Lipton could become county's first big-college QB since 1965

Sunday's sports smorgas-browse:

If Arundel's Erik Lipton, as expected, goes on to play quarterback in big-time college football, it would be a rare achievement.

Lipton has a legitimate chance to become the first All-County quarterback since Alan Pastrana in 1965 to play the position at the Division I level. Pastrana played at Annapolis and Severn high schools before starring as quarterback for Maryland.

He later played in the NFL with the Denver Broncos as a defensive back and is a longtime assistant lacrosse coach at Anne Arundel Community College.

Since 1980, only Azizzudin Abdur Ra'oof of Northeast played major Division I football, but hedid it at the University of Maryland as a wide receiver.

Recruited by Bobby Ross (current San Diego Chargers' coach) after his All-County and All-Metro season as the Northeast quarterback in 1982, Ziz's speed made him a natural catching passes.

Craig Wilson of Annapolis was the All-County and All-Metro quarterback in 1981, but he went on to play baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals after attending Anne Arundel Community College for a year.

Arundel's Mike Coyle was the 1980 All-County quarterback and he went on to rewrite Division II Shepherd College's record book.

Bryan Beauchemin, also from Arundel, was the '85 All-County quarterback who went on to play baseball at Maryland.

Of the all-county quarterbacks since 1980 (see list), only Eric Howard, Johnny Ray, Ra'oof and Wilson were All-Metros. Erik Lipton, Brad Fowler, Kevin Hetrick, Ray Kingsfield and Jamie Shubert were the only All-County quarterbacks as juniors.

Football for big boys

A second to Wednesday's Sidelines from Arundel Middle School physical-education teacher and Severna Park's assistant wrestling coach, Paul Joyce. He agrees that a grade school football league would enhance the quality of high-school play.

As it is, youth football is severely restricted by weight classes which leave bigger, stronger kids on the sidelines.

"I must have 10 eighth-graders [who weigh] 150 to 160 pounds or more and a few about 180 pounds. They can't play youth football," said Joyce, whose native Delaware has freshmen and grade-school leagues. "If you get used to being hit by 120 to 130 pounders, how do you expect a kid to compete against 200-pounders in high school?"

Bernie Walter (athletic director), Bill Zucco (football coach) and Buddy Hepfer (wrestling and ex-football coach) also favor a league for the bigger kids."

The Anne Arundel Youth Football Association's largest league is for 140-pounders -- ridiculous in the '90s, when seventh- and eighth-graders are much bigger than they were 10 years ago. But instead of filling a need by serving bigger kids, the AAYFA is exploring a 65-pound, non-competitive league.

Sideliners

Broadneck's John Williams is being recruited for basketball by Princeton, Holy Cross, Navy, Penn and William & Mary. Williams, also a standout soccer player, has a 3.85 grade-point average and SAT score over 1,200. Meade's Phil Popielski says he is not leaving his girls' basketball coaching position and was only testing the waters applying for the Arundel boys post. Davidsonville's Kevin Gibbs, an outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Single-A Vero Beach (Fla.), had the second highest number of stolen bases (60) in all of the minors for 1996. Tony Saunders, a left-handed pitcher from Glen Burnie who went 13-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 168 innings for the Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs, a Florida Marlins affiliate in the Eastern League, was named to the Baseball America Double-A all-star team. Given the state of mens' basketball at Anne Arundel Community College (23-28 last two years with county grads going elsewhere), it's not surprising that Larry Alvis, who has never been a high school or college head coach, is to succeed Mike Tummings, who resigned after two years as head coach.

All-County quarterbacks

Year, Player, School

'80, Mike Coyle, Arundel

'81, Craig Wilson, Annapolis

'82, A. Abdur Ra'oof, Northeast

'83, Jamie Shubert, Arundel

'84, Ray Kingsfield, S. River

'85, B. Beauchemin, Arundel

'86, Sean Salisbury, Southern

'87, Kevin Hetrick, Sev. Park

'88, Dave Fajerski, Brkln Pk.

'89, Billy Maxwell, Meade

'90, Johnny Ray, N. County

'91, Brad Fowler, Severn

'92, Eric Howard, N. County

'93, Justin Rice, N. County

'94, Earl Sewell, N. County

'95, Erik Lipton, Arundel

Pub Date: 10/06/96