Catoctin earns rematch against Pikesville
Cougars put undefeated mark on the line against Panthers
For 11 straight weeks, it has been the same song for the Catoctin High football team. Hit hard, run fast, block, tackle, and dominate. The Cougars hope to play the same tune on Friday at 7 p.m. when they host Baltimore County's Pikesville in the Class 1A North Region final.
Last week, the Cougars pounded New Town of Owings Mills, 56-0 in the region semifinal.
"You're always concerned with teenagers with overconfidence, especially when you have been as fortunate as we have been, said Catoctin head coach Doug Williams.
"But we have some very uncommon kids here at Catoctin. They are very focused when it comes to Friday night. They aren't going to take anyone for granted when it is time to play. I think this game is going to be a good one."
The Cougars (11-0) meet the Panthers in a rematch of last season's region championship matchup. While Williams says Pikesville has plenty of speed, he is also impressed with his own team's athletic ability this season as well.
"They [Pikesville] still have speed, but we've got speed too, and I'm not used to saying that about our team," said Williams.
"We've got [offensive] weapons all around, like Paul Barbour, Dylan May, but we share the load. And our defense has been our flagship all season. I know it's cliché, but it's not just one person with our team."
As a team, Catoctin rushed for over 300 yards, as Barbour scored three touchdowns in and gained 85 yards, while May completed seven out of nine passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Nick Nowaczyk caught a touchdown and returned a punt for a score as well.
The Panthers are the have won eight straight games defeating their opponents during that stretch by an average score of 29-12. Last week, they disposed of Baltimore County rival Sparrows Point in the region semifinal, 42-20. It was the second straight week they defeated the Pointers after edging them 35-28 for the county title in the regular season finale.
Senior kick returner-safety DeVaughn Gilmore is a serious threat in all three phases of the game for Pikesville, and senior quarterback Jeremy Downing has been a clutch player this season, as his 10 for 12 191-yard passing performance in the county championship game attests to. Head coach Jaime Willis is in his second season with the school, having directed them to two out of their three playoff appearances in school history.