“Victory,” Ken Brinkman called. His voice was a bit hoarse by then, but it signaled his offense to kneel out the final seconds of the game. After yelling play calls and substitutions out from the sideline between voice cracks all night, this play call was surely the sweetest.
Brinkman, the first-year head man of Edgewood football but longtime coach elsewhere, was stuck on 100 wins for five years. Stints at North Harford and John Carroll got him to the century mark, but he left the Patriots to join the Edgewood staff half a decade ago. He’s been itching for his 101st victory ever since.
He found it Friday. Brinkman’s Rams topped Bel Air, 36-12, in a commanding season-opening win over the team that eliminated them in the second round of the Class 3A North Region playoffs last year.
“It’s great to be back,” Brinkman said.
Brinkman inherits a high-powered offense that Edgewood hopes can carry it on a deep state tournament run. Michael Robinson’s two touchdowns led the way for the Rams. Kyion Greenwood added a 32-yard rushing score and a kickoff return touchdown. Robinson’s younger brother, Malachi, also found the end zone when he returned an interception for six.
The coach is high energy “even though I’m getting old,” he joked. An offensive coordinator for the last four years, he much prefers being on the sideline than in the coach’s box: “This is where I belong,” he quipped again. And he’s instilling a swagger that he believes will leave a lasting impression on opponents.
“If a team’s better than us, we tip our hat,” Brinkman said. “But if not, they’re gonna know they played Edgewood.”
“He trusts us,” Robinson said. “We wanted to make him proud.”
Robinson, the dynamic quarterback and reigning Aegis Player of the Year, electrified defenses last year and opened his senior season with another dominant performance. On Edgewood’s first play from scrimmage, he eluded a sack and turned a would-be 5-yard loss into a 20-yard pickup. A few plays later, Robinson found Shamari Whitmore for a 57-yard score.
Robinson scored on his own on a quarterback sneak late in the second quarter to put his team ahead by a touchdown. And on the next Bel Air possession, Robinson found himself leaping down the sideline while his brother raced to the goal line.
“This shows that we’re coming. We want that Navy,” the quarterback said, a reference to the site of the state championship game.
Bel Air debuts new-look offense
Michael Moore, a junior with only a couple games of varsity experience, started under center for the Bobcats on Friday. He’s replacing Patrick Sullivan at the position. Bel Air’s offensive identity will adjust to reflect Moore’s abilities, coach Eric Siegel said, which means more emphasis on the running game.
Moore’s first opportunity as the full-time starter was up and down. He showed glimpses, completing some difficult passes and scrambling for a few large pickups. But Bel Air’s aerial attack never got going as Edgewood pulling away forced the Bobcats out of their game plan.
“I thought he played well,” Siegel said. “I think he’d admit he left a couple plays on the field. There’s always things to clean up, but he’s certainly not the only one.”
Moore has juniors Dylan James (running back) and Owen Reilly (left tackle) helping him settle in. Siegel believes the offensive and defensive lines will be the strengths of his team this season, units anchored by Reilly and senior Jonathan Gettle.
“He’s going to have to lean on those guys to make plays,” Siegel said. “We’re going to need those guys.”
With Edgewood leading Bel Air 22-6 at halftime, former Rams and Terps star and current New York Giant Deonte Banks was honored with a framed jersey alongside friends and family.
“I didn’t know I meant that much to this place,” he told The Aegis. “It’s always fun to come back.” pic.twitter.com/x8WSDMvw6J
— Aegis Sports (@AegisSports) September 6, 2025
NFL player comes home
Deonte Banks, a 2019 Edgewood graduate who starred for Maryland before being drafted in the first round by the New York Giants, was in attendance for his alma mater’s home opener Friday. He was honored with a halftime ceremony alongside family at midfield as the school announced it will hang his Giants jersey in the hallway “as an inspiration for young athletes who desire to follow in his footsteps.”
“That’s fire,” Banks told The Aegis while pointing at the red No. 3 painted on the sideline turf and a framed Edgewood jersey in hand. “I didn’t know I meant that much to this place. It’s always fun to come back.”
Banks was a three-star recruit coming out of Edgewood. In four years with the Terps, the cornerback totaled 83 tackles, 13 passes defensed and two interceptions. He’s started 29 games and has two interceptions across his first two NFL seasons.
He’s been back to Edgewood football games four times since being drafted. While adoring the gifts bestowed upon him, he said he’s sure he’ll be back for more.
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
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