by
Aaron Gray
Coaches and players from the Arundel High School football team that advanced to
the Class 4A state championship this past fall gathered on the podium for one
last photo. They're all grunts from the gridiron so the tears were wiped away quickly
but everyone in the room could feel the emotion.
The Wildcats swept the high school awards at the 54th annual Touchdown Club of
Annapolis banquet Wednesday night in Annapolis.
Senior quarterback Nick Elko received the Jim Rhodes Memorial Trophy, which is
awarded to the most outstanding football player in Anne Arundel County. Senior
offensive lineman John MacDonald took home the Al Laramore Memorial Trophy,
which goes to the top lineman in the county. Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz received
the Jerry Mears Memorial Trophy, which is given to the coach of the high school
Team of the Year.
The awards were selected by the private and public school head football coaches
in the county, along with members of the media.
Markiewicz played and coached under the legendary Mears, which added significance
to the honor.
"This is really special," said Markiewicz, whose North County team
also won the award in 1994. "To win this while at Arundel, where I played
for him is even more special. With these two guys (MacDonald and Elko) also
representing our school, it just makes for a awfully nice evening. We're real
proud of them and our team."
The Wildcats went 13-1 and fell in the state finals to Quince Orchard, 36-30,
in front of 8,317 fans at M&T Bank Stadium. It was Arundel’s third
appearance in the state championship. The Wildcats, who had advanced to the
playoffs five straight years, won the title in 1975 and were runners-up in
1979.
Elko, a Delaware State signee, was a team captain and a two-year starter for
the Wildcats. He set five Maryland state records during his senior year,
including passing yards (3,091), completions (260) and touchdowns (43). The
6-foot-6, 205-pounder compiled a 22-2 career record as a starter and was named The
Capital-Gazette Newspapers' Player of the Year, first-team All-Metro by The
Baltimore Sun and first team All-State by The Associated Press.
"This is the perfect way to wrap up a fantastic season for our team,"
said Elko, the ninth Arundel player to win the Rhodes Trophy, which was established
in 1959. "It just goes to show that all the hard work my teammates and I
put in pays off."
MacDonald, who wants to study business at either Maryland or North Carolina,
anchored an ofensive line that helped compile nearly 5,000 yards of total offense
for the Wildcats. The 5-foot-11, 260-pounder was the third MacDonald to come
through Markiewicz' program. Off the field, MacDonald sports a 4.25 weighted
grade-point average and is the president of his school's National Honor
Society. He was named first-team All-County by The Capital-Gazette and
second-team All-Metro by The Baltimore Sun.
"I'm always going to remember that 60 guys got together and were told they
couldn't do something and then we did it," said McDonald, who joins Jeff
Blachly (1998) as the only other Arundel player to win the Laramore Award,
which was established in 1989. "No one ever thought we could win a game
outside of Anne Arundel County and we did it. We laid a foundation for our
program that's going to keep going. We have respect for the game and the
coaches and I know the future players will always play their hardest."
Rob Elliott, a 1986 Chesapeake High School graduate and lifelong Pasadena
resident, won the Vince Depasquale Award, which is awarded for service to the
Anne Arundel County youth football association.
Joe Gross, former sports editor and columnist at The Capital-Gazette, was given
the Jim and Rae Morgan Award for his longtime, dedicated service to the
Touchdown Club. Gross served as president of the Touchdown Club in 1983 and was
a member of the Board of Governors for 20 years.
Andy Borland spent 35 years at Severna Park High School as athletic director
and football coach and received the Steve Belichick Memorial Award. Borland
compiled a record of 143-110 and led the Falcons to five playoff appearances.
Reggie Campbell won the Tony Rubino Memorial Silver Helmet Award, which goes to
the Naval Academy's top player and Dre Moore received the Louis L. Goldstein
Memorial Gold Helmet Award, which goes to the University of Maryland's top
player.
Joe Ehrmann, who played professionally for the Baltimore Colts (1973-80) and
Detroit Lions (1981-82), was the keynote speaker and gave an emotional speech
about building men and women for others. Baltimore Sun sportswriter Pat
O'Malley was the Master of Ceremonies and kept a sold-out crowd in stitches
while Capital-Gazette sportswriter Bill Wagner, the Touchdown Club's
vice president, candidly introduced the award winners.
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen attened the event along with Southern High School coach Russ Meyers.
