Thursday, December 23, 2010
Oakland Mills High School senior forward Greg Whittington scored 30 points Wednesday night during the Scorpions’ 63-43 rout of the Atholton High School Raiders.
Good teams win when they are supposed to, but great teams find ways to win even when they are not at full strength. On Wednesday, Oakland Mills (7-0) would put that theory to the test against the Atholton Raiders (3-4). The Scorpions were without their third-leading scorer, Kerry Bethea, who was held out of the game by head coach Jon Browne. The coach would not talk about specifics regarding the situation, but simply called the choice to bench Bethea "a coach's decision." Without the junior forward in the mix, Oakland Mills would need someone to step up. And who else answered the call but the Scorpions' senior star, Greg Whittington. The center had been hampered the last few games by a thumb injury he suffered early in Oakland Mills' 61-58…
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Wilde Lake Wildecats got the best of the Atholton Raiders this time around.
It was just a week ago that the Atholton Raiders had beaten the Wilde Lake Wildecats in a thriller, 27-15. One week later they were back on the same field for the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. Last week, the Atholton offense benefitted from several big plays, including two huge runs from running back Andrew King. But on Friday night the Wildecats made the most of their second chance, winning a tough game on the road, 21-7. "They played really well," said Atholton coach Kyle Schmitt. "They do the small things, you know, and we didn't. We fumbled the ball and jumped offsides. Hats off to Wilde Lake…they should be proud of their kids." This game was a complete turnaround from the week before. The Wildecats came into Friday night's …
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Running back Andrew King had a big day on the ground as Atholton hosted Wilde Lake in a playoff preview.
Two of Howard County's top football programs – Wilde Lake and Atholton – faced each other Friday, each determined to earn home field advantage in the postseason. Atholton took the lead with less than eight seconds remaining in the first half, when quarterback Brian McMahon dove into the end zone from one yard out. And the Raiders did not look back, as they pushed past the Wildecats, 27-15. The big gunslinger would add another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter after a 63 yard kickoff return from Curtis Pumphrey (who also led the team with 14 tackles) gave Atholton a short field to work with. Running back Andrew King would also contribute, tacking on two touchdowns in the second half – one 65 yards, and the other 55 yards – to seal the…
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Raiders defense came up big in this battle between playoff contenders.
Glenelg was unable to get anything going against Atholton during Friday's matchup of Howard County powerhouses. The Raiders' defense managed to come up with several big plays in key situations. Though the Gladiators were able to move the ball up and down the field, Atholton High School refused to let up any points as the Raiders rolled to victory, 14-0. "Our defense played really well," said Atholton coach Kyle Schmitt. "When you hold a team to zero points you have a pretty good chance to win." No kidding. The Raiders epitomized the old cliché of the defense bending but not breaking. Though the Gladiators had several opportunities to score, Atholton made sure they preserved their second straight shutout – their fourth on the season. The …
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Atholton dominated both sides of the ball during this homecoming showdown between two Columbia schools.
Atholton may not be the flashiest team around, but it provided the hometown crowd with more than a few fireworks during its matchup with Long Reach on Saturday. Running back Andrew King (76 yards) punched in a six-yard Raiders' touchdown on the game's opening drive, and Atholton would not let up as they won in dramatic fashion, 26-0. "That was big," said Atholton coach Kyle Schmitt. "A first-drive touchdown is always good." The Raiders' built upon that momentum and added two more first-half touchdowns, with quarterback Brian McMahon finding his favorite receiver, Dequan Ellison, for scores of 14 and 28 yards. Long Reach has struggled this season, losing four of their previous six games coming into Saturday's showdown with Atholton. And the…
