It was a down year for Harford County football in 2024 — no teams advanced past the state quarterfinals and all three who made it there suffered lopsided defeats.
Who’s most likely to break through this fall and represent the county in late November and December? Given coaching changes and realignment, that’s a difficult question to answer.
There’s four new coaches in Harford County this season, some taking over annually contending programs looking to maintain that success and others being tasked with navigating smaller teams through the new-look Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference. A new conference layout (three fixed divisions of five teams each rather than upper and lower divisions that teams could fluctuate between year to year) was introduced this past spring. This fall will be the first football season under the new format that could foster new rivalries but further the competitive divide, area coaches surveyed by The Aegis said.
Here’s what to watch for this season in Harford County football.
Players to watch
Aberdeen running back Cameron Durbin
Durbin, who rushed for 999 yards and 12 scores last season with John Carroll, transferred to Aberdeen. The senior will pair with All-Aegis offensive lineman Xzaiver Whittington and Joppatowne transfer running back Anthony Hall to form what the Eagles hope will be one of the area’s best rushing offenses. Durbin could also appear on defense and special teams.
Fallston quarterback Mikey Griffin
Griffin was one of the county’s youngest starting quarterbacks as a sophomore last season. He took his lumps, but also showed the promise Fallston knows he possesses and expects to see more of as his experience grows. Senior receiver Zach Loewe provides Griffin a trusted target to work with in what could be one of the area’s most explosive passing attacks.
Harford Tech quarterback Stephen Kelley II
Kelley threw for 1,921 yards and 24 touchdowns to lead the Cobras to an 8-2 regular season record as a junior last season, a breakthrough year that saw them defeat several of Harford County’s perennial top teams. But an early playoff exit will have Harford Tech and its returning signal caller looking for more.
Bel Air offensive lineman Owen Reilly
Reilly is perhaps the county’s top lineman and boasts a handful of Division I scholarship offers — before he’s even played a down of his junior season — to show for it. With a new quarterback who’s a potent running threat, Bel Air will lean on its ground game with Reilly leading the way. He’ll also play some defensive line.
Edgewood quarterback Michael Robinson
Robinson, the Aegis’ reigning Player of the Year, returns for his senior season (and second year) with the Rams with hopes of establishing them as Harford’s top squad. He’ll have talent around him on offense in Khalil Brice, Kyion Greenwood, Jayden Harvin and younger brother Malachi, but Edgewood will have a first-year head coach leading the dynamic bunch.
Here is more on each team:
Aberdeen
Coach: Kaleb Myers, second season
Last season: 3-6
Top returners: Seniors Aaron Dixon (LB), Sean Green (OL) and Collin Rogers (QB); juniors Lennox Morris (OL/DL) and Xzaiver Whittington (DL/OL).
Newcomers to watch: Seniors Cameron Durbin (RB), Anthony Hall (RB) and Tevonte Williams (WR)
What must happen for your team to succeed? “Learning how to win. Doing the little things right all the time. Moving with intent and passion between the lines. Controlled emotions. Keeping the main thing the main thing.” — Myers
Bel Air
Coach: Eric Siegel, seventh season
Last season: 7-5, state quarterfinalists
Top returners: Senior Jonathan Gettle (OL/DL) and Zach Lipscomb (DL); juniors Kayden Blaine (OL/DL), Dylan James (RB/DB) and Owen Reilly (OL/DL).
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Amari Dudley (LB) and Michael Moore (QB); sophomore Julian Pickett (DB)
What must happen for your team to succeed? “We are going to have to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to be successful.” — Siegel
C. Milton Wright
Coach: Bryan Hansrote, first season
Last season: 5-4
Top returners: Seniors Michael Holcolmb (DL), Matt Sampson (LB/TE), Cameron Stepp (OL/DL) and Bubba Tolson (WR/S); junior Anthony Frank (RB/S).
