Steve Erxleben, varsity head football coach of the South River Seahawks (Edgewater, Md.), has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 25th year of existence, Erxleben is the first recipient of the award in 2021.
Last Friday (9/3), South River (1-0) kicked off their 2021 season with a 14-13 victory over non-conference opponent, Westminster. Originally scheduled as a home game for the Seahawks, the matchup was played at neighboring Severna Park High School after a tornado rendered South River's stadium unplayable.
The host Seahawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind two rushing touchdowns from junior QB Camrin Catterton. Westminster scored a late fourth quarter touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-13, but the Seahawks' special teams unit forced the ensuing extra point wide and preserved the win for South River.
"When the tornado hit our area, some people in our community lost their homes, so the least we could do was play for them," Erxleben stated. "In our program, we talk about making the next play. We can't look behind – we must look forward. The kids have bought into that idea and believe no adversity can stop them. The resiliency, toughness and competitiveness our players showed last week is the mantra of a South River team."
This season marks the start of Erxleben's second tour on the sidelines at South River. Having previously served in the same position from 2005-10, Erxleben returned to the Seahawks following a stint in the same role at Southern High School (Harwood, Md.).
South River travels to Broadneck High School (Annapolis, Md.) this Friday (9/10) at 6:30 p.m. for its first Anne Arundel County game of the season. The conference adversaries last met during the abbreviated spring season in March 2021 with the Bruins defeating the Seahawks, 42-7.
Throughout this season, the Ravens will honor 10 high school coaches who have made a significant impact on their student-athletes. Each Coach of the Week winner will receive a $2,000 donation to their school's football program and will be invited to the Ravens-Rams game (1/2/22) at M&T Bank Stadium for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year.
This initiative is just one piece of Ravens RISE, the team's football outreach program presented by MedStar Sports Medicine. Ravens RISE impacts a range of area football players from youth to high school, providing them with a year-round opportunity to "Play Like A Raven" through clinics, tournaments, grants, ticket donations and exclusive opportunities to play at M&T Bank Stadium and interact with Ravens players and coaches.
To learn more, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/RISE.
