When Anne Arundel County football coaches were asked to revote, to break the tie for the county’s version of the Heisman Trophy, Annapolis coach Dewayne Hunt assumed it was over.
For his senior running back, Tyler Womack, to lock up with Malik Washington in the hunt for the 2024 Rhodes Trophy was in itself amazing.
The Archbishop Spalding senior, who just added Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year to his mountain of accolades, is the No. 5 quarterback in the country for a national top 10 team. MaxPreps National Player of the Year is not yet out of contention for Washington, per coach Kyle Schmitt.
And yet, 16 slips of paper went out of the room, were recounted, and returned evenly split.
Not since Evan Fochtman and Cameron Hough in 2016 — also Spalding and Annapolis players, respectively — have two players shared the Rhodes Trophy, which is given out every year following votes from Anne Arundel public and private school coaches by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis. The Capital also receives one vote for both the Rhodes Trophy and Al Laramore Memorial Award, which was given to Arundel defensive lineman Brandon Gorham.
Washington is the only player in Anne Arundel history to win the Rhodes Trophy three times.
“Means so much. I’m really grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this point,” Washington said. “I couldn’t have done it by myself.”
This is Womack’s second nomination, but first win.
“I want to thank every coach, from the private to the public schools, for recognizing the hard work and commitment from a kid that’s gone through a lot,” Hunt said. “And not necessarily just for what he went through, but for the person he is.
“I’m hoping other kids can see that you can still play in public school, you can still be at Annapolis, and if you do all the right things, you can have those great awards and opportunities.”
There was not a day that Womack touched the field and did not lead the state in rushing yards. His 1,844 total yards and 23 touchdowns on 224 carries were only eclipsed by Linganore’s Bradly Matthews and Patuxent’s Evan Blouir several weeks after Dundalk eliminated Annapolis from playoff contention.
Womack, who fields offers from several Division I schools, including Navy, averaged 8.2 yards per carry and 167 rushing yards per game while catching four touchdown passes and returning four kickoffs for a touchdown. His all-purpose yards topped out at 2,589.
His standout performances include a 315-yard game highlighted by a 95-yard kickoff return against Severna Park on Sept. 20; 232 yards and two touchdowns against Broadneck on Oct. 18; and 225 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the 4A state quarterfinal against Dundalk.
“I’m grateful that every coach opened their eyes, hearts and minds and just looked at the purity of who the best players were,” Hunt said, “to even share with a kid like Malik Washington.”
Washington capped his three-year starting career with 2,095 passing yards (153-for-237), 330 rushing yards (43 carries) and 34 total touchdowns. He ends his career with 8,183 all-purpose yards and 100 touchdowns. In going 33-3, he never lost to a Maryland-based team. He is the all-time leading passer in the history of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, which named him the Player of the Year three times. He competed in the Elite 11 quarterback competition over the summer and will play in the Navy All-American Bowl this month. The list sprawls on.
On Monday, he will join five of his teammates to ceremoniously sign with Maryland.
“I think multiple coaches in the room said it — if it’s a career award, which Malik had the best career. He’s maybe the best player in this county, ever,” Schmitt said. “I think this is the cherry on top of a phenomenal four years. He’s won every award he could win — it’s remarkable — but we take pride in this one. We’re proud of the county we represent.”
The morning after Gorham returned a pick for a touchdown to help Arundel lift the first state championship for an Anne Arundel team in 13 years, county coaches gave him another one.
The Al Laramore Memorial Award, bestowed on the county’s top lineman, has consistently gone to offensive players over the past several years.
There was a point early in the season in which Gorham led his team in scoring, just from the defensive side alone. There are running backs and receivers in the county who’d love to have five or six touchdowns in a season, Arundel coach Jack Walsh joked.
“We didn’t sub him in at tight end or try to get him the ball — he created it all,” he said. “I’m happy for him.”
Gorham, a Delaware commit, entered his final game with 52 total tackles (34 solo) and finished with 12 sacks and five interceptions. He played all over the line for Arundel’s 3-4 defense, but his “money maker” was coming off the edge as a pass rusher.
“Having two other good D-linemen stopping the run allows him to do that. But if he needs to bump in a little bit, he’s more than capable and willing to do that,” Walsh said. “He’s just a dominate force.”
He would’ve been a four-year starter, Walsh said, had his parent not been relocated to the other side of the country for a year.
But Walsh would not like to consider a reality in which Gorham remained in Hawaii.
“We do not win a state championship if Brandon Gorham did not come back,” Walsh said. “He could’ve gone anywhere he wanted — private schools wanted him — and he came back home.”
