Oakdale football coach Kurt Stein/Start of the high school football season

With the high school football season starting this week, Oakdale High football coach Kurt Stein is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast

Stein chats with host Greg Swatek about the keys to the season for his team, which returns most of its top players after falling to Damascus in the Class 3A championship game last season. What will it take for the Bears to get over the hump and win the title this season? How will they manage their extremely challenging schedule? In what ways might they be even better this season?

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writers Alexander Dacy and John Cannon join Greg to comprehensively preview the high school football season and share their thoughts on the first varsity girls flag football games to be played in the county.

The guys offer a team-by-team breakdown of the 10 public school and two private school teams that play football in Frederick County. They also share their initial impressions of girls flag football and where they feel that sport is headed after the historic first night of games.

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Jerry Smith, Brunswick High Football Coach

With a week to go before the Sept. 1 season opener at Rock Ridge, Virginia, Brunswick High football coach Jerry Smith is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Smith tells host Greg Swatek why he feels this could be his best team at Brunswick as he heads into his seventh season at the helm at his alma mater. The Railroaders bring back most of a team that reached the Class 1A state semifinals last fall.

He talks about the development of junior quarterback Ethan Houck, now a three-year starter at the position, and how senior running back Ben Wells has gotten bigger and improved over the course of the offseason.

Smith also addresses what could be one of the most underrated parts of the team, which is their offensive and defensive lines, featuring 6-foot-7, 330-pound senior Andrew Racosky.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to share his early observations from preseason football practices. The two discuss the FNP's Preseason Top 5, as well as next week's big debut for girls flag football as a varsity sport in Frederick County.

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Lizzie Dougherty, Catoctin High School Girls Flag Football Coach

With the start of the first varsity girls flag football season in Frederick County two weeks away, Catoctin High coach Lizzie Dougherty is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Dougherty chats with host Greg Swatek about the excitement for the upcoming season and the challenge of fielding a team with only 13 players. She talks about how and why she took the coaching job and being at the Baltimore Ravens' facility on Monday for the official uniform unveiling.

She also addresses the health issues that she and her brother, Charles, a football player at Catoctin, deal with and have overcome to a large extent, as well as the impact that playing sports at Catoctin has had on her life.

Prior to that, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss the uniform unveiling with the Ravens, which included head coach John Harbaugh and prominent players like quarterback Lamar Jackson and receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and the upcoming flag-football season in the county.

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Joe Polce, Walkersville High Football Coach

As the start of practice gets underway, Walkersville High football coach Joe Polce is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Polce chats with host Greg Swatek about coaching at his alma mater for an extended period of time and how much longer he might do it, considering all of his children have graduated from high school. He also talks about what makes Walkersville such a formidable program year after year, as well as expectations for the coming season.

The guys run down the Lions' challenging schedule and who is likely playing where. They also discuss their keys for having another successful year.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss his recent vacation to Southern California, which included a trip to Petco Park in San Diego for a Dodgers-Padres game, as well as some expectations for the coming fall sports season across Frederick County.

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Mike Rich, Catoctin High Football Coach

A week away from the first practice of the upcoming season, Catoctin High football coach Mike Rich is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Rich chats with host Greg Swatek about why he is so excited about the coming season and why he is so perpetually positive and energetic. He talks about what he has learned about being a head coach heading into his fourth season on the job and the various challenges that come along with it.

The guys run through the Cougars' projected lineup and schedule and discuss what reasonable expectations are for this team. They also discuss the new turf field being installed at the school and how that might impact things.

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Oakdale High Football's Evan Austin, Hunter Thompson

With the start of the season approaching and having just made their college commitments, Oakdale High School football players Evan Austin and Hunter Thompson are this week's guests on The Final Score podcast.

Austin and Thompson chat with host Greg Swatek about their college decisions. Austin, a senior quarterback for Oakdale, recently committed to the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where he will be a wide receiver, while Thompson, a senior receiver for the Bears, just committed to play at Ohio University. The guys talk about why they chose the schools that they did and what the recruiting process was like in general.

They also discuss the upcoming season at Oakdale and how they will manage the high expectations after the Bears advanced to the Class 3A championship game last fall. What do they expect and what are some of the biggest challenges they anticipate facing?

