Howard County Times 2023 All-County football: Reservoir defensive linemen Moses Bailey wreaks havoc, named Defensive Player of the Year

Dec. 27—By Jacob Steinberg — jsteinberg@baltsun.com — Baltimore Sun Media

PUBLISHED:December 27, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.| UPDATED:December 27, 2023 at 1:38 p.m.

Reservoir football coach Matt Banta saw junior defensive lineman Moses Bailey's potential last year.

Banta was the Gators linebackers coach before becoming head coach in January. He immediately emphasized the importance of the weight room to his players and Bailey was one of many Gators who bought in. With a 6-foot-3 frame and a strong motor, Bailey grew and added more muscle entering his junior season.

That combination of size and speed led to Bailey wreaking havoc on opponents. He finished with a team-high 82 tackles, including 25 tackles for loss, as well as a team-high 7.5 sacks. For his spectacular season, Bailey has been named the 2023 Howard County Times Defensive Player of the Year.

"Whenever I'm playing defensive end on the outside, I always like to play fast," Bailey said. "Also keeping the offensive tackles fast on their feet, I'm always trying to be explosive and beat them from the first step and using my hands a lot to beat them on the outside."

Installing a new defensive system, Banta had a vision of Bailey as an inside linebacker. Bailey prepped for that role all offseason and started out the year at that spot. However, midway through the second game against Oakland Mills, Banta moved Bailey to defensive end and his presence was felt immediately.

Against a run-heavy Scorpions team, Bailey displayed his relentlessness and strong ability to stop the run from his edge position, also with strong hand fighting skills as a pass rusher. The switch wasn't challenging for Bailey who played defensive end from a young age. With each game, Bailey settled into the role.

"I think he just had to get comfortable in our scheme and you just saw the progression as the season went on," Banta said. "He had the confidence. He has something that you can't teach and that's a motor. His ability to make plays from when teams are running away from him and when teams are running to him when he's got the one-on-one opportunity with the offensive tackle. You could see as he was getting more comfortable throughout the year how dominant he was becoming."

A Week 5 matchup at Marriotts Ridge was Bailey's highlight reel. Bailey finished with seven total tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, and was a major aspect of Reservoir's 24-21 come-from-behind victory. In that contest, he scooped up a blocked punt for a touchdown and also returned a fumble over 60 yards late in the fourth quarter to set up the Gators for the game-tying score.

Bailey's most effective pass rush utilizes a swipe move. That requires fast hand and feet movement to get the offensive linemen off-balance, a strength of his game. In both the run and the pass, Bailey's relentless motor is one of his most important attributes. That's become a foundational principle of his game, a mindset he's held since a young age.

"I take pride in that motor," Bailey said. "I've had plenty of past coaches tell me it's all about the motor. Because if you make a play but then give up on the next one, then people aren't going to want you. Always keep that motor high and continue to go. Even if you fall, get back up and keep going no matter what. If you fall down or someone blocks you, just keep pursuing no matter what. I thank my past coaches for teaching me that at such an early age and me being able to maintain that as I've gotten older."

Bailey plays with a youthful exuberance that's contagious to his teammates. As Banta instilled a new culture in year one, Bailey focused on continually maintaining high energy and morale, culminating with the program's first Howard County championship in the 21-year history of the school.

It's also one of the many reasons why Banta believes that Bailey has the platform to emerge into an even more impactful leader entering his final season. A standout performer as a junior, Bailey has already identified points of emphasis before his senior season, notably increasing his upper-body strength to take on more double teams.

"He put in the work," Banta said. "I'm really excited to see what he can do next year because for him to start as a sophomore is obviously impressive and for him to be the defensive player of the year as a junior is very impressive. The sky's the limit for him. He's going to be as good as he wants to be, as much work as he puts in and I know he's going to take the steps to do that."

All-County first team

Quinn Cestone, Marriotts Ridge, senior, defensive line: Cestone finished with a team-high 74 tackles, a sack, a pair of fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Myon Davis, Mt. Hebron, senior, defensive line: Davis had 25 tackles, a sack, five tackles for a loss and a safety, strong in the interior of the defensive line.

Chris Martin, Wilde Lake, senior, defensive line: Martin forced three fumbles and was the Howard County sacks leader for a second consecutive season with 10, also second on the team with 71 tackles, including 21 for loss.

Anthony Ngansi, Atholton, senior, defensive line: A Morgan State commit, Ngansi had 50 tackles and a sack coming off the edge, also with a team-high three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

Kwadwo Boampong, Wilde Lake, junior, linebacker: Boampong was over all the field finishing with a county-leading 137 tackles and 6.5 sacks, emerging into the leader of the Wildecats defense.

Khalil Johnson, Atholton, senior, linebacker: A hard-hitter, Johnson was all over the field, concluding the season with a team-high 93 tackles, 14 of which for loss.

Kaiden Lee, Oakland Mills, junior, linebacker: Lee had 50 tackles, including seven for loss, also tying a team-high two sacks, emerging as leader for the Scorpions defense.

Caleb Snype, Howard, senior, linebacker: Snype was another key part of the linebacking corps, second on the team with 94 tackles, a team-high 19 loss and second on the team with four sacks.

Dylan Treese, Howard, senior, linebacker: Treese played sideline-to-sideline, ending the season with a team-leading 96 tackles, also with four forced fumbles and three sacks.

Mike Brogno, Mt. Hebron, senior, defensive back: Brogno showcased elite ball skills in the secondary with a county-leading seven interceptions, also recording 22 tackles.

Taamir Oliver, Oakland Mills, sophomore, defensive back: Oliver shined in the secondary with 40 tackles, showcasing a nose for the ball with three interceptions and 15 pass breakups, also with three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Isaac Ramsey, Oakland Mills, junior, defensive back: Ramsey ended the year with a team-high 63 tackles, also with an 86-yard pick six in a second-round playoff win over Atholton.

Jayden Thompson, Long Reach, senior, defensive back: Thompson had 25 tackles and was a ballhawk on the backend with a team-high four interceptions, also with a pair of forced fumbles and recoveries.

Nick Bilotto, Glenelg, junior, punter: Bilotto punted 26 times, averaging 30.96 yards per punt with a long of 53 and 14 downed inside the 20.

All-County second team

Donovan Bailey, Long Reach, junior, defensive line

Ben Blackerby, Mt. Hebron, junior, defensive line

Christian Chen, Glenelg, linebacker, senior

Nick Duda, Mt. Hebron, senior, defensive back

Jaydin Gore, Wilde Lake, freshman, defensive back

Ryan Fowler, River Hill, senior, linebacker

Brandon Hester, Reservoir, junior, defensive back

GT Mann, Atholton, junior, punter

Ian Pope, Atholton, junior, defensive line

Connor Reeves, Glenelg, senior, defensive line

Miles Reinders, Reservoir, senior, linebacker

Adam Thompson, Mt. Hebron, sophomore, defensive back

Darius Williams, Wilde Lake, junior, defensive back

Final Season Standings

1. Reservoir (8-3, 7-2, Howard County Champion); 2. Mt. Hebron (8-3, 7-2, Class 3A state quarterfinalist); 3. Glenelg (7-4, 6-3); 4. Atholton (7-4, 6-3); 5. Howard (6-4, 6-3); 6. Long Reach (6-4, 6-3); 7. River Hill (5-5, 5-4); 8. Wilde Lake (6-6, 4-5, 2A state quarterfinalist); 9. Marriotts Ridge (4-6, 4-5); 10. Oakland Mills (5-7, 3-6, 3A state quarterfinalist); 11. Centennial (0-10, 0-9); 12. Hammond (0-10, 0-9).

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