Wildcats Wipeout Northeast, 53-0

PASADENA -A balanced offense has never been the Arundel Wildcats' thing.

Head coach Chuch Markiewicz has always preferred to have his players slinging the ball, racking up passing yards and settling for an adequate running game.

But the Wildcats used 190 yards on the ground Friday night to record their second blowout victory of the year, a 53-0 drubbing of Northeast.

To be clear, Markiewicz has not abandoned his preference for the pass, and junior quarterback Cooper Hibbs did have an efficient game, going 13 for 19 with 133 yards and two touchdown passes. But it appears that the Wildcats now have the added benefit of at least two swift players coming out of the backfield.

Junior Blake Thornton ran for  56 yards on nine carries, scoring twice, while Matt Davis, another junior, recorded a touchdown and 45 yards on three carries, including a 32-yard scamper.

“I don’t normally like to run the ball,” Markiewicz said. “I like the pass better, but our running backs are getting better.”

Many eyes have been on Davis, in particular, since he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash in April at the Nike SPARQ Combine in Baltimore, good for third-best overall out of more than 1,000 athletes.

Victory is even easier, of course, when the rest of the offense is clicking, and it was from the start for Arundel on Friday night. After recovering an onside kick on the opening kickoff, Arundel scored less than a minute later when Hibbs connected with senior wide receiver Gary Cropper on a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Thornton scored on a four-yard touchdown run on the next drive, and Cropper opened the second quarter with a 96-yard punt return, his second return touchdown of the year.

“I didn’t think it would be a touchdown at first,” said Cropper, who escaped several tackles on the play. “But I got a good block and then took off down the sideline.”

Cropper finished with 110 total return yards, and also caught four passes for 42 yards.

On defense, the Wildcats fended off several drives from Northeast, recording big plays when it mattered most. The Eagles did manage a respectable 82 yards of rushing offense, and found themselves in Arundel territory on several occasions.

Arundel’s defense stifled momentum with key stops led by senior linebacker Josh Albo, who had eight tackles. Markiewicz also singled out junior linebacker Andrew Roach, who recorded a tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery.

The Wildcats deviated from their normal practice routine this week, as heavy rains  flooded practice fields at Arundel High. But Markiewicz said the team did get in an effective indoor practice on Thursday.

Notes: Friday's game was played at Chesapeake High in Pasadena, due to ongoing renovations to the stadium at Northeast ...Arundel backup quarterback Sayeed Mahdi played most of the second half, going 2-4 with 74 yards passing, and rushing for 25 yards on two carries … Mahdi connected with Aaron Lewis-Canales on a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter   … Romeo Harris caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown … junior defensive back Thomas Gant recorded an interception in the fourth quarter … Northeast quarterback Eric Grantland completed three passes on 14 attempts for 37 yards ... Arundel plays at Meade next week.

Other scores from around the county:

Southern 25, South River 24.

Meade 45, Annapolis 25.

Old Mill 34, Severna Park 16

Broadneck 34, Chesapeake 7

North County 13, Glen Burnie, 6.