Prep Football: Kenwood Hopes to Bounce Back in 2011

Despite finishing 2-8 last season, football coach Anthony J. Ruocco feels his team has the experience and talent to make waves in Baltimore County’s tough 3A-4A league.

Ruocco looks to returning All-County running back Travis Jenkins and new starting quarterback A.J. Moulden to lead his wing-t/wildcat offense.

Jenkins, who rushed for more than 1,000 rushing yards last season while providing highlight plays in the return game, is a diminutive back with great acceleration and the ability to make great cuts.

“We have had a long tradition of good running backs,” Ruocco said. “We want to establish the running game with Travis both on sweeps and inside runs, and that will open up the play-action passing game for A.J.”

Moulden, who beat out two other quarterbacks to take hold of the starting job, has great athletic talent as well as an accurate throwing arm.

“We run a combination of the traditional wing-t with the quarterback under center,” Ruocco said. “But we also will run some shotgun sets that will allow Molden to use his athleticism in a Wildcat type set.”

Archbishop Curley transfer Josh Spencer, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive lineman, will cause match-up problems for most offenses the Bluebirds face.

“We want to return to the competitive team we've been for a long stretch," Ruocco said. “It will be tough in the 3A-4A league—one of the toughest in the state. We have no easy games with teams like Eastern Tech, Hereford, Franklin, Perry Hall on the schedule. We will be an underdog in many games, but we've been able to upset some teams in the past.”

Kenwood kicks off its season at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at home against Dulaney in a game that was originally set for Friday but was rescheduled due to Hurricane Irene.