Cosh: Good opening act

Billy Cosh is doing his best to make people forget about Nick Elko. If he can keep it up, that just might happen.

Cosh threw three touchdowns passes to help Arundel roll past Broadneck, 28-13, last night in the regular-season opener.

"We got the win," Cosh said. "That's the most important part."

Cosh threw for 169 yards and hit Alec Lemon, Sean Fitzgerald and R.J. Harris for touchdowns to lead Arundel in his first varsity start.

"Arundel's passing game is second to none to anybody in the state of Maryland," Broadneck coach Jeff Herrick said. "They executed extremely well."

Cosh gave Arundel, the Class 4A state runners-up last season, the lead with three minutes left in the first quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Lemon.

Lemon, who committed to play for Syracuse last month, finished with five receptions for 53 yards.

"I could have had a few more to Alec," said Cosh, who gained 49 yards on seven carries. "We've just got to get our timing down. I'm just excited for the win."

Broadneck quarterback Kyle Colleran evened the score at 7 early in the second quarter with the first of two three-yard touchdown runs. Colleran led the Bruins 80 yards down the field to set up the end zone push.

Arundel countered quickly to take the lead for good. Cosh hit Fitzgerald for a 16-yard pass before Derrick Rhodes' 27-yard run brought the Wildcats into Bruins territory.

Cosh, who was 14-for-25, followed an offsides call with a 22-yard strike to Fitzgerald in the right corner of the end zone with 9:49 left in the second quarter.

Harris caught an eight-yard pass in the same part of the end zone to make it 21-7 with 1:38 to play.

"We work on our passing game. That's what we do," Wildcats coach Chuck Markiewicz said. "We don't work on our running game. … You've got to get good at something. We believe in the pass. It's been that way for a long time."

Cosh couldn't get his passing game working at the start of the second half, but he found another way to get the job done.

Following three incomplete passes in Arundel's first drive, Cosh booted a 43-yard punt that was downed at the 1-yard line.

Broadneck could only run the ball out to the 3 before Colleran had to punt. Arundel's Joe White blocked the punt, and Chris Rice fell on the ball for the touchdown to put the game out of reach.

"That was just a momentum-changer," Cosh said. "After that, I thought we had it in the bag."

Colleran came back and finished off a nine-play, 65-yard drive with another three-yard touchdown to make it 28-13.

Colleran finished 6-for-15 with 128 passing yards and ran for 68 yards.

"I thought Kyle played extremely well," Herrick said. "He played pretty good through four quarters."

Broadneck running back Ron VanMeter carried 23 times for 143 yards, and Trae Byes made three receptions for 97 yards.

Harris caught four passes for 64 yards, and Rhodes finished with 48 rushing yards.

"It's a quality win," Markiewicz said. "If you look at our first five games, we've got to go at least 3-2. So beating Broadneck in the first one, that's big. We don't have any room for any mistakes."

Arundel (1-0) 7 14 7 0 - 28

Broadneck (0-1) 0 7 6 0 - 13

AR - Lemon 14 pass Cosh (Blake Alderman kick)

BR - Colleran 3 rush (Crossen kick)

AR - Fitzgerald 22 pass Cosh (kick)

AR - Harris 8 pass Cosh (kick)

AR - Jackson punt recovery (kick)

BR - Colleran 2 run (kick failed)

PASSING: AR - Cosh 14-25-3=169 yards; BR - Colleran 6-15-0=169 yards. RUSHING: AR - Cosh 49 yards, Rhodes 48 yards; BR - VanMeter 143 yards, Colleran 68 yards.