Patch Previews 4A Title Game, Part 1

Editor’s Note: This is written by the North Potomac-Darnestown Patch editor and is the first in a two-part series about the Old Mill-Quince Orchard game. Check back with Severn Patch later today for part two.

Millersville’s will meet Gaithersburg’s Quince Orchard (QO) High School in football in Friday night’s Maryland 4A Division state championship game.

The two teams—ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in The Washington Post —are the top-ranked public schools in the state.

Old Mill is seeking its second title in the last three seasons while Quince Orchard seeks its third title overall and its second under head coach Dave Mencarini.

North Potomac-Darnestown Patch contributor Matt Papuchis and Severn Patch editor Jonathan Moynihan have covered QO and Old Mill throughout the season. They both took some time to share their thoughts on the upcoming game.

Patch: Jonathan, could you tell the readers of North Potomac-Darnestown Patch who might not be familiar with the brand of football Old Mill plays and their journey to the 4A Division state championship a bit about the Patriots. Matt, could you do the same about Quince Orchard for the Severn Patch readers?

Jonathan Moynihan: The best way to describe Old Mill’s style is physical. They’re just downright, a physical bunch of guys. They’re not a team that beats you in the air, although you always have to look out for it. They’re a team that pushes you around in the trenches and allows their skill players to explode on offense.

After getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last year, Old Mill has steamrolled every team they faced. They’ve scored 45, 28 and 49 points while only giving up 7, 7 and 20 points on defense in the playoffs. They’re consistent, but possess an explosiveness on the line of scrimmage that allows for big plays to occur.  

Matt Papuchis: QO has a lot of playmakers—they're quick, fast and disciplined and it's shown for 13 straight weeks. Offensively, they have one of the best ground games in the state.

Defensively, they are just as athletic. They swarm the ball and create turnovers —they had four last week against Flowers. Marcus Newby and Carlo St. Regis are among the two best linebackers in the area and possibly the best tandem in the county.

They proved over the last 13 weeks they can win in multiple ways—whether it's putting up 52 points like they did against BCC in the first round of the playoffs, or whether it's winning the close ones, 9-6, like they did against Seneca Valley.  In four games this season, QO scored at least 40 points and they scored more than 30 points on six different occasions. 

Patch: Each of these schools feature star running backs coming off marquee (and even record-setting) performances in the state semifinals in Quince Orchard's Mark Green (276 yards and 2 touchdowns in semis, 1,853 yards and 25 touchdowns on the year) and Old Mill's Rob Chesson (306 yards and 7 touchdowns in semis, 2,528 yards and 49 TDs on the year). What makes these players so special? 

JM: Rob possesses the swagger and vision of a 23-year-old playing against high school kids, and it looks just like that. He’s a cut-back style runner who on numerous times can run in and out of both hash marks while leaving players behind.

He only stands 5 feet 9 inches and 175 pounds, but there have been times where I’ve blinked and Chesson’s already in a different spot. His running style is most similar to Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, but he’s not afraid to run between the tackles. It also helps to have all-state wrestler Seth Holbrook blocking for him at fullback.

MP: For Mark Green, it's been his off-season work ethic that has really paid off. QO coach Dave Mencarini has called Green one of the best players he's ever coached. And really it came down to one thing this season—he simply worked harder than anyone else.

Green put in more hours in the gym and on the track this off-season than anyone and it clearly is paying off.

It seems as though the fourth quarter is when he is at his best—when everyone else seems to be slowing down. He's like a pitcher who still is throwing in the upper 90s in the ninth inning. The other thing about Green is very rarely will he let the first guy to touch him make the tackle. We saw this in the Flowers game on Friday. His second touchdown, late in the first half, he broke four tackles before bursting into the end zone. 

Patch: Although both schools feature prolific offenses, the defenses shouldn't (and probably can't) go unnoticed. QO and Old Mill allow 8.8 and 8.2 points-per-game respectively. What makes each defense so successful and how can each team's defense go about stopping them the aforementioned running backs?

JM: The Patriots defense is anchored by three standout linebackers: , Seth Holbrook and the unquestionable leader of the group, Rafael Kess. All three are getting Division I attention. The linebacker core is aided by standout cornerback Torrie Wagner who broke a school record for interceptions this year with eight.

The secondary won't make your jaw drop, but they’re a group of athletes that benefit from the unending pressure created by the linebackers. They love to line up in straight coverage but then blitz in loaded packages, forcing running backs to block and quarterbacks to panic.

MP: Dave Mencarini has assembled one of the finest coaching staffs in the state and that includes Defensive Coordinator John Kelley, who played at Towson University and spent time coaching in college as well. Kelley runs a sophisticated defensive system—among the more complex you'll see at the high school level.

QO also, of course, has a lot of athletes. They are fast and they attack the ball and gang tackle. Marcus Newby, a junior linebacker, is one of the best athletes in the state. In fact, Virginia Tech offered him a full scholarship last year as a sophomore. Carlo St. Regis is another player to watch when QO is on defense. They also have a few opportunistic defensive backs who are capable of making big plays and creating turnovers, such as Kenny Lang and Malcolm Brown.

Stopping Chesson is going to be the biggest test for the Cougars this year, by far. But they've faced tough runners this season, like Seneca's James Jones-Williams and Flowers' Edwin Walker, who except for one long touchdown run last week, the Cougars kept him bottled up. Staying disciplined and executing will be the key.

No. 2 Quince Orchard will face No. 3 Old Mill on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Ravens.