Rhodes Trophy winners
Winners of the Jim Rhodes Memorial Trophy, given annually by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis to the most outstanding high school football player in Anne Arundel County:
1959 — Bill Glotzbach, Annapolis; 1960 — Bill Glotzbach, Annapolis; 1961 — Charles Russell, Annapolis; 1962 — Arthur Colbert, Bates; 1963 — Mike Busch, St. Mary’s; 1964 — Gary Thall, Severna Park; 1965 — Bob Stach, Southern; 1966 — Lee Corbett, Annapolis; 1967 — Ed DeGrange, Glen Burnie; 1968 — Archie Pearman, Annapolis; 1969 — Louis Carter, Arundel; 1970 — Louis Carter, Arundel; 1971 — Jerry Nieves, Arundel; 1972 — Bill Currier, Glen Burnie; 1973 — Steve Simms, Annapolis; 1974 — Pat Mangum, Brooklyn Park; 1975 — Mike Lyons, Arundel; 1976 — Don Sadler, Wroxeter; 1977 — Gary Weishaar, Andover; 1978 — Tom Parker, Annapolis; 1979 — Scott Fitzgerald, Severna Park; 1980 — Joe Papetti Jr., South River; 1981 — Craig Wilson, Annapolis; 1982 — Kenny Gray, Meade; 1983 — Mike White, South River; 1984 — Doug Johnson, Annapolis; 1985 — Troy Turner, Arundel; 1986 — Jeff Allen, Meade; 1987 — Brian Pratt, Meade; 1988 — Lenny Milliken, Northeast; 1989 — Lonnie Pierce, Meade; 1990 — William Beverly, Old Mill; 1991 — Anthony Walker, North County; 1992 — Brandon Steinheim, Chesapeake; 1993 — Corey Contee, Southern; 1994 — Topper Ellis, North County; 1995 — John Norsworthy, Arundel; 1996 — Erik Lipton, Arundel; 1997 — Tanardo Sharps, Meade; 1998 — Rayvon Johnson, Annapolis; 1999 — Rayvon Johnson, Annapolis; 2000 — Mike Pfisterer, North County; 2001 — Keith Williams, Glen Burnie; 2002 — DeMario Harris, Annapolis; 2003 — Bobby Schram, Arundel; 2004 — Ryan Callahan, Old Mill; 2005 — Ryan Callahan, Old Mill; 2006 — Jake Trantin, Archbishop Spalding; 2007 — Nick Elko, Arundel; 2008 — Alec Lemon, Arundel; 2009 — Billy Cosh, Arundel and Josh Furman, Old Mill; 2010 — K.K. Smith, Archbishop Spalding; 2011 — Rob Chesson, Old Mill; 2012 — Lavon Chaney, South River; 2013 — Zach Abey, Archbishop Spalding; 2014 — Donovan Franklin, Old Mill; 2015 — Ali’i Niumatalolo, Broadneck; 2016 — Cameron Hough, Annapolis and Evan Fochtman, Archbishop Spalding; 2017 — Shane Davis, Broadneck; 2018 — Ethon Williams, Broadneck; 2019 – David Foust, South River; 2021 — Josh Ehrlich, Broadneck; 2022 – Malik Washington, Spalding; 2023 – Malik Washington, Spalding; 2024 – Malik Washington, Spalding and Tyler Womack, Annapolis
Laramore Award winners
Winners of the Al Laramore Memorial Award, presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis to the most outstanding lineman in Anne Arundel County:
1989 — Nat Cook, Annapolis; 1990 — Adam Funk, St. Mary’s; 1991 — Mark Miles, Severna Park; 1992 — Chad DuBeau, Severna Park; 1993 — Ron Green, Severna Park; 1994 — Beau Watkins, Annapolis; 1995 — George Fewster, Meade; 1996 — Monte Graves, St. Mary’s; 1997 — Rob Hoffman, St. Mary’s; 1998 — Jeff Blachly, Arundel; 1999 — Joe Salsich, Severn; 2000 — Brandon Gulley, Annapolis; 2001 — Kerry Blake, Old Mill; 2002 — Brendan Teague, St. Mary’s; 2003 — Ben Gabbard, Broadneck; 2004 — Brett Cheplowitz, Broadneck; 2005 — Zack Farrington, North County; 2006 — Rob Ciancaglini, Broadneck; 2007 — John MacDonald, Arundel; 2008 — Andrew Bishop, Southern; 2009 — Hussum Ouri, Broadneck; 2010 — David Coffin, South River; 2011 — Shayne Sullivan, Archbishop Spalding; 2012 — Mike Minter, Severna Park; 2013 — Jake Hawk, Meade; 2014 — Aaron Jackson, Arundel; 2015 — Chris Wissmann, Old Mill; 2016 — Darnell Creek, Broadneck; 2017 — Timber Berzins, St. Mary’s; 2018 — Ka’Ron Lewis, South River; 2019 – Jahmeer Carter, Spalding; 2021 — Kellan Wyatt, Spalding; 2022 – Caleb Herb, South River; 2023 — Wyatt Ferguson Chesapeake; 2024 – Brandon Gorham, Arundel