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Loudon Rockhill (WR/CB), Jack Sabol (QB) and Jorge Salinas (OL/DL).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “We must learn, as a team, to play complete 48 minute games. We’ve been 5-4 back-to-back years and yet have only lost two games in those two years by 14 or more points. If we can come together and play all 48 minutes at our capabilities, we can compete with anyone on our schedule.” — Hansrote
Edgewood
Coach: Ken Brinkman, first season
Last season: 8-1
Top returners: Seniors Khalil Brice (TE/LB), Kyion Greenwood (RB/DB), Jayden Harvin (RB/DB) and Michael Robinson (QB); sophomore Malachi Robinson (WR/DB)
Newcomers to watch: Senior Maurice Butler (TE/LB); juniors D’Andre Green (TE/LB) and Landon Lockett (OL/DL)
What must happen for your team to succeed? “We need our offensive and defensive lines to come together, along with being able to have some of our younger guys fill in spots for depth. Also, with changing our defensive philosophy, we need our players to pick it up and communicate with each other on the field.” — Brinkman
Fallston
Coach: Derrick Krumholtz, first season
Last season: 6-3
Top returners: Seniors Zach Loewe (WR/S), Daniel Montoya (DB), Finn Rebasti (TE/LB) and Cole Shea (OL/DL); junior Mikey Griffin (QB)
Newcomers to watch: Sophomores Nate Bouffard (WR/LB), Riley Budinger (WR/LB) and Gavin Perry (OL/DL)
What must happen for your team to succeed? “Offensive line must step up to replace three of five starters. The running back position is a question mark — someone is going to have to take that job.” — Krumholtz
Harford Tech
Coach: Brad Hunt, third season
Last season: 8-2
Top returners: Seniors Brennan Appleby (WR/DB), Christian Donlick (DB), Stephen Kelley II (QB), Jayce Miller (WR) and Mason Stevenson (OL/DL).
Newcomers to watch: Junior Brayden Cirincione (LB); sophomores Chase Baldwin (RB) and Daylin Butler (WR/DB).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “We need to stay healthy and have some guys step up in new roles this season.” — Hunt
Havre de Grace
Coach: Brian Eberhardt, 14th season
Last season: 6-3
Top returners: Seniors Kamari McGirt (RB/LB), Miles Miller (WR/DB) and Julian Ringgold (QB); juniors Kevin Miller (WR/DB) and Bryson Worthy (DL/OL).
Newcomers to watch: Seniors Maurice Foxworth (RB/LB) and Yeam Zakari (K); sophomore Antonio Blackwell (WR/DB).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “The team as a whole must be able to improve each week.” — Eberhardt
John Carroll
Coach: Mark Modeste, fourth season
Last season: 5-5
Top returners: Seniors Parker Miller (DL), Anthony Modeste (QB), Tre Peace (WR/DB) and Carson Shoffner (RB/DB); junior Nick Bel Bruno (WR/DB).
Newcomers to watch: Junior Ty Rizzuto (WR/DB); sophomore Ryder Mathews (OL).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “We have great team chemistry and overall leadership. Staying healthy will be key. We have extremely high expectations for this group. Hard work and effort are ingrained in them.” — Modeste
Joppatowne
Coach: Garry Smith, first season
Last season: 3-8
Top returners: Seniors Tyquan Billinger-Bey (ATH), Dartanian Blackney (WR/DB), Malique Garrison (CB), Sharrod Partlow (DL/OL) and Xavier Stacker (OL/DL).
Newcomers to watch: Senior Kole Pollack (ATH); junior Connyr Bates (RB); sophomore Kameron Ewell (QB).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “For us to be in the mix, I feel that we have to get consistent play from our QB and our secondary has to create turnovers. Our defensive line and offensive line are the strengths of our team, so if our secondary can create turnovers and our QB can be consistent, we will go deep in the playoffs.” — Smith
North Harford
Coach: Justin Martinek, seventh season
Last season: 1-8
Top returners: Seniors Luke Bylen (WR/LB), Xavier Dunaway (OL/DL), Mason Liezear (OL/DL) and Cory Strevig (OL/DL).
Newcomer to watch: Sophomore Michael Kobus (WR/DB).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “Play as a team and stick together no matter the outcome.” — Martinek
Patterson Mill
Coach: Dave Huryk, fourth season
Last season: 6-3
Top returners: Seniors Cayden Dennis (WR), Brady Quinn (DB) and Luke Teal (OL/DL); juniors Mason Hemelt (LB) and Brycen Hunter (QB).
Newcomers to watch: Juniors Owen Henfey (DB) and Liam Pridgen (WR); sophomore Alex Baier (OL/DL).
What must happen for your team to succeed? “We have changed from a run heavy offense to a pass heavy offense. The players have worked very hard to redefine ourselves and it will be a very different path to success than in the past three years.” — Huryk
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
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