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MPSSAA Celebrates State Coaches of the Year

For Immediate Release Date: 30 October 2020

Baltimore, MD – The Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) congratulates the twenty-two high school coaches from across Maryland that have been selected as 2019-20 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches of the Year.

The NFHS annually honors a Coach of the Year in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in two “other” sports – one for boys and one for girls – that are not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award. This year’s awards recognize coaches for the 2019-20 school year.

The recipients of this year’s awards for girls sports are: Scott Robinson, , Howard High School; Herb Tolbert, cross country, ; Jennifer Holiday Mohr, , Quince Orchard High School; Haroot Hakopian, soccer, Winston Churchill High School; Louie Hoelman, , Montgomery Blair High School; Jon Leong, & diving, Poolesville High School; Josh Dawson, track & field, Northern-Calvert High School; Karen Hampton, , Williamsport High School.

Recipients of 2020 state awards for boys sports are: John Childers, , La Plata High School; Darnell Myers, basketball, ; David Lillard, cross country, Oakdale High School; Doug Williams, football, Catoctin High School; Randy Berger, , Gaithersburg High School; Eric Cava, soccer, Gaithersburg High School; Chris Tappis, swimming & diving, Winston Churchill High School; Jason Gohn, , Walt Whitman High School; Valerie Harrington, track & field, Huntingtown High School; Dave Taylor, , Southern-Garrett High School.

The recipient of the State Coach of the Year Award for spirit is Karen Bettencourt of Dulaney High School. Brenda Stohmer, a coach at Liberty High School, and Anita Shaw, a corollary sports coach at Dulaney High School, were chosen in the “other” category for girls sports, and Steve DeFeo, a lacrosse coach at Westminster High School, was chosen in the “other” category for boys sports. www.mpssaa.org