Prior to that, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss Francis Scott Key Post 11's run up to the state American Legion baseball tournament, for which it served as the host team.

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Jeff Sill, FC Frederick President

With the soccer club's 15U girls team competing for a national championship this week in Florida, FC Frederick president Jeff Sill is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Sill chats with host Greg Swatek about the 15U girls run to nationals, as they are just the second FC Frederick team to qualify for the championships in the 20-plus year history of the club, and what makes them such a strong team. 

He also talks about the tremendous impact FC Frederick has made on the local soccer scene in its relatively brief history.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss summer developments, including the Major League Baseball Draft and how it impacted the career trajectory for Catoctin High ace Joey McMannis, who will now head to the University of Maryland to pitch.

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Rob Dixon, Frederick High Girls Flag Football Coach

With the first varsity girls flag football season approaching in Frederick County, coach Rob Dixon, the head coach at Frederick High, is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Dixon, who is also the head track and field coach at Frederick High, chats with host Greg Swatek about his expectations for the coming season. What made him interested in coaching girls flag football? How many players are coming out for the team at Frederick High? And what is their familiarity with playing football?

The two also discuss the potential impact girls flag football as a varsity sport in Frederick County will have across the state and across the region and how it might impact the other varsity sports.

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Andrew Klein, GM Frederick Keys, Spire City Ghost Hounds

What is a Ghost Hound? And what is the plan to bring affiliated minor league baseball back to Frederick?

Andrew Klein, the general manager of the Frederick Keys and the Spire City Ghost Hounds, answers those questions and more on this week's episode of The Final Score podcast.

Klein chats with host Greg Swatek about the addition of the Ghost Hounds, who play in the independent Atlantic League, to the baseball scene in Frederick. Why did Attain Sports, which owns and runs the Keys and the Ghost Hounds, feel that an additional team was needed? And what has the general fan reaction been to the Ghost Hounds so far?

He also discusses the future of professional baseball in Frederick. What are the current plans to renovate Nymeo Field? Are their ongoing discussions to bring an affiliated team to town? And when might that happen?

Prior to that discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to talk about Urbana High graduate and Washington Nationals prospect Trey Lipscomb playing in Double-A Harrisburg and Catoctin High ace pitcher Joey McMannis potentially being drafted next week.

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Chuck Foreman, Frederick High, Minnesota Vikings legend

This week's guest on The Final Score podcast is Chuck Foreman, the former three-sport star for Frederick High School and football great for the Minnesota Vikings.

Foreman chats with host Greg Swatek about the most recent honor he received, as he will be inducted into the ring of honor at his college alma mater, the University of Miami, in October, alongside coaching greats Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson. Foreman talks about why he chose to go to Miami when he had many other offers and the impact playing for the Hurricanes had on the rest of his career and his life.

Foreman, the 12th overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft, also talks about his candidacy for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and why he thinks he has not gotten the call yet. He rushed for almost 6,000 yards, caught 350 passes for more than 3,000 yards and scored 76 touchdowns over the course of an eight-year career with the Minnesota Vikings (seven seasons) and the New England Patriots (one season).

Still residing in Minneapolis, Foreman also discusses the Vikings' recent draft choice of Tuscarora High graduate Jordan Addison, who is the highest NFL draft choice (No. 23 overall) from Frederick County since he was selected in '73.

Foreman talks about the impact he thinks Addison, a wide receiver, will have with the Vikings and the advice he would share when he gets a chance to speak with him.

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William Eskay, Former Urbana Soccer Star, The Soccer Tournament

After winning a share of $1 million for playing in The Soccer Tournament earlier this month, former Urbana High soccer star William Eskay is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

Eskay played for the Newtown Pride, which won the $1 million, winner-take-all The Soccer Tournament on June 4 in Cary, North Carolina. Newtown outlasted 32 teams in the four-day, World-Cup-style tournament that was televised on Peacock and some of the NBC networks.

Eskay chats with host Greg Swatek about being part of the winning team and what he plans to do with his share of the money, half of which was split evenly among the 18 players on the Newtown team.

