Douglass-PG, Calvert

In Position: Chopticon, Eastern Tech, Annapolis, Wilde Lake, McDonough

Notes: Damascus has the toughest road among the top teams, having to face Seneca Valley this week and Paint Branch next week. A pair of Hornets wins would likely vault the West region team to No. 1 in Class 3A the playoff race. Randallstown closes out regular-season play against rivals Milford Mill and Woodlawn. Four straight wins would secure the North region title. Douglass-PG, although not high in the points standings, does find itself in good position as the East region leader. Calvert holds the edge in the South region, yet has a game upcoming against McDonough. Chopticon and McDonough are positioned to overtake Calvert in the South, if Calvert falters. Annapolis could vault over Douglass-PG for the East region title in a race that should come down to bonus points. Wilde Lake is looking at an at-large playoff berth if the Wildecats finish out 9-1. Seneca Valley is currently 16th and Friendly is 18th. The two schools must win out and get some help to make playoff appearances in 2000. Seneca Valley and Friendly have combined for the last three Class 3A state titles.

Class 2A

Looking Good: Urbana, Edmondson, Hereford

In Position: Fort Hill, Joppatowne, Francis Scott Key, Queen Anne's

Notes: Edmondson has squeaked out a couple of victories, but as long as the Redskins keep winning it might be impossible for Urbana to catch up. Last year, Urbana took advantage of a nine-game schedule and an undefeated record to snag the No. 1 spot. Edmondson could do the same this year. Hereford is clearly the class of the Baltimore County 2A/1A League, and another undefeated showing is very likely. Queen Anne's is riding high and another East title appears possible. The high number of possible undefeated teams from the West and North regions appears to be an issue in this year's race. The West could have three undefeated teams, while the North and East could have two each. Factor in 9-1 teams playing in 3A leagues, and it might get dicy for the No. 8 spot. Currently, Gwynn Park leads the South region, yet is not among the Top 8. If the playoffs started this week, Gwynn Park would have been grant ed a playoff spot as a region champ, bumping an at-large team that held the No. 8 position (which is currently undefeated Queen Anne's). Class 2A continues to be the state's most impressive playoff race with 17 teams at 4-2 or better.

Class 1A

Looking Good: Elkton, Cambridge-S.D. and Forestville

In Position: Northern Garrett, Oakland Mills

Notes: Elkton, Cambridge-S.D. and Forestville. Sound familiar? All three reached the state semifinals last year, and they could be heading there again. Elkton is though the most demanding part of its schedule, and C-SD has to face Queen Anne's. Oakland Mills might not be able to catch Forestville for the South region title, but even an 8-2 record should result in a solid playoff spot for the Scorpions. The South region has produced the last two state final contests -- Oakland Mills beating Forestville in 1998 and Forestville over Brunswick in 1999. Speaking of Brunswick, the Railroaders are no longer in contention for a playoff spot, but could play spoiler for 2A Francis Scott Key.


TOP PERFORMANCES

Mario Merrills, Wilde Lake, Running Back. Merrills rushed for 313 yards and four touchdowns as Wilde Lake remain in first place in the Howard County League with a 28-7 win over Long Reach. Merrills had touchdown runs of 45, 64, 65 and 83 yards.

Erik Williams, Rising Sun, Running Back. Williams, a sophomore, rushed for 313 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries as Rising Sun ripped Wilmington (Del.) Friends, 39-0. Williams had scoring runs of 75, 75, 19, 68 and 20 yards in his school-record setting performance.

IN CASE YOU WHERE WONDERING

Eleanor Roosevelt defeated Suitland 20-16 last week in a showdown of P.G. County 4A League and state Top 5 powers. The win gives the Raiders the inside track on the league title and home field throughout the playoffs. Oddly, however, the regular-season winner of the Prince George's 4A League has not won the 4A state championship since Friendly in 1983. (Side note, at the time, 4A was known as AA.)

STREAK BUSTERS

The following winning or losing streaks ended last week:

For the second straight year, Harford Tech fell victim to Friends School. Friends School's 33-12 victory over its northern rival marked only the second varsity win for the part-time program. Friends School played one varsity game in 1996 and abbreviated schedules every year since. However, last year's win over Harford Tech was the first for the rejuvenated program. This year's win set records for most lopsided victory and most points scored in a game.

AROUND THE STATE (Week 6 Notes)

Mount St. Joseph failed to hold a 16-point third-quarter lead, and fell to Calvert Hall, 34-28, on Saturday. The meeting will likely determine the No. 2 spot in the MIAA A Conference behind Gilman. Gilman soundly defeated Calvert Hall two weeks ago and faces Mount St. Joseph this weekend. ... Archbishop Spalding's game at Cardinal Gibbons scheduled for Saturday was canceled when a player from Spalding was killed in a car accident, CG coach Scott Ripley said. Gibbons has reportedly received a forfeit victory from the contest, but that has not been confirmed by league director Rick Diggs. ... Although Atholton's homecoming is this weekend, it was a homecoming of sorts for the Van Deusens' when the Raiders played River Hill on Saturday. River Hill coach Brian Van Deusen, who took over this season for his father, Don, returned to the field in which they once produced a 6-4 season. Brian was a Small School All-State quarterback as his dad coached at Atholton in the early 1990s. When River Hill opened, Don moved to the Howard County magnet school, and his son soon followed after completing college. ... Catonsville has scored 41 or more points in the three games since getting held to six points in a loss to Hereford. The Comets' latest victim was Franklin, 42-22. ... Francis Scott Key is 6-0 and a school-record eight-win season is within reach. ... Elkton allowed 21 points in a 26-21 win over Caravel Academy (Del.). The 21 points matches the points allowed in the previous five games by the Golden Elks. ... Fort Hill has not allowed more than seven points in a game since its season-opening, 43-22 win over Hammond. ... Gaithersburg, Georgetown Prep and Gilman follow each other in an alphabetical listing of Maryland football programs. The three have combined for an 18-0 record this season. ... Joppatowne is in the running for the top turnaround performance of the year. The Mariners, like FSK, had four wins in 1999 and are 6-0 this year. ... Hereford has scored a state-best 291 points this season.

LOOKING AHEAD

Gaithersburg at Sherwood, Friday, 6:30 p.m. As usual, the Montgomery County 4A League title will rest in the outcome of this rivalry contest. Either Sherwood or Gaithersburg has won every league title -- minus years Seneca Valley was 4A -- going back to the early 1990s. Both teams enter with 6-0 records.

Seneca Valley at Damascus, Friday, 6:30 p.m. Seneca Valley (4-2) is the defending Class 3A state champion and faces a must-win situation the rest of the season in order to make the playoffs. Damascus is 6-0 and leads the Montgomery County 3A League race. These teams have been bitter northern Montgomery County rivals since Seneca Valley first opened its doors in the early 1970s.

Wilde Lake at Oakland Mills, Saturday, 2 p.m. Wilde Lake and Oakland Mills, both winners of five straight since season-opening, non-league losses, square off in the contest that will likely decide the Howard County champion. Wilde Lake, a 3A school, is more in need of the points that will go with a victory. However, Oakland Mills could set itself on a home field path with a victory over the Wildecats.