Atholton Grad Part of Maine Event

It is a long way from Maryland to Orono, Maine, the hometown of the University of Maine.

But the school's football team has made inroads into recruiting talent from the Baltimore region. And with several players from Maryland on its roster, the team will play Saturday in the national playoffs at Georgia Southern at 2 p.m.

Maine was one of five teams from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) to appear Dec. 3 in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and the only one to win, with a victory at Appalachian State. Among the four teams that lost was Towson University, which fell at home to Lehigh, 40-38.

This year's Maine team includes freshman linebacker Brian Anthony, a 2011 graduate of Atholton High in Columbia. He is expected to redshirt this season, according to Joe Rossi, the defensive coordinator/linebackers for Maine.

"He has had a good year for us on the scout team," Rossi told Columbia Patch on Tuesday. "We feel he is a guy who will benefit from a year in the weightroom."

Anthony was a linebacker at Atholton, where he wasselected to the all-county team and played in the BTC All-Star game in high school, according to Atholton head coach Kyle Schmitt.

The son of Catherine and David Anthony was an honor roll student in high school.

Another player from Maryland on the Maine team is Derek Session, from Dunbar High School in Baltimore. He has 36 catches this season.

"He is probably as versatile a football player we have had here," Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove told Patch on Monday. "This year Derek has been more of a receiver for us. He is an outstanding blocker."

Other Maryland residents with Maine include freshman defensive back Sherrod Baltimore of Ft. Washington, sophomore defensive back Khari Al-Mateen of Baltimore, redshirt freshman defensive back Axel Ofori Jr. of Gaithersburg, redshirt freshman kicker/punter Jeffrey Ondish of Elkton, freshman wideout Najee Green of Accokeek and redshirt freshman defensive lineman Devin Clark of Dunbar High in Baltimore.

Al-Mateen has played in 12 games and has 15 tackles this season. Ofori has played in 12 games with 14 tackles. Clark has played in one game with one tackle. Ondish has kicked off six times for an average of 53.5 yards.

"The thing with Axel, he is very talented. He is one of our most talented players in the secondary," Rossi said of Ofori, who played running back in high school. "Last year was a big learning curve for him. He has played a lot of important snaps for us. He has a bright future."

The CAA is considered the top league in the country but Maine is the only team left in the playoffs from the circuit.

"I am surprised at that," Cosgrove said. "I know the quality of the teams in our league. This is a heck of a tournament and brings out the best in everyone. We feel privileged and honored to be going on. This league prepares you for opportunties like this."