Category: VSN Football

Neighborhood rivals Franklin and McDonogh prepare for 2018 football season

by Derek Toney

For the second straight preseason, Franklin High and McDonogh School's football teams scrimmaged Friday evening. The northwest Baltimore County squads played regular season matches in the 2016 and 2015 campaigns.

Friday marked the debut of Hakeem Sule as the new McDonogh coach. Sule, a 2005 graduate of the Owings Mills private school, spent the prior eight seasons as an assistant under Dom Damico, who stepped down in April after 24 seasons and eight MIAA titles.

The Eagles (6-5 last season) have a mix of old and new faces with wide receiver/defensive back Curtis Jacobs and senior linemen D'Von Ellies headlining the veterans. Ellies, the area's top defensive linemen prospect, holds offers from Ohio State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and West Virginia while Jacobs, a junior, has early offers from Florida, Notre Dame and Penn State.

After an uncharacteristic 7-4 campaign, Franklin is looking for a rebound in 2018. Running back/linebacker Elijah Solomon, who's committed to Villanova, all-Baltimore County linebacker Jay Thompson and senior quarterback Emmett Avery hope to return the Reisterstown school back atop the Baltimore County Division I and state Class 3A title contention.