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And he has something new planned for each year toward getting there. In 2006, he hosted Rockville’s first-ever youth camp, which more than doubled in size in 2007. And this season, he and Rockville Football League president Eric Heckman spearheaded a middle-school-league team drawing solely from Rockville High’s cluster.

The RFL’s Fighting Rams comprises boys grades 6-8, primarily from Rockville’s main feeder school, Wood Middle School. It’s basically a Rockville High team for middle-schoolers, it follows Maradei’s varsity training regimen and adheres to his playbook, so by the time the athletes are ready for high-school ball, they’re familiar with the varsity’s terminology and expectations.

It’s something Damascus (Damascus Sports Association) has done through the years. And it’s reaped the benefits — Damascus is 100-20 the last 10 years with 17 playoff appearances all-time .

‘‘Your program starts from the ground up and, in my eye, that starts with a feeder team,” Maradei said. ‘‘You look at how the successful teams are built, and this is it. If you have to teach the kids from scratch, it really puts you behind. To me it’s not so much about being 10-0 and winning the league championship, it’s about getting a finely tuned group that’s learned the ins and outs of Rockville High football. They go from the Fighting Rams, to junior varsity, to varsity. And when I say, jump into a spread formation, they know exactly what I mean.”

The RFL had two middle-school teams this year, the Fighting Rams and the Chargers, made up from athletes throughout the county. Both played in a Northern Virginia league — the Chargers had played in the Beltway League the last two years but with most games now contested in Prince George’s County and D.C areas., opted for another league.

Next year, however, the Chargers will disband and, if all goes accordingly, the Fighting Rams will be joined by at least five other middle-school feeder teams in a six-team Montgomery County league.

RFL encompasses the Wootton, Richard Montgomery, Churchill, Walter Johnson, Rockville and Magruder clusters. Wootton coach Greg Malling and Richard Montgomery coach Steve Forsythe are pretty much on board for next year’s league and Heckman hopes to get the nod from Churchill, Walter Johnson and Magruder as well.

What makes Damascus consistently strong is it always has someone waiting in the wings. After Matt Reidy rushed for 1,728 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2003, Steven Anderson rushed for 1,391 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2005, and now Evan Zedler is amid his second 1,000-yard season. The RFL’s middle-school league will help cultivate that effect in its six regions, aiming to ultimately raise the football bar in Montgomery County.

Rockville High’s contact with the Fighting Rams extends far beyond plays and practice drills. The Rams attended Fighting Rams’ practices and games often. The Fighting Rams got into Friday night home games for free. And they were invited to the Rams’ cookout following two-a-days practices in August.

It’s that type of involvement, at a grass roots level, that draws the community in. And it’s a cycle that could breed success. Just as Maradei planned.

‘‘In isolated communities like Damascus and Poolesville, coming out and performing under the lights on Friday night is a huge deal,” Maradei said. ‘‘And we aspire to be like that. That’s what we’re pushing for.”