All Spalding senior quarterback Kevin Moran does is win.
After going 17-0 during two seasons on junior varsity, Moran?s success followed him to varsity last year. He guided the Cavaliers to an 11-0 finish en route to the Severn private school?s second straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association BConference title.
Recommended Stories
On the surface, Moran?s statistics -including his 43 percent completion percentage ? appear average, but he has always found a to make the decisive play.
It started Sept. 8 of last year when Moran led Spalding to two late touchdowns drives in a 47-40 upset over Dunbar (D.C.), the DCIAA champion that featured All-American receiver Arrelious Benn. Two months later, Moran threw a game-winning touchdown pass to lead his team to a 7-6 victory over rival St. Mary?s in a league game.
“It?s been an exciting ride,” said Moran, who completed 39-of-90 passes for 644 yards, 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. “Our goal right now is to keep it going.”
Maintaining Spalding?s success is easier for Coach Mike Whittles compared to when he took over the program nine years ago. Back then, about 50 players tried out for the team, with the program reaching its lowest point in 2000 when it went 0-9 and got shut out four times.
However, over the past three years, Spalding ? which had 150 players try out for the team this year ? has gone 31-2. It is the favorite to win the conference title again, despite graduating four players who amassed more than 2,800 yards and scored a combined 30 touchdowns.
The Cavaliers open their season Friday when they take on MIAA A Conference affiliate Mount St. Joseph at Arbutus Middle School.
Most of the Cavaliers? success comes on the ground as they rushed for 3,275 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per carry last year behind Jake Trantin (1,094, 11 TDs) and Brian Rutland (687 yards, 11 TDs), who both graduated this past spring.
But Whittles is confident the return of Moran and senior running back Evan Hockel, who rushed for 206 yards and five touchdowns last season, will enable Spalding to maintain its conference dominance.
“Kevin shows us such much poise and composure on the field,” Whittles said. “He understandsthe offense, displays a lot of leadership and the kids listen to him. I have all the confidence in the world that Kevin will make the plays when we need him to.”
Moran, who is being recruited by several Football Championship Subdivision and Division III schools, is confident he?ll end his high school career undefeated.
“The game was so fast to me at the start of last season,” Moran said. “It?s a whole different experience now. Everything has really slowed down now.”
