They are arguably the best public high school team in the region.
“We haven’t reached our full potential yet but, so far, it’s been good,” said Howard quarterback Robby Porter.
But the 3-0 Howard Lions are banged up. Their depth, now put to the test after losing one of their best players, senior receiver and safety Bryson Craven, to a broken leg. He’s out for multiple weeks.
“On a football team if you rely just on your starters, and it’s not a machine, it’s easy to take apart over the season,” said Howard linebacker Donny Place. “You’re going to wear down. You’re not going to win many games. When you have a team that’s successful, that you can usually put in any guy, next man up.”
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This week brings another test for Howard. One of their cross town rivals, Mount Hebron.
“Both Ellicott City schools. A lot of our guys are playing against their friends. It always means something, said Howard head coach Bruce Strunk. “It’s more than just a game. It’s kind of like a rivalry. It’s for bragging rights,” said Porter.
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As for Hebron, they are 2-1 and playing back on their home field for the first time since the opening week of the season. They know sticking with a bigger school like Howard, or even knocking them off, will go a long way for their program.
“Howard has always been a powerhouse since we’ve been here,” said Mt. Hebron quarterback/receiver Rickie Williams. “To beat a team like that, of that caliber, would be such a great thing for us. The biggest thing for us to do is just to stick together as a team.”
“They can only put eleven [players] on the field at one time and our goal is to play better than them for 60 minutes,” said Mt. Hebron head coach Phil Zacharias. “You might not be the better team but you can play better than someone for 60 minutes and that’s our attempt.”
Kickoff from Mt. Hebron on Friday is set for 7:00 p.m.