Eskay talks about how he became involved with the Newtown Pride and why the team was so dominant throughout the tournament. He also touches on his professional career with the St. Louis Ambush of the Major Arena Soccer League and all of the momentous ways his life has changed in recent months.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to talk about some summer sports happenings in Frederick County.

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State champion Urbana Softball

After winning the state softball championship in Class 4A, star players Delaney Reefe and Maggie Hummer and coach Frank Husson are this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

The trio chats with host Greg Swatek about the 8-2 win over Delaney in the 4A championship game that earned the Hawks their second state title, with the first one coming in 2011. They discuss how the team grew over the course of the season, turning an 0-2 start into one of the finest seasons in school history.

Reefe, a University of Maryland recruit, talks about his transition during the high school season from being a standout catcher to a top-notch pitcher. Hummer, Urbana's every-day catcher, chats about why she loves playing softball so much. And Husson discusses why he felt this particular team had so much potential.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss Urbana's softball championship, the summer sports landscape in Frederick County and some of the baseball feature stories he is working on.

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Kevin Kendro, FCPS Supervisor of Athletics

With the 2022-23 school year now over, the supervisor of athletics and extra curricular activities for Frederick County Public Schools made his annual appearance on The Final Score podcast this week.

Kevin Kendro chats with Greg Swatek about the year that was in FCPS athletics. The discussion centers heavily on the school system adding girls flag football as a varsity sport in the fall. How challenging was the process? What sort of response has the school system gotten about adding the sport? What will the games look like? What are the rules? How are points scored? What sort of blue print will the sport create for other school districts across the state? All of those questions are addressed.

Kendro also talks about the state of the Central Maryland Conference eight years into its existence. Clear Spring was added in the last school year to give the sports league 16 teams, including the 10 from Frederick County. Kendro discusses some structural changes the CMC is making to its divisions and the way championships are awarded.

He also discusses some of the challenges that high school sports are facing on the state level, namely a shortage of game officials.

Coach Bobby Humphries, James Partlow, State Champion TJ Boys Track and Field

Fresh off of the Thomas Johnson boys track and field team winning its first state team title in more than a decade, coach Bobby Humphries and team captain and top distance runner James Partlow are this week's guests on The Final Score podcast.

Humphries and Partlow chat with host Greg Swatek about how the Patriots were able to claim the Class 3A boys teams championship without winning a single event. They scored 56 points and held off nemesis Frederick High (51.75) to win their first state title since their three-peat in 2009-11. 

Partlow talks about how the Patriots overcame a poor first day of the meet to achieve a season-long long, and Humphries addresses his transition from coaching football to coaching track and how he has become better at the job in the process.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writers John Cannon and Alexander Dacy join Greg to talk about the end of the spring sports season in Frederick County, which featured Urbana softball winning a state title, the Catoctin boys and Urbana girls track teams defending their titles, championship-game appearances for Middletown girls lacrosse, Catoctin softball and Urbana baseball and the first tennis state championship in the history of Brunswick High School.

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Ellery Bowman, Coach Tyler White, Middletown Girls Lacrosse

As they prepare to face Manchester Valley in the Class 2A state championship game, senior midfielder Ellery Bowman and coach Tyler White are this week's guests on The Final Score podcast.

Bowman and White chat with host Greg Swatek about the significance of the Middletown girls playing in their second lacrosse state final in three seasons and what it would mean to become the first girls lacrosse team from Frederick County to win a state title.

Bowman, the leading scorer in Frederick County by a wide margin, talks about how she got started in playing the sport and her future playing it at the U.S. Naval Academy and beyond.

White, meanwhile, talks about how is able to maintain such a positive outlook most of the time, why it is so important to his coaching philosophy, the importance of remembering that playing lacrosse should be about having fun above all else, and how he might celebrate a state-championship win for the Knights.

Prior to that discussion, FNP sports writer Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss the four state championship games this week involving Urbana softball and baseball, Catoctin softball and Middletown girls lacrosse. What are each teams chances of bringing home the title?

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Dean Coccia, Linganore Girls Lacrosse Coach

With his team set to play in another state semifinal, first-year Linganore girls lacrosse coach Dean Coccia is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast.

