Eric Woodson, varsity head football coach of the Atholton Raiders (Columbia, MD), has been named the Ravens High School Coach of the Week. Now in its 26th year of existence, Woodson is the sixth recipient of the award in 2022.
Last Friday (10/7), the Raiders defeated the previously unbeaten River Hill Hawks, 14-7. Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, senior LB Jabriel Moody returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown to even the score before halftime. On their opening possession of the second half, senior RB Dillan Watkins scored on a 6-yard run to give Atholton a lead they would not relinquish.
The Raiders’ defense limited the Hawks to just 71 yards of offense and four first downs in the game. Now 6-0 on the season, Atholton remains the lone undefeated team in Howard County.
“Going into the game, we knew our defense had to shut down their run game, and we were able to do that,” Woodson stated. “Our defense is strong. We have leadership there and we have veterans who have been together the last three years. We have kids that fly around the field and gang tackle together.”
“On the offensive side of the ball, we are very talented as well,” Woodson, the third-year coach added. “My hat goes off to River Hill as they are a very solid team. They pinned us back many times throughout the game, but we were able to control the clock with our offensive linemen up front and phenomenal backfield. Our senior QB Miles Scott was able to pick up a few first downs on 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter to ice the game for us, too.”
This week, Atholton travels to the Marriotts Ridge Mustangs (Marriottsville, MD) on Friday (10/14) for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Raiders have won their last three matchups against the Mustangs.
Throughout this season, the Ravens will honor nine high school coaches who have made a significant impact on their student-athletes. Each Coach of the Week winner will receive a $2,000 donation to their school’s football program and will be invited to the Ravens-Falcons game (12/24) at M&T Bank Stadium for an opportunity to be named the Ravens High School Coach of the Year.
This initiative is just one piece of Ravens RISE, the team’s football outreach program presented by MedStar Sports Medicine. Ravens RISE impacts a range of area football players from youth to high school, providing them with a year-round opportunity to “Play Like A Raven” through clinics, tournaments, grants, ticket donations and exclusive opportunities to play at M&T Bank Stadium and interact with Ravens players and coaches.
To learn more, please visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/RISE.
The above story is from the Baltimore Ravens
2022 Baltimore Ravens Coach of the Week Winners
Week 5 – Larry Hurd, Jr., Walter Johnson HS
Week 4 – Keith Rawlings, Edgewater HS
Week 3 – Todd Sommerville, Crofton HS
Week 2 – Chris Bassler, Westminster HS
Week 1 – Messay Hailemariam, St. Frances Academy
