Severna Park’s Blake Howell Will Command Spalding’s Offense

Russian author Leo Tolstoy once said that “the two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”

Severna Park’s Blake Howell has been waiting to lead Archbishop Spalding’s offense for the last two years as he learned and trained with the Maryland Gatorade Football Player of the Year, Malik Washington, who led the Cavaliers to three consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) championships. Washington was one of the top quarterbacks in the nation and accepted a football scholarship to the University of Maryland.

Howell’s time has come to command the huddle and continue the success of Spalding’s football dynasty.

“After last year’s championship game, coach (Kyle) Schmitt came up to me and said, ‘You have the keys now. Get ready,’” Howell said.

Spalding’s football head coach weighed in. “There were certain things that Malik did that most high school offenses cannot duplicate,” Schmitt said. “We will build around Blake’s strength as a dual threat quarterback.”

Howell is fortunate to have four returning starters on his offensive line as well as a 2024 Capital Gazette All-County first-team receiver and tight end, and two All-County second-team receivers.

“I feel very safe behind that big offensive line, and I have so many weapons as wide receivers; I can’t wait to get started,”  he said.

Howell began playing football in the Pasadena-based Buccaneers system, then began playing in the Green Hornets organization at 8 years old. He participated in Spalding’s football camps growing up and attended numerous Spalding football games.

“I remember the first game I attended at Whittles Field, I was so impressed with the spirit of the school,” Howell said. “It was insane how loud it was and the stands were packed.”

Howell received outstanding coaching in the Green Hornets system as his dad, Kevin, was his head coach through the eighth grade.

“Blake fits the mold of a coach’s son,” Schmitt said. “He’s resilient, tough and consistent.”

Howell started as the junior varsity quarterback during his freshman year at Spalding but patiently waited for two years to take the reins while learning from Washington.

“Malik pushed me, helped me with my mechanics, and we trained together for the last couple of years,” Howell said.

Since last fall, Howell has been in the weight room, throwing to his receivers and leading his seven-on-seven summer team. He has worked on his arm strength for the last several years.

“Blake has significantly grown as a passer in his three years with our program,” Schmitt said. “His arm strength has matured, and he is throwing the deep ball with very good accuracy. We believe he was one of the top quarterbacks in the MIAA last season based on his growth as a player.”

Howell did get valuable playing time last fall as Spalding established sizable leads in a few conference games.

One of the intangibles Howell is working on this summer is becoming a better and more vocal leader.

“Blake has also grown into a significant leader for our program,” Schmitt said. “He has a different style than Malik, but it is clear that our players are excited for his opportunity.”

Defensive back Sean Johnson has been teammates with Howell since they were 7 years old in the Buccaneers and Green Hornets organizations.

“Blake is a leader on and off the field,” Johnson said. “He cares for everyone and makes sure everyone is playing to their best ability all the time.”

Johnson recently accepted a football scholarship to Florida State University.

Spalding has another daunting schedule this year. They will play national high school football powerhouses Archbishop Hoban of Ohio and The Hun School in New Jersey, as well as the competitive MIAA schedule. This fall, Spalding will have a new offensive coordinator, Duncan Howard. A former offensive lineman at the University of Oklahoma, Howard will continue to coach Spalding’s offensive line as well.

Howell has used the summer months leading up to his senior year to hone his quarterback skill set and hopefully lead the Cavaliers to a record-setting fourth consecutive MIAA conference title.

“Blake is ready,” Schmitt said. “He attacked this offseason with incredible passion for the sport and our program.”