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Mt.
Carmel to Start
Playing
Football
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Article & photo by Ben Boehl -
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Mount
Carmel AD
Mike Naunton, Councilman Joe Bartenfelder, Mount Carmel Football Coach
Robb Johnson and Chapel Hills owner Russell Berk (pictured left to
right).
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After 50 years, Mount Carmel High School will have its
first football
team starting this fall. The school announced they will start with an
eight-game schedule in 2010 and will join the MIAA (Maryland
Interscholastic Athletic Association) League for a full schedule in
2011.
Director of Athletics Mike Naunton said it’s time to add a football
team to the athletic program. “The kids in middle school DON’T know
what it’s like not having football in their lives. There was a period
when kids in the area didn’t have a football team when the Colts left,
but this generation has grown with up football as the Ravens have been
in Baltimore for 15 years,” Naunton explained. “We thought it was time
to start a football program. Kids entering high school today have grown
up playing football in rec. leagues and we have some good young players
out there.”
“Mount Carmel is the only private school on the east side and it’s
important we help it remain strong and vibrant for the community,”
Bartenfelder said, whose two sons attend the school.”
Mount Carmel has already hired its first football coach, Robb Johnson.
He was an assistant head coach at Bowie State and was the head coach at
Pikesville High School in 2007. Johnson played at Overlea High and
later played college football at Morgan State.
Johnson is excited about being the first head coach at Mount Carmel. He
is an Essex resident and believes his team will be competitive because
most of his players have grown up playing rec. football. “I don’t think
it will be much of a learning curve,” he noted. “I think these kids are
ready to play.”
A football program was also added to help the school’s enrollment.
Naunton said the school has already heard from 25 students that plan to
play football in the fall. “We know that there have been students that
didn’t come to our school in the past because they want to play
football,” he acknowledged.
Although Mount Carmel won’t play any of the Essex
schools (Chesapeake,
Eastern Tech or Kenwood) this year in football, Naunton hopes to play
some of the schools in football in the future. He is just happy to add
a football program to the school.
“Football is a community builder. There is always the big build-up for
the game,” Naunton said. “It’s the one sports that everyone knows and
loves to talk about.”
Bartenfelder agrees and stated football will be a nice addition to the
school. “It’s important to help round out that educational experience.
Participating in extracurricular activities helps add to that
experience,” he said.
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