Broadneck prepped and pumped for Friday’s showdown at No. 6 Old Mill

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By the time the pregame coin toss flips, flies and lands and two of Anne Arundel County’s top teams line up for the opening kickoff Friday night, some of the most important work Emmett Davis is going to do all week will long be over.

As Broadneck’s senior quarterback and the leader of the Bruins offense, Davis will try to steer an upset of undefeated No. 6 Old Mill on the road in Millersville. And the Bruins know the week of practice preceding their clash for county supremacy could determine their result.

To date, the first seven teams to try to knock off Old Mill haven’t gotten close. The Patriots (7-0) average more than 49 points per game, allow fewer than seven, and five of their seven wins have come by more than 35 points.

A major key to Old Mill’s success is the sheer number of possessions they are stealing – Broadneck Coach Rob Harris estimates Old Mill’s turnover margin to be plus-20.

So for Davis and the offense, the first step to success exists somewhere between concentrating on ball security and playing aggressive.

“It’s really about doing it in practice,” Davis said. “I don’t think you can go into a game and be thinking about it all the time because you’re going to confuse yourself or you’re going to worry about it. You just got to do it right in practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and trust that it will translate to the game.”

And that’s only part of the battle.

As potent as Old Mill’s offense is, it uses no tricks, gimmicks or stunts to get the job done. The Patriots have scored 140 points the last two weeks, purely by getting set over the ball and executing at will.

[Ali’i Niumatalolo cashes in hard work for commitment to Boise State]

“They line up and you know what’s coming and you got to stop it,” Harris said. “They have a big offensive line, very good skill players, a good quarterback and a great coaching staff. It’s one of those challenges where you know what’s coming, you just got to stop it.”

So for Broadneck (6-1) to avenge its postseason loss from last season, its defense will have to match the energy and physicality on the other side of the ball.

Enter Ali’i Niumatalolo.

Niumatalolo, a senior middle linebacker who orally committed to Boise State on Tuesday, is the centerpiece of the Bruins defense with the reputation to go along with it. His physicality, aggressiveness and attitude, when spread throughout the other 10 capable defenders on the field, give Broadneck its best chance on Friday night and perhaps poses the biggest threat to Old Mill’s undefeated aspirations.

“It’s nice having a Division-I linebacker in the middle, don’t get me wrong,” Harris said. “But we got a bunch of kids around him that are pretty darn good, and we think if they all play to their potential it should be a very good football game.”