Football Program

An article in the Sept. 30, 1911, edition of The Argus reported that an area all-boys Catholic high school decided to drop its football program after the death of one of the players on the team. One of the first of Maryland colleges to cut out American football from its list of athletic sports is Mount St. Joseph's. In its place, soccer football has been substituted. So long as Brother Norbert remains in charge, American football is not likely to be played with other colleges.

Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said that Navy, which is scheduled to move into the Big East in 2015 for football only, is continually “reviewing all the moving parts” and will figure out where its football program will land once the other schools decide where they are going. “We have the latitude to evaluate the bigger picture for the next couple of years,”  Gladchuk said Thursday. “This is a obviously a new development. We're not in a position where we're panicking.

The Towson State football program is in for more changes. Another new league, another batch of new opponents.Only this time, the direction is different. Five years ago, there was talk of the university dropping football for financial reasons. Now, the Tigers are moving forward, as evidenced by yesterday's announcement that Towson State had been accepted as an associate member of the Division I-AA Patriot League, beginning in 1997.By then, its two-year commitment with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference-Intercollegiate Football Conference will have run out. And the Tigers will be ready to join a league known for its "quality football and academic excellence," said Towson State president Dr. Hoke L. Smith.

What in the world is happening to Maryland's football program? This is getting scary now. The way players are dropping down in College Park, it's like the orthopedic version of typhoid fever is sweeping through this team. Now it's senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield who's out with a season-ending ACL tear , apparently hurt in the second quarter of the Terps' loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday. Hartsfield is the fifth Terp lost for the season with an ACL tear, joining quarterbacks C.J. Brown, Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe, along with defensive lineman Andre Monroe.

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Football Columbia Ravens Football, Inc. is seeking qualified, committed individuals to coach in its youth tackle football program, for players ages 5-14, for the spring 2012 indoor and fall 2012 outdoor seasons. Interested parties should contact the director of football at columbiaravens@gmail.com . For more information, go to http://www.columbiaravens.com.

The NCAA this morning announced stiff penalties on the Penn State football program, acting with unprecedented swiftness in response to a report detailing the repeated failure of officials there to act appropriately in response to long-time assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's serial child sexual abuse. The football team, already reeling from the scandal and the firing and subsequent death of legendary coach Joe Paterno, faces a four-year ban on post-season appearances, a $60 million fine and the vacating of all its victories from 1998-2011, the time period when officials knew about Mr. Sandusky's crimes but failed to stop them.

As Manchester Valley closed out the team's 26-7 win over rival North Carroll on Friday night, the PA announcer thanked fans for their support during the season and congratulated the Mavericks on posting a winning record this year. But that winning season isn't over. The Mavericks' win over North Carroll in the annual "Battle of the Bypass" game, combined with Northwestern-Baltimore High School's loss to Reginald Lewis High School earlier on Friday, clinched the first-ever playoff spot for the four-year-old Maverick football program.

Towson State fought Youngstown State, the nation's fourth-ranked Division I-AA team, for 60 strong minutes yesterday before losing, 13-0, at Minnegan Stadium on a cold, windy, rainy day.Youngstown State (10-0) was ready to be had yesterday."When we woke up this morning and looked out the window and saw a monsoon, it didn't help us get mentally ready to play," said Youngstown State coach Jim Tressel. "I think we've been reading our press clippings. But you have to give Towson State credit.

The NCAA has placed Howard University's football program on probation for two years and barred it from postseason competition next year.But the NCAA said the sanctions could have been worse if the school hadn't triggered the probe that prompted the penalties.In a 10-page report issued late Monday, the NCAA's Infractions Committee detailed a string of violations involving player eligibility and student aid.The penalties stem from violations under former coach Willis Jeffries, the NCAA said.

Jordan Dangerfield always looked to his father for guidance, especially when it came to big decisions like where to play college football. So when Dangerfield's school, Hofstra University, unexpectedly dropped its football program in 2009, the young safety was faced with a most difficult task. He had to find his way without his dad, who had passed away four months earlier. "It was very emotional, because going through the whole recruiting process in high school I had my father," Dangerfield said.