The last time the North Hagerstown football squad started a season with a 3-0 record, the seniors on this fall’s team were still years away from even being born.
The year was 2003, and it was a legendary one for the Hubs. North Hagerstown started that campaign with three victories and rode that momentum to an 11-win season. Success hasn’t been easy to come by in the decades that followed, but fast-forward to 2025: The Hubs have a golden opportunity for a 3-0 start on Friday evening when they fuel up the team bus for a road trip to Thomas Johnson.
We’ve selected this contest between the Hubs and Patriots as our Game of the Week.
Expectations will be high for North Hagerstown, which has blown out its first two opponents, but don’t expect Thomas Johnson to go down without a fight. The Patriots not only have a balanced attack, but also the confidence of having beaten the Hubs for the last two seasons.
Expect fireworks, and perhaps a little bit of history, when North Hagerstown and Thomas Johnson lock horns on Friday.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming games or meets we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
North Hagerstown at Thomas Johnson
Kickoff: Friday, 6:30 p.m., at Thomas Johnson
Records: North Hagerstown is 2-0, while Thomas Johnson checks in at 1-1.
Last game: The Hubs toppled Manchester Valley, 33-7, while the Patriots are coming off a 56-14 loss to Oakdale.
Last meeting: Thomas Johnson knocked off North Hagerstown, 28-12, in last year’s meeting.
Meet the Hubs: Buzz has been building for North Hagerstown since the preseason, and the Hubs have lived up to the hype so far, outscoring their first two opponents by a combined 62-21 score … Thanks to the fast start, coach Nathan Butts’ Hubs are 2-0 for the first time since 2018 … A win over Thomas Johnson on Friday would put North Hagerstown at 3-0 for the first time since the 2003 season, when the Hubs went 11-1 … The Hubs have had a considerable amount of success running the ball with Ty Fauntleroy and Michael Stewart, two RBs who have combined for more than 500 yards and five TDs. A third RB, Tai Gilliam, has totaled 112 yards and two TDs on 17 carries … Junior QB Colt Butts guides the offense for the Hubs. He’s completed 8 for 18 passes for 120 yards and two TDs … Butts favorite targets have been Fauntleroy (3 catches, 29 yards) and Stewart (1 catch, 39 yards, TD), as well as Garett Forrest (2 catches, 47 yards), who also handles punting duties for North Hagerstown … Defensively, the Hubs are led by a linebacking corps that includes Blake Custer, Damean Thomas, and Shane Tyler, three players who have compiled a combined 58 tackles through two games … Darius Geaman and Reid Taylor split kicking duties for North Hagerstown … If the Hubs can pull out the victory, they’ll be well on their way to their first winning season since 2013, when they went 6-4.
Meet the Patriots: When Thomas Johnson hits the field on Friday, the Patriots will be aiming to knock off the Hubs for the third-straight season … Thomas Johnson is led by first-year head coach Vince Ahearn, who guided the Patriots to an 18-7 win over Catoctin in Week 1 before his squad suffered its first loss against Oakdale last week … Junior RB Dyvae Ambush is a dynamic player who can impact a game as both a runner and a pass catcher … North Hagerstown’s secondary will be tested by senior QB Randy Embree, who completed 20 of 33 passes for 247 yards and a TD last week … Embree’s favorite targets are Ambush and Darnell Taylor, a receiver who hauled in seven catches for 90 yards in the Oakdale game … Aydin Ejaz and Jeremy Lemus both logged sacks for the Patriots last week, and the duo will be aiming to disrupt the Hubs’ offensive flow on Friday.
Sandrik’s pick: Hubs by 14.
