Kim Sets His Sights on 13th State Title for Screamin’ Eagles

The Seneca Valley football team has captured more state titles (12) than any other team in Maryland history. But while they have made it to the post season six out of the last seven years, including finishing as the state runner-up in 2008, it's been eight years since the Screamin' Eagles won their last state championship.

This is the longest drought the team has faced since it secured its first crown in 1976 (which came just two years after the Germantown school opened its doors), a fact that is not lost on seventh-year head coach, Fred Kim. As an alumnus of Seneca Valley, Kim is well aware of the legacy Seneca possesses and said that settling for anything less than a championship each year is not an option.

"Every year at Seneca Valley High School, being that it's Seneca Valley High School and the precedent has been set by coaches Al Thomas (five titles at SV) and Terry Changuris (seven titles at SV), anything less than a state championship is failure at Seneca Valley," said Kim, who played on the 1987 undefeated state champion team under Thomas and was part of two more championships as an assistant under Changuris in the mid-90s. "We want to win every year. We feel that we can compete every year. We have great players, great coaches, and a great community. And all that adds up to opportunity for us."

Kim acknowledged the fact that the school hasn't won a state title since 2002 but that doesn't decrease the expectations he sets for his team each year. "We want to win the state championship and anything less in unacceptable."

Of course, things have changed dramatically in the 36 years since Seneca Valley opened. With the opening of schools such as Quince Orchard (1988), Northwest (1998), and Clarksburg (2006), Seneca has lost some of its talent as a result. And while Kim admits this may have hurt Seneca over the years, he certainly isn't making excuses and sees it as an opportunity, stating that the deeper talent, greater coaching, and stronger competition across the county is forcing everyone to work that much harder.

So far this season, Kim's team has answered the call and is positioning itself to make a run for  that state title, starting off the season 3-0, including a 20-14 overtime win over Clarksburg in week one and a 34-0 win over Churchill the following week—both of which were teams Seneca fell to in 2009. The team is coming off the heels of a 41-21 win over Einstein last Thursday and is ready for its next big test of the season in Damascus this Friday at home. Last season, the Screamin' Eagles edged the Hornets, 16-15. "Our guys are really gearing up for this one—it's a huge rivalry," Kim said.