Varsity All-howard County

FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of The Year

Michael Campanar o, River Hill

Watching Campanaro run is exhilarating. The senior back runs with his eyes wide open, side-stepping, high-stepping and sprinting past would-be tacklers.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound slotback ran for more than 1,750 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. He also caught 17 passes for 266 yards and seven touchdowns, and returned six punts for 170 yards and two touchdowns.

In three varsity seasons, he has more than 6,500 career yards and nearly 90 touchdowns. As a defensive back, he had six interceptions, and he did not give up a touchdown.

He also excels on special teams, with eight kick returns for touchdowns over the past three years.

"He has great field vision," River Hill coach Brian Van Deusen said, "and great football instincts combined with a true knowledge of the game. You combine that, his speed, his athletic ability and his knack for making big plays and you have a big-game player who comes through in the big games."

Campanaro will attend Wake Forest next season on a full scholarship. Van Deusen said he expects his star back to be used more as a receiver.

All-County Offense

Name School Year Position

Luke Hostetler River Hill Senior QB

Michael Campanaro River Hill Senior RB

Mark Covington Howard Senior RB

Jerrel Epps Wilde Lake Senior RB

Kyle Williams Marriotts Ridge Senior WR

Kevin Gordon Atholton Senior TE

Matt Bounds Wilde Lake Senior OL

Aaron Dailey Long Reach Senior OL

Patrick McCleaf River Hill Senior OL

Adam Mease Howard Senior OL

Ramin Nejaddehshan Wilde Lake Senior OL

Scott Trench River Hill Senior K

Defensive Player of the Year

Danny March, Wilde Lake

March, 5 feet 6, isn't Wilde Lake's tallest defensive back, but he might be its most intense.

The senior had a team-leading 122 tackles (94 of them unassisted), seven interceptions and five passes defensed.

The effort is particularly remarkable considering March never sits down.

At quarterback, he passed for five touchdowns and rushed for 11. He was also on the field for punt returns, having returned 12 for 142 yards and a touchdown. And on special teams, he blocked a field-goal attempt and three extra-point tries.

"Pound for pound, he's the toughest kid playing, " Wilde Lake coach Doug DuVall said. "Because he plays on both sides of the ball, he understands the offensive concept. And he knows how to go up after footballs. In the gym, he can jump up and touch the basket."

Over his Wilde Lake career, he has started 38 games at defensive back and pulled down 19 interceptions, returning three for touchdowns. March is considering offers from Shepherd University (W. Va.), North Carolina Central and Morgan State

All-County Defense

Name School Year Position

Jackson Drury Wilde Lake Senior DL

Mike Franklin Long Reach Senior DL

Billy Hall Glenelg Senior DL

Sean Hull River Hill Senior DL

Tim Willman Reservoir Senior DL

Leron Eaddy River Hill Senior LB

Kyle Young Centennial Junior LB

Danny March Wilde Lake Senior DB

Malek Redd River Hill Senior DB

Matt Robinson Atholton Junior DB

Preston Schryer Centennial Senior DB

Greg Edmonds Centennial Junior P

Note: Teams selected by Sandra McKee after consultation with The Baltimore Sun staff and area coaches.

Coach of the Year

Doug DuVall, Wilde Lake

During his 36 years at Wilde Lake, DuVall's goal was as much to coach a player toward becoming a better person as it was to create a better football player.

Under DuVall this season, the Wildecats went 12-2 and earned a No. 4 ranking in The Baltimore Sun's final poll. The only games Wilde Lake lost were to two-time Class 2A state champion River Hill and to Westlake in the 3A state final. Both games were played in the rain, and both turned on a few big plays.

Friday night, the stands at M&T Bank Stadium for the 3A final were filled with DuVall's family, friends and Wilde Lake alumni, who gathered to cheer him in his final game.

Wilde Lake's bid for its fifth state title and first since 1997 ended with a 13-0 loss.

"Each and every one of my players this year made a huge commitment to win," DuVall said. "They've grown as young men. They started out trying to build a team, and they built it."

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Year

Becky Paynter, River Hill

Perhaps the best setter in the area, Paynter rose above health problems (she is sensitive to loud noises as the result of an auto accident before her sophomore year) to lead the Hawks to an unexpected berth in the state semifinals. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Hawks, but Paynter's play helped River Hill take state runner-up Rising Sun to five games in the state semifinals. The Hawks lost only three matches this season, one each to top-ranked Centennial, Wilde Lake and Rising Sun. Paynter, a senior, had 18 assists, 137 digs, 58 aces, 123 kills and 24 blocks.

Coach of the Year

Caitlin Geoghan, Wilde Lake