After suffering a heart-breaking loss in the final minute to Severna Park last spring in the state semifinals, the Lancers are back in the final four of Class 3A and set to take on top-seeded Towson at Paint Branch High School. Coccia chats with host Greg Swatek about taking over a team with a mix of veterans from last season's experience and new players

The two also discuss Coccia's backgound in the sport, how he got the job at Linganore and what his expectations are moving forward.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writer John Cannon and Alexander Dacy join Greg to talk about state semifinals and quarterfinals for Frederick County teams in baseball, softball and boys and girls lacrosse.

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Catoctin softball pitcher Taylor Smith and catcher Meghan Gray

As their team prepares to begin the softball playoffs as the top team in the region, Catoctin star softball pitcher Taylor Smith and catcher Meghan Gray are this week's guests on The Final Score podcast.

Smith and Gray chat with host Greg Swatek about what makes them such an effective combination. They discuss their backgrounds in the sport, what makes Catoctin such a strong softball program year after year and what winning a state title would mean to them.

How much guts are required to catch a power pitcher like Taylor? What makes Meghan such an effective hitter? Those questions and more are answered.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writers Alexander Dacy and John Cannon join Greg to discuss the recently played Central Maryland Conference championship games for baseball and softball and the regional playoffs in a variety of spring sports.

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Jordan Addison's mother, Keisha Blackman

One week after seeing her son fulfill a lifelong dream of being drafted into the NFL, Jordan Addison's mother, Keisha Blackman, is this week's guest on the Final Score podcast.

Addison, a wide receiver and Tuscarora High graduate, was selected at No. 23 overall in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings, making him the second player from Frederick County to be drafted into the NFL's opening round, following former Frederick High great Chuck Foreman, who was selected by the Vikings at No. 12 overall in 1973.

Blackman shares with host Greg Swatek what it was like watching this entire process unfold for her son and how she felt once he was drafted. She talks about how Jordan's love for football started and his rise through the ranks into one of the top college wide receivers in the country.

She also talks about the various challenges he has overcome along the way, such as dealing with a lot of negative blowback after he transferred from the University of Pittsburgh, and what some of the next steps are as his NFL career begins.

Prior to that conversation, FNP sports writers Alexander Dacy and John Cannon join Greg to talk about where things stand as the regular season for spring sports in Frederick County comes to and end and with the playoffs set to begin next week.

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Jordan Addison, Bryan Bresee Drafted in the First Round of the NFL Draft; Rob Robinson

On a momentous night for Frederick County sports, Tuscarora graduate Jordan Addison, a playmaking wide receiver, and Urbana native Bryan Bresee, a disruptive defensive tackle, were taken in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, respectively.

On this week's episode of the Final Score podcast, FNP sports writers Alexander Dacy and John Cannon join host Greg Swatek to discuss this major news, as Addison and Bresee join former Frederick High star Chuck Foreman as the only Frederick County natives to be drafted into the NFL in the first round. Foreman was the 12th overall pick by the Vikings in the 1973 draft.

Following that conversation, in a prerecorded interview, one of Addison's former coaches with the Gaithersburg-based Montgomery Village Chiefs, Rob Robinson, joins Greg to discuss the beginnings of Addison's football career and what made him such a dynamic player at such an early age. Why did Addison need to be the team's quarterback? How did the rest of the Chiefs take their cues from such a quiet leader? Robinson explains.

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Tom DeMaio, Urbana Girls Lacrosse Coach

With his team in the midst of a good season, first-year Urbana High School girls lacrosse coach Tom DeMaio is this week's guest on The Final Score podcast. 

DeMaio chats with host Greg Swatek about growing up as a huge sports fan in Boston and going to Super Bowls that his beloved Patriots played in and won. He talks about how he transitioned from being a solid defenseman in hockey into a lacrosse player and later a coach. And he talks about raising six kids, all of whom play lacrosse, including his oldest son, Anthony, who was a standout midfielder on two national championship teams at the University of DeMaio.

The conversation eventually shifts to DeMaio's team at Urbana this season, its thrilling last-second win over Middletown and where it stands in the Frederick County girls lacrosse pecking order with the playoffs approaching.

Prior to that, Alexander Dacy joins Greg to discuss at length his upcoming and ambitious tryout with Frederick's new Atlantic League baseball team. What is he expecting, for better or for worse?

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