Queen Anne’s ready to avenge rare home playoff loss

September 2, 2015

Travon Miles,

With a 8-3 record, with their 10th playoff appearance in the last 11 years in 2014, you would think the Queen Anne’s Lions would be satisfied with last season. The Lions were the only Bayside team to knock off rival Kent Island, avenging the two losses the Bucs handed them in 2013.

But after an unusual home playoff loss to Bayside rival Easton, the Lions enter 2015 hungrier than ever. “Last year hurt, it really hurt. Now we know we have to pick it up,” said senior RB Ahmad Gray.

QA defeated Easton handily just 11 days prior to their playoff matchup, and besides, the Warriors hadn’t won a playoff game since 1993.

The end result pushed Easton to their first ever 2A East final, and pulled the Lions out of the playoffs in the first round for the fourth year in a row. “Hopefully nobody’s thinking about last year, its in the past, we cant do anything about it,” said Lions’ head coach Donny Graef.

2015 brings some differences to the Queen Anne’s program. With the graduation of four-year starter Bradley Harmon, the quarterback battle is one of the most intriguing camp position battles in Centreville. “We’ve had the luxury over the last couple of years of having those guys and just stepping into practice and picking up where we left off, this year’s been alot different,” said Graef.

Harmon’s backup from a year ago, senior Tommy Bull is the front runner to take the job, but is being challenged by juniors Pat Freeman and Mike D’Angelo. The Lions may take a different approach this season, and use a two-quarterback system to accommodate the different strengths of the QB candidates.

No matter who is under center, they will have the luxury of a veteran in their ear all times, in the form of Graef. “Coach G” enters his 21st season with 147 wins, 11th for active head coaches in Maryland. “I get paid to do what I love, I’ll stay as long as they’ll have me,” he said.

The Lions travel to Worton on Friday, September 4th to take on an up and coming Kent County squad, a team that handed the Lions their first home loss last season (Week 7). The cross-county rivalry game will indeed be an intense one, with both QA and KC probable playoff teams, the winner gets a jump-start on the jam-packed Bayside North standings and will own the and the biggest win of Week 1.