[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.8″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Recently, we learned of another notable high school football team that faced defeat; not on the field but in the record books. The Hancock Panthers in Washington County have been playing football since 1957. That run has ended.<\/span><\/span> The Panthers notified the MPSSAA that they will not field a team for the 2026 football season.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Two years ago a similar fate befell our neighbors to the north, the Fairfield Knights. In 2024, Fairfield forfeited its last five games and announced later that they were merging with Gettysburg football and that Fairfield varsity football would be no more. I had a personal stake in that outcome. I was a coach in the Fairfield youth league from Smurf to Varsity and now I am the PA announcer for the youth league games played in the beautiful Fairfield PA football stadium. I still remember the look on those kid\u2019s faces that I\u2019d known since 2<\/span><\/span>nd<\/span><\/span><\/sup> grade when the program collapsed. The problem was the same\u2026.a lack of players.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Catoctin football has been realigned back into the 1A West by the MPSSAA (Maryland Public School Athletic Association) this year after spending the past several years in the 1A North. They rejoin old friends like Fort Hill, Mountainridge and Allegany, all powerhouses in Maryland high school football. In 2024, Catoctin fielded a team of 30. Last year, our Cougars varsity team consisted of 26 players. In enrollment, Catoctin is ranked 166<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span><\/sup> in Maryland out of 259 schools with 823 students. This year they have 24 players on the roster. Injuries are certainly to blame. 2025 standout running back and middle linebacker, Colton Gray, will not play football this season. He is joined by teammate Isaac Dayberry, also injured and not playing. Those two are big losses for Coach Ridenour, especially on defense.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not just a numbers problem. It\u2019s a recruitment problem. Both Fort Hill and Allegany are smaller than Catoctin, yet year after year, they field huge, powerful teams who win championships. However, it\u2019s more complicated than that. Safety perceptions and an expansion of varsity sports are a factor. Kids and their parents are opting for sports with little or no contact, like tennis and golf. As a matter of fact, former injured football star, Colton Gray, is now playing for the Catoctin golf team. Soccer is coming on strong. Lacrosse is gaining too.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Enrollment has remained steady at Catoctin for the past decade. Youth sports leagues in northern Frederick county are seeing modest growth. Overall Frederick County, unlike the rest of Maryland, is experiencing the fastest growth in Maryland with a 14% increase in enrollment over the past several years.<\/span><\/span> It\u2019s not really a numbers problem. It\u2019s more a culture problem.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Recently, I had a chance to speak with Catoctin varsity football coach Brady Ridenour who begins his second year as head coach in the 2026 season. We walked around the practice field together and talked about individual players. Coach Ridenour admits his team is still young and rebuilding. While we were talking the Junior Varsity football team came running up over the ridge towards us and for a second, I thought it was varsity. They were huge and athletic. They seemed loose and cocky. I was very impressed. I smiled at Coach Ridenour and said: \u201cYour future is looking pretty good\u201d. He laughed and talked about the JV team\u2019s offensive line, and then he paused and said: \u201cWatch this Yocum kid\u2026..Eli can play football and he\u2019s only a freshmen. The kid is a natural quarterback, smart, tough and with a cannon for an arm.\u201d I watched as Yocum ran the JV offense and Coach is right. Coach said the only reason this kid is not up on varsity is because he is so valuable to his JV team right now. There is another reason. Coach has a three deep lineup of QB\u2019s in Chase Creeger, a junior in his 2<\/span><\/span>nd<\/span><\/span><\/sup> year at the helm, Ben Bingman, Creegers backup, who plays wideout and in the event of the unthinkable, the third string QB is Quinton Thompson who blew up the field at running back against Clear Spring in their first scrimmage of the season a couple of weeks ago. A pretty impressive depth chart at quarterback! But watch out for this Yocum kid. He reminds me of another great Catoctin quarterback Christian Michael. Michael was the leader of the 2019 Catoctin Maryland state 1A football champions. As practice continued, I looked up and trotting onto the practice field came that very same Catoctin star. Christian Michael is the new Catoctin quarterback coach! Coach Ridenour deserves a lot of credit for recruiting Michael to coach on his team. As a matter of fact, I watched Michael working with Chase Creeger during practice on technique. Coach Michael showed Creeger how to execute the perfect run play fake. I grinned ear to ear. Two standouts on the field I want to mention are SJ (Jack) Smith and Quinton Thompson. Smith and Thompson will bring a \u201cthunder and lightning\u201d quality to the backfield. Smith, the scatback is lightning fast and Thompson hits the line with a boom that sounds like thunder on every play. Both are deadly on play action passes out of the backfield with Quinton making some moves in the secondary that belie his size and strength as the big back in Coach Ridenour\u2019s wing offense. Both have great hands. Smith is small and shifty and hides behind bigger players as he darts in and out of openings. By the time the defense finds him, it will be too late.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I am excited to broadcast this season on the radio again from the Catoctin pressbox. We have expanded our equipment, team and coverage. Coach Rick Little and play by play veteran Ryan Piers will put on the headsets. We welcome senior Lucas Bradley back who will be our go-to Catoctin sports reporter. Lucas will keep Cougars fans informed on our Frederick County Sports Connection website: <\/span><\/span>fredcosports.com<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span> We have a new addition to the team, Josh Valentine, a 2025 Catoctin grad who will be working production in the booth and onfield with in-game interviews this season. We have added a new state-of-the-art AI driven sports camera that will capture all the action much more clearly and will significantly improve the fans video experience. We will cover the Cougars home opener against Clarke County. Be sure to come down and support the team for their first game at home on Thursday, September 10<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span><\/sup> kickoff at 6:30pm.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Just like the weather this summer, I\u2019m ready for some more thunder and lightning. How about you?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recently, we learned of another notable high school football team that faced defeat; not on the field but in the record books. The Hancock Panthers in Washington County have been playing football since 1957. That run has ended. The Panthers notified the MPSSAA that they will not field a team for the 2026 football season. 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