Nick Elko and John MacDonald pose with the Arundel High School football coaching staff Wednesday.

Rob Elliott, Chuck Markiewicz, Nick Elko, John MacDonald, Reggie Campbell and Joe Gross pose with their awards at the 54th annual Touchdown Club of Annapolis banquet Wednesday.

by Aaron Gray

Coaches and players from the Arundel High School football team that advanced to the Class 4A state championship this past fall gathered on the podium for one last photo. They're all grunts from the gridiron so the tears were wiped away quickly but everyone in the room could feel the emotion.

The Wildcats swept the high school awards at the 54th annual Touchdown Club of Annapolis banquet Wednesday night in Annapolis.

Senior quarterback Nick Elko received the Jim Rhodes Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding football player in Anne Arundel County. Senior offensive lineman John MacDonald took home the Al Laramore Memorial Trophy, which goes to the top lineman in the county. Arundel coach Chuck Markiewicz received the Jerry Mears Memorial Trophy, which is given to the coach of the high school Team of the Year.

The awards were selected by the private and public school head football coaches in the county, along with members of the media.

Markiewicz played and coached under the legendary Mears, which added significance to the honor.

"This is really special," said Markiewicz, whose North County team also won the award in 1994. "To win this while at Arundel, where I played for him is even more special. With these two guys (MacDonald and Elko) also representing our school, it just makes for a awfully nice evening. We're real proud of them and our team."

The Wildcats went 13-1 and fell in the state finals to Quince Orchard, 36-30, in front of 8,317 fans at M&T Bank Stadium. It was Arundel’s third appearance in the state championship. The Wildcats, who had advanced to the playoffs five straight years, won the title in 1975 and were runners-up in 1979.

Elko, a Delaware State signee, was a team captain and a two-year starter for the Wildcats. He set five Maryland state records during his senior year, including passing yards (3,091), completions (260) and touchdowns (43). The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder compiled a 22-2 career record as a starter and was named The Capital-Gazette Newspapers' Player of the Year, first-team All-Metro by The Baltimore Sun and first team All-State by The Associated Press.

"This is the perfect way to wrap up a fantastic season for our team," said Elko, the ninth Arundel player to win the Rhodes Trophy, which was established in 1959. "It just goes to show that all the hard work my teammates and I put in pays off."

MacDonald, who wants to study business at either Maryland or North Carolina, anchored an ofensive line that helped compile nearly 5,000 yards of total offense for the Wildcats. The 5-foot-11, 260-pounder was the third MacDonald to come through Markiewicz' program. Off the field, MacDonald sports a 4.25 weighted grade-point average and is the president of his school's National Honor Society. He was named first-team All-County by The Capital-Gazette and second-team All-Metro by The Baltimore Sun.

"I'm always going to remember that 60 guys got together and were told they couldn't do something and then we did it," said McDonald, who joins Jeff Blachly (1998) as the only other Arundel player to win the Laramore Award, which was established in 1989. "No one ever thought we could win a game outside of Anne Arundel County and we did it. We laid a foundation for our program that's going to keep going. We have respect for the game and the coaches and I know the future players will always play their hardest."

Rob Elliott, a 1986 Chesapeake High School graduate and lifelong Pasadena resident, won the Vince Depasquale Award, which is awarded for service to the Anne Arundel County youth football association.

Joe Gross, former sports editor and columnist at The Capital-Gazette, was given the Jim and Rae Morgan Award for his longtime, dedicated service to the Touchdown Club. Gross served as president of the Touchdown Club in 1983 and was a member of the Board of Governors for 20 years.

Andy Borland spent 35 years at Severna Park High School as athletic director and football coach and received the Steve Belichick Memorial Award. Borland compiled a record of 143-110 and led the Falcons to five playoff appearances.

Reggie Campbell won the Tony Rubino Memorial Silver Helmet Award, which goes to the Naval Academy's top player and Dre Moore received the Louis L. Goldstein Memorial Gold Helmet Award, which goes to the University of Maryland's top player.

Joe Ehrmann, who played professionally for the Baltimore Colts (1973-80) and Detroit Lions (1981-82), was the keynote speaker and gave an emotional speech about building men and women for others. Baltimore Sun sportswriter Pat O'Malley was the Master of Ceremonies and kept a sold-out crowd in stitches while Capital-Gazette sportswriter Bill Wagner, the Touchdown Club's vice president, candidly introduced the award winners.