Oct. 10, 2019
For Immediate Release
RAVENS RISE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN
For five weeks during the 2019 regular season, the Baltimore Ravens will recognize one local high school football game as their Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown.
At each contest, a current or former Ravens player will be in attendance for a pre-game visit with each team, to help administer the opening coin toss and then to mingle with fans around the stadium. Ravens Cheerleaders and Poe will also attend, and both teams will be awarded apparel to wear during the game. Each participating school will receive a monetary donation from the Ravens, with the home team earning $1,500 and the visiting team $750 to help enhance their respective programs.
The Ravens will also bring elements of their iconic pre-game introductions from M&T Bank Stadium to the high school for student-athletes to run through the glowing red Ravens' eyes, a billowing smoke curtain and pyrotechnics. Following the matchup, each Showdown will be highlighted with a detailed game recap and photo gallery by The Baltimore Sun.
This Week's Showdown
The fifth and final Showdown takes place Friday (10/11) and features the North County (Glen Burnie, Md.) Knights at the Glen Burnie Gophers. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Gophers aim to avenge last season's 35-21 loss to the Knights in this Anne Arundel County rivalry matchup.
*What: *Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown (final of five)
Who: Current or Former Ravens Player, Cheerleaders and Poe
Where: Glen Burnie High School
7550 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard
Glen Burnie, MD 21060
When: North County Knights vs. Glen Burnie Gophers
Friday, Oct. 11, 2019
Kickoff at 6 p.m.
Note: The Ravens RISE High School Football Showdown winners were selected based on voting polls conducted through The Baltimore Sun and Twitter, which ran Aug. 14 – Sept. 6. Eighty (80) Maryland high schools were included in the voting process and placed into one of five 16-team brackets based on the school's geographic location. The winner of each bracket was awarded a Showdown for the season.
Matt Feeney, varsity head football coach of the Elkton Golden Elks, has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 23rd year of existence, Feeney is the fifth recipient of the award in 2019.
Last Friday, the Golden Elks (5-0) hosted the Oakdale (Ijamsville, Md.) Bears and secured a 31-14 victory in a rematch of the 2018 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class 2A state semifinal game, which was won by Oakdale.
Tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, Elkton rattled off 24-consecutive points to earn the victory with contributions coming from all three phases of the game. Offensively, senior QB Nolan Null tossed a 16-yard touchdown to senior WR Mike Vass. On defense, the Golden Elks tallied eight sacks and four interceptions, with senior DB Jakeem Jackson's 65-yard "pick-six" highlighting their efforts. The special teams unit shined behind senior RS Trevin Ewing's 95-yard punt return touchdown and senior K Jacob Bosler's 31-yard field goal.
The contest occurred hours after the team attended the funeral for its assistant coach, Ed Brown. Brown, whose son Ian is a sophomore RB on the Elkton team, unexpectedly passed away just days prior.
"It was a really emotional week for us," Feeney stated. "Coach Brown was a beloved man to our players and our coaches. Over the past week, I really saw the impact he had on his family after meeting with aunts, uncles, cousins and others, and heard stories about how he touched everyone in such a positive way. That was how he treated his football family, too.
"The boys knew they had to play for each other Friday night in light of this terrible tragedy, and they did just that. They had a great week of practice, they bought into the game plan and they executed."
Elkton visits the North East Indians this Friday (10/11), with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. The Golden Elks look to extend their four-game winning streak over the Indians, with their last victory coming in 2018.
Each week during the season, the Ravens honor a high school coach who has made a significant impact on his student-athletes. All 10 Coach of the Week winners receive a $2,000 donation to their school's football program and an award from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. In addition, each coach will attend the Ravens-Jets game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 12 for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year.
These initiatives are 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.
2019 Ravens High School Coach of the Week Recipients:
Week 1
Marquise O'Neal
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Week 2
Chad McCormick
Old Mill High School
Week 3
Anthony Zehyoue
Loyola Blakefield
Week 4
Marcus Lewis
Marriotts Ridge High School
Week 5
Matt Feeney
Elkton High School
