Underdog Bruins Hope to Keep Playoff Streak Alive

Long-time Broadneck Bruins coach Jeff Herrick has led his team this deep into the playoffs five times in his 22 years at the helm. However, this may be the first time in a while that Broadneck – which plays at Prince George's power Henry A. Wise at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a Class 4A semifinal contest– reached this point while garnering little attention.

Most of the attention in Anne Arundel County went to defending 4A champion Old Mill and Arundel, which had its own title aspirations and one of the most dynamic offenses in the state.

But, Broadneck (10-2) proved it is still a program that cannot be ignored as the Bruins beat both teams to win their first region title since 2006. The Bruins won the region by rallying to defeat Arundel, 39-28.

"We've been flying under the radar all year and we kind of like it," said Herrick, who is 165-77 in his tenure. "When we lost the Arundel 10-6 in the regular season we left the field knowing we could beat them That loss drove us all season."

Like in previous years, Broadneck will rely on its running game out of the triple-option offense. Senior running back Grant Harris leads the attack as he has rushed for 811 yards and two touchdowns on 112 carries. Quarterback James Mullis has rushed for 715 yards and 15 touchdowns on 202 carries.

Senior linebacker Nick Ochoa leads the Bruins defense with 94 tackles and six sacks. Senior defensive back Brian Hanratty has a team high four interceptions.

As for Wise, (11-1) it has experienced nothing but success in its five-year history. The Pumas, under coach DaLawn Parrish, have won three straight 4A South titles and advanced to the state finals in 2009. The program has a lifetome record of 39-20.

Wise is also a run-first program, but relies on a more traditional power rushing attack. Junior running back Uriah Bethea leads that attack with 1,454 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 182 carries.

"Winning a championship has been the main thing on these players minds since we started offseason workouts in January," Parrish said. "It's quite humbling to have had this much success in just five years and know facing a quality program like Broadneck will be a challenge. But, it's one we're ready to